First Catholic in Divinity School Expounds Views on Communism

"Communism can be viewed as an anti-Western movement or as the spearhead of Western ideas" according to Christopher Dawson, Charles Chauncey Stillman Professor of Roman Catholic studies. Dawson, the first Roman Catholic to be appointed to the Divinity School, held a press conference there yesterday.

Asked if he agreed with Toynbee's assertion that "Western culture is a waning culture," Dawson replied that "Toynbee exaggerates too much. The West is not quite so weak as he says. Anti-western movements in Africa and Asia," he said, "are already signs of the spread of Western culture in those areas."

Dawson explained that although the underdeveloped nations accept the basic ideas of Western culture, their hostility toward the major powers arises from their fear of Western predominance.

An authority on Catholicism, Dawson held that Catholicism and Communism could never be reconciled, because "Communism is primarily a monolithic power organization and would never consent to a division of spiritual and temporal powers."

Dawson, who remarked that he was "accustomed to English country life," stated that this was his first visit to the United States. He had been asked to lecture in this country before, but had refused the offers. Asked why he accepted the Stillman professorship, he replied that the offer was "extremely attractive" and that "there is no such chair in any of the English universities."