HITLER'S EFFECT ON CHURCH

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 39, 2 March 1937, Page 7

HITLER'S EFFECT ON CHURCH

—Presa Assooiation.)

Catholics and Protestants Brought Together

N.Z. THEOLOGIST'S VISIT

(By Telegraph

WELLINGTON, This Day. The Nationalistio You.th Movement encouraged by Herr Hitler in Germany and the subjection of the Church to the State hav© brought the Catholic and Protestant Churches closer together than at any time since the reformation, according to Dr. Dickie, of &nox College, Dunedin, who has just returned from a tour abroad. At Tubingen he mefc Dr Carl Heim, theological writer, whose works have been translated into English by Professor Dickie, of St. Andrews. Dr Heim, said Dr Dickje, was a fairly orthodox Lutheran and he was much concerned about the Nationalist Movement, which had no interest in religiom. He was in full sympathy with Herr Hitler's general policy and told Dr Dicki© that educated Germans regarded Soviet Russia as a potential danger to Christians, in Germany especially. The more orthodox were concerned aboujb the attempt to subordinate the Church to the State and Dr Heim declared that ■ Catholics and Protestant® were closer together because of Herr Hitler's policy than at any other stage since the Eeformation. Of Italy, Dr Dickie remarked that Signor Mussolini had made a tremendous clean-up in social matters. In towns that used to be full of beggars, beggars had now gone. "The country appears to be behind Signor Mussolini, but he must be afraid of something because no-one knows where he lives," said Dr Dickie. "There is a house called his house, but he does not live there." Dr Dicki§ said he was satisfied that there was no more regimentation in Germany than ip. 1899, when he last visited the country. There was just as muob evidence of militarism, however, and the young men he saw: on parade were a strong and vigorous type.