DR. COHOLAN AND THE "DAY-LIARS."

New Zealand Tablet, 17 March 1921, Page 22

DR. COHOLAN AND THE "DAY-LIARS."

The Bishop of Cork,'writing to the Times, says; “The Government’s White Book reproduces the story of alleged German interference in support of my appointment to the See of Cork, which appeared in the press in the autumn of 1917.” The Bishop then gives the alleged telegram suggesting support for his appointment sent by Count Bernstorff, German Ambassador in Washington, to the German Foreign Office on August 23, 1916 and continues: “I had been assistant Bishop of Cork from my consecration on June 7, 1914, to the death of the Bishop of Cork, Monsignor O’Callaghan, 0.P., on June 14, 1916. I had been Bishop of Cork since August 29, 1916. The alleged telegram of Count Bernstorff is dated August 23, 1916 ; and German influence should have been very powerful indeed to be able to procure within six days from the date of the telegram, even without a representative in Rome, my appointment to the See of Cork on August 29.

“I took no notice in the press of the newspaper reports. But 1 thought it my duty to write to the Holy Father for in his many anxieties and sorrows from the war it would surely have added great and just displeasure and grief to have thought that one of his bishops had had recourse to an intrigue such as had been alleged to secure episcopal apnointment. Accordingly 1 wrote to his Holiness through the Cardinal Secretary of State ; and I had the honor of receiving through the Cardinal Secretary the following gracious reply, which I now give to the press for the first time. (I quote only the part of the Cardinal’s letter which deals with the present subject): “Dal Vaticano, 29/14 1917.... “. . . Quant an pretendu bruit lequel aurait circuit* dans la presse relativement a voire election episcopate, lo Saint Pore, qni vous entoure de Sa bieuveillance, me charge encore de vous rassurer a ce sujet, et de vous persuader a ne tenir aucun compte de ces dires des journaux, comine etant deponrvus de tout fondement. “Veuillez agreer, Monseigneur, I’hommage de mou entier dcvouement en Notre Seigneur. — P. Card. Gasparr i.” “Are we to suppose that the Government has republished this story without communicating with the British representative at the Vatican, that the Government has republished it knowing it to be valueless ? Is it a case of ‘Ex uno disce omnes ’ ? Are the other alleged communications in the White Book equally valueless?”