Awake!, October 22, 1952
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OCTOBER 22. 1052 semimonthtv
THE MISSION OF THIS JOURNAL
Ncwb sources that are able to keep you awake io the vital ]sn*es of oar time* mart be unfettered by censorship and selfiah interests. “Awake 1” hoe no fetters; It recognizes facts, faces facts, la free to publish facts. It is not bound by political ambitions or obligations; it is unhampered by advertisers whose toes must not be trodden on; it is unprejudiced by traditional creeds. This journal keeps itself free that it may speak freely to ycnx But ft does not abuse its freedom. It maintains integrity to truth.
“Awake f* uses the regular news channels, but Is not dependent on them* Its own correspondents are on all continents, in scores of nations. From the four comers of the earth their uncensored, on'the*acenes reports come to you through these columns. This journal’s viewpoint is not narrow, but is international. It is read in many nations, in many languages, by persons of all ages. Through its pages many fields of knowledge pass In review—government; commerce, religion, history, geography, science, social conditions, natural wonders—why, its coverage is as broad as the earth and as high as the heavens.
“Awake pledges itself io righteous principles, to exposing hidden foes and subtle dangers, to championing freedom for all, to comforting mourners and strengthening those disheartened by the failures of a delinquent world, reflecting sure hope for the establishment of a right' eous New World.
Get acquainted with “Awake Keep awake by reading “Awake I”
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CONTENTS
The World Is Wide*Asleep!
Brazil’s “Alcatraz” Revolts'
The Quebec Hierarchy a Persecutor
Man Hunt Gets Under Way
—Guilty or Not Guilty?
Brutality and Corruption
Catholic Principles and Democratic Law
What Hope for the Future?
Joliette’s Burning Hate Unmasked
Keeping Warm the Ancient Way
Courageous Judges Support Jehovah’s
The Chinese Heating System
Witnesses and Democratic Liberty
The Persian and Roman Heaters
How to Produce Fruits Pleasing to God
Our Fine Finny Friends of the Sea
“A Good Many Congressmen”
Gilead’s Nineteenth Class Graduates
Juv " bookie
16 |
Watching the World
XlWAKE/
“Now it is high time to awake.”—Romans 13:fl v-
VttlMme XXXUl" Brooklyn? N. ¥., October 22, 195*~~^ ~ ~ Number 20
The World Is Wide-Asleep!
U/ANCE upon a time there was a world/* VJ a future tale might begin- “It was a world abundant in resources, weD-fumished with brains, boasting of its freedom for liberal democratic rule, plentiful in religions and very, very progressive. But, strangely, its many resources were hoarded by the ‘have* nations and traded as political pawns to the ‘have not' nations. Every time its brainy scientists produced a new cure to sustain life, they found ten new ways to destroy it* That world’s liberal democracies liked to chant a favorite cry: ’Freedom fj*om fear!’ Still they quaked in fear while the atom bomb, which they had introduced to the world, was being mass-produced on both sides of an East-West, hot and cold iron curtain. Furthermore, these democracies that had claimed so lofty a moral standard were found, upon investigation, to be eaten through by gamblers, gangsters and corrupters of public office. There was, it could be said, a religion for everyone; yet in that so-called modem world creeds and doctrines dating back to musty ancient paganism were passed off as Bible truth. Indeed, there were many ways in which that ‘very progressive* world looked like a relic from the Dark Ages. But worse, far worse than all of this, the people did not seem to care!”
Only so far, as the honest contemporary reader must admit, this is np fairy tale. On the domestic side this startling public apathy has come painfully into the limelight by corruption exposures. David L. Cohn, in the New York Times^ October 28, 1951, reported: “The Kefauver committee has shown the citizen how officials of his own state and town perhaps—men whom he considered ‘nice fellers*—connive with gangsters.”
But it is perfectly obvious that such evils could not flourish so abundantly unless the highest levels of government were either winking or dozing. Said Mr. Cohn;
“Some of the men around President Truman, whose personal honesty remains unsullied through the most ruthless investigation, are unquestionably ward heel* ers in various disguises. I regard his loyalty to them as misguided. For, however admirable the quality of loyalty, the loyalty of a president must be, not to his friends but to the people of the country.”
In international relations one would expect anything but apathy where there is so much fear. But nonetheless it is there. It is there because the fear is misplaced. Everyone is afraid of the A-bomb So afraid are they that they conclude only by building more of them faster than anyone else can they be safe. So they greedily, almost frantically, hoard their resources, goad on their scientists to more deadly ingenuity, their production lines to stepped-up activity. Their trust is in material atoms. Despite their many Christian professions and expensive cathedrals t their trust is not in God, whose Word says: "We keep our eyes, not on the things seen, but on the things unseen. For the things seen are temporary, but the things unseen are everlasting,”—2 Corinthians 4:18, New World Trans.
It is this attitude that has caused worldlings to write the conclusion to the talc related earlier, the only part that is truly a myth. The only end to the present order of things that they can visualize is a blasting of mankind from the face of the earth through a global atomic war contrived by men. There Is a morbid, paralyzing fear of falling behind in the international arms race. But there seems to be net the slightest dread of falling from God’s favor. Newspapers which by policy play up sensational sex crimes and fiction books of the same line achieve record-shattering circulations. The public devours their contents but exerts little or no pressure upon its elected representatives for congressional debate on these dire social problems or for expensive appropriations io halt crime comparable to those made to halt aggression. Instead of an acute public consciousness of the evil, more and more parents seem to go on caring less about where their children are, and crime drifts more than ever into juvenile hands. Divorces soar as immorality corrupts family life; but all one hears is the tacit suggestion of some "wise” ones that premarital sex relations be legalized and approved. Yet these things as well as idolatry, spiritism, jealousy, sectarianism, drunken bouts, etc.—all common practices in the world today—are explicitly condemned by God’s Word. And his judgment and power, not any human act, will bring an end to this wickedness. —Galatians 5:19-21; Jude 14,15.
Surveys show the Bible, best seller month by month, year after year, is not read to the point of knowing its simplest teachings or even the names of its most prominent books! A Gallup Poll survey, published more than two years ago In the British newspaper, Netos Chronicle, revealed that only three persons out of five, or 60 per cent, could name the four Gospej books, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. One cut of four could not name even one. By comparison, the remark last November by the Roman Catholic archbishop of Sydney, Australia, that Pope Pius XU, most influential religious adviser in all Christendom, "is a completely spiritual man” sounds hollow indeed. In the News Chronicle report it was shown that of England’s four leading sects the greatest Bible ignorance was evident among Roman Catholics. Only 51 per cent of the churchgoing Catholics interviewed knew the names of all the Gospels. More than a third, 36 per cent, did not know one of them:
Wrongly taught in the same way, it is understandable how7 the Jewish nation rejected Jesus, though he completely fulfilled every Scriptural description and expectation of the promised Messiah. Tie roundly condemned the human traditions which the scribes and Pharisees had substituted for God’s Word. (Matthew 23:23, 24) Just so today arc true Christians, close followers of Christ Jesus in word and deed, often turned away from the doors of Christendom's religionists with the yawning, lackadaisical sham excuses, "I am too busy,” "too tired,” "too sick” "too prejudiced,” "preoccupied,” or "I just do not like to read”. Thank their false religious training for Their care-nothing, say-nothing, do-nothing attitude toward the Bible. Only the wise are alert to the times and to the truthfulness of the words: vIt Is already the hour for you to awake from sleep, for now our salvation is nearer than at the time when we became believers.”—Romans 13:11, New World Trans.
THE QUEBEC HIERARCHY A PERSECUTOR at 'Hot tytiity?
By “AwaX*!” correspondent in Canada
THE pages of history are replete with accounts of persecutions of minorities, and very frequently these have involved the Roman Catholic Hierarchy. At times she appeared as the persecuted, but more often as the persecutor. During recent years, in measured expression condemning the principle of coercion in matters of faith, the Hierarchy’s supreme pontiff has bitterly denounced the persecution of Roman Catholics in Communist lands.
But can these words of the religious pontiff be understood to mean that he deems persecution to be basically wrong? Or does he merely consider it wrong to persecute Catholics, while other persecutions may be winked at, condoned and even applauded? The sincerity of statements cannot always be gauged by the form of words used; rather, the course of action tells the true story. Christ Jesus said: “By their fruits you shall know them.” (Matthew 7:16-20, Douay) Does her course of action harmonize with her “fair speeches” and demonstrate her fruits to be ‘fine fruits’? Let the facts speak for themselves.
Actions Speak Louder than Words
The Roman Catholic Church officially condemns persecution, yet in Catholic Quebec there has been carried on for many years such persecution and heresy hunts as have never before been witnessed on this North American continent. Insults, threats, loss of livelihood, arrests, prosecutions by the hundreds, mobbings, beatings, and even shooting, have been dealt out to the faithful ministers of Jehovah’s witnesses as they patiently and peacefully sought to preach the gospel of God’s kingdom to the French-Canadian people and to open to them the pages of their own Catholic Bible, largely forbidden to them by their own priests.
So hot did this cruel campaign wax in 1946 that Jehovah’s witnesses published a burning protest against the riots, violence, and priest-inspired outrages under the title “Quebec’s Burning Hate for God and Christ and Freedom Is the Shame of All Canada”. Quebec authorities never seriously tried to deny the shameful facts therein recounted. All they said was: “Even if it is true, it is seditious for you to say so/' Maurice Duplessis, Quebec’s dictator-premier, roared out that he would run Jehovah’s witnesses out of the province. So over one hundred charges of seditious and defamatory libel were brought against the witnesses.
One of these cases was appealed to the Supreme Court of Canada, and a decision was handed down in favor of the witnesses. The Quebec authorities, both clerical and legal, were thereby subjected to a real spanking by reason of the blistering criticism leveled against them by the courageous and clear-thinking justices of the Supreme Court. Jehovah’s witnesses were cleared of the charge of sedition, and it was even pointed out that their criticism of conditions in Quebec demonstrated both charity and restraint, in view of the disgraceful sufferings they had been obliged to undergo at the hands of persecuting Catholics.
The Supreme Court having declared Jehovah’s witnesses innocent, it might have been expected that the numerous other false charges against them would be withdrawn. But not so in Quebec- Action Catholique., official voice of the Church, insisted that “it appears to us that the provincial and municipal authorities need not feel obliged to free the hundred other witnesses detained under the same charge”. Thus needled by the Church to continue his persecutions (and, remember, this is the same Church that condemns persecution of her own children), Duplessis announced that he would continue prosecuting the other cases.
One case in Montreal was thereafter tried, and he lost He brought another to trial, and it was dismissed after only a few minutes’ hearing—a real fiasco. The judge thereupon threw out all other similar charges pending in that particular court. Had the premier-attorney general learned his lesson? Oh, no! Other sedition cases were brought before the court at Amos, Quebec, Here was an intelligent and courageous young judge who refused to be stampeded by the prejudice and coercive tactics of the attorney general. These cases, too, were dismissed.
Duplessis retired to lick his wounds, but still refused to bow to the decrees of the courts. Demonstrating his contempt for justice and liberty he next actually instigated new charges against the same Christian people who had just been liberated on the sedition cases. They were now charged with ‘publishing false news’. This was a new one! Duplessis flew one of his chief inquisitors up to Amos from Montreal, a Catholic fanatic named Jasmin, who has for many years specialized on persecution of Jehovah’s witnesses. The same judge, Mr. Justice Drouin, without even going to trial, ruled against the attorney general, ruling in substance that *the law does not allow a man to be charged twice for the same offense. The Crown tried once and lost. Its rights before the court on this matter are finished. Charges dismissed’. Just another lesson in the long and difficult task of educating the attorney general in law. And the score: He has not succeeded in maintaining a single one of the 100-odd libel charges against Jehovah’s witnesses.
Priests and Persecution
Legal efforts have totally failed to stop the witnesses in their preaching work, because when a fair hearing is accorded Jehovah’s witnesses before the courts of justice, priests and persecution are dragged into the open and defeated. Mob violence, that most cowardly and evil abuse of majority power, is next employed. This is true especially in small Quebec towns and villages where the priest’s word is law and little pan happen without his approval and blessing. Many priests, in just such circumstances, have demonstrated a proud and aloof disdain for law and order, as is shown in the following experiences.
The first is reported from Coaticook, Quebec. The police had tried prosecuting Jehovah’s witnesses and had been thoroughly and soundly trounced in their own local court. Subsequently a young lady missionary was calling from house to house in the town, speaking to the people about the Bible. She writes:
“At the fourth door I had been preaching for about fifteen minutes and the young woman there was very nice and agreed with everything I was saying. All of a sudden a nervous priest rushed into the house and without even greeting the lady of the house (who was shortly expecting a child) grabbed my Bible out of my hands and asked me what it was. I explained it was the Crampon (French Catholic) Bible and asked if he did not recognize his own Bible. He asked if I was selling Bibles, so I explained how I was encouraging Bible study rather than selling Bibles, Then he ordered me out without even consulting the lady of the house, who still remained polite but very nervous. I pointed out that this is a democratic country. He replied that the Catholic Church is authoritarian and not democratic; then he grabbed my arm and pushed me 4)ut of the house. Next he called some teen-age boys and instructed them to follow me and to tell the people not to listen. I decided to leave the area because a mob was gathering and no police came. I asked the enraged priest, who was still following nervously at my heels, if the police knew about this. He replied that they did know but refused to come, so he came himself to chase us away. I tried to reason with him that the police did not come because they knew we were within the law. His answer: 'The Catholic Church is the law In this province and I will not tolerate Jehovah’s witnesses in my parish.’ ” This incident, remember, involves a priest of the very Church that so loudly Condemns persecution.
Priests, especially in the remoter sections of the province, will stop at nothing to maintain their dictatorial powers over the common people, even at times provoking criminal activities. In Vai Senneville, a small village in Northern Quebec, Jehovah’s witnesses were peaceably calling from house to house, without any objections from the citizens. Soon the priest came running in great excitement and ordered them out of town. Taking hold of one minister by the arm he told him he was under arrest. Upon being asked for his authority to arrest people the priest answered: “Come along to my house, and I’ll show you my authority.” Two ministers, a lady and a gentleman, went along.
On arrival at the house he went to his desk, opened it, and pulled out a pair of handcuffs! Remember, this small-town autocrat claims to be a shepherd of the Christian church, a follower of the meek and lowly Jesus of Nazareth. In great agitation he ’phoned the police. They would not or could not come. Frustrated, he then swore, threatened and yelled like a maniac, outrageously insulting the lady minister, inferring that she was a woman of bad character, though he did not even know her and had never seen her before. Then he said: “You will either get out of this town or I will turn the mob on you and you may not get out alive.” Outside the house he continued his loud threatenings and headed up the street to get the mob of about fifty men standing around the church to go into action. A charge of intimidation under the Criminal Code has been laid against this priest.
In this very same district another Catholic priest and a Catholic postal employee were recently convicted of the criminal offense of interfering with Her Majesty’s mails when they were caught destroying Baptist pamphlets which were being sent out in the mails. Their actions show there is nothing to which these wolves in shepherd’s garb will not stoop. Surely in a great religious organization which boasts of unquestioning obedience within its ranks, if the head man of that organization has condemned persecution, it would be expected that the priests would refrain from all per-secutive activities or at the very least abide by the law! Evidently there is one policy for propaganda releases and another for practical application.
For instance, at Greenlay, Quebec, a minister of the nearby congregation of Jehovah’s witnesses accompanied by his wife went to visit one of the members of his congregation resident in this village. A Catholic mob quickly surrounded his car where it was parked just outside the house. He was told: “Get out of here or we’ll wreck your car.” Then the mob-organizer, the priest no less, with another mobster, seized the visiting minister (a small man) bodily and dragged and pushed him to the bridge leading across the river out of the village, the mob meanwhile following like a pack of bloodhounds, and armed with stones, At the right moment the priest and his helper released the minister and then shouted to the mob: “All right; start throwing.” Thus a modern-day preacher of righteousness was stoned, injured and left bleeding, at the behest of this sanctimonious fomenter of hatred and violence.
Examples of mob violence and incitement to violence on the part of the Roman priests are numerous. A Quebec city mob of about one hundred students attacked some ministers of Jehovah’s witnesses, who, before subsequent rescue by the police, were badly beaten by these Catholic hoodlums. But who do you suppose inspired this? Read it, if you please, in the following quotation from UAction Catholique (March 28, 1952), Roman Catholic publication, under the heading “Jehovah’s Witnesses Found the Soup Hot”:
“With the coming of spring it appears that Jehovah’s witnesses have undertaken a new propaganda campaign in the old capital. However, the reception is hot always warm, and five members of the sect, all men, were yesterday received in St. Fidele parish like dogs at a race track. The soup was so hot, they had to ask the protection of the police to get out of the quarter. It all arose when a woman informed the vicar of the parish that Jehovah’s witnesses had come to importune her at her home with literature. [Which was not true; they merely passed with the Bible.] The vicar was giving a catechism lesson to his pupils at the St. Fidele high school and told them that Jehovah’s witnesses were going around the parish distributing pamphlets. . . . When class was Jet out at 11:30 a,m. yesterday, the students saw five men going from door to door. • . . The students to the number of about a hundred hooted loudly. An avalanche of snowballs fell on the witnesses, Then blows followed. One of the witnesses was slightly injured in the face. [The facts here are nicely watered down to make it look as if the young thugs really didn’t seriously damage anyone!] Then the five men began to retreat prudently toward their car. Since a group of boys was trying to turn the latter over on its side, the witnesses of Jehovah ran hastily toward a bus of the Quebec Power. The driver, fearing for the safety of his passengers, refused to let them in.” 1/Action Catholique did not know that the automobile which the mobsters were so industriously trying to upset was in fact owned by some French Catholics who were in it at the time, but were being mistaken for witnesses. So vicious was the attack on the car and party that the next day one of the occupants, a French Catholic lady, was still in bed suffering from nervous shock.
To continue quoting from L* Action: “The witnesses had to seek shelter in a hairdressing salon whence they called for aid and protection of the police to enable them to get out of the quarter. . . . This is how a brusque ending came to an attempted propaganda campaign in Umoilou quarter. It is hoped that the witnesses found the pill so bitter they won’t come back.”
Take note especially how proudly, and with evident glee and relish, this disgusting report of a cowardly crime by Catholic-trained youths is presented. Both radio and press reported the happening with the same enthusiasm and merriment. No hint is there of any disapproval in the above quotation from a religious publication. No reprimand of the students for their cowardly, unchristian action. No word of caution even to the priest upon whose instructions they acted. No suggestion even that the police should properly enforce the law against such a bunch of young hood’ lums. This official organ of the Church has nothing but amused approval for the young lawbreakers for whose education (or lack of it I) the Church is responsible*
Catholic Principles ond Democratic Law
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ScHQOU<. COUH1-S Ory f
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The Cadthnhc. Church contsvAs tdMcattaft in Quebec* Most of the judges, lawyers, police officers and other administrators in the province are therefore steeped in the authoritarian philosophy of Catholicism. When they are called upon to administer the civil law of a democratic state such public officials are faced with a serious conflict; for the civil law of Quebec recognizes tolerance and equal rights for all religions, while the teachings of the Catholic Church do not. Particularly in small towns where the priests rule supreme, the tolerance and equal liberty established by law are overborne by the bigotry of the clergy. The law of Quebec, which judges and police officers are sworn to uphold, guarantees "free exercise and enjoyment of religious profession and worship, without discrimination or preference", to every citizen. But the Catholic religion, which most of these same judges and officers are bound to maintain, flatly denies equal rights of worship.
"Infallible” Pope Leo XIII stated the Catholic view of religious tolerance in his encyclical Immortal# Doi' "It is not lawful for the state ... to hold in equal favour different kinds of religion.” The same view is expressed In the Jesuit publication Cwi-litd Catolica: "The Roman Catholic Church must demand the right of freedom for herself alone ... in a state where the majority of the people are Catholic the church will require that legal existence be denied to error [that is, any belief other than the scrme countries Catno'fics will be obliged to ask full religious freedom for all, resigned to being forced to co-habitate where they alone should rightfully be allowed to live.”
Civil law grants equalityto all faiths, but the Catholic Church teaches that no other religion has any real rights. A judge or administrator who feels compelled to uphold both is on the horns of a
dilemma. Church interests run contrary to the public interests.
This conflict, in practice, is to be seen in what happened last winter at St. Hya-cbxtkvi, StYoiBYf-s witnesses
arranged to hold an assembly. An auditori-urn was rented, contract signed. On instructions from the local bishop there began a terrific campaign of pressure upon the hall owner to force cancellation of his contract. The priest demanded that it be broken; the local member of the provincial legislature and the local member of the Dominion parliament made the same demand; the mayor threatened to cancel his license, and advised that if the assembly weutthrnui^bLb^ might as well leave town, for his business would be ruined anyhow. Under instruc-
tions of the priests there were many threatening letters and telephone calls; so many that the owner ultimately had his phone service cut off. Finally the pressure was so great that he gave way and broke the contract. His lawyer (who is sworn to uphold the civil law of sanctity of contract and freedom of assembly and worship) hypocritically sought to justify all this denial of elementary honesty and human decency by the classic Catholic view that “error has no rights”. Otherwise stated, ‘Since you are not Catholic, your religion has no rights and whatever we do is justified. *
Jehovah’s witnesses applied for a court injunction to prevent the contract’s being broken. The hall owner and his attorney came to court and admitted that they were in breach of contract; they could not, in face of the plain facts, pretend they were in the right, but contended that the court should order them to pay damages rather than have St. Hyacinthe suffer the supposed terrible evil of allowing Jehovah’s witnesses to freely worship God there. The attorney contended that they feared violence from the Catholics. To Justice Maurice Lalonde it was explained that, should he accept the foregoing argument, it would be tantamount to finding that the people of St. Hyacinthe were so uncivilized and bigoted that it would not be safe for anyone but Catholics to hold meetings there. He was not prepared to meet the issue, and hunted around for a technicality. Lalonde proceeded to render a decision against Jehovah’s witnesses, which was unsupportable in law or fact. Was now this decision an effort to enforce the policy of the Catholic Church and the local bishop that no one but the Catholics has any rights of worship?
Another example of judicial decision displaying the utmost contempt for liberty and even human decency is a case at
Chapeau, Quebec. A few of Jehovah’s witnesses had gathered to hold a Bible lecture in a private home one quiet Sunday afternoon. “Father” Hairston, the local priest, found out about it and was greatly enraged at the idea of anyone’s daring to hold a Bible lecture in his bailiwick; and so he immediately telephoned the provincial police insisting that they come and break up the service. After all “the Roman Catholic Church must demand the right of freedom for herself alone”.
When the police arrived there was no one outside, no crowd, no disturbance. Those inside were quietly listening to the minister reading from the Bible. The three members of the provincial police entered this peaceful home, not like peace officers in a democratic state, but rather like the ruthless gestapo of a dictatorship. Seizing the Bible out of the hand of the minister they broke up the meeting, ordered everybody out of the house, took the minister away in their car by force and ordered him to get out of the province. This is not Communist Russia we are discussing, mind you, but Catholic Quebec, where the bigoted, antifreedom views of the clergy even control many of the law-enforcement agencies.
Legal action was taken by the householder against the police for this outrageous invasion of a Christian home. None of the important facts were in dispute, but Roman Catholic Justice Fortier dismissed the proceedings against the police officers, holding that their actions were quite justifiable. Which law do you suppose this judge was following: the narrow, bigoted law of the Catholic Church, or the democratic principle of equal rights and liberties for all? The case has now been appealed.
Joliett&s Burning Hate Unmasked
Many will recall the disgraceful kidnaping at Joliette, Quebec, of two lady missionaries of Jehovah’s witnesses. (See
Awake! April 8, 1950.) They were kidnaped by a mob of Roman Catholics and driven to Montreal late at night; Unsuccessful efforts were made to put them in prison, and, finally, they were abandoned in the early hours of the morning with dire threats of what would happen to them should they ever return to Joliette. Nevertheless, they did return, whereupon the Roman Catholic Knights of Columbus circulated a false petition against them. When the town council approved this petition, local mobsters viewed this as a green light and proceeded to organize another riot, which compelled these peaceful missionaries to leave the district. Thereafter legal proceedings were begun against prominent citizens of the town who were responsible for signing the false petition, and against the local newspapers which were so liberal with their libelous statements concerning these two faithful Christian women.
The case came on for trial in April this year and served to unmask ■ the vicious, scheming priests who were desperately striving to deny freedom and equal rights of worship to those of another faith. One of the local papers, L3Action Populaire, which had been most blatant in its accusations against the two Christian missionaries, and had published material that was most unprincipled and baseless, has for editor no less a person than AbbG (Father!) Leo Forest The triAl revealed the evil hand of this priest in every move against these two young women. His newspaper lyingly accused them of being sedi-tionists, organizers of disorder, anarchists, encouraging immorality, and of making large sums of, money out of their missionary work. His paper warmly congratulated those responsible for the kidnaping and for the other outrages. When called to account before the court for these libels, L3Action Populaire sought to excuse itself, on the ground that “it is the Catholic organ of the diocese of Jollette” and it had a duty to “make known the Catholic reply to attacks against the Church”.
Being a Catholic organ may explain but certainly does not excuse lies and libel. However, the only reply ever made by LfAction Populaire was false accusation and misstatements. Perhaps that is the Catholic reply to any attack against the Church. One of the kidnaper^rougbt into court made the same defense. When asked why he participated in the criminal offense of kidnaping he replied, as though it were quite sufficient to justify his action, “Because I am a Catholic.”
In court it was pretended that these two ladies constituted such a menace to the welfare of the town that extreme action had to be taken. Surely a “welfare” so easily upset must have been very delicately balanced! The evidence further revealed that warnings had been given repeatedly from the pulpits, and leaflets written by priest Forest had been circulated to every house in town. Spying was resorted to. One night these two missionary ladies were invited to a home to explain their Biblical views. There they met a man who was introduced as a garage mechanic. At the close of the visit they were invited back one week later for further discussion. This proved to be a trap. The man dressed as a mechanic was no other than priest Leo Forest. When the unsuspecting missionaries kept their appointment, kidnapers awaited them. A lawless mob had been informed of the rendezvous so they could be present to effect their cowardly and criminal purpose. Who do you suppose notified and arranged for these lawbreakers to be present?
Priest Forest clearly showed where he stood when his newspaper “warmly co -gratulated the young folks who made tl e witnesses understand their place was ho longer at Joliette”. He said the two ladies had been “politely but severely expelled from Joliette” Kidnaping (which caryies a penalty of up to 25 years in the penitentiary), violence, threat of rape and other abuse that caused these young ladies to suffer from nervous shock for months thereafter—all this—he describes with Jesuitical hypocrisy as being “politely expelled”. There is no doubt that it met with his unqualified approval. But there is more! His paper further says: “What happened on Wednesday December 14th [the kidnaping] and Monday the 19th [petition and riot] is the fruit of serious reflection [it was no accident, but well-organized] and followed an investigation [the spying of priest Forest].” The priest-editor admits these crimes followed his own investigation.
But there is still more! When the Knights of Columbus found that the first kidnaping did not accomplish its purpose because these courageous missionaries returned to Joliette to preach, a special meeting was organized in the K. of C. Hall. It was attended by about one hundred of the leading citizens, doctors, lawyers, priests, notaries, etc., with the object of hitting upon a plan to rid the town of these two (only two) young women with Bibles. One hundred men against two women—a fair sample of Knights of Columbus courage. And who do you think was the first speaker? Priest Forest, of course! After hours of conference they came up with the idea of a petition and got their lawyer Dugas to draft it. Everybody then signed. Among other things the petition accused these respectable and decent women of ‘encouraging immorality* and ‘fomenting disorder*. When the case came on for trial the signatories of the petition one after another got on the witness stand and parroted the same story: “I signed the petition because I believed it to be true.” “Who told you?” In every case the reply was: “The priest/*
And how was it these ministers were supposed to be fomenting disorder? The only thing they did was to go from house to house teaching the Bible truths. Surely that is not such a terrible crime! The last to testify was priest Forest, and he said in explanation of this unfounded charge against the ladies: “Well, people used to telephone me about them’* Small wonder they did, for were not these ministers being preached about in the churches, in his own leaflets spread around town, in his official organ of the Church, and in specially called meetings of his gallant Knights of Columbus? In the face of his own actions, and the disorders directly resulting therefrom, he hypocritically blames others for fomenting disorder. Surely for an exhibition of all, this takes the prize!
To add insult to injury this specimen of Catholic priesthood had the audacity to accuse Jehovah’s witnesses of being subversive. Why? Because they believe and teach that this world belongs to the Devil. Even a priest by casual reference to the Scriptures could have learned that the Lord Jesus did not deny the Devil’s claim to the rulership of this world’s kingdoms: “And the devil led him into a high mountain and shewed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And he said to him: To thee will I give all this power and the glory of them. For to me they are delivered: and to whom I will, I give them. If thou therefore wilt adore before me, all shall be thine. And Jesus answering said to him. It is written: Thou shalt adore the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.”—Luke 4:5-8; Matthew 4:8-10, Douay.
Would this make Jesus subversive in the view of priest Forest? Does this representative of the Quebec Catholic Church manifest any real respect himself for the law of the democratic state in which he resides? His obvious complicity in the lawbreaking which had taken place as well as his encouragement of it clearly demonstrates his contempt for democracy and his readiness to undermine it at the slightest provocation. On the face of it, who do you think is the subversive one? When he was faced with some of the inconsistencies between his sworn testimony and the statements made in his newspaper, priesteditor Forest gave a pitiful exhibition of squirming, equivocating and pirouetting from one uncertainty to another until ultimately he had to be assisted from the witness stand.
Lawyer Dugas then adopted the unheard-of procedure of getting up from the counsel table and going into the witness box, to himself defend the libelous petition he had drafted. He swore he believed it all to be true. When asked why, he replied: ‘Well, the priest told- me? He admitted giving as his opinion that these ladies could not be arrested, but in the next breath he tried to support the misstatement in his petition that they were guilty of criminal offenses. “Why didn’t you have them charged?” He replied evasively that since the Supreme Court had acquitted Jehovah’s witnesses of the charge of seditious libel he thought there would be no use laying any other charges against them. The real fact was that he well knew the alleged criminal offenses by these two respectable young women were the figment of imagination, and that his sworn statements were untrue. “By their fruits you shall know them,” and the fruits produced at Joliette are rotten and a stench in the nostrils of decent men.
The trial judge Justice Joseph Jean was inclined to the view that because the majority of the people of Joliette already believed these stories before ever they were published in the newspapers, the reputation of the plaintiffs could not be further damaged by their publication. It was pointed out to him, however, that if rumors and public opinion can make a defense to libel, we might as well close the courts and hold mob trials on the street or inquisition trials in the Knights of Columbus hall. The purpose of the law is to get dt the truth and facts, not lies and rumor. The only legal defense to libel is that the charge stated is true, not that somebody believed it to be true because of the inisstatemeirts of some prejudiced priest. Judgment on this case is expected shortly.
Did you ever read of the witch hunts of medieval times? Well, do not conclude that those times are gone and finished with, not until you have considered the following report on happenings at St. Eustache, Quebec, not far from the city of Montreal. Some local authorities had the idea that they were the law and that whatever they said the people must obey regardless of what the law provides. A group of Jehovah’s witnesses preaching in this town was arrested and held under a high bail upon this amazing charge: “That in the town of St. Eustache contrary to the instructions of the authorities of the said city they did circulate in the streets of the town stopping from house to house to teach the Bible and spread the doctrines of Jehovah’s witnesses, contrary to the Criminal Code?’
There is no such offense in the Code, and the case obviously had to be dismissed. But can you imagine in this twentieth century, in a democratic country, that citizens should be charged with the crime of ‘teaching the Bible’! Clearly this is an effort to revive the medieval Catholic law on heresy and engraft it onto the civil law of Canada. By their course of action those involved in laying such fantastic charges are in effect loudly demanding: “Turn back the clock to the good old Dark Ages!”—and that means mock trials, dark dungeons, chains, the rack, fagot and fire.
Courageous Judges Support Jehovah’s
Witnesses and Democratic Liberty
Some clear-thinking judges of the province of Quebec, however, refuse to be stampeded by the heresy-hunters. They have been courageous enough to recognize that Jehovah’s witnesses are sincere Christian ministers who are lawfully and peacefully engaged in preaching the gospel of God's kingdom, and that there is no excuse for the persecutions they are suffering. These decisions established the contention of Jehovah’s witnesses that they are a lawful religious organization entitled to worship God in freedom the same as anyone else in Quebec, Their enemies, eager to engage in religious persecution without suffering from the stigma that ordinarily attaches to such wrongful activity, have tried to excuse themselves by pretending that Jehovah’s witnesses are not a religion anyhow. They have even claimed that the nonprofit, frequently gratuitous, distribution of printed sermons by Jehovah’s witnesses in the course of their missionary-evangelistic work is really commercial bookselling. Such an argument is made in obvious defiance of the facts, and as a camouflage for pushing the campaign of persecution by prosecution.
The above argument was used in, the Recorder’s Court of the City of Lachine when that municipality sought to stop the ministry of Jehovah’s witnesses by prosecuting them for failure to obtain a commercial distributor’s permit The lower court convicted, and the cases were taken on appeal before the superior court. Mr. Justice Smith went into the matter very thoroughly and recognized the justice of the plea by Jehovah’s witnesses that they have a right to engage in their peaceful Christian work without the license demanded by the City of Lachine. When the facts respecting the evangelistic ministry of Jehovah’s witnesses were fairly examined without prejudice by this judge, then he quickly disposed of the heated contentions of the City, which was really using licensing as an excuse for religious discrimination. Two such decisions against Lachine and which declared the preaching of Jehovah’s witnesses noncommercial were handed down by Justice Smith on April 3, 1952.
This identical argument that Jehovah’s witnesses are not entitled to the same liberties as other faiths arose also in a legal controversy with the City of Quebec. The City had passed a bylaw, directly aimed at the witnesses, that forbade distribution of pamphlets or printed sermons in the streets of Quebec without a permit from the chief of police. Jehovah’s witnesses contended they had a right to preach to people by means of printed sermons without a permit from anyone, and that the demanded permit was an abridgment of freedom of worship guaranteed by law.
The City contended Jehovah’s witnesses were not a religious organization and called a Catholic priest, a Jewish rabbi, and an Anglican ^Episcopalian} clergyman as ‘expert’ witnesses to prove it. This is somewhat like calling in the Pharisees and Sadducees to prove that Jesus was not an ordained minister of God. The story of this trial is recounted in Awake! magazine (issues of January 22 and April 8, 1949). Here one is also forcefully reminded of the old-fashioned heresy trials of the Middle Ages, when the orthodox clergy would give testimony against anyone who dared accept the Bible instead of clerical dogma.
The trial judge gave his decision against the witnesses, and the case was then taken before the five-judge Quebec Court of Appeal. A three-member majority ruled against the witnesses, but one Catholic judge, Mr. Justice Bertrand, wrote a dissenting judgment in favor of Jehovah’s witnesses that is one of the most courageo us, outstanding and learned judgments on religious liberty in Canadian history. Justice Bertrand recognized the rightness of the claims of Jehovah’s witnesses and held that they have a right to freedom of worship without discrimination or preference. His earnest and forthright analysis of the matter is certainly a rebuke to other judges who have weakly and unprotesting-ly allowed this persecution to continue. Justice Bertrand even reminded his fellow Catholics that they had been granted liberty in Canada at a time when they were in the minority, and that they should now be prepared to show the same tolerance toward other minorities.
How to Produce Fruits Pleasing to God
The Catholic Douay Bible tells us, at Galatians 5:22, that “the fruit of the Spirit is, charity, joy, peace, patience, benignity, goodness, longanimity, mildness, faith, modesty,, continency, chastity”. Certainly it would be hard to contend on the basis of the foregoing facts that the Quebec Catholics, especially priests, responsible for these terrible actions are showing these fruits of the spirit of Almighty God. It would also be difficult to explain why an organization, which outwardly appears so powerful, would stoop to such things. Surely if it is really, as it claims, the Church of Christ, founded on an impregnable rock, it has nothing to fear. After all, the Roman Church in Quebec controls the schools, the newspapers, radio stations, churches, most of the literature—in fact almost every medium for reaching the minds of the people. Surely all its teaching and preaching is not so useless and such a total failure in influencing the people that they will leave the church the minute some of Jehovah’s witnesses come around with a Bible or some pamphlets!
Such a view makes a most unflattering estimate of the teaching ability of the priests. Are the Catholic people, then, so lacking in faith that they cannot be trusted to talk to anyone else? The terrific and even criminal lengths to which priests will go to get rid of a few Jehovah’s witnesses with Bibles is actually making the Roman Catholic Church look silly. It was said by the Ottawa Citizen, speaking of Jehovah’s witnesses: “Persecution gives color to its denunciations of Quebec's "burning hate'. Roman Catholicism begins to acquire an undignified resemblance to an elephant frightened by a mouse?’
Many earnest, God-fearing Catholics hate these things and wish they were different. Many of them have a fine sense of justice, decency, and tolerance for minorities. They cannot understand the insane fear and bigotry of their priests who sponsor disgraceful persecution and even use children and heedless, mob-minded youths to do the dirty work that older, more Intelligent people will not do.
The appeal of God’s Word and of Jehovah's witnesses in this publication is to such fair-minded people. They know these persecutive measures are unchristian and that they bring shame on the decent people of Quebec. We appeal to such people of good will to put a stop to this unreasoning heresy hunt. This appeal is written, not vindictively, but with a desire to clearly state the facts and point out the wrongfulness of the course of action in which many are being led. Those who continue in it cannot get God’s approval in this day of judgment. The fruits of such evil works will merit God’s disfavor and ultimate death.
The purpose of Jehovah’s witnesses is good toward all. They are concerned with exalting the name of Jehovah, the Most High God, and his King-Son, Christ Jesus. They point to the establishment of his righteous and peaceful kingdom as is promised in Holy Writ. They desire to open the Bible and make it known to many who have been blindly led Into rejecting it. Surely such purpose can do no harm. Those who are hot Interested need only say so.
The Catholic Bible says at the Apocalypse, chapter 18, verses 4 and 5: “Go out from her, my people; that you be not partakers of her sins and that you receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven: and the Lord hath remembered her iniquities.” Surely the foregoing facts of sordid and hateful conditions inside Quebec cannot be harmonized with the teaching of God’s dear Son, the Prince of Peace: “Thou shait love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart and with thy whole soul and with thy whole mind and with thy whole strength. This is the firsi commandment And the second la like tc it: Thou shait love thy neighbour as thy self. There is no other commandmem greater than these.” (Mark 12:30, 31 Dowry) Loving counsel from God’s Wore to you and to all Christians is to forsake the association of those who practice wick edness. You cannot afford longer to dwei with those who hate God and Christ anc freedom.
This article's heading posed the question: The Quebec Hierarchy a Persecutor —Guilty or Not Guilty? Using the infallible rule of the Lord Jesus Christ, “By their fruits you shall know them,” she is adjudged GUILTY.
“A Good Many Congressmen
who love to roll juicy government scandals on the tongue seem to take strangely little interest in measures to promote cleaner government. Thus the president's plan for reorganizing the Bureau of Internal Revenue and putting virtually all its top officers under civil service quickly ran into trouble on the Hill, with many of the Administration’s sharpest critics in both parties showing themselves indifferent and hostile. . . . The opposition was made up in nearly equal parts of Southern Democrats and fight-wing Republicans, whose spokesmen claimed that the reorganization plan was camouflage and that the president already had all the power he needed to eliminate corruption. Against these arguments the liberal champions urged the necessity for ending *a discreditable political patronage system’ and challenged those 'who talk corruption to vote against it'. When the showdown came they won handsomely."—The Nation, March 22, 1952.
Juvenile Bookie
T A horse race betting 'Ting” led by a juvenile bookie whose daily “take” averaged 40 cents was uncovered by Connecticut state police after parents had complained. Twelve- to fourteen-year-oid children at Center Junior High School in Norwalk made daily bets of from 1 to 5 cents, the penny kind being the most popular. Police reported “a lot of nice kids” were involved and said no disciplinary action would be taken beyond a good, stiff lecture.
By “Awak«lrT corrttpondenl in Brazil
ffORAZIL’S Largest Jailbreak!” "Over D 300 Prisoners Kill Guards and -Flee Anchieta Isle Penitentiary!” “Mainland Terrorized by Most Dangerous Criminals on the Loose!” "Army, Navy, Air Force Join Police in Biggest Man Hunt to Date!” This sensational news flashed to all parts of the world on the twentieth day of June, 1952.
We go right to the scene of this stark, live drama—tiny Anchieta isle, about 100 miles northeast of Sao Paulo city and two miles off the coastline, surrounded by shark-infested waters. On this eventful day it belied its early name of "Aprazivel [Pleasant] Island”, so called because of its once beautiful sights, pleasant beaches, luxurious vegetation and its Papagaio (Parrot) mountain. It resembled more its later degrading name—“Pork Island”. Lastly, when a penal institution was set up there it had been christened "Anchieta”, after Brazil’s famous Jesuit priest. Up till now the only revolt of prisoners had oc
curred back in 1933, but never on such a scale as this.
Planned Uprising
On Friday morning, June 20, at 7 o’clock, five guards were leading about seventy prisoners up the side of Papagaio mountain for the usual eight hours of wood-chopping. Suddenly, as prearranged in secret plans of long standing, knives appeared in criminal hands, flashed brightly, then crimson with the life-blood of the guards. Things about the island were moving along as serenely and normally as usual, unaware of the brewing volcano about to belch forth fire and death*
Once free, it was a simple matter for them to get to the ammunition lockers, kill the guard and help themselves liberally to four portable machine guns, fifty rifles, many revolvers and over 10,000 bullets. It was also a simple though bloody matter to shoot down the other guards at the main prison building and throw open the cells of the remainder of the 453 inmates. It was a very simple matter to shoot down any of their fellow prisoners who had not wanted to co-operate with them. One so murdered had refused to take part since he was due to be released that same day.
All their pent-up fury and vengeance was unleashed against the prison’s director of discipline, whom they hated for his ill-treatment of prisoners. First they shot him down, then they gouged out his eyes, others stabbed him time and again, another smashed in his skull with the butt of his submachine gun. Meanwhile, some were riddling the penitentiary’s safe with bullets in circles till they cut it through and took out about 10,000 dollars’ worth of cruzeiros. Others went on a rampage through the island, looting homes of the prison guards while their wives and children fled to the auditorium in the main building, huddling together for protection. Other children were kept back in the schoolhouse by their teacher when she heard all the gunfire; otherwise, there might have been more casualties. Back In the prison, beds and chairs were being smashed, prison files of papers ripped and then a match set to all this.
During all the mad excitement and battling, one of the guards who ran out of ammunition got away and swam the two miles to shore, daring the hungry sharks rather than the crazed and bloodthirsty criminals on the loose. He was successful in giving the alarm by telephoning to the nearest town.
Meantime, back on the penitentiary isle things were really happening. The prison break had been calculated to coincide with the arrival of the boat which dally brought foodstuffs. But this day the boat delayed a little and as it approached shots could be heard and fire could be seen, so that they were able to get out of machine-gun range Just in time and head back for shore. main leader of the revolt, Pereira Lima, kept .the others from killing Captain Sadi, in charge of the island and whose home they had now attacked, because of some kindnesses that he had shown the prisoners. But they could not resist liberating all of the captain’s “canaries” from their cages. Pereira Lima, with machine gun in hand, threatened all the others: ‘TH shoot down anyone touching the women and children. No one’s going to be a sex-fiend here. I’m demanding the greatest respect from all of you.”
A mad rush began to get off the island in the only boats available. There was only one big launch that would hold sixty-five passengers and some other small boats at the beach. These were quickly overloaded and pushed off from shore. Heavy winds and rough waves capsized several of the smaller boats. The overweighted launch began to sink due to its 130 passengers. Fights started and some were mercilessly thrown overboard to ease the load. None of these made it to the shore. At the helm was an experienced seaman, Timoshenko, but he could not keep the boat from smashing up pn the rocks near the beach where they tried to land. All made it safely to shore through the shallow waters except several wounded, who went down with the boat. On the beach they split up into three groups and headed into the matted forests and up the rising mountain ranges that border the coastline.
During the remainder of the day other groups were successful in making their way across the strip of turbulent ocean and escaped into the forests. Back on the island 321 prisoners remained, some dead, some with no means to get away and others who had refused to join the uprising. These helped to put out the fires which were now threatening the lives of the women and children in the main building.
Man Hunt Gets Under Way
By late afternoon the local police forces were watching highways and small towns toward which the escaped convicts were heading. Bloody battles and skirmishes broke out in different places as soon as some prisoners were spotted. There were wounded and dead on both sides. Later on, the police received help from the army, the maritime police, a marine destroyer patrolling the coast and the air force flying overhead to locate the groups of criminals in the vicinity. This started off a bloody man hunt that was due to last eleven days and cost the lives of many more Involved. In favor of the law-enforcement agencies were the extreme cold spell, the heavy woods, the mountainous terrain, the bare
feet of the prisoners (many fled completely naked), the lack of food, and the blocking of the main highways impeding any getaway.
At the town of Uba tuba, a pitched battle was fought after one large gang tried to invade the place. Several were taken prisoners. The sheriff, Dangler T. Guimaraes, cold-bloodedly shot down one of the prisoners in his cell though he had given himself up. This same sheriff ordered the hands cut off another dead prisoner so that his fingerprints could later identify him. He also tried to incite mobs to lynch the other prisoners who were caught and brought in to the city jail. Another recaptured youth, Rubens Rosa, 21 years of age, was found hung in another cell, supposedly a suicide.
Closing In
By the second day after the prison break all the countryside, usually asleep and quiet, was now taken by panic, alarm and fear. Families miserably stayed up all night for fear that some wolfish gang of convicts would sneak up on them. Each day police forces were strengthened. Each day saw more desperate jungle battles. Each day witnessed more prisoners being recaptured until, by June 27, all but Pereira Lima’s gang and a few isolated ones had been accounted for. The authorities were confident Of getting these also. The convicts were completely encircled. They were worn out by constant chase. They had no food, little clothing, and it was intensely cold outside. It would be just a matter of hours before the rest would be‘captured. The signal was given. The police began to close in tighter and tighter, right in the vicinity of Corisco mountain range.
On the other side, Pereira Lima’s group knew they were surrounded but showed no signs of giving themselves up. Lima’s face was drawn. All of his carefully-laid plans were vanishing before his very eyes. The complete map of all that area had been ruined in the rain. Now he was lost in the jungle. The police and soldiers were closing in. Could he break through the encirclement? Impossible! But he did. How? He rounded up ten cdboclos (natives) from nearby and made them march out with their hands high over their heads to where the nearest group of soldiers were stationed. His plan worked. The soldiers thought Lima and his' group of criminals were giving up. Excitement broke loose in the soldiers’ camp. Other soldiers rushed to the scene. Lima and his men sneaked through the gap before the soldiers discovered it was a trick. How humiliating! The army and navy called off their military forces, leaving the local police to continue with the mopping up.
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