Wheeling Diocesan Council of Catholic Women, Wheeling, W. Va.; 3,000 members. Daughters of Isabella, Archbishop Moeller Circle No. 138, Cincinnati, Ohio. St. Anne Christian Mothers Confraternity of St. Mary's, Racine, Wis.; 250 members. Ladies of Charity of the Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York; 3,000 members. Catholic Women's Association, St. Louis, Mo. Christ Child Society, Omaha, Nebr. San Antonio Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women, San Antonio, Tex. Christian Mothers of St. Catherine's, Milwaukee, Wis. Cincinnati Catholic Women's Association, Cincinnati, Ohio. Queen of Peace Council No. 11, Pennsylvania Catholic Beneficial League, Gettysburg, Pa. C. D. A. Court Swissvale No. 990, Swissvale, Pa.; 150 members. Women's Auxiliary of the Polish Association of America, Milwaukee, Wis.; 5,000 members. Milwaukee Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women, Milwaukee, Wis. Pittsburgh Diocesan Union of Sodalities, Pittsburgh, Pa.; 14,000 members. Springfield Diocesan Council of Catholic Women, Springfield, Ill.; 80,000 members. Local and State Courts of the Catholic Daughters of America, Seattle, Wash. Protests also received from the following individuals: Dr. B. H. Swint, Charleston, W. Va. (judge of the circuit court, attorney at law, physician, and surgeon). Miss Marguerite M. Eisenmann, assistant, social service department, Georgetown University, Washington, D. C. Miss Catherine Ann Sullivan, 1025 North Thirty-fourth Street, Omaha, Nebr. Miss Kathleen Diesing, 3646 Burt Street, Omaha, Nebr. Mr. Gilman Woods, Water Valley, Miss. Miss Catherine Leary, 1304 South Thirty-fifth Street, Omaha, Nebr. Miss Patty McCaffrey, Omaha, Nebr. Miss Eloise Creedon, Omaha, Nebr. Miss Catherine Martin, Omaha, Nebr. Miss Margaret Mary Betts, Omaha, Nebr. Miss Watherston, Omaha, Nebr. Miss Betty Donovan, Omaha, Nebr. Miss Jane Louise Leary, Omaha, Nebr. Miss Anna Rouse, Omaha, Nebr. Miss Mary Elizabeth O'Neal, Omaha, Nebr. · Miss Betty Harms, Omaha, Nebr. The ACTING CHAIRMAN. Who is your next witness? Mr. BURTON. Hon. Charles F. Dolle, representing the National Council of Catholic Men and affiliated groups. STATEMENT OF CHARLES F. DOLLE, EXECUTIVE SECRETARY NATIONAL COUNCIL OF CATHOLIC MEN Mr. DOLLE. Mr. Chairman, I am the executive secretary and a director of the National Council of Catholic Men. Our organization is one department of the National Catholic Welfare Conference, for which Miss Lynch, the associate director of the Women's Council, has just spoken. Our organization, gentlemen, is made up of national, State, and local groups of adult Catholic citizens. Their membership comprises citizens of every State. The National Council of Catholic Men assists national, State, and local organizations in the promotion of every Catholic lay activity, both organized and individual, in every parish and diocese in the country. The work of these organizations is educational, benevolent, and charitable. The present membership of the National Council of Catholic Men consists of approximately 1,800 local and State organizations and 10 national organizations with their great number of local units. These national organizations are: 9 Catholic Club, City of New York, New York City. Catholic Knights of St. George, Pittsburgh, Pa. Knights of St. John, Supreme Commandery, Evansville, Ind. St. Vincent de Paul, Supreme Council, New York. Federation of Catholic Societies of Louisiana, New Orleans, La. Catholic Slovak Federation of America, Cleveland, Ohio. Polish Association of America, Milwaukee, Wis. The number of individuals included in the membership of the organizations which comprise the National Council of Catholic Men is very large. On behalf of these organizations and of Catholic laymen of the country generally, I ask that their opposition be recorded against the enactment of the bill which is the subject of this hearing. Our people are taught by the precepts of our church to abhor the practices sanctioned by those who have advocated the birth control measures so persistently presented to the Federal Congress by those who sponsor this bill. They believe that they have a right to look to the Federal Government to uphold their country's standard of morality and protect its citizens from the demoralizing influences which would be certain to follow the removal of the prohibition against the importation into. this country of contraceptive literature, articles, and drugs and remove the prohibition against the dissemination of information and instructions concerning the use of these instruments, articles, and drugs, by means of the United States mails, whether published or manufactured in this country or abroad. They look with amazement at the efforts of the sponsors of these measures to put the seal of Government sanction upon the practices which this bill and others with similar purposes by their necessary implications would effect. Upon these grounds the organization which I represent and its affiliated societies and Catholic citizens generally protest against this bill. Mr. Hancock's bill declares certain exemptions from the operation. of section 305 of the tariff act of 1930 and certain sections of the Criminal Code as amended. The advocates of this legislation claim that it is necessary that the Federal restrictions against the importation of birth-control devices, drugs, and literature and their transportation by mail be removed so that licensed physicians may be able to prescribe, clinics and hospitals may be permitted to administer treatments, and drug stores may be able to offer for sale books, pamphlets, and materials now denied importation and the privileges of the mail. If there were any reason why physicians, druggists, hospitals, and clinics would be benefited by this legislation, it is reasonable to suppose that they would be here advocating its enactment, and be here in sufficient numbers to impress the committee with the necessity for the proposed law. But these interests have no official representative here. Spokesmen for these interests are voluntary spokesmen. They have no credentials and offer nothing to show that they speak for them with authority. If this bill is enacted into law, it is altogether likely that its effect will be to open this country in the widest possible manner to the unrestricted open traffic in foreign-made goods now wisely prohibited as an aid to the production of a good, moral citizenship, and a flood of indecent literature and advertisements will be thrust into every home in the land. We oppose this measure in all sincerity as one that will tend to impair or destroy the high Christian standard of morality in this country. We have received a number of telegrams and letters containing objections against this bill. Time did not permit the invitation to the great number of organizations belonging to the National Council of Catholic Men to offer their individual protests. Nevertheless, we have quite a number of them-20 or 30. The original telegrams were offered at the Senate hearing yesterday and permitted to be filed. I would ask leave to file with this memorandum copies of those which came in opposition to the Senate bill, the Hatfield bill, which in its main purpose is identical with the House bill. The ACTING CHAIRMAN. You desire those printed in this record? Mr. DOLLE. If that is your custom, yes; if not, it does not matter. The ACTING CHAIRMAN. As a rule, just on the idea of economy for the taxpayers, where these documents are published in one hearing it is just an unnecessary tax to publish them in another hearing. Mr. DOLLE. It may be, Mr. Chairman, that the record ought to show the names and addresses of those who have entered their appearances and their protests. The ACTING CHAIRMAN. I would suggest that we print the names, and you may file the copies, if you desire, with the committee. Mr. DOLLE. We will enter their names and addresses and file the copies for your information; and I will, if I may, when the record is ready for printing, go to the office of the clerk of the committee and see that it is done. The ACTING CHAIRMAN. You and all the witnesses appearing have a right to correct and revise your testimony, and add such matters pertinent to the issue as you wish to include. We thank you for your presence and your contribution to the hearing. (The matter submitted by Mr. Dolle is as follows:) MAY 10, 1932. NATIONAL COUNCIL CATHOLIC MEN, Washington, D. C.: Three thousand five hundred members of San Francisco Chapter, Knights of Columbus, protest passage of Hatfield bill, S. 4436, same being detrimental to future welfare of our Nation. Please use every effort in opposing bill. PHIL J. KENNEDY, President San Francisco Chapter Knights of Columbus, California. NATIONAL COUNCIL CATHOLIC MEN, SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF., May 9, 1932. Washington, D. C.: The gentlemen's sodality of St. Ignatius Church, San Francisco, send formal protest against passage of Hatfield bill, S. 4436. NATIONAL COUNCIL CATHOLIC MEN, EDWARD J. WHELAN. SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF., May 10, 1932. Washington, D. C.: The Holy Name Society of Mission Dolores Church, San Francisco (800 members), joins with you in protesting against passage of Hatfield bill, S. 4436, or any other bill favoring birth control. MICHAEL CASEY, President. CINCINNATI, OHIO, May 11, 1932. NATIONAL COUNCIL CATHOLIC MEN, Washington, D. C.: We wish to voice our objection to the Hatfield bill, S. 4436. NORTHSIDE COUNCIL, KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS, NATIONAL COUNCIL CATHOLIC MEN, CINCINNATI, OHIO, May 11, 1932. Washington, D. C.: We wish to go on record as opposing Hatfield bill, S. 4436. NORWOOD COUNCIL, KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS, No. 1162, CINCINNATI, OHIO, May 11, 1932. NATIONAL COUNCIL CATHOLIC MEN, Washington, D. C.: We wish to voice our objection to the Hatfield bill, S. 4436. PRICE HILL COUNCIL, KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS, NATIONAL COUNCIL CATHOLIC MEN, ST. PAUL, MINN., May 12, 1932. Washington, D. C.: As president of 1,500 members of Minnesota Roman Catholic Union, I voice their protest against Hatfield bill, S. 4436. ANDREW Nowak. ST. PAUL, MINN., May 12, 1932. Senator DANIEL O. HASTINGS, National Council Catholic Men, Washington, D. C.: As president of 3,000 members Minnesota Polish National Alliance, I voice their protest against Hatfield bill, S. 4436. STANILAUS TRACZYK. ST. PAUL, MINN., May 10, 1932. Senator DANIEL O. HASTINGS, National Council Catholic Men, Washington, D. C.: As State trustee for 11,000 Catholic Foresters in Minnesota, I voice their protest against Hatfield bill, S. 4436. JAMES R. LANDY. MINNEAPOLIS, MINN., May 10, 1932. Senator DANIEL O. HASTINGS, National Council Catholic Men, Washington, D. C.: As State deputy of 18,000 Knights of Columbus in Minnesota, I voice their protest against Hatfield bill, S. 4436. 1 NATIONAL COUNCIL CATHOLIC MEN, J. EARLE LAWLER. SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF., May 9, 1932. Washington, D. C.: On behalf of 10,000 members Young Men's Institute, we ask you enter our protest against passage birth-control measure, Senate bill S. 4436. LEO J. MAHONEY, Grand President. NATIONAL COUNCIL OF CATHOLIC MEN, MAY 10, 1932. Washington, D. C.: We vigorously protest against passage of Hatfield bill S. 4436 as being immoral, un-American and dangerous to the future of our country. ALUMNI ASSOCIATION, UNIVERSITY OF SAN FRANCISCO. NATIONAL COUNCIL OF CATHOLIC MEN, SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF., May 10, 1932. Washington, D. C.: Five thousand members Italian Catholic Federation of California wishes to register emphatic protest against Hatfield bill S. 4436. Italian Catholics of California want their families protected against all forms of birth control propaganda. AMARIGO Rossi, President Italian Catholic Federation. NATIONAL COUNCIL OF CATHOLIC MEN, SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF., May 10, 1932. Washington, D. C.: On behalf of the 4,000 members in northern California of the Catholic Laymen's Retreat Association I respectfully urge you to protest against the Hatfield bill, known as S. 4436, and all such measures. JOHN E. MORRIS, President. NATIONAL COUNCIL OF CATHOLIC MEN, SANTA CLARA, CALIF., May 12, 1932. Washington, D. C.: Present our most earnest protest to Congress and individually to California Senators and Congressmen against Hatfield bill on birth control. UNIVERSITY OF SANTA CLARA, LOUIS O. NORMANDIN, President of Alumni Association. LEO ESSWE, in Prefect Junior Sodality. RICHARD E. DOYLE, President Student Body. |