THE POPE AS MEDIATOR.

Wairarapa Times-Age, 11 May 1939, Page 6

THE POPE AS MEDIATOR.

time of writing, reports are to some extent in conflict as to the conditions in which the Pope has offered his mediation in promoting peaceful understanding' in Europe. According to the correspondent of the British United Press at the Vatican City, it is officially confirmed that his Holiness is trying to promote a solution of the dispute between Germany and Poland, but it is denied that he has suggested or is considering the. Five Power conference mentioned, with some circumstantial detail, in other reports. On the whole it must, be hoped that the Vatican City correspondent mentioned is well-informed. It is suggested that the countries represented at the Five Power conference would be Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Poland. Other considerations apart, the constitution of a conference on these lines would involve another and perhaps a final affront to Russia. In the fact that Britain and Franco are at present negotiating with Russia, there is an admission plainly implied that the Soviet is capable of playing a helpful part in establishing and stabilising European peace. Nothing could be better calculated to make future collaboration between Russia and the European democracies impossible than, an attempt to settle the German-Bolish dispute without reference to Russia. The mere constitution of a Five Power conference in the conditions suggested would drive Russia into isolation and thus would amount to an initial tactical victory for the totalitarian dictatorships, which have yet to- give even a preliminary indication that they uro prepared to abandon schemes of further aggression. Full and fair discussion between all the parties concerned of the critical issues now raised is. on the other hand, greatly to be desired. Directed on these lines the influence of the Holy See may servo a very valuable purpose. The danger to be guarded against—a danger that emphatically was not guarded against at the .Munich Conference —is that of seeking to promote some sort of immediate and partial settlement, at the cost of making entirely unwarranted concessions to the totalitarian dictatorships, while at the same time intensifying and confirming' needless divisions in Europe.