Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-10

matter which can be expedited by d.
rect contact with the Vatican, it is the
custom of the State Department to have
the American embassy at Rome attend
to it through the American College
The American College" is the inStitu-
ton maintained in the Holy City by the
American Catholic Church for its own
sectarian purposes. The Popes have not
been willing to accord any sort of rec
ignition to American Ambassadors to
Italy because the Vatican itself ac-
knowledged no relations with the Ital-
ian government. The Mussolini-Pius XXI
concordat changes that situation.
Stock Traces Relations to 1897.
In an article in the Catholic Histori-
cal Review entitled THE United States
at the Court Of Plus TX" Leo Francis
Stock, Phi. D., of the Catholic Univer-
sity at Washington, sets forth that
American consulS had represented
American interests at Rome and else
where in the Papal States since 1877,
but so negligible was the commerce
between the countries, as reflected in
the fees Of that Office, that the consular
representatives complained again and
again that they could not subsist on the
income of their post" Among the
consuls to the Papal States were George
w. Greene, grandson of Nathaniel
Greene of Revolutionary fame, and
William Dean Howells, novelist, who,
though appointed. never served.
The general principle that was to
govern the United States diplomatic
relations with Rome was set forth terse-
ly in the instructions of Secretary of
State Buchanan to Jacob l.. Martin, on
AnrY1 1QAQ mt,oya NHor4iv1 Iaoaroa tho
first American charge d'affaires in the
Papal States. They read:
There is one consideration which you
ought always to keep in view in your
intercourse with the Papal States. Most
II not all the governments which have
diplomatic representatives at Rome are
connected with the Pope as the head of
the Catholic Church. In this respect
the Government Of the United States
occupies an entirely different position.
It possesses no power whatever over the
question of religion. All denominations
of Christians stand on the same foot
ing in this country, and every man en-
joys the inestimable right of worship
ing his God according to the dictates
of his own conscience. Your efforts,
therefore, will be devoted exclusively to
the cultivation of the most friendly civil
relations with the papal government and
to the extension of commerce between
the two countries. You will carefully
avoid even The appearance of interior
ing in ecclesiastical questions whether
these relate to the United States or any
other portion of the world"
Davis Lost Plea for Confederacy.
Martin was succeeded at Rome by
Lewis Cass, jr., who served at Rome
until 1853 and who. in 1854. was ele-
waited to the rank of minister resident
Cass was succeeded in 1853 by John p
| Stockton. In 1861 Stockton asked FOL
his recall and Rufus King was appoint
ed to succeed him as American Minis
| ter. The next Minister was Alexander
W. Randall but he soon confessed hi.
unfitness for the position. Randall wa.
succeeded in 1852 by Richard M
Blatchford, who remained until 1858
when Rufus King was for the secont
time appointed Minister to Rome. II
1853 Jefferson Davis vainly attempted
to secure the Pope's recognition of thu
Confederate States of America. Thu
American mission to Rome came to al
end in 1867 under the ninistership o
King.