WORLD PEACE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 May 1939, Page 5

WORLD PEACE

BRITAIN WELCOMES POPE’S INITIATIVE DECLARATION OF SYMPATHY. NO FORMAL PROPOSALS. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, May 15. The Foreign Under-Secretary, Mr R. A. Butler, said in the House of Commons today that he had no statement to make on the reported initiative taken by the Vatican for a conference to settle international problems. “As members will doubtless have seen in the Press,” he haid, “his Holiness has not made any form of proposals, but I can assure the House that the Government naturally is most sympathetic to any steps which his Holiness may think can usefully be taken with a view to furthering the interests of world peace.”

POWERS SOUNDED

MEETING ON VATICAN TERRITORY. BRITAIN NOT IMMEDIATELY INTERESTED. (Received This Day, 10.25 a.m.) ROME, May 16. Is is reliably stated that the Papal Nuncios in Berlin, Paris, Rome and Warsaw and the Apostolic Delegate in London have consulted the respective governments as to whether they will accept an invitation from the Pope to meet on Vatican territory, but not under Papal presidency. It is understood that Italy, Germany and France replied in the affirmative but England stated that she had no immediate interest in such discussions which were confined to French, Italian, German and Polish differences. Cardinal Maglioni, the Papal Secretary of State, is reported to be visiting European capitals to follow up the negotiations. The British coolness is believed to have influenced Poland, which country is reluctant to discuss the Papal suggestion.