of Russia. It asks him to cease intervention in Russia and asks him to act against "any attempt of the Allies to strangle European democracy in its cradle." In other words, it characterizes the Soviet government as the one budding system of democracy in Europe. A certain group in the Catholic Church with leanings toward Socialism, under the leadership of the Rev. Dr. Ryan, professor at the Catholic University of Washington, issued in January, 1918, a pamphlet called "Social Reconstruction; a General Review of the Problems, and a Survey of Remedies." It was issued by the Committee on Special War Activities of the National Catholic Council in Washington, and was signed by four bishops: Peter J. Muldoon, Bishop of Rockford; Joseph Schrembs, Bishop of Toledo; Patrick J. Hayes, Bishop of Tagaste, William T. Russell, Bishop of Charleston. It begins by a disapproval of the famous social reconstruction program of the British Labor Party because this program, it considers, would lead ultimately to complete Socialism. It considers the program of the American Federation of Labor not to give sufficient expression to the weaker sections of the working class, and calls attention to its failure to even imply that the workers should become owners as well as users of the instruments of production. It examines other plans, such as that of the National Chamber of Commerce, and especially the proposals of the interdenominational conference of social service unions, comprising ten religious bodies of Great Britain. The committee itself outlines in a rather general way its own proposed solution. Among other things, it favors the co-operative societies owned and managed by the consumers. It favors a large participation of labor in industrial management. Where the socialistic tendency of the committee shows itself most clearly is in what is said under the heading of "Co-operation and Copartnership." This statement is of sufficient importance to be quoted: "Nevertheless, the full possibilities of increased production will not be realized so long as the majority of the workers remain mere wage earners. The majority must somehow become owners, or at least in part, of the instruments of production. They can be enabled to reach this stage gradually through co-operative productive societies and copartnership arrangements. In the former, the workers own and manage the industries themselves; in the latter, they own a substantial part of the corporate stock and exercise a reasonable share in the management. However slow the attainment of these ends, they will have to be reached before we can have a thoroughly efficient system of production, or an industrial and social order that will be secure from the danger of revolution. It is to be noted that this particular modification of the existing order, however far-reaching and involving to a great extent the abolition of the wage system, would not mean the abolition of private ownership. The instruments of production will still be owned by individuals, not by the State." |