[To the Editor of THE SPECTATOR] Sin,—There are some points
in the letter signed W. A. Powell, Captain, in last week's Spectator, which are not quite clear.
The writer speaks of the "Christ of the Gospels," who was always most courteous to Roman soldiers, condemning militarism, and yet he signs himself W. A. Powell, Capta:n. If this is the case, would not the writer have been wise to choose another profession ? There are others.
The writer also speaks of "the recent conquest of Abys- sinia" having had "the unstinted support of the Roman Church." I have followed the Abyssinian question with care, and have come to the conclusion, personally, that the League of Nations may have behaved a little hysterically (I have in mind Mr. Evelyn Waugh's articles in the last three numbers of the English Review), but this news as to the Roman Church's attitude is a little unexpected.
As regards the property. of the Jesuit Order in Spain, the writer does not give any documentation for the figure he quotes, but it does not seem to be unreasonable that the Order should have been rich. If we may judge from Professor Allison Peers' excellent book, The Spanish Tragedy, the Order had a large number of excellent educational institutions in their charge, apart from their other work. In England, a Protestant country, the Jesuits have two large schools, and three churches, with very large congregations drawn from all classes, in London alone, and in a Catholic country they would have far more. The Order being rich does not mean its members are luxurious or idle. Everyone agrees that terrible things have taken place in Spain, but perhaps human nature ratber than the negligence of Roman Catholic priests may be most to blame, even though every priest is bound to pray at Mass that God may forgive his negligence ! The Roman Church believes that its Founder, God himself, died an awful death to save humanity, so perhaps humanity has a grave tendency-to evil.—Yours faithfully, Travellers' Club, Pall Mall, S.W. 1. CLONMORE.
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