davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1954-03-26
Spelling Things Out

Nnen the UNITED States supreme Court IN It's re-
cent rulings against two censorship boards one here
in Ohio and the other in New York gave as its reason
that the words immoral and intending to ince
to crime too indefinite TO be used as
uring rods OF a movies moral value good people
everywhere were greatly diSmayed, and not little
confused.
That the members OF the highest Court in the
land snouid decide that the words immoral and
"incing 10 crime" OF practical value in form
ing human judgments is for them, IN effect, TO
call into question the basic concepts underlying
these terms And this IS cause for alarm.
If this Court or any other Tor that matter should
deal with every case in the same way le. reduce
ii TO problem Senantics, the spike couldn't be
made which would be long enough TO hold the court
docket. And what a field day the sellers of diction-
aries would have
We can see it nov, the confessed murderer being
crosse1amined Did you the night OF April 3rd
shoot said Abcrcfomhe? and he replying DO
you mean with hypodermic needle, camera or
gum"
Al this rate could die Of old age fighting
. parking fine.
Since last January, when the Supreme Court gave
its ruling there has been much speculation as TO
just what could be done to retain the necessary safe
guards that movie censorship affords to protect the
innocent and the entire moral fabric OF a commun
ity.
OF course al the outset, those dealing with the
problem OF finding a solution To this difficulty
bothered by the gnaWng thought: Il wonder what
words they won't understand this time Stop there
though and you've lost the battle
About the only thing you do, is 10 grit the
teeth furTow the brow and spell things out, Le,
define simple words and phrases through cumbei-
some anaogies smilies and longer polysylabIc
words and phrases.
And So being the only State Of the two, Ohio
and New York with ts legislature 10 session New
York did just that and passed a bill spelling out lust
what they mean when they say a movie IS i'm
moral" OF is one that tends to nclte to crime.
Passed unanimously by the New York State AZ
sembly the bill defines moving picture which
threatens public morality "a motion picture film
or part thereof the dominant purpose effect
of which is erotic or pornographlc OF which por-
trays acts of sexual immortality, peTVerSon OF iewd-
ness OF which expressly impiiediy presents such
acts as desirable, acceptable, proper patterns of
behavior
The same bill defines films which tend TO in
cite 10 crime" as having dominant purpose or eff
feet OF suggesting "that the commission Of criminal
acts or contempt for law is profitable desirable,
ceptablo or respectable behavior; which advo-
Gates or teaches the of the method of use of
narcotics or habitiorming drugs
The New York Legislature il Is to be commended
for lis prompt and timely action. II is hoped that
when the Ohio Legislature reconyenes that IT VIII
be just prompt IN Strengthening the existing laws,
or take whatever action is necessary 10 insure that
adequate protection is maintained against the evil
of immoral motion pictures
The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1954-03-26
There's Still Time

Halt way through Lent we pause TO observe
what to some must seem strange anomaly: Laetare
Sunday To have Sunday right in the middle Of
Lent. the Church's most solemn season of penance
on which the Church commands to Rejoice seems
at the best iust little odd.
That is however the Church's way Of emphasn
ing what those who have so far made good
Lent already know And that Is that life of pen
ance and modification lead inevitably 10 happiness.
II is mild Il told you SO" 10 those who hesitated
In accepting fully ChriSts statement that His yoke
is sweet and burden light"
Penance Is as necessary part of life breath
ing or Faith II is not ius adjunct to the spiritual
life 10 nc ndulead by the terpent practiced by
great sinners. II is rather general tool TO be
used by all-and neglected at the peril of ones sal
Vatien
There is nothing more boresome than the Good
Humor Man. full Of chucies and hearty laughs,
urging ono who docs not feel like il 10 be happy.
Those who have tar neglected the Churchs call
to penance must certainly find themselves in this
disPruntled attih1de when they hear the Church
saying Rejoice
The chaorininP thought Is though. that they
cannot be disoruntled with the Church but must
know that fault lies within look al those about
them Is a that is needed to drive the point home.
Lent is only half over II. bv chance have
so far moi entered into is sautary spirit there is
still time The Ailcuiah Of Easter viii ring far
more false than The Laetare Of Lent for those who
finish Lent unmorthed.
The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1954-03-26

which is always the big Red
event in January.
The "all-eonquering banner
Marx-Engels-Lenin-Stalin waves
on high over the world" the Red
international organ boasts, be
cause those who adhere to it
have been trained we'll in Marx
ism-Lenlnism."
And interpreting that boast,
straight from the shoulder, / can
say that IL is aboUe all an asSef-
ton OF the ability TO decetee.
The trained and disciplined Red,
hiding his affiliations. has been
able TO put into the mouths of
Western statesmen and the West
ern press the line" as laid down
by the kremlin. A laboratory
analysis" of the Communists and
their operations will furnish the
knowledge to beat back that day
by-day deceit which is even now
affecting America.
Merely Repetition
When one trained in Commun-
isl phraSeology and the current
line hears the phrase peaceful
coexistence,' he recognizes il as
the slogan raised by Stain in
1927 and continued by the Reds
ever since. II is one of their
great phrases of deceit. When
he hears or reads in an alleged
non.Red newspaper the express
sion negotiations to ease inter
national tensions, he knows at
once that this is the great battle
cry of G. NJ. MaIenkov. raised by
him OH August 8. 1853, before
the Supreme Soviet Its purpose:
again, deceit.
When. once more. he comes
across the statement to the ef-
feet Does America intend 10
intensity the cold war;" he is
aware that this is the way in
which the Communists put il.
They place the blame on us for
the '.cold war; from the begin
ming to the end. When on a big
television show or in the speech
of an American leader this
formulation appears as it has
it is merely q repetition of tuhot
The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1954-03-26

Observation-Disclosures are
urged to forget the recent past,
in which the Western World
sought to isolate Spain.
The recommendation is contain
ed in report just issued here
by on Congressional committee,
which laudS Spain as ''the inn
placable foe Of communism ey-
eryWhere.'
What is more, the report says,
Spain has never departed from
this position She gave over
million of her sons in defense
of her homeland against attempt
ed Communist conquest" ii is
added. The Spanish civil war
was communism attempt at i'm
periolistic aggression by seizing
this strategic peninsula TO seal
off the Mediterranean and par
alyze the Western World, which
depends so much upon free
access to and use of the Mediter-
ranean"
Submitted by the Subcommit-
Tee on Defense Activities, of the
House Armed Services Commit
tee, following a tour of inspec-
tion Of European defense public
works last Fall, the report now
reiterates a statement made up
on the committees return from
Europe, last October. that com
munism took lis first military
defeat in Spain"
The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1954-03-26

mo amount of disguise can
overshadow the fact that Spain
did defeat communism, the
completed report now states.
Spain preserved her integrity
and she snatched away from the
vultures of the Kremlin. their
camp followers and dupes, one
OF the great strategic prizes IN
the world Her reward was TO be
isolated for many years and be
lroWned upon by the Western
World. No wonder Spain was
slow in coming 10 agreement. AT
last, sober thinking and consid-
cred judgment have swept away
the fog in our international re
lations; and We have a friend
and foe in their proper posi-
tions."
The House subcommittee rec
ommends that the past be in
tered in the limbo of things bet
ter forgotten. while we devote
ourselves to the future in which
we all must live"
"The strategic potential Of
Spain is one Of the great contri-
buttons TO our global deployment
needs" the Congressman assert.
"She has q population which is
hospitable as matter Of convic-
tion TO the idea Of participating
in a common defense against
athcistic communism"
The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1954-03-26
W4SHINCTON LETTER
Congressional Group Talks Sense

Declaring that lit is not the
first time that Spain has come to
the aid of the American people,
the report says I'VE have been
commonly led to believe that all
of our aid in the American Revo-
luton was derived from French
generosity"
Such is moi the entire story"
the report continues. "A great
amount of money. certainly IN
proportion TO its financial eapa-
bilitieS was contributed by Spain;
but equally important the move
ment OF Spanish vessels and the
deployment of Spanish troops In
the then Spanish possessions
during the Revolution was fac
tor which has been too long
ignored by our historians. The
writings on the subject have
been meager. Recently, for exam
pie. there has come TO our atten-
tion a doctoral dissertation filed
June, 1853. at Georgetown Uni
versity relating the Diary of Don
Francisco de Saavedra, whose
position in the military and later
in the diplomatic service of his
government enables him to re
cord the actual aid in kind given
under the direction of the Span
ish King 10 the American reyo-
luton. Spain did not seek or &C
cept payment"
The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1954-03-26

these visitors have eventually
brought up the question as to
whether or not the American
labor movement has a philosophy
of its own.
The question is difficult TO an
swer to the satisfaction of a
doubling Thomas from the Con-
tinent. For American labor lead
ers fortunately in some re
Spects, unfortunately in others
ARE pragmatiSts, in the good
sense of the word, rather than
academic theorists. They have a
rather definite program of &C
ton, but generally speaking they
are not inclined to verbalize
about it in philosophical termin-
ology. In this respect. they are
markedly different from many of
their counterparts in the Euro
pean labor movement who have
been weaned on a heavy diet of
idealogical controversy. This con-
troversy, even to this day, is suf-
ficiently serious TO divide the
Christians from the socialists and
to make it almost impossible to
organize a successful trade union
counteroffensive against the
Communists in Italy and France.
Words Used Loosely
Coming out of this kind of ira
dition, European Labor leaders
and European social scientists
naturally find it rather difficult
at the beginning to understand
what it is that makes the non
theological American labor move
ment tick so successfully. 1t Is
only fair to add, however, that We
ourselves are partly to blame for
the difficulty they initiaIly en-
counter in coming to grips with
this phenomenon. We have
habit of using words rather loose
Iy, unmindfuI of the fact that
these words mean something diff
ferent TO the average European,
Catholic and socialist alike, from
what they mean to US.
The use of the term demo
cratic capitalism" in a recently
published biography of an Amer
ican labor leader, David ]. Me
Donald, President of the United
Steelworkers of America-CI0,
can be cited by way of illustra-
ton. The authors of this very
The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1954-03-26
Inquiry Corner

Q. What Is necessary to odtn
the Marian Year Saturday plen-
1rp indulgence? What If there
IS no Church dedicated to Mary
IN toa0n?
A. Plenary Indulgence can be
gained under the usual conditions
of Confession, Holy Communion
and prayer for the Pope's inten-
tions BY .RECITTNG THE MAR
IAN PRAYER on any Saturday
of the Marian Year. In addition,
the FeastS of the Immaculate
Conception, the Annunciation,
the Purification, the Assumption,
the Nativity of Our Lady, and the
Seven Sorrows (September 15th)
were designated by the Holy Fa-
ther as days for special devo-
tions. On these days a Plenary
Indulgence can be gained under
the usual conditions. Visits to the
churches and altars dedicated to
the Blessed Virgin Mary should
be encouraged, and st. Joseph
Cathedral together with church
es and chapels under the title
and patronage of the Blessed Vir-
gin are specifically designated as
places of pilgrimage in the Dio-
cese of Columbus.
@. Can anyone eUer k4ow tEdt
he is going TO be SdUed? Hoto
about deUottons or chdin-prdy-
erS lohich promise certain sclUd-
tson?
A. Ordinarily no one can be
sure of salvation while he is
living. Only a direct revelation
from God would enable a person
to have certainty of his salvation
There are saints like st. Paul
who spoke of the reward they
expected, but even he spoke of
the danger of losing his soul q
Corinthians 9:27). Certain prom
ises such as those made by Our
Lady to st. Simon Stock, and Our
Lord to st. Margaret Mary are
well enough established to be
followed, but they do not prom
ise definite unqualified salvation
to anyone. Chain-prayers are
morally Objectionable primarily
because they make such rash
promises of favors automaticaI-
ly granted or of salvation assur-
ed by certain practices.
Q. Is not baptism and oil of
itaction (the Catholic S0crdments
of Baptism and Extreme Unc-
tom part of the Old Testament
rather than something establish
ed by Christ? Are they not
merely symbolic?
A. The baptism of St. John
the Baptist might be called pre-
Christian, but st. John himself
says. Il have baptized you with
water, but he will baptize you
with the Holy Spirit" Mark 1:8l
Again the new and revolutionary
character of the New Testament
Baptism is indicated in Christ's
words to Nicodemus John 3;1-2D
The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1954-03-26
s. Million: Sad Commentary

The motive Of The Christians charity TO-
ward his fclloRman can never be merely uuar
Ian. Such motive destroys IFS merits and makes
the sharing Of ones worldly goods base thing
We cannot however shut our eyes entirely
to the effect Of our good works a material
plane Those effects are there and We would be
dishonest II We denied them
In supporting the Bishops Var Relief Fund
Catholics throughout this country are given the OPP
portunity al showing III A concrete way their love
OF their fclloWman. They see IN their suffering
brothers the hand Of Christ oustretched and know
that what they give is given directly to Him.
The infectious example of our charity and the
material help afforded to those who benefit from
it will be and We have this from first-hand OBJ
servers one Of the greatest blows We could strike
at the spread Of Communism throughout the war.
devastated countries
The recent detonation of hydrogen bomb In
the Pacific and the uninag gned extent of its force
The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1954-03-26

and in the Acts of the Apostles
(1:5; 22:16). Likewise with the
oil of JUNCTION mentioned in the
Old Testament Exodus 2e:O
there was a custom before Christ
transformed it into a Sacrament
Games $40. The use of water
as cleansing symbol and of oil
as a healing (as we'll as conse-
crating) sign is not even restrict
ed to the Jewish people, but
Christ's institution of the Sac.
ramentS is proved by the New
Testament passages and by uni
verSal Christian Tradition.
Q. What IS ,0rong about StertIi'
cation of those tCho are unfit TO
bear children? Does 1t not pre-
Uent the birth of children aCho
are doomed to suffering and
Unhdppdness?
A. As Pope Plus XI pointed
out in his EncyclicaI on Chris
tian Marriage. Public magis-
trates have no direct power over
the bodies of their subjects" He
explains that the aims of eu-
genics are good in planning for
strength and health for future
children, but the planners may
not overturn natural rights in
doing so. They may not exclude
people arbitrarily from mar
riage nor deprive them by med
ical action of the provocative
faculty because ''the family Is
more sacred than the State"
The Pope continues that the
person himself may not consent
to bodily mutiIation for the pur-
pose of destroying the natural
functions, for private individuals
have no other power over the
members of their bodies than
that which pertains to their nat
ural ends; they are not free to
destroy or mutilate their men,
berS except when no other
provision can be made for the
good of the whole body" There
is no scientific proof that ster-
ilization would result in any ap-
preciable change in the level OF
strength and health in the gen.
erai population, and designations
of the unfit" are often arbi>
trary. Even if it were not for
hidden by God it could not be
accepted as a medical measure
with any value proportionate to
violence it does TO humafn free
dom and integrity.
@. What proof, If any, is in the
Bible for PurgGtorg?
A. The clearest is in 2 Macca-
bees (i2:43-46), but there are sew
eral in the New Testament. st.
Paul Il Corinthians 3:1415)
speaks of a man being saved, yet
suffering punishment. See also
Matthew 1882.
Send questions to Father Ed
ward r. Healey, The Inquiry
Corner. The Catholic Times,
Box 63S. Columbus (16). Ohio.
The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1954-03-26
LOUIS f. BUDENZ
An Education SOreLy Needed

the Communists haze spread
around for their osoa purposes
Sorely Needed
II is most distressing TO run
across so many of these Red slo-
ganS in the editorials of out
standing American newspapers
and the addresses of certain
American political figures.
Someone, sympathetic TO the
Reds, has coltnSeied their use.
The Communists do not let these
utterances die; they pick them
up again-now from the Amer
lean speech or editorial. And
thus the concealed Reds can ex-
pand the thought and idea under
the name of some source whom
hundreds of thousands respect.
The December issue of PoIiti-
cal Affairs has done just this,
taking the address of a distin-
guished gentleman, quoting it
and recommending its use to the
concealed comrades. We can un-
derstand this was done when we
observe that in six lines of his
address. three leading Red slor
gans appeared. You can be Ger
tain that he was unaware Of
their origin.
If observant and informed per
sons in every community know
the Red methods and the current
line, they could quickly spot
these weaknesses in our Ameri-
can thinking, The general press,
on the whole, will not help. II
is only on March 7 that the
NeiU York Times discovers the
instructions of the Communist
party here. which were issued
after its secret national confer
ence" in September! Even then
the Times did not stress the
chief items in the Red report
as it should. Perhaps it dare not.
for that might have embarrassed
the Times.
IT is those who are educated 10
knou the Communist documen
and TO use them IN American life
against the Communists and
their friends who will make the
contribution that is sorely
needed.
The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1954-03-26

note that many are beginning to
to realize that zee must kaof0 the
nature OF Communism If zoe are
70 cope t0tth II lateiiigeHtlg.
Merely to oppose Communism
has proved to be insufficient.
On its part, Moscow never lets
up in intensive training of its
followers. During the past sever
al weeks. the Comlnform organ,
For a Lasting Peace, For
Peoples Democracy" has pub
lished a series of leading articles
on the education of the Com
muniSts. In the December III,
1858 issue, this International di-
receive organ appeals to the
pride OF the Communist-sketch-
ing out the great task" before
him and stating that he must be
fully armed with Marxist-Lenin-
ist theory"
This theory will be of the
greatest aid in the Stalinite's
practical work" that is. to the
whole series of acts to advance
the Communist line which he
must perform.
Ability to Deceive
In the issues of the Cominform
organ for January IS and y, the
subject is brought out even more
vividly. A higher level' of ideo.
logical work and training is
demanded of the Red sections in
every land. The solemn nature of
the demand IS emphasized by its
being associated with the ami.
versary of the death of Lenin,
The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1954-03-26

left us all little shaken at the terrible powers that
man can nov unleash.
Far greater and this is always force for good,
is the chain reaction of charity. Our charity ban
ishes hate with love and dispels fear with graft
tude.
II has been estimated that there are between
ten and fifteen million Catholics employed in this
country whose average wage at the lowest estimate
is five dollars a day. If all these gave but one
days wage to the Bishops War Relief collection
this Sunday the staggering of between fifty
and seventy-fve million dollars would be raised
We hesitate to put in print the goal for this
years collection 1t is sad commentary in way
on what is expected from Read il and then
compare it with the figures in the preceding para
graph: Five million dollars
The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1954-03-26
MONSICNOR HIGGINS
Ambiguous Words

we'll intentioned but rather SUI
perficial biography Man of
Steel, The Story of David L. Nc
Donald tell us that Mr.. McDon-
aid accepts democratic capital
ism without reservation because
he believes American workers
profit when the system profits.
To the best of our knowledge,
this is a more or less accurate
thumbnail summary of Mr.. Nc
Donald's economic philosophy.
We would even be willing to buy
it as a workable summary of our
own philosophy. The difficulty
is, however, that democratic
capitalism" means different
things to different people, not
only on the Continent of Europe
but within the borders of the
United States as well. Mr.. Nc
Donald's definition of the term,
as his biographers tell us in his
own words later on in the same
chapter, includes the whole con-
cept of the Industry Council
Plan. He believes in a system of
private ownership of productive
property, but he also believes
that there should be estab-
lished in America economic coun-
ellis for each major industry.
These councils should consist OF
representatives of industry, La
Dor and government. It should be
their concern to solve satisfac-
torily the problems of each in
dustry"
More Than q Case Of Ssmsnties
This is good definition OF
economic democracy and one
that Mr.. Mcdonald can be
expected to implement more
and more effectively as the
months and years 60 on. Unfor-
fortunately, it is not the only
definition of democratic capital
ism. The National Association of
Manufacturers, for example, and
the us. Chamber of Commerce
are both unalterably opposed to
the Industry Council Plan-ln
the name of Democratic capital
ism. This is more than a case
of semantics. 1t is a question of
fundamental difference of
opinion. Eventually, let up hope,
the controversy will be amicably
resolved.
In the meantime, it is not to
be wondered at that European
visitors to the United States en-
counter a certain amount of diff
ficulty in adjusting themselves
TO our rather ambiguous termin-
ology and in coming to grips
with the philosophy of the Amer
lean labor movement. When they
hear it said that Mr.. Mcdonald.
or Mr.. X of some other American
trade union, is in favor of demo
cratic capitalism without reser-
vation," they are apt to conclude
that the philosophy of the Amer
lean labor movement is ultra
conservative and totally made
quste to the needs of . chang
ing world.
The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1954-03-26

dozens of Euro
pean employ
ers, labor lead
ers, and social
scientists who
have been in
vited to the
United States
by various gov
ernment agen-
cies under the
so ; called ex-
change of per
sons" program.
Almost all of
The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1954-03-26

ism. Scheduled
for the sum
mer session
this course III
the Ohio city
will introduce
heSe classes
for the first
time outside
the New York
Philade lp h a
area. II Is en-
couraging to