24 MAY 1940, Page 2

The Education of Nazis

In his pastoral letter for Trinity Sunday Cardinal Hinsley assured his readers that the Pope rests his hope for the renewal of society on the Christian education of youth; and he went on to say that it must be long before the harm done to the children of Germany by the Nazi system of education could be undone. He represented the Christian education of youth as the antithesis to the Nazi system, which sets itself to keep hold of Germans from the cradle to the grave. But the antithesis may be represented in broader terms. Education in Germany is simply one function of the totalitarian State; it seeks to mould the mind of the young Germans to think in terms of Nazi authoritarianism. The real antithesis of that is the freedom of toleration. Under the British system children are not taught to adopt a certain political faith, nor, on the other hand, does the State system impose this or that form of Christianity. Roman Catholicism and every other religion which does not admit spiritual submission to secular authority are bound to be opposed to the Nazi method ; but the real opposite of that method is one which admits of diversity of faith and opinion— namely, democracy.