The New York Times/1916/11/22/Pope Prepares New Peace Plea as Final Effort
POPE PREPARES NEW PEACE PLEA AS FINAL EFFORT
Pontiff’s Allocution on Dec. 4 Will Avoid Polish and Belgian Questions.
HARDEN ARRAIGNS TEUTONS
Calls Their Talk of Ending War Insincere Unless Their Aims Are Changed.
LONDON'S VIEW OF ‘COSMOS’
Any Move to End the War Now Vehemently Denounced—Don't Believe President Will Try.
Special Cable to The New York Times.
ROME, Nov. 21.—The Pope is working daily with Cardinal Gasparri on an allocution which he will deliver in a secret consistory on Dec. 4. This allocution will be one of the most important documents issued by the Papacy since the beginning of the war. The Pope consulted on the subject also Cardinals Delai, Falconio, Vannutelli, and Serafini.
The allocution will show, it is said, the perfect impartiality of the Holy See, which desired altogether to prevent the war, but, having failed, used all means at its disposal to shorten the conflict, meanwhile making arrangements to alleviate the sufferings caused by the war without any distinction of nationality or creed of the belligerents. The allocution, it is reported, will make another desperate appeal in favor of peace, inviting the faithful throughout the world to continue their prayers with that as the object.
The discussion with the Cardinals dealt with the extent of the allocution, whether to include passages concerning the autonomy of Poland, the deportation of Belgians, and efforts made toward the conclusion of peace by several neutral States, especially by President Wilson and King Alfonso, but so far it seems the opinion prevailed not to enter into particulars for fear of compromising the supreme interests.
According to the Vatican reports, among the innumerable messages of greeting received by the Pope today on the occasion of his birthday this year, those wishing success for his action in favor of peace are almost three times as numerous as last year.