LATIN AMERICAN STATES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 February 1942, Page 3

LATIN AMERICAN STATES

o DENIAL OF VATICAN INTERVENTION. ON OCCASION OF RECENT ’ CONFERENCE. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) WASHINGTON, February 14. Archbishop Giovanni Cicognani, Apostolic Delegate to the United States, has issued a statement on behalf of the Papal Secretary of State denying that the Vatican attempted to interfere in the inter-American Conference of Foreign Ministers held at Rio de Janeiro last month. Reports to this effect have been disseminated in Latin America by Axis agencies and also Italian radio broadcasts. The statement added: “It has been asserted that the Pope received the Spanish Ambassador in the presence of the South American diplomats and made insinuations against the conference. The fact is that the Pope never received the Spanish Ambassador together with South American diplomats. When the Spanish Ambassador recently received an audience alone the Pope appropriately expressed the hope that Spain will always remain faithful to its Catholic traditions. _ It is known, furthermore, that _ foreign radio stations have been using the name of the Holy See in propaganda campaigns in South America. Naturally the Holy See cannot assume responsibility for broadcasts of this kind.”