The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-06-22
POPE, HORR!F|ED BY
 WARS OUTRAGES,
 HOPING FOR PEACE
In Interview With French Newspaper Man POntiff Discusses Many Phases
 of Present Strife

Paris. June 21.-t4,4O D. mD--La Idb. erte publishes today an interview witt Pope Benedict, signed by Louis La. tapie. a prominent member of the stan who was sent to Rome for the purpose of ascertaining, the pope's view on the various aspects of the European war Pope Benedict is quoted as expressing horror at some of the developments oi the war. but in the main the words oI the pope have to do with peace. l The interview began with an allusion by the pontiff to what the Holy See had done in respect to the war. The pontifi had addressed a letter in favor of peace to the Catholic world. He had proposed a truce to the belligerents for the Christi mastde. He had endeavored to obtain an exchange of prisoners unfitted foi military service, and had had the good fortune to obtain in this respect an ap- precjable result.
 1 His holiness referred to the letter he had written to Cardinals Lucon and Annette of Rheims and Paris respectively and to his consistorial address on Jan- uary 22
 | M. Latapie quotes the pope saying You desire that I should condemn every crime specifically, but each one of your accusations is accompanied by a | reply on the part of the Germans, and am not able to institute here continuous discussion. can 1 make investigations at this moment
 1 ''Is it necessary to inquire as to whether the neutrality of Belgium has been vio- ?" asked the correspondent.
 That was under the pontificate of Plus K, the pope replied.
 | "Is it not known by all that many priests have been taken as hostages in Belgium and in France and shot?'
 Russians Took Priest The pope replied: "I have received from Austrian bishops the assurance that the Russian army also has taken hostages from among the Catholic priests and that the Russians on one occasion pushed be- I fore them 1900 Jews, so that they could advance behind this living barrier thus exposed to the bullets of the enemy. The bishop of Cremona has informed me that the Italians already have taken IS Aus | tr an priests hostages. There are so many excesses that I have issued an admonition in my encycli- I son. for whatever motive, to violate jus | tice'"
 | The Germans" said M. Latape have committed other violations | To this the pope replied: "rrhe cardinal secretary of state has received the repre- etives of seven Belgian congregations. They have declared that they are not able to cite a single case in their con gregations protected especially by the | hv int Q contipna to be imperfectly informed upon this sub- | iect'
 l And the burning of Louvain and the 1 bombardment of churches?'' "The Germans reply that their troops have been fired upon," the pope re- | piled "They have declared there was | an observatory in the tower of the ca- I thedral at Rheims. With reference to l Louvain, I already have given orders concerning it. We shall assist In re- | storing the cathedrals. Is there need to | say that we condemn with all our force such things? Every shot fired upon the cathedral of Rheims was felt in my heart"
 | Hour Not Come
 The pope struck his breast and added: But the our has not yet come to disentangle the truth froh all the contradictory assertions which sur
 
 We do not give judgment; the Judge , is on hish.'
 "At least one can protest against the arrest of a prince of the church? 9 ventured the correspondent.
 "I shall surprise you: Cardinal Mer- cier (archbshop of Malines) has never been arrested" replied the pope "Ho can go about his diocese as he pleases I have received from General Von Bssing governor of Belgium. a letter assuring me that he would repress hereafter with the utmost energy all acts of violence against churches and against the ministers of God"
 The pope then referred to the sink ing of the Lusitania and is quoted by . the correspondent as saving: "I do not know of a more frightful transaction. What grief to our generation the prey of such horrors have the heart of a father and this heart has been torn. But what do you think of the blockade which constricts two empires, which condemns to fam inc millions of innocents? Is that in spired also by feelings entirely hu- mane?"
 The pope continued: q do not say that after the war I will not proclaim a syllabus, recalling and summing ur the doctrines of the church on this subject and regulating for the future the rights and duties of belligerents Then one will find without doubt the formal condemnation of crimes which Twill have been committed during the war"
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