Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-07-23
VISITS THE VATICAN.
AN INTERVIEW WITH THE LATE
POPE LEO XIII is SECURED.
JAMES CREELMAN THE NARRATOR

JAMES CREELMAN THE NARRATOR
Excellent Description of the Late Pom
tiff in Conversation With Special
Visitors From the Outer World.-An
Elegant Character Depicted.
An interesting description of an au-
dience with the late Pope Leo XIII is
given by the noted newspaper cores
pendent, James Creelman, who has pub
llshed a book relating his experiences
in interviewing prominent men. The
interview tells of newspaper mans
ever persistency and of the difficulties
that have to be overcome. Mr.. Creel-
mans narration regarding his visit to
the vatican has timely interest just
now which makes it especially inter-
esting. 1t is as follows:
Mr.. creeImans Narrative.
1t was all very well sit at an ed
itorial desk in Paris and plan an inter-
view with the pope. But l had not
been week in Rome before I began
to understand the seeming hopeless
ness OF carrying profane American
Journalism into the presence of the
white vicar of Christ sitting at the
/ heart of the mysterious vatican.
There was an enchanting sense of
adventure in the thing Yet 1000
years Of unbroken tradition stood be-
tween me and the august head of the
/ Christian world, whose predecessors
had turned sceptres to dust and blotted
out kingdoms.
The pavements and walls of the ven
cradle city seemed to mock me. The
stately cardinals listened and shook
their heads There was no precedent.
The bare thought of a newspaper cor
respondent interviewing the pope VIC
lated every sentiment of papal history
from ST. Peter to Leo XIII The apostolic
secretary of state Cardinal Rampolla
ADVISED me to abandon the idea The
vicar general of Rome Cardinal Par.
occhl, smiled at my enthusiasm and
urged me not to waste any time on
an impossible mission. Still went
from one prince of the church to, an
other, from palace, to palace, from ca
thedral to cathedral. S''sf
The persistent spirit developed in an
american newspaper office is not east
ly daunted. AS the difficulties gath
cred my ambition to interview the pope
grew more intense. 1T became an alb
sorbing passion. 1t was with me when
| wandered in the crumbling palaces of
the Caesars or walked among the ruins
OF the Roman forum. 1t haunted me
among the tombs of the popes in St.
Peters. dreamed of it at night.
I Obstacles to the interviewer.
And when every cardinal and bishop in
Rome seemed to stand In the way. / went
4 to Turin and entreated Cardinal Alimonde.
King Humbert's friend to help me. Alas!
I no; the cardinal assured me that N.Y. quest
was bound to end in failure. There were
some things that American Journalism
! could not accomplish.
Then to see Cardinal San Felice, the ven.
cradle Saint Of Naples The gentle old
man listened to the story of my efforts to
see the pope and shook his SNOWY bend
discouragingly.
Il cannot help you, my son. he said. 81
know that 1t would be a great thing for
4 a newspaper writer TO be the first to in
/ terSiew the, Holy Father. But l. am too
| OLD; to go TO Rome to, assist YOU. and a let
| ter would accomplish li.tle. Tho throne
/ of st. Peter is guarded in thousands
ways against the shock Of change. and
what yon propose would upset the tradi-
u lions of ages. Still. Leo NH is broad
! minded. far-seeing statesman, and If he
| thought that newspaper interview
would serve the cause of humanity he
would not hesitate to make new prece-
dent dJt
i AT this time kind fortune brought into
4 my anxious life in Rome the friendship Of
| an American sculptor. Cheyalier Ezekiel,
who lived and worked in n studio In the
Il vina-grown ruins of the Baths of Diocle-
tian, And to this friend conided the
tale of my attempts to penetrate the In
4 there in his white sculptors blouse and
4 slanting velvet cap, beside n marble fig
ure of the dead Christ, his face suddenly
became radiant. II have it.' he said
throwing his cap on the table. cardinal
j Hohenlohe will help YOU
Waiting the Pope's Pleasure.
So straight to the Basilica of Santa Ma
ria Maggiore went. and found the car
1 dinal in his palace, a stout. rosy. witty.
4 German prince once the bosom friend of
i Plus IN Within an hour the cardinal
promised to lay the matter before the
pope. Three days later he sent for me
4 and announced that His Holiness hand
consented to be interviewed.
/ "When?" l asked.
i "Ah!' said the cardinal; mo one can
Il tell that. Perhaps after week; perhaps
after six months The vatican moves
:, slowly. 1t has the affairs of the whole
! world. civilized and uncivilzed. to consid-
err. You must whit. Rome will teach you
how to be patient"
Y left the palace drunken with Joy. How
; my old comrades in New York would stare
when :hey learned that ! had reached the
4 unreachable. How my newspaper would
herald the feat to the ends of the earth!
could hardly keep my feet from dancing
on the hot pavement. Rome, Rome, how
l loved sou that day!
The next day message from Paris sent
!; me to Brindisi TO meet Henry NJ. Stanley,
Il the explorer. who was on his way back
! from Africa, after rescuing Emin Pasha
from the perils Of the equatorial province.
/ was in the service of the newspaper that
first sent Stanley into the dark conti-
j nent'' and he gave me the materials for
: all exclusive dispatch that, in other days,
would have made me dizzy with pride.
But IS l walked along the stone quay of
Brindisi with the weather-beaten man
whose deeds had once inspired me with
visions of the possibilities of my profession,
and heard him talk Of the riches of Afri-
ca, my mind turned away to Rome. There
was a terrible fear upon me. What
If the pope should send for me while