POWERS AND THE VATICAN.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 19, 17 October 1907, Page 11

POWERS AND THE VATICAN.

"With tho death of Cardinal Taliani" -(writes a correspondent of tho "Scotsman"), "the Vatican loses-one of its most, capable diplomatists. His last post was the Nunciature in Vienna. He occupied this position at tho. moment of tho election, and it was to him that tho Austrian Government applied to intimate it's veto .on the election of. Cardinal Kampolla as I'opo. This right of veto, which is claimed ,by . .tlireo countries, Austria, France, and Spain, is borno with i impatience by tho Vatican ; many. Cardinals, dony that it even oxists. When tho Austrian Emperor desired to. announce his veto of . Cardinal Kampolla he applied to Cardinal, Taliani, as Papal Nuncio in Vienna, but tho latter refused to be his emissary. An application to tho Cardinal Archbishop of Vienna had tho same fate. Filially a Cardinal, whose namo I do not remember, who was a personal enemy of Cardinal .Kampolla,•• was induced .to mako ■the intimation to tho Conclavc, and. His Imminences election was rendered-impossible. ' ','1 imagine tho Emperor Franz Josef-bit-terly regrets that tho Secretary of Stato of Leo XIII. was not elected, Popo. The world :woukl havo been saved, much of tho strifo and conflict wliicli liavo' characterised tho -reign of, Pius X. It is notorious that the 'Austrian veto was not given of Franz Josof's own initiative, but at tho retjuest of tho German Umpcror., Tho German Government considered that Cardinal Kampolla was too friendly to Franco, and oaw that, with a man of his statesmanship and diplomacy in tho chair of-St. Peter, tho conflict between Clnirch ,and State in Franco would be avoided, or at least fought out'on less bitter lines than with a more narrow-minded and bigoted I'opo. A Kulturliampf, as Germany knew from bitter experience, is a source of weakness, and as long, as it exists Franco's influence in foreign affairs would suffer. Tho existence of a' conlfict with the Vatican is likely to havo an unfavourable influcnco 011 Franco's relations with Spain and Austria, where clerical influences are strong. Tho election of Cardinal Kampolla Was therefore vetoed. "I doubt, however, if oven tho Emperor William is to-day pleased with the result of his action. Such things aro boomerangs and the accfgr'-u to power of tho reactionary party in the '• -oican has led to trouble with German Cai'-c".;s. Tho recent conflict regarding .ti)"' index, though it has been patched iir in a kind of a way, is a nasty rbmi'.r'.e. ji the possibilities of strife,"