Evening star., 1918-02-04
GRAPHIC PICTURE
OF POPE BENEDICT
Pontiff Has Most Attractive
.PersonaIity-HoW Interview
Was Obtained.
BY EDWARD MARSHALL.

BY EDWARD MARSHALL.
ROME-The process of securing for
publication in this newspaper the con-
versation with his holiness Pope Bene-
dict XIV, as 1t appeared yesterday. was
wonderfully interesting. 1t was also
complicated. Before write in this divi-
sion of the article about the Popes
personality I must say that this i'm
portant contribution to this great wars
vital documents probably could not
have been presented to the people OF
America had 1t not been for the kind
offices and sympathetic understanding
of Mgr. Cerretti and other friends Of
the United States at the Vatican.
1t was he who took me into the pri-
vate library of his holiness and pre-
greatest religious body. Later 1 shall
say a little something of this modest,
able. far-sighted cleric.
Presentation Simple.
The presentation was a very simple
matter, absolutely free from those
formalities which were SO extraordi-
nary in the days Of Leo XIII. the well
beloved, and the only other Pope whom
It has been my privilege to see-
Pope Benedict looks younger than
the sixty-three years which actually
are his. His face remains unmarked by
time, his hair is very black. his eyes
are keen and extraordinarily active.
man, of that build which we Ameri-
cans call "wiry." His voice Is kindly,
but not vibrant He emphasizes his
remarks with quick. rather graceful
ries, which are solemn meetings of the
cardinals for the election of new car
dinals. whereat he presides while sit
ting solemnly on the great papal
throne. he sometimes startles those who
wait upon his words by striking most
resounding, fat-handed blows upon his
knee. When he does that all those
who know him well recognize that he
Is very much in earnest He did 1t
point where he demanded of the future
. better world to live in.
Facial Characteristics.
His is a perfect Roman profile. One
readily can imagine it as a medallion
ON an ancient coin or medal. In repose
his face is dignifed and somewhat cold: :
It is most attractive when he speaks,
for the motion of his lips thrusts into
ut benevolent and sympathetic lines; 1t
IL extraordinarily engaging when he
smiles. Then 1t is among those faces
which make a definite and strong heart
appeal even to the stranger.
He became Pope on the Sd of Sep
fember, 1914, thus undertaking the gov
ernmeht of the church at the most crit
fcal possible moment He came to it
not fresh from an environment of di-
plomacy and international politics, as
several cardinals would have gone to il.
but from the quiet aEchbishopric of
Bologna, which then was a simple, al
fs the headquarters of the Italian army.
He had been cardinal for but 100 DAYS
ut the time of his elevation to the
papacy and his choice was a general
surprise.
Saw Possible Benefit.
It was due to the fact that, as is
usual when a new Pope is elected, the
College of Cardinals felt that the
church would be benefited by a rather
complete change Of regime and this was
probable under him who now is Bene-
dict XIV, upon whom it may be said that
the mantle of the great Cardinal RAM
po1la had descended. Many, at the time
OF his election, felt him to be similar
to Leo XIII. and time has proved them
accurate. for Pope Benedict is a great
visualist. sociologist. a philosopher.
bringing those tendencies and Qualities
> to the forefront in the chur-L
That much is certain, although he has
not had as yet an opportunity fully to
establish his psychological position
That would be impossible in three such
years as those of his service Since the
days of Gregory VII and the wars of
the eleventh century, no period go full
Of difficulty as BeneIict's first years
= has occurred in the church's history
They have been full of problems which
have had no precedents behind Them
and, therefore. full of necessities for
the execution Of that difficult task. the
creation of new precedents. Leo XIII
had twenty-seven years of pontifical
reign. Benedict had had but three, and
those such years as have not been ap-
preached for puzzling complications
Personality Winning.
The personality Of the present Pope
he has failed upon the diplomatic side
must be accompanied by the admission
that he has done all that has been pos
sible upon the humanitarian side in this
war. He il was who started the ex-
change of disa bled prisoners among all
belligerents: a year ago he ARRANGED
for the exchange of those who had been
eighteen months or more in captivity
and were fathers of three or more
children. His treatment of the family.
old servants and other dependents of
his predecessor. including his sisters
and his private secretary. won the
hearts of the italian people. He made
the dead Pope's nephew Canon OF st.
taries the two other best canonries In
Rome and uroyfded mora