Catholics in Politics

John Ferguson Moore of Manhattan, a Protestant, a onetime social worker and secretary in the Y. M. C. A., after studying the question of political, cultural, financial influence exerted by 20,000,000 U. S. Roman Catholics, has written a book.-His subject was widely publicized in 1928, has been widely discussed ever since. His conclusions may be equally discussed. He finds Catholic influence "bewilderingly slight." finds Protestants who fear Catholic control guilty of "exaggerated alarm" and Catholics who boast of such a possibility guilty of "exaggerated hope."

Using figures to prove his points, Author Moore says that in the last Congress there were 35 Catholic Congressmen out of 435, six Catholic Senators. Methodists, of whom there are less than half as many as Catholics in the U. S., had almost three times as many Congressmen; Episcopalians had five times as many Senators. The personnel of the diplomatic service is less than i% Catholic. Of present State Governors, 36 are Masons, none Catholics. Author Moore found no facts to support the often-repeated statements that 70% of all appointments made by President Wilson were Catholics,/- that 62% of all offices in the U. S. were held by Catholics. Findings quoted by Author Moore showed Catholic representation "not in evidence in the higher spheres where final authority and power rest."

That Catholics may in any discernible future dominate U. S. politics, Author Moore believes a conjecture as baseless as the suggestion that they now do so, because, he says, the Catholic Church is not making large numerical gains, because its membership includes such a small proportion of political leaders. Further conclusions: "The fear that Roman Catholics, even as a minority, may capture the government of the United States, appears to be unfounded. . . . The issue today is not whether America is to be made Catholic but whether America ... is to be made Christian."

*WILL AMERICA BECOME CATHOLIC? -- John F. Moore--Harper ($2).

IA fact not mentioned by Author Moore: many a Jew was appointed by President Wilson.

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