VATICAN CITY
The recent letter to the press by the greatest living Italian philosopher, Benedetto Croce, in which he acknowledged Christianity as a perpetual source Of redemption and renewal, and affirmed the need of the modern world's experiencing a re-kindling of faith and enthusiasm, has received lively comment in Catholic papers.
In their comment these papers reaffirm the immanent redemptive force of Christianity, which, they declare, is a " fundamental necessity " in the reconstitution of national and international life.
Osservatore Romano particularly notes the comment in ft Popolo, which points out that Signor Croce's letter represents the ultimate conclusions reached by the great philosopher through his long experiences as a man and as a scholar. These experiences may he applied to humanity as a whole, II Popolo says, because they are ageold experiences enriched with new enlightenments gained dtiring the last six years.
The following opinions may go some way towards affording it.
Russia is ruthlessly creating a cordon sanitalre around her Ironuels. Her imperialism, up-to-date has been almost purely Pan-Slavonic, and every imperial expansion is conditioned by the orbit within which the dynamic of the aggressor nation can operate. Any extension beyond a definite line of communication weakens the controlling power until it must be quite uncertain of its power within any part of the " empire."
The Austrians are not Slays, and Austria may well he outside the area Russia can effectively control. hi that case the country could be used by the Soviets as a show-piece for the democracies. They would act with large sencrositY, as they have done in FMland. In so doing they would serve a
double purpose. Besides providing a test-case for, Western critics, they would win Austrian friendship for themselves. They would also, by stimulating Allied protests on their " treaty-breaking " action identify in the minds of the Austrian people that protest with a Government which is truly Austrian, thus separating Austria from the West and making the people of the country distrustful of Britain and America.
The lesson is obvious. The Austrians with whom we spoke believe the Western Allies must support this Government which is one of National Unity. If they refuse so recognise it after tacitly recognising the Russiandominated Lublin " Provisional Government " they will only make themselves ridiculous in the eyes .of the world P, '