It would be idle to deny that the policy of the Catholic Press in this country—and, we may say. the views of the Hierarchy together with the vast majority of the clergy—have met with sincere and deeply felt opposition by a minority who rest their criticisms on very high principles. Indeed, the principles to which they appeal are such that no Catholic could ignore were they truly applicable to the present situation. Hence the difference between ourselves and them must be a question of fact. Is the Catholic Press in its account of the origin. meaning and course of the dreadful conflict giving the truth or the caricature of the truth? Speaking for ourselves. we can honestly say that the accounts and news about the conflict at our disposal—and they come from both sides— are such as to make it virtually impossible for us to doubt that we are telling the truth, that it is essentially black versus white. at any rate as far as the intentions of both sides are concerned. And the more we learn, the stronger becomes our conviction.
It is a small matter hut typical: a reader takes us to task for our altitude towards the Basque refugees. We refer him to a letter in The Times of Tuesday in which a British refugee from Spain complains of the fact that practically no notice was ever -taken of the plight of the British refugees. Was it because they meant less to those who want to lower the stock of the Nationalists? Can one doubt that motives are indeed very mixed in this matter as in practically all the sympathy shown for the Valencia side? The Spaniard is black or white. while the Englishman remains grey because he refuses to face the question and answer it.