The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1959-11-27

conditions tend to foment both
militant nationalism and COM
munist infiltration. Hungry
and desperate people may
grasp at short range solutions
in the effort to compress with
in a few decades a progress
that elsewhere took GEN.
turtles.
OUR PEOPLE have been
generous in responding to the
appeals of the afflicted vic
Tins of war and famine. But
the needs of the world will
not be met by charitable aid
alone. The greater charity is
to help people to help them
selves. Programs of educa-
ton, technical assistance, and
deyelopmental aid, now being
carried out both by individual
governments and by interna-
tional bodies, can do much
to build the foundations for
prosperity and peace in ma
tons suffering from poverty
and hunger.
I'M THE LONG RUN, at
least, the cause of peace and
freedom so intimately con
nected with the independence
Of nations would be better
served if we could rely less
upon programs of govern.
mental aid and more on pri-
vate investment and interna-
tional trade adequately regu-
lated for the good OF all ma
tions. In view of such serious
problems as the pressure of
population in some areas
upon resources, the world
needs every element of co.
operation and good will to
step up production and dis
tribution of food and fibers.
The potential abundance made
possible by modern tech
nology should be made a real
ity, as a result of programs
inspired by our love of our
fellow man and the quest for
peace and freedom.
IN REGARD TO coMMU-
Nism, our goal is nothing less
than the conversion of the
communist world. Our moral
judgment is absolute: commu-
nism is goddess, it is aggres.
sive and belligerent, it is I'M
believably cruel.
Witness the commune sys-
tenn in China! Hungary and
Tibet are but the more recent
manifestations Of its total dis.
regard for human rights and
human dignity. Nevertheless,
conscience of Christ's example
and the infinite power of
grace, we pray for the Red
prosecutors and for the per-
secuted. We wish no conquest
except thai of the spirit. We
wish those who constructed
the Iron Curtain to tear down
the barbed wire and the ma
chine gun posts and to join
us in the enjoyment of Gods
freedom and peace.
EVEN TODAY THERE are
signs that the tyranny of COM
munism is not the same in
every nation under its sway.
There are indications that the
spirit of man will not stay
crushed. We should storm
heaven with prayer and pen.
ance, knowing that what to
man seems impossible. God
will grant to those who pray
to Him with humble hearts,
free of hatred and a spirit
of revenge. As the early Chris
tians converted their perSecu-
tors, we can seek to move
those whose hearts seem hard
ened by blasphemous con-
tempt for God and inhuman
disregard for their fellow
men.
In this spirit, statesmen of
the world must continue their
often disheartening quest for
peace, reductions in arma-
ment, and the introduction of
the rule Of law into the so
ciety of nations. They must be
firm in upholding principle
and justice, knowing that APP
peasement in such matters
leads only to the peace of the
conquered. 1t is a delusion to
place hope in seeking real
understanding when the true
problem is a conflict of es-
sential principles, not lack OF
understanding.
WHILE NEGOTIATING un.
ceasingly for better relations