The menace. [volume] (Aurora, Mo.) 1911-1920, 1918-08-31


foreign affairs.
Now be it known that the intelli-
gence departments of the allies are
not asleep. From the promptness
with which France protested to
China against accepting the minis
ter and from the promptness with
which he was turned down We are
driven to conclude that the vatican
snd the kaiser got the worst of a
shrewd diplomatic" encounter.
A PROPAGANDA OPPORTUNITY
1t is more than probable that the
allies feared the holy fathers rep
resentative might, in carrying out
the holy sees attitude of ''impar-
hality" in the war, grant altogether
too much freedom to the kaiser's
agents among the German Catholics
and that the results would be moth
ing more than the opening up of a
large field for the spread of Ger
man propaganda. While China, SO
far as we have ever been able to
learn, has no men in arms in the
trenches she, nevertheless, is one Of
the allied nations in this war and
her economic and moral support is
Of great moment. Moreover.
Chinese industry is playing an i'm
portant part in supplying much
needed material. Certain propa,
ganda could very seriously interfere
with this, and no field offers suct
good opportunity for Germany
seductive activity than the "reli-
gious field" The kaiser's mission
aries could do quite a bit for thei1
sovereign if unrestricted as to thei1
activities and the history Of Rome
activities in nations where she ha'
dared to offer opposition to the al
he'd cause is such as to make th'
allies somewhat wary OF the vati
, cans "fairness" in the matter.
SHOULD ROME COMPLAIN?
If the hierarchy of Ireland coul'
openly lead the Sim Fein opposi
ton to conscription what could tn
hierarchy Of China do in a propa
ganda way under the direct guild
ance Of OF control Of representa-
} tive of an impartial crowned hea'
! like the pope? Truly, this is
I question and event of more tina
S passing significance and, we believe
another indication that the allie
view certain vatican luminaries O
} very dangerous to the allied caus'
} In other words, there was a res
son for the treaty between France
England, Italy, and Russia that tn
pope should not be admitted to tn
peace conference and they haven
forgotten the reason,
B Gerlach, Austrian, and privat
} chamberlain to the pope, whose sp,
! ing activities for Germany viii
{ waiting upon the pope constitut
Z probably, the most gigantic of a
: espionage schemes uncovered durln
5 the war, has reacted very unfavo
; ably for Rome. Rome's anti-col
; scription stand in Ireland and Ca1
5 ada have added fuel to the fan
4 and the thousand and one lesser II
z cidents which are now firmly IKE
; in the public and more especial
8 so in the official mind are about
8 prove too much for the shreV
& Jesuit-kaiserites to overcome.
& AUTooRAoY MUsT GO
81 First and last the pope is an a
: tocrat. He seeks political pow
B and that on an international sea
Z far moro portentiouS than even t
z kaiser though he would exercise
3 through treaties with indivldu
3 governments and by appointlI
9 princes Of the blood in accordan
6 herewith to work the will OF Ron
8 But the manner IN which he nc
3 rules his subjects would be no
& the less autocratic il the Shiny hal
2 Of Jesuttism were to throttle eve
b government on the face Of the cart
3 1t would be the same old popel
& and the same old autocracy--exce
8 as the extension of power embol
4 ened it and increased its Grrogan'
Z Such being the case it is the du
S of those who fight, labor and sac
3 Ace for world democracy to co
q onard arainak tnrthar encroaG