Asceticism, Spiritual Values Goals Of Noted Catholic Writer-Lecturer

Voluntary poverty and an increase in personal sanctity were the advice of Miss Dorothy Day, noted Catholic author and lecturer, and an--editor of the "Catholic Worker," in a lecturer at Emerson last night.

Miss Day advocated a rebellion against American materialism, a return to the land, and a revival of "voluntary poverty." Speaking of our materialistic life and "sky's-the-limit" capitalism, she declared, "If we turned our faces against it, we could revolutionize the world."

She suggested a system of returning to the land, and of people's living only on what they can produce on their own farms. Miss Day spoke of one family who did so, and did without coffee or tea, since they could not grow them themselves. "Don' eat oranges--eat tomatoes" she advised, since oranges must be imported. However, she quoted in this connection the words of Father Conklin, who said, "None of these ideas will come into effect until people are poor enough so they can't do anything else."

Miss Day also deplores the ignorance of social conditions. "I go to colleges and people tell me, 'Why, I didn't know there were any poor'," said Miss Day, who is a prime mover in the organization of Catholic hospices for aid of the destitute. She spoke feelingly of the amount of poverty in this country.