The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-10-06
Catholic Thought And Opinion
By REV. JAMES J. SULLIVAN

were called upon to fill the ranks, to man the guns, to die in the wreckage of their three room flats. Here in America, through the provi- dence of God, we did not feel the devastating crash of the buzz-bomb, or the fearful heat of the flre-bomb. But millions did go of to the cor- ners of the earth, and over a mil lion of our boys make up the ap- paling list of casualties. How can things be the same?
 The great lesson that unchecked
 capitalism has taught to the peO-
 pie are the shoddy platitudes of
 the dollar. Your dollar Is your
 best friend Nothing for moth.
 ing We have been living In a
 society that has produced primar-
 lily for profit. Slowly the worker
 has learned this. Slowly he has
 managed to cut himself in. While
 things are as they are,s 1t is ab-
 surd to expect that he will cut
 himself out. "4
 A solution can be found, perhaps, in simplifying and readjusting our system of distribution. There is, certainly, something wrong, when the consumer pays many times the actual worth of an article when he purchases. There is too much of a gap between the price of production and the cost of a'most any given article. The consumer pays ab- normally, while his wages are com puted according to what he pro- duces. Why should the farmer re- ceive four cents for a quart of milk, and the consumer be forced to pay fifteen? Something is wrong with the system. Why should furniture, for example, and clothing, bring in profits of fifty and sixty per centp "Everybody's doing 1t Is hardly an answer. It is avoiding the issue. why was there no reduction in cer- tain types of public service during the war, when the war increased the use, and therefore the profits irn- measurahly?
 Everything goes up, gradually and surely. When any attempt is made to complain, the excuse is always the price of labor A pay increase for the worker is promptly matched by a rise in prices. AS long as our economics are governed by the rule of grab the diSsension will last. The introduction of Christian ethics --and not the Russian idea'-into our relationship with one another Is the only solution.
 Russia, Again ct,
 The Russian sponsored show at Madison Square Garden failed rnis. erably to divert attention from the dismal picture of the London Con- ference. Only a few small town editors responded to the Garden show. Tripping over one another to show their liberalism and love for democracy, more than one made a poor showing. Probably the most hilarious was the local editor who said he didn't mind compromising his conscience on Russia, but he'd never compromise 1t for Spain, Moralists have always had a great deal of fun with one great dictum: My country right or wrong. Some where in the appendix, or in a foot note, there must be room for refer- ence for that local editorial.
 The conference, the first real at- tempt to settle problems brought about by the victory, was strong armed by Molotov from beginnina to end. It seems that Russia wants us to have no illusion about the bright, new world the victory has brought to us. The glamour of the war Whipped up by rlews- analysts and paper patriots) has dlmnied Freedom, a word used so loosely while the fighting was going on, is to be de'eted from any and aij proceedings. One wonders if there Is not behind the Russian attitude some truculence over the atomic bomb. Perhaps MT. Molotov would be a little more agreeable in ex- change for the formula? We sin. cerely hope that America will moi be taken in. This terrible device Is more likely to be kept locked in the laboratory while we have the secret than if 1t were to be given over to any other nation. E