Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1922-02-02
CARDINALS MEET
TO ELECT A POPE
Vote Unexpected Before To-
morroW-TWo Days of Bal
Ioting Predicted.


ROME. February 2.-The conclave Of
the sacred college, which is to choose a
successor to Pope Benedict Nv, began
its sattings today. The fifty-two cardi-
mails who are in Rome went-into seclu-
sion last night. and when the grea, oak
barrier at the entrance of the court
yard of St Damazo was closed they
were cut off from communication
with the outside world until their
task is done. The first ballot will
probably not be taken before tomor-s
row morning
The balfoting is not expected to
consume more than two days and the
| next Pope, in the consensus of opinion
in Vatican circles. will come from
among the moderate section of the
sacred college. Neither the "irrecon-
ciiables' nor the peace party"
which favors closer relations with the
Italian government. is understood to
have chance to elect its candidate,
the moderates holding the balance of
ooWer.
/, The celebration of mass in the Sis
tine Chapel. with prayers for the en-
! hghtenment of the cardinals in their
choice of a new Pope, was the last
public ceremony attended by the car
dinals before entering the conclave.
Cardinal Vanutelli, dean of the sacred
college, officiated.
The attendance was restricted to
the cardinals. the officers of the Swiss
, guards an0 the members of the Vati-
can household.
A photographer who contrived to
gain entrance to the chapel was eject
ed taken to the commissariat of the
; Vatican and later expelled from the
premises
Peace was the keynote of the ad-
! dress delivered before the sacred COL
! lege by Mgr. Cali. direc,or of the
Vatican museum. In his eShortation
for the election of Pope he said:
THE election of pontiff at the
present moment has particular sig
nificance. The worlds upheaval, in
which humanity finds itself. requires a
Pope who will be able 70 give the
. world true peace-peace which men
+, by themselves cannot find, because
! they forget God, for through God
alone can come true peace"
| Crowds gathered today in ST. Peters
Square to watch for the telltale
smoke wreath from the chimney of
the Sistine Chapel where the con-
clave sits. A ballot is taken on the
J norning and evening of each day the
conclave is in session. and these
to the watchers as to the progress
made When no election is effected
little straw is burned with the voting
/ papers, causing the smoke to assume
made the ballots. burning alone emit
thin wisp of light smoke.
!: Penalty for Breaking Secrecy.
Until the election the only commu-
! nication between the approximately
| $50 persons in the Vatican and the
outside is through the ''rota," or turn
| ing box, at the entrance of the court
| yard. and such communications as are
! made in this way are not allowed to
come to the attention of the cardi-
| mails. Penalty for violation of this
secrecy is communication.
! Mgr. Mahoney. spiritual director of
the American College. has gone to
Naples to meet Cardinal O'Connell.
Archbishop of Boston, who is a pas
| senger on the steamship Presidente
Wilson. which steamship officers say
! is not due until Saturday. AS in 1914,
| when Pope Benedict was elected, Car
! dinal O'Connel may arrive in Rome
| too late to participate in the con-
| ciave.
! > The confidence that the conclave
! would be of short duration is shared
| by Cardinal Gasparri, who in making
| provisions yesterday for the sus-
| tenance Of the cardinals only pro-
| vided menus for today, tomorrow and
I Saturday.
| Others who believed the election
\ would be brief pointed out that the
cardinals generally were in favor OF
| a continuation of the late pontif's
policy and that there was therefore
| nothing to do but choose man who
| W would follow that program.
| AS the conclave convened it appeared
/ that the 'frreconcilabies," headed by
! Merry Del Val and the peace party"
/ under Gasparri. could each count on
| about twenty votes, the remaining twelve
constituting the moderate section. The
| candidate of Merry Del Vars group
was said to be Cardinal LafontaIne,
while any one of Cardinals Gasparri,
Maffi or Ratti was said to be accept
able to those favoring a rapproche-
ment with the Quirina1. Cardinal Laur-
emit was mentioned as a candidate who
might be put forward by the moderates
/ and fully satisfy both factions.
Cardinal Marini has influenza and will
| be unable to attend the conclave.
| Throughout yesterday supplies of food
! ..s.:-=tsnued on Page 2. colnun, ) /, y