Notes

New Zealand Tablet, 8 April 1915, Page 34

Notes

Cardinal Mercier's Pastoral Over half a million pamphlets containing long extracts from Cardinal Mercier's Pastoral Letter have been printed for free distribution in all the Catholic churches and schools in England, Wales, and Scotland. Cardinal Bourne has written a foreword. When the Prussians forbade the letter in Belgium the Belgian school teachers made their children "learn parts of it by heart, and thus the Cardinal's words were spread abroad, despite the enemy. A Warning to Bigots The following comments appeared in London Truth for January 27 last:—'Bigots of all denominations will do well to inwardly digest an experience which has befallen the Dalziel School Board. The Board dismissed one of its teachers because . she joined the Catholic Church, and refused to pay her £2O compensation awarded her by the Education Department for dismissal. The teacher sued the Board for the money and won her case, and the Board has now decided not to

carry the legal proceedings' further, but to send a protest to the Prime Minister, the Secretary of State for Scotland, the School Board Association, and) the churches in Scotland. It is just as well that they should not waste more of the ratepayers' money in advertising their bigotry, but surely they do not expect any sensible person to back them up in their belief that they have the right to penalise any of their employees who venture to change their religious opinions.' The United States and the Allies In strong contrast to the weak-kneed policy of President Wilson are the views of ex-Presidents Taft and Roosevelt on the attitude which should be taken up by the United States in regard to the great European conflict. Perhaps some allowance should be made for President Wilson, when we remember that there are in the United States twenty million of people who claim German descent, and whose votes would be an important factor in deciding a presidential election. Apart from this, many of these are men of wealth and social position, who have a controlling interest in commercial affairs, and are consequently in a position to influence public opinion. Mr Roosevelt, in a little pamphlet just published, conies out with a strong appeal to the United States to throw in its lot with the Allies. His contention is that, as a signatory to the Hague Convention of 1907, America was bound to insist on Germany observing the neutrality of Belgium and abstaining from illegal acts in war, and. as she has not done so, should now compel her to pay the penalty of her ill-deeds. America, he holds, must come into this war. After the war there should be a system of permanent peace, leaving to each nation its territory inviolable, and an international police force in the form of the armed might of all the pledged Powers should bo available I" punish any nation which did not ob:-erve the international arrangement and respect its neighbors' rights. Of course," savs Mr Roosevelt, 'grave difficulty would be encountered in devising such a plan and in administering it afterwards, and no human being can guarantee that it would absolutely succeed. But ! believe that it could be made in work and that it would mark a very threat improvement over what obtains now.' ihe International Court would be composed id' judges, acting not as national representatives, but simply as judges, and ; the nations should severally guarantee to use their entire military force, if necessary, against any nation which defied the decrees of the tribunal or which violated any of the rights which in the rules it was expressly stipulated should be reserved, to the several nations," the rights to their territorial integrity, and the like.'