The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1917-09-01
EXPLAINING THE APPEAL.

The Pope's letter of appeal for
peace to the belligerent nations
continues to be the occupation
OF the different, chancelleries of
the world. It struck chord, as
no other appeal ever has done,
that evoked response of thought
full consideration from every civil
lied government on earth. Since
the beginning of the great war,
now in it's fourth year, various
self-appointed arbiters have APP
peared upon the horizon. Their
proposals have caused a momen-
tary nod of recognition, but that
was all. The Importance of their
offer on each occasion has been
gagged by the standing of the ma
ton which each represents. At
the. voice Of Benedict XIV, how
ever, the cabinets of the whole
world in their onward march
stood at respectful attention. 1t
was felt by all that an unusually
powerful voice had been heard,
the only voice on earth which was
sufficiently strong and far-reach-
ing to awaken a loud responsive
echo in the farthest parts of the
world.
According to. a statement al
legged to have been given through
the Papal Secretary of State and
the United Press, the Holy Father
is said to have given his views on
democracy. According to this re-
port the following statement is
said to have been given by Cardi-
nal Gasparri:
"The first two points in the
pontifcal appeal for peace, treat
ing respectively of disarmament
and freedom of seas, were sug-
gested by President Wilson's we'll
known message to the Senate.
Consequently, we are inclined
to believe that they will now find,
on the part of the American peo-
pie, the same reception that they
enjoyed when President Wilson
proclaimed them lat the capital.
''The third and fourth points,
wherein mutual conformation of
war expenses and damages as well
as mutual restitution of occupied
territories was proposed, were
formulated from public speeches
recently delivered by statesmen
Of the different belligerent nations
and from resolutions passed by
their respective parliaments.
Therefore the same statesmen
cannot refute them now without
contradicting themselves.
Moreover, it is necessary to re-
mark as to conformation of dam
ages caused by the war, that there
is an exception applying particu-
larly to Belgium.
"The fifth and sixth points con-
Germ special territorial questions,
about which the Holy Father does
not and could not propose any
definite and concrete solution.
Consequently, he confines himself
to expressing the wish that said
questions shall be examined in a
conciliatory spirit, taking into
consideration, as far as possible,
any just aspirations Of the people.
1.-THE Holy See wishes to EN-.
phasize the fact that the appeal
was not suggested by any of the
belligerent powers and was not in
spired for the particular adj
vantage of the warning nations.
Finally, the Holy Father said
nothing aboue democracy and the
characterization of any exist
ing government, because history
teaches us that a form of govern
ment imposed by arms does not
and cannot live, and also out of
respect Of the free will of the peo-
pie themselves, who, having the
right of universal suffrage, may
choose whatever form Of govern
ment they please.
"For the rest, democracy will
receive such an impulse from the
war that wisdom must prevent it
deteriorating into any excessive
forms, such as anarchism.
-