THE TABLET, January 22nd, 1955. VOL. 205, No. 5983

THE TABLET

Published as a Newspaper

A WEEKLY NEWSPAPER & REVIEW

Pro Ecclesia Dei, Pro Regina et Patria

FOUNDED IN 1840

JANUARY 22nd, 1955

NINEPENCE

R e l ig io u s K n ow le d g e and R e l i g io n: Reflections on an Agnostic’s Broadcasts

D o ck -w o rk e r s and th e ir Grievances: A Study in Frustration Land o f Contrasts: The Social Problems of the United States The Order o f M a l ta : A Unique International Phenomenon. By C. d’Olivier Farran

A L iv ing Tradition: The Classical Heritage. By Eric John R e fo rm in g th e L itu r g y : II : Recent Reforms. By Lancelot C. Sheppard B o o k s R e v i e w e d : Walter Howard Frere : His Correspondence on Liturgical Revision and

Construction, edited by Ronald C. D. Jasper ; What Catholics Believe, by Josef Pieper and Heinz Raskop; The Road to Mecca, by Muhammad Asad ; Fatal Star, by Hamish Fraser ; Marxism Past and Present, by R. N. Carew Hunt ; Religious Education in Schools ; Flag 4, by Dudley Pope ; Tyrolean Journal, by C. Henry Warren ; The Atlantic Ocean, by F. George Kay ; Doctor Bombard Goes to Sea, by Alain Bombard ; Wings on the Cross, by P. Hamilton Pollock ; and The White Foxes o f Gorfenletcli, by Henry Tegner. Reviewed by Henry St. Jchn, O.P., Desmond Schlegel, O.S.B., Sir Rupert Hay, Reginald J. Dingle,

A. C. F. Beales, Thomas Gilby, O.P., Edward Quinn and A. H. N. Green-Armytage.

FROM STRENGTH

W E have learned the hard way that the Soviet Union only respects strength. This was the burden of the Foreign Secretary’s broadcast on Monday, which was chiefly notable for what it did not say—for not holding out any prospect or hinting at the desirability of high-level talks such as the Prime Minister was advocating last May. Britain and America have settled on a policy of strength first and discussions next. In this the British Government is not troubled by a strong opposition advocating talks now, as the French and German Governments are, and the main weight of Soviet propaganda has been brought to bear in France and Germany.

After the recent Soviet Note to France, which complained of the Paris Agreements as contrary to the Franco-Russian Treaty of 1943, another Note has been addressed to the Germans with offers likely to please most of them : not merely the resumption of diplomatic relations between the Soviet Union and the Federal Republic, but free elections under international control as a condition of German reunification.

The custom of releasing these Notes at weekends has been taken over from Hitler, who used to spring similar surprises. This latest Note was timed to coincide with the Paris meeting of the Western Powers, and with M. Mendes-France’s efforts on his visits to Rome and Baden-Baden to sound German and Italian opinion about the possibility of negotiations with Moscow. “The problem was touched upon,” said Dr. Adenauer afterwards. “We have thoroughly discussed it,” said M. Mendes-France. The two versions reflect the difference of opinion on this matter between the French and German Governments, although Dr. Adenauer has somewhat altered his opinion, or has been compelled to do so by the circumstances, about the futility of such meetings before there is a position of strength and unity from which to negotiate.

That this latest Soviet Note is propaganda is very evident, but it is proving effective propaganda. The offer of free elections is new, and it is not very important whether or not it is seriously meant. The proposal that in such elections “each democratic party and organization” should be guaranteed free campaigning throughout Germany is sufficiently sinister if it is remembered that in the Communist vocabulary “democratic” and “Communist” are synonymous terms ; nor can there be any confidence that the East German electoral law, which at last October’s elections admitted none except Government candidates, will, if mellowed by the West German procedure,produceareallyfree all-German election machinery.

Some people in Western Germany are likely to accept these advances. The Social Democrats believe that German unity will irrevocably have gone once Western unity has been consolidated ; there are the neutralists and some of the Protestant leaders, and others who promise themselves better things for Germany from negotiations with the Soviet Union than has accrued from negotiations with the Western Powers. It is in keeping with the agreed policy of the Western Governments that these Soviet offers should not be allowed to deflect them from their course. A Four Power Conference before ratification of their agreements would be foolish because the Western Powers would have to go there with empty hands.

That the offer of free elections would one day be made has been the anxiety of those who felt all along that this was an insufficient basis for policy vis a vis the Communist world. Such free elections could have been had for the asking at the