TRUMAN’S ENVOY MEETS THE POPE

Grey River Argus, 8 April 1948, Page 6

TRUMAN’S ENVOY MEETS THE POPE

LONDON, April 6. Mr Myron Taylor, President Truman’s persona] representative to the Vatican, had an audience of the Pope last night. Officially, his visit is said to have had no special significance, but the Rome correspondent of the "Daily Telegraph” says it is now believed that he had been charged to sound the Pope on the possibility of the restoration of the Spanish monarchy. Mr Taylor spent some time in Madrid on the way to Rome and according to the correspondent it is thought that he had been asked to report to President Truman on the circumstances in which General Franco might be induced to withdraw from his position as head of the State' to facilitate Spain's reentry into the comity of Western nations. The Pope's advice, tiie correspondent comments, would carry great weight with General Franco and with Don Juan, the claimant to the Spanish Tiirono, but while his Holiness would welcome the return of the monarchy, it is considered unlikely that he would lend his moral support to any move to oust General Franco against his will. Mr Taylor will stay in Rome for iwo or three months.