TERROR BREAKS OUT IN PEKING: NIGHT ARRESTS

IN a new outburst of terror against the Church in Peking, Communists rounded up 14 priests and 18 Catholic laymen in one night, states a report that has reached Tokyo.
At the same time it is reported that the Dutch Bishop of Luan, Mgr. Francis Kramer, 0.F.M., who has been living hi Peking, has been placed under house arrest with two of his priests.
Many other priests are believed to be under virtual arrest in
their residences.
The Communists' failure to force Catholics in Peking to join the new " Reformed Church " has led to a Government ultimatum of "Join the Reformed Church or give up your faith entirely," The 14 priests — Chinese and foreign — were bound and led into jails on July 25, when persecution burst into a flame spreading throughout the city.
The sudden explosion followed weeks of effort by the Communists to force loyal Catholics to attend Mass at " reformed churches."
" If we cannot reform the Church," one Communist official is quoted as saying, " we will destroy it."
News black-out
Fr. Harold Rigney, a Divine Word Father from Chicago and formerly Rector of the Catholic University of Peking, and Fr. Joseph Meiners, a German Divine Word Father, were among three priests of the university taken to prison during the night On Wednesday it was stated that Fr. Rigney had now been released but placed under house arrest.
A virtual black-out of news was effected when 12 of Peking's 17 churches were sealed up by the authorities.
Practically all foreign priests are under house arrest in their residences About 40 foreign priests of various nationalities and religious congregations arc known to be residing in the city.
All the buildings of the Catholic University have now been taken over by the Red regime and 12 remaining Divine Word Fathers are prisoners in their residence.
The new crisis has resulted from the refusal of Catholics to attend services at the few churches of priests who had yielded to Communist demands for a " Reformed Church."
Pressure on Chinese priests is intense as daily meetings are conducted lasting three hours or more.
Laity faithful
The compromising attitude of a small group of priests was overcame when the lay people refused to attend Mass at the ' reformed " churches.
Another report states that a Belgian Immaculate Heart ef Mary missionary, Fr. Andrew Van Coillie, was carried off to jail a few days later by 30 soldiers. He was director of the Legion of Mary for North-West China.
A further report states that the new Prefect Apostolic of Yangchow, Mgr. Eugene Fatty. a San Francisco Jesuit, and the foreign priests of his prefecture were imprisoned on July 31, Feast of St. Ignatius.