The Irish standard., 1907-05-18
A PAPAL KINGDOM
An Interesting Plan Formu-
lated by Americans in the
Purchase Of a Strip of Land Adj
joining the Vatican.

Statements widely circulated to the
effect that the project of forming
Papal state is behind the announce
ment of the purchase last week of a
strip of land to be added to the Vail
can domain, are herewith given for
to be feasible one. and has many at
tractive features to commend it to
Catholics everywhere
a dispatch from Rome last week
gave the information that Richard c.
kerens of St. Louis and Martin Ma
loney of Philadelphia, had purchased
strip of land adjoining the Vatican
in order to extend the Pope's domain
and bring it into connection with the
sea. This is said to be the nucleus
of the plan to restore the temporal
power of the Pope in a way with
which the Quirinal may acquiesce,
solve the entire Vatican problem and
give to the head of Catholic Church
, again a seat among the ruling mon
archs of the world. with a little king
i sarily provides for full recognition on
the part of the Italian government,
it contemplates for the Papal Court
Ambassadors and Ministers from
every important country. 1t is now
said that the project has been form
ing for several years, and the first
$1o,OO0,o00 needed has been pledged.
Two or three times as much will be
required in the end.
The Vatican gardens are in the
trans-Tiber district of Rome, and at
he rear are about 1900 feet broad.
1t is proposed to buy a strip in the
comparatively congested district of
exactly that width, but to broaden it,
as soon as the open country is
reached. to width varying from a
quarter to three-tifths of mile. The
strip is to extended to Civita Vecchia.
Its length will be sixtyfive miles.
1t is believed it will not be difficult
to win from the Italian government
recognition of the Pope's temporal
power in the limited domain to be
bought, as that would not affect the
make foreign territory of mere rib
bon Of italian soil. Thus the whole
Vatican Quirinal question would be
solved with honor to both sides and
with little in the nature of a material
concession on the part of the Italian
government. The Pope would have
monarchs could land to pay their re-
spects to him and then re-embarS
in a small yacht at the same port
for a short run to Rome.
| Railway lines from Turin and Genoa
cross the proposed tract, as do i'm
portant highways. and streets bisect
it in the city limits. 1t would not be
possible to allow those to remain
with out the risk Of raising contro-
versies with the Italian government,
SO the plan provides for the sinking
Of all streets. roads and railway lines
now cutting the strip. The roads and
railways would be carried under the
Vatican domain by tunnels and
the streets either would have tunnels
or merely be sunk, with the Pope's
drives and walks passing over them
on the bridges. Railway stations
would be built In the tunnels Of the
Vatican territory, 80 visitors arriving
by train could step directly to Papal
soil and not be compelled to set foot
on Roman grounds.
Substantially all structures stand
ing on the land to be bought for the
Pope would be demolished and the
whole territory converted largely in
to a. park, with handsome drives and
paths, and an electric railway oper-
ating from point near the Vatican
to the seaport on the Popes grounds.
A suitable area would be set aside
for embass and legation buildings,
and about a mile from the Vatican
small village would be built to pro-
vide homes for workmen employed
on the railway and about the electric
light plants, water works and other
enterprises esta blished to make the
Vatican independent of Italy. On the
seacoast, the idea is to broaden the
strip so that several miles of shore
shall be included in the Papal realm
Piers would be built for steamship
landings. buildings for the transac-
ton of public business and hotels for
pilgrims and other visitors. Not far
from that town would be the summer
home of the Pope and villas for Car
dinals. ambassadors and other digni-
taries.
Over all that domain and the peo-
pie residing there the Pope would be
supreme. He could levy a tariff and