cent. of the hundreds of thousands of Catholics who were members of their appropriate trade union took no interest whatever in the normal and domestic affairs of their unions.
" Contrast this attitude," said Mr. O'Brien, " with the vigorous, vital and dynamic activity of the Communists who have considerably los members in trades unionism than Catholics. and the difficulties to he faced will be selfevident."
CATHOLICS MUST WORK TOG ETHER
Mr. O'Brien expressed the hope that We would never see in this country what were called Catholic or Christian trades unions. " These arc a product of the past and they tend not only to divide worker and worker, but to play into the hands of the employers." he said. "Catholics and non-Catholics must all work together for their trades union rights, and if Catholics take the necessary interest in their trades union affairs, there will be little danger of trades unionism in this country going off the rails. We want no ghetto Catholics in Great Britain, our place is in the sun if we ourselves will but walk from the shadows."
In describing the outstanding event of his visit to Italy, Mr. O'Brien said that his audience with the Pope was made in a private capacity. On a Sunday morning. accompanied by Mr. Will 1.awther (non-Catholice a member of the General Council of the T.U.C.. he proceeded to the Vatican. "The Pope knew of our mission to Italy and had read of our progress in the Italian papers." said Mr. O'Brien. " The Holy lather recalled the happiness of his visit to England on the occasion of the coronation of Ills Majesty King George V, and his subsequent visit to Spithead to sec a review of the Grand Fleet. He showed keen interest in our work and welcomed the effort to build a free independent trades union movement in Italy, unfettered by party poli
tical influences. The workers all over the world.' stated the Pope, should join their unions for cuonomic protection.'
" We gave His Holiness a brief account of our -impressions of Italy and stressed with him our hope that the future trades union movement of Italy will develop on different and better lines than was the case before Mussolini rose to power.
" There was complete lack of ceremony. The Pope's simplicity and informality. his obvious sincerity and deep concern for the workers left a deep impression on us. As a memento of our visit he presented Lawther and I with a rosary each. It was a great occasion. The first audience of the war given to an Allied trades union delegation."