Sne—Under the above appropriate heading you publish Miss Letitia Fairfield's well reasoned and justifiable attack on the German Government for its " poison gas" warfare against the Church. But her reason and justification break down at the end : " It must be a comfort to your totalitarian readers to reflect that this " (poison gas against priests) " is only reviving a good old custom fallen into disuetude in our effete democratic country."
Has it? Are not the totalitarian (or, more accurately described, corporative) States of Italy, Austria and Portugal precisely those where Catholicism is today most favourably treated? I knew Italy when the British-born Jew Nathan, as Mayor of Rome was daily allowed to insult the Pope. then the Prisoner of the VatiCan.
I knew Portugal when representations of priests and saints were put up as cockshies at the public fairs, and we know that when Austria passed through the " Away from Rome " crisis, she was in the pre corporative, " democratic " chaos. It would be easy to instance many mtre black sheep among " democratic " countries than the one instance Miss Fairfield adduces of a very bad German copy of Italy's glorious innovation.
And is there, indeed, no anti-Catholic poison gas in this our own " democratic" country to this very day? No, Miss Fairfield, we Catholics owe you gratitude in other fields, but give us Catholic Fascists who would revive the ancient Guild Government in friendship with religion a fair field, if no favour, and do not pretend we can find any satisfaction in Herr Hitler's treachery to the Church, only matched by its folly.
. ALEX JOHNSTON. Leighswood, Headley, Hants,