Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1918-12-09
THE CASE OF THE HUN AND IT'S
CONNECTIONS.

| 10 lnc EultOFs
History has been made very rapidly
in the last 20 years-so rapidly that
few persons have read up on the gener-
al history of the times before our own
The events of today take all our at
tention and we forget that these events
have resulted from events of the past.
We forget that there have been "turn.
ing points" in history.
A few days since, we talked with a
newspaper manager somewhere hear 40
and posted ON many lines-yet that
man did not know that less than so
years ago the pope was elected from
the secular control of the city of Rome
and the territory called "The States Of
the Church" and that ever since that
ejectment he has been the uncompro-
missing enemy of the king-and the
kingdom of Italy. OF course then, my
friend did not know that the Great War
now closing had any connection with
such events and conditions.
From, say 1S47 to 1850, Europe ex.
cepting only Britain and Russia, was
torn by revolutionary movements houis
! Napoleon came to power in France. The
king of Prussia barely saved his throne
| by promising all sorts Of reforms-prom
ises promptly broken, as soon as he be-
came able to do it. Kaiser Wilhelm
was not the first of his family to treat
a solemn agreement as "a scrap of
paper"
Up to this time the pope had been the
civil ruler of Rome. Now he was drly-
en- from his office and for a time ;t
seemed as if his secular power was gone
forever. But getting help from outside
he overeame the Romans and bolstereI
by foreign bayonets, he exercised pow
er n little longer. But when the Prus.
slams overthrew Louis Napoleon, il
1870, tho French army was withdrawn
from Rome and the people took the
matter Of their government into their
hahds-and they voted $4,000 to q beg
carly 1900, that the pope should nc
longer rule them, but that they would
put themselves under the government
of Victor. Emmanuel, and that Rome
should be the capital of United Italy.
Put Italy was kind to the pope. de
was given absolute authority in the
vatican and its grounds-an area some
where near 40 acres in extent. Here
he has ever since maintained all the
forms of a civil government, with an
"army' of a score or two of soldiers
and flag wieh, by the way, is the
oaly flag on earth that, when met on
the stas by German U-boat as be N
respected by them.
Since the Italians occupied Rome as
their capital city the pope has never
ceased to demand that e~be again its
civil ruler, and schemes black as Ge-
mnra have been resorted to drive the
Italians out of the city.
ConNs now the kaiser, who In state
meat widely published in 1898 said,
"gwo great evils threaten humanity
Socialism and Atheism. Socialism
is infidelity to the monarchy or the
state, and atheism is infidelity to God.
The pope is the spiritual ruler Of
the largest communion on earth, and
can order and direct the con.
sciences of these multitudes.
think it imperative that he be put in
position to freely accomplish all the
good of which he is capable. = !
have meditated long and deeply on rnis
subject. The fact that it preoccupies
me so much, convinces me that l am
inspired to take action in the matter
1t is my mission to remedy the
pope's position. = feel that for the
moment l have no other concrete and
practical mission before me. = u shall
not die until my ends in this regard are
attained. Death otherwise would find
a void in my existence, and feel that
l have not been born in vain."
Does any one tsill doubt that the kai-
ser and the pope have been in partner
ship in fighting Italy and the allie5l
A single fact will show the "'undcr-
hand methods practiced in the Vatican.
For months after Italy entered the war
the pope kept in his household as pri-
vate secretary, or something of that
sort, Mr.. Gerlach who meanwhile was
from the Vatican campaigning against
Italy and with his associates succeed
cd in blowing up certain Italian war
ships. Gerlach fled, but was tired,
found guilty and sentenced in his alb
sence If eauoht he will ha nun;shod