POPE'S PEACE CRUSADE

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2531, 4 August 1915, Page 7

POPE'S PEACE CRUSADE

HIS SPIRITUAL NEUTRALITY

By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright ("Times" and Sydney "Sun" Services.)

London, August 2. Tlio "Times" points out' that the Berlin correspondent of the "Frankfurter Zeituiw," whose information almost invariably emanates from the German Government, foreshadowed the Pope's a.ppeal on Tuesday last. He forwarded to his paper a summary of the letter published in the Madrid illustrated paper, "A,8.C.," from a correspondent in Rome, stating that Cardinal Gasquet had disclosed tho fact that the Pope, notwithstanding tho failure of his former suggestions, wa6 engaged in the preparation of action in which tho wholn Episcopate of the belligerent countries • would co-operate in a united organised'manner, aiming at the arranging of a truce. Tlio Pope has repeatedly pleaded for peace since the beginning of his Ponti(iflatc._ In the alleged interviews with America-German and French journalists lie has seemed to push his spiritual neutrality to the point of ignoring the German atrocities, but he expressly condemned the violation of Belgium's neutrality, and protested against the illtreatment of the Belgian elergy. ITALIAN PRESS CRITICISM. ("Times" and Sydney "Sun" Services.) (Rec. August 3, 7.45 p.m.) London, August 2. The Italian Press generally approves the Pope's letter, hut tho "Tribuna" says that the appeal does not distin-guish-.'between the attackers and the attacked. "Tho Pope hlesses tlio hand which first extends the olive branch, but we wish iho olive branch to be genuine, not to represent pro-German strategy."