From Our Own Correspondent
Paine.
French Catholics are more concerned tha.n ever with the war alias of their country. Their propositions do not coincide with official war aims. They go further, for instance, than the declarations of the English Government, and even those of Daladier. On the question of the national reconstitution of Poland and of Czechoslovakia French Catholics are in agreement with the Allied Governments. But they demand also the re-establishment of a new Austria.
The spokesman of the French Catholics is the well-known journalist, Vladimir d'Ormesson, who indefatigably pursues the idea of the renetablishment of Austria in his newspaper, Le Figaro, and in his numerous lecturce.
According to d'Ormessne, the present war began on March 11, 1938, the day when Austria was occupied by the Nazis. The Austrian people have always been Cathalic. In the post-war period Austria was governed by the Catholic party. first of all under Seipel, then under Dollfuss, and finally under Schuschnigg. If during the first postwar years the neglect of the Church by the social-democrats gave little results, the same applies to the Nazi attempts to suppress the Catholic character of the country.
The reconstitution of Austria as a Catholic State will atone, according to d'Ormesson, for the first great mistake of the Allies, notably that of not having prevented the destruction of this State.
French Catholics, in general, agree with d'Orenesson. Austria has been considered, for centuries, the rampart of the Church against invasions from the East,