Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-03-05

DARIS, Dec. 1S.-(By Mail(-"one of the
r great sources of pro-German propaganda in
u Italy is the vatican.
One hears that statement every hand. Yet
believe it is wholly untrue, at least in the form
outlined above 1t is difficult to get at the truth
of any matter involving the church in Italy, where
the witnesses called are apt to be either devout
churchmen rabidly anti-church. An American
finds his standards of values constantly overturned
With us a Mason is merely member of a secret
order-or perhaps the most important secret order.
In Italy the order of Masons is avowedly anG Bit
terly and actively anti-clerical.
1T is a question of politics. one American
Catholic told IF you believe in the church
you fight the Masons. If you against the
church-for any reason whatever-you naturally
train with the Masons."
But after sitting all the evidence that came to
my hands | believe 1t may be said that the pope
is real and earnest neutral. 1t may be that he
would incline somewhat toward Austria, the
one great Catholic power left in Europe, and to-
ward Germany, the one great Protestant power
which has favored the church. And 1T must be re-
membered that he thinks of France as the atheist
republic since France broke off all relations with
the vatican, and that Great Britain had no repre-
sentative at the vatican.
Nevertheless believe the opinion of fair-mind-
ed in Italy IS that the pope has not conscien-
tiously favored either side in the
VATICAN, NOT THE POPE
But that merely opens the discussion of the
vatican question. When Italian speaks of the
vatican" he does not mean precisely what an
the pope. To italian the vatican means the col
lege of cardinals the popes household, the officials
and O1lCerS. Inc pope Inlay mean anu 40 one LnllS
and yet that influence that exudes from the vatican
may be quite in the, other direction So. believe
it has been N the present instance
The pope has been neutral. But he has been
surrounded by many men who have been actively
pro-German.
1t is not likely that statement will be chal-
Ienged, for it is merely a repetition of fact
we'll known the laws governing solar phe-
nomena There was the of MOnsigneur Ger
ZACH. for example. He the popes chamberlain.
For years he had been the popes warmest friend.
They we're fellow clerks together in the vatican
years ago, and Gerlach managed to hold on to the
tails of the pOpe's vestments since The story
goes that when the pope won his first considerable
promotion, years ago, his chum GerJach sent him a
telegram;
SI'm the first to tell you that you will be pope
some day. Remember when that day es'
Gerlach was the first appointment the pope
made after he took possession of the holy chair.
Yet Gerlach was sentenced by the Italian courts to
twenty years Imprisonment for alleged completely
in q German plot which resulted in the torpedoing
of three italian vessels. Even those who do not
believe that GerlaCh guilty charged think
that they may have had something on him" At
all events. Gerlaeh was permitted to escape from
Italy Even after realizes the extreme bitter
ness of Italian politics, feels that Gerlachs
character is sadly in need of renovation.
Gerlach had the entire confidence of the pope.
whose friends say that he is childlike and singu-
larly unwordly man. IT is obvious that Gerlach
was able to create around himself in his capacity
as papal chamberlain organization of which the
potentialties are almost unlimited. Remember that
the papal mail comes through uncensored from all
countries. It would be the easiest thing in the
world for dishOnorable man, set close to the
pope's person, to arrange for system of inter
change of information. There is no known plan of
getting information to the enemy which quite