The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1947-10-31

azln - America
EasH4nI To quote Rev. Mesh The
fourteen days of tireless travel and
interviewing did not answer all questions; but it did
sufficiently reveal the basic mendacity
propaganda campaign, which is deliberately cutvatns
ilIwill towards ruggedly Independent little Balkan
country desperately struggling emerge from hor-
of combined civil and foreign to create for
its people the industrial basis of better fe."
AS the with Ed Reston, New York Times
correspondent, when he visited Poland to Rev. Mesh
major surprises the inability of he and
his fellow cerics to find any signs of Soviet interior
ence-no troops, specialists, advisers. To the con-
traTy, he reports: 9. We found a general determ
nation born of long history of Turkish suppression
troHungarian misrule and foreign exploitation to
create new Yugoslavia that shall be selfsuffcient
and entirely free of all foreign influences controls
Specifically this attitude applied equally to western
financial penetration and to Soviet diplomatic inter-
ests
He further points out that while the country has
been greatly influenced by Soviet thinking
has drawn heavily Soviet experience social legs
laton the Yugosavs are no slavish imitators of the
Russian system. Rather they developing their pro-
cedures in light of Yugosav conditions There has been
drastic specialization of industry coectivizaon of
peasant land holdings Medical and dental care is
handled by straight federal insurance scheme based
a salary and tax with contributions from man.
agement and employees.
RELIGION is CONSIDERED PERSONAL
Of deep interest to Rev. Meish and his colleagues
of is the part being played by religion this
Balkan nation To the cerics oft repeated question
What is the attitude of Communists to religon? the
answer invariably emphasized that the whole
question of religion is considered PERSONAL thing
be respected. Further there is prohibition
priests and other clerics joining the party
At the present time third of the Roman Catholic
priests in Yugosavia actively supporting the Tito
administration despite Vatican opposition
Clarifying the position of religion, Premier Tchola-
ovich of Bosnia and Herzegovina informed Rev Meish
We do not question the religious position religious
organizations but we do watch their political stand We
believe religious organizations play positive role
in furtherng the interests of country :" This
was substantiated by Monsignor Rttig former Roman
Catholic pastor of st. Marks Church in Zagreb papa
chamberlain, member of the Yugosav delegation to
the Paris conference, and now chairman of the Com
mission Religious Affairs the Republic of Croatia
Monsgnor Rttg also stated that where ministers are
working for the life of the country no problems
exist"
THE STEPANIc CASE.
Several months ago a great hue and cry went I'D in
America the allegedly unfair trial which found
Archbishop Stepanic guilty of collaboration with
the Naz Rev Melish attempted to assemble all the
formation possible this. Follows his of
pertinent portion of the interview with Monsignor
Rittig: 1--WE asked the Monsignor his opinion of Arch
bishop Stepanic. He replied with quiet deliberation
As to Stepanc opinion in the church quite divided
For myself, admit certain bishops collaborated and
cannot return to Yugoslavia but the government
has acted legally only against the serious colabora
ors'"
Melish further points that on the day he and
his fellow cergymen left this country for Yugosava
the Roman Catholic press challenged them look up
Stepanc in prison Similarly Cardinal
Griffin of Westminster, England delivered crushing
Indictment that the Yugoslavs starving the
bishop death at hard labor executing priests and
closing churches. Here is what the clergymen found
'We took up this Catholic challenge and asked to
Archbishop Stepanc Eleven of stood in his cell
at Lepogava prison. photographed him, asked him
questions about his treatment. We found him weII-fed,
healthy not in prison uniform but wearing his epsco-
,al habit and in special cell outside the cell block,
With private chapel adjoining where he holds daily
mass; he has his exercise apart from the other prison
RS, has outsiders regularly, and, far dona
manual labor, at all, is spending his time portable
typewriter transIang the Bible into Croatan and work
is defeat.
1t will be recalled that this bill was passed