A Protestant Appeal Herr Hitler has frequently represented himself as
the defender of European civilisation against barbarism ; but the appeal which was read in the confessional churches of Germany on Sunday is a remarkable comment on his fitness for the post. The appeal is the more effective because no one can doubt the loyalty or patriotism of such men as Pastor Niemoller of Dahlem. " In the land of Martin Luther," the appeal says, " the Church is for- bidden to testify to the truth of the Gospels." The pastors protest against the persistent attacks on Christianity in the Party Press and the schools, the preaching of pagan values officially encouraged by men like Herren Rosenberg and Baldur von Schirach, the glorification of militarism, the persecution of those who preach the most elementary Christian doctines. Asserting their loyalty to Germany, they declare that they cannot accept the exaltation of the State above all spiritual values; The courage which inspires this declaration compels admiration, as do the clarity and frankness with which, in the face of National Socialism, the pastors assert the truth of values which are the proper foundation of Western culture. Their appeal is the more opportune, and their anxiety the more natural, in view of the wholesale conscription and militarisation with which the entire youth of Germany is threatened in the near future.
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