LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
[Corresponctents are requested to keep their letters as brief as is reasonably possible. The most suitable length is that of one of our " News of the Week" paragraphs. Signed letter,. are given a preference over those bearing a pseudonym.—Ed: THE SPECTATOR.] ROMAN CATHOLICS IN EDINBURGH
[To the Editor of THE SPECTATOR.]
Sin,--As a subscriber to your paper I have read with some surprise and concern a paragraph in your issue of August 9th regarding the religious disturbances in Edinburgh. In this paragraph mention is made of a public protest alleged to have been made by me in connexion with what is termed " minor disturbances during a Eucharistic procession " and " some drunken brawl of which I have never heard in the Cowgate." I must confess that, like your contributor, I also have not heard of the drunken brawl in the Cowgate, but the writer of the paragraph displays ignorance of the situation when he refers to disturbances " during a Eucharistic procession." Such a procession never took place—as your contributor would apparently seek to suggest—in the streets of the city. The disturbances at the time of the Eucharistic Congress, of which I complained, were not by any means " minor dis- turbances," and they took place in connexion with meetings held within doors and in private grounds attached to a Catholic College.
But this trouble commenced much earlier. I refer to the tumult which brought such disgrace on this City on the occasion of a civic reception given to the Catholic Young Men's Society by the Lord Provost, Magistrates and Council of Edinburgh. This was followed by the public affront offered to Mr. Lyons, Prime Minister of Australia, when receiving the Freedom of Edinburgh—an insult which, despite the apology offered at the time by the Lord Provost, aroused indignation, not only in Australia, but in other Dominions. As to the " minor disturbances " at the time of the Congress, let the Edinburgh Evening Dispatch bear witness. It speaks of " Exciting scenes in streets," " Police batons drawn," " A wild night," " Tense situation," " Buses containing . . . women and children . . . stoned," " Police baton charge," " A bus-load of policemen . . . pelted with stones." The report concluded : " Almost the entire force of police in Edinburgh was drafted to the disturbed area."
These quotations will suffice to show that the situation in Edinburgh is serious. It may be that persecuted minorities in Nazi Germany are in still worse case, but that is no justifi- cation for baiting the Catholics in the Capital of Scotland.
My sole motive in writing this letter is to show that " white- wash " will not serve ; a thorough cleansing is required. Peace in Edinburgh will not be realized while the campaign of incitement to violence and almost unbelievable obscenity is allowed to continue. Catholic property is Wantonly damaged ; priests and nuns are insulted in the streets ; while Catholic girls and youths in factories and other workshops have to suffer daily the outpourings of obscenity with which this campaign has befouled the minds of otherwise decent people.
Catholics have borne themselves throughout, as The Scotsman acknowledges, with commendable restraint. But it is neither just nor politic to trade upon that. It is time that the Protestant Churches openly disassociated themselves from those who claim to be their champions, and that the civil authorities put a stop to what is a cause of offence not to Catholics only, but to all right-thinking eitizens.—I am, Sir, yours very truly, rIi Allnauw JOSEPH, O.S.B. (Archbishop of St. Andrews and Edinburgh). Archbishop's House, Edinburgh.
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