PEACE TALK.

Taranaki Daily News, 4 August 1915, Page 5

PEACE TALK.

THE POPE'S APPEAL FURTHER ACTION PROBABLE, (Times and Sydney Sun Services.) London, August i. The Times points out that the Berlin correspondent of the Frankfurter. Xeitung, whose information almost invariably emanates from the German Government, foreshadowed the Pope's appeal on Tuesday, forwarding to his paper a summary of a letter published in Madrid from a correspondent in Pome stating that Cardinal Gasquet had ■ disclosed the fact that th'e l'ope, notwithstanding the failure of former suggestions, was engaged in the preparation of an action in which the whole episcopate of the belligerent countries would co-operate in a united and organised manner, aiming at arranging a truce.

The Pope has repeatedly pleaded tor peace since the beginning of the war. The Pontificate, in alleged interviews with Americo-Germans and French journalists, has seemed to push his spiritual neutrality to the point of ignoring the German atrocities. He expressly condemned the violation'- of Belgian neutrality, protesting against the ill-treat-ment of the Belgian clergy. THE OLIVF BRANCH. MUST NOT BE PRO-GERMAN. (Times and Sydney Sun Services.) Received August 7.45 p.lll. London, August 2. The Italian press generally approves of the Pope's letter, but ;La Tribuna says that the appeal does not distinguish between the attaelcers and the attacked. The paper says that the ; Pope blesses the hand which first extends the olive branch, but we wish the , olive branch to he genuine, and not to represent pro-German strategy. . .