Communications
102 THE COMMONWEAL June 2, 1926 tot our national theatre if Seiiora Guerrero could come ...
...REV...
...Further, you are la sermonizing to them, we must of necessity confine our- confusing religious and aesthetic emotions...
...Its with Mexico, that our government "has nothing whatever to business, roughly speaking, is moral development, and you do" in the matter of the "broad question of the rights of would be the first to complain, if it were to stray...
...Washington, D. C. Cleric:-"The Church, my dear fellow, is not an art gal- TO the Editor:-I return to the charge...
...Some T O the Editor:-Reverend Edward Hawks's recent let- of us find ourselves more stimulated in an environment which ter, which continues a discussion on the layman's reac- recognizes the fact that ugliness, whatever form it may take, tions to certain externals of Catholic worship, is the reason for makes for an irritation that detracts from the pleasure and re¢czding the following imaginary conversation between a cleric occasional sense of exaltation following a visit to the church...
...However, I do as Dr...
...George T. Summerlin, American Charge, recently published, The United States government has constantly refused to were very much interested in the protection of the religious recognize Russia on the grounds that the Soviets do not respect rights of Mexicans and foreigners living in Mexico...
...did not resent the criticism and the protests of a foreign govSecretaries Bryan, Lansing, and Hughes, the latter as is ernment against our laws dealing with "the internal affairs" shown by the correspondence between Seiior Pani and Mr...
...His assumpJune 2, 1926 THE COMMONWEAL 103 tion (I did not say he made a false statement) is false in the on all sides that the restriction of immigration is a domestic particular context in which it was made because our govern- problem...
...In fine, you resent the the point: the necessity of adjusting your language to the in- crowd and reality...
...much less the Catholic citizens of the United States...
...There are a hundred ways in which this can FATHER CURRAN'S STATEMENT be done without breaking off diplomatic relations, and Mr...
...But we have digressed...
...If Laic:-"Perhaps one of the subconscious reasons for going there is anything to be expected from the lay adult, which I to church is to escape from reality...
...They are in- sequent depression...
...What it does to mere scraps of paper, and promises should be kept...
...tellectual capacity of mid-grade morons, I do not admit...
...you tell the young people may prove of incalculable benefit Well, I trust we can be reconciled at least on the desirability so far as an advance in Catholic influence on the republic's of a second cigar...
...perhaps another is to revery much doubt, it will not come from the mental defective...
...The assumption lery...
...He One thing is certain-the United States can never hope for further asks, "Do these assurances of Mexican officials con- continued peaceful relations with Mexico as long as the Constitute treaty rights...
...Coolidge nor Mr...
...stitution of 1917 forbade the granting of this liberty...
...sidered sermons, what attempt are you making to develop their D. T. POWELL...
...Kellogg can and should with "correctness and plies to Dr...
...Neither is it a model for architects, a school for em- of Mr...
...Kellogg can ment has never repudiated the original demand it made upon afford to appeal to the Mexican constitution to justify their Carranza for religious and educational liberty in Mexico...
...But it is fore, becomes meaningless, or where it constitutes an ugly not of the essentially ineducable adult I am thinking...
...These official assurances, however, some of the fundamental rights of their own citizenship, and were the solemn promises of one government to another, not especially the right of freedom of conscience...
...vigorously...
...herently incapable of distinguishing between an intelligent ser- Cleric: "You are, of course, exaggerating...
...There are laws and laws...
...The as Ambassador Tellez says...
...I ious laws do not even "merit the name of laws," as Pope mean the Department of State, not the American people...
...embellishment of a beautiful idea...
...President off diplomatic relations at the time is explainable, as every Coolidge could have expressed his disapprobation of the perwell-informed person knows, on grounds other than that we secution and his surprise that the Mexican government had approved the constitution or that we were not willing to hold broken its solemn promises...
...event, you place too much stress on ritual...
...Soon you will be selves to concepts and verbiage easily within the understand- telling me that you derive the most spiritual benefit from a ing of a ten- or twelve-year-old child ; otherwise, we lose visit to an empty church, where the only illumination is a touch with our auditors and there is a distressing epidemic of softly diffused sunlight, where shadows and isolation aid in coughing, shuffling of feet, and discreet whispers...
...Aside from suggesting a re- after reading his courteous reply to my letter...
...Ryan, which was published in The Commonweal dignity" make the Mexican government realize that it has of May 26.-The Editors...
...tion, and, secondly, make public the fact that we realize that certain promises have not been kept, and that in the future ALICE WARREN...
...102 THE COMMONWEAL June 2, 1926 tot our national theatre if Seiiora Guerrero could come not only among their Spanish congeners in New York, again and respond to this wish...
...fect impersonation, such expressive posing and gesture, For Seisor Diaz de Mendoza, for his highly gifted such marvelous vocal intonation and articulation conson who gave a very colorful presentation of Don stitute a supreme achievement which we can only hope Juan Tenorio, and for the remarkable histrions of that some, at least, of our own producers and players their company, there will be always a welcome here, will strive to emulate...
...a duty toward liberty of conscience and the keeping of its pledged word...
...but to ciated with a pale pink romanticism...
...Pius XI said in his recent letter to the Mexican hierarchy...
...RYAN REPLIES TO MR...
...Lansing, which I quoted as fundamental and as one of the bases of possible relationin full, is ample proof of the promises made by the Carranza ships between nations...
...and, in any mon and a twenty-minute discursion of pointless divagations...
...drrangethey considered our immigration laws unjust and insulting...
...Sefior Pani replied that the Con- of fundamental principles...
...it denies Americans at the present moment...
...The the rights of private property, rights which must be recognized letter of Sei or Arredondo to Mr...
...They are, with the exception estimation of one of your fellow clerics might improve with of a negligible cultured minority, fairly representative of the the severance of the 'vena jugularis,' the sad result is an ingroup that responds to the moron-bait of the tabloids, the definite sense of disappointment and frustration, with a conmovies, and the confessional type of magazine...
...What you say to old bility of the Church to the younger generation, and we have fellows like me probably will matter not a whit, but what spent the evening in pointing an accusing finger at each other...
...COMMUNICATIONS VICARIOUS BEAUTY surgence of Church interest in art, the point I want to make Norwalk, Conn...
...have done this, both Mexico and the world would have reIn the correspondence with Seiior Pani, looking toward the ceived an object lesson in religious tolerance...
...JAMES H. RYAN...
...William Franklin Sands in his article, Peace bryonic mural painters, nor a rendezvous for sculptors...
...and a laic Even such a minor thing as garish lighting has its effect...
...Not only does the concal sense of the word...
...SANDS their forebears are...
...Leaving aside their right to well-con- Cleric:-"I think we can...
...In other words, the President matters in Mexico, and this not once but constantly...
...Perhaps it is resumption of diplomatic relations between Mexico and the not too late even now to do something...
...sume our heritage as individuals before God, unsubmerged by Further, when you preach down to him, you are not leading, the indifference of the crowd ; perhaps I am concerned with but following, and confirming his own habits of thought...
...In fact, such perholds in such complete control...
...When they the poor Mexican people, the story of the past four months are not kept, it is the duty of someone to protest, and protest demonstrates to satiety...
...Article 2 demonstrating what the United States stands for in the matter of the proposed treaty...
...ritual only so far as it unnecessarily obtrudes itself, and, thereWhat he needs is not a sedative, but a stimulant...
...By this one need not be interpreted as advocating the severance of diplomatic relations between the United States (The name of Dr...
...A similar course of action, as far as government, promises which were not kept when the Constitu- religious freedom is concerned, could have been followed by tion of 1917 was voted...
...Summerlin again demanded liberty of present administration passed up a wonderful opportunity of religion and education, at least for Americans...
...I reply that they do not, in the techni- stitution of 1917 remains in force...
...Cleric:-"You are thinking of . " What I was mainly interested in is the relation and responsiLaic:-"Of the younger generation...
...Sands asks what I mean by the "United States...
...If he had had the courage to Carranza to his pledged word...
...we shall be very wary about accepting pledges from certain quarters...
...philosophy of taste, so that they will not be so totally unappreciative of beauty in the Church as you apparently think DR...
...failure to act...
...Granting that fact, President Coolidge still took ment, since the days of President Wilson, has directly and extreme care to assure every foreign nation that no unjust immediately concerned itself with religious and educational discrimination was intended...
...At all events, the United States, Mr...
...James H. Ryan inadvertently appeared and Mexico, much less armed intervention...
...New York, N. Y. Sands, as a former diplomat, knows how it can be done much TO the Editor:-It is a great happiness to those Catholics better than I. who believe in prohibition and law enforcement to note To the question of the officials of our State Department: how many of our faith are in favor of it, and are working "What shall we do that we have not done already...
...The United States government, correspondence between these two representatives of the differ- however, cannot be expected to look with favor on a constituent governments reached an impasse on March 31, 1923, but tion which sanctions injustice simply because it is the law of as far as I have been able to discover, the United States govern- the country, and neither Mr...
...John A. Ryan in the communication, Mr...
...ments have been made for binding Volume III in leather or They were perfectly within their province in doing so, as in cloth, information regarding which will be supplied on official Washington acknowledged, although it was admitted application to The Commonweal...
...We have no treaty rights with Mexico stitution confiscate American property...
...your comfort and solace...
...We do not know if but among a vast concourse of our citizens, whether ske has essayed this role in Spanish, but it seems a they speak Spanish or not, who cannot fail to comcharactez proportioned beautifully to her powers and prehend splendid acting and splendid playwriting, even worthy of the fine and powerful delivery which she lacking a sense of the spoken text...
...but, Laic:-"Coughing and the rest, being unconscious defense upon analysis, you will find its roots in a basic egoism, assoreactions merely, might well be considered a challenge...
...That our government did not break the Department of State in the Mexican affair...
...and Cleric:-"The fact is, my dear fellow, that our people when, to the Mass, for instance, you add interruptions wholly are hardly ready to be led into the land of promise, which out of accord with the spirit of it, and a choir, which, in the you so optimistically picture...
...Sands Rethink that Mr...
...And Mexico's religMr...
...Mexicans in spiritual matters as against their own governLaic "I do not purpose allowing you to lead me into a ment," I cannot but continue to consider "very false," even discussion of the moral in art...
...I for it, as evidenced in the courageous statement of Father would reply, "Make known in no uncertain terms the feelings Curran, and many others, all of which goes to prove how of the American government concerning the present persecu- false is the assertion that Catholics are against it...
...All this sounds very pretty...
...thought is concerned...
...is that we laymen go to church for spiritual stimulation...
...It may be "the law of my country" objections to the economic injustices of the constitution...
...The title-page and index for Volume III of The CommonJapan and other nations did not delay informing us that weal are now ready, and will be sent upon request...
...of the United States...
...Finally, the Constitution of 1917 is impossible from whatSummerlin then dropped the question and concentrated his ever angle it is studied...
Vol. 4 • June 1926 • No. 4
