Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-11
CONTINUED on Page 2, Column -

BY the Associated Press.
ROME, February IL After more
than half a century of estrangement,
peace was formally established today
between the Holy See and the Italian
government, marking one of the most
momentous chapters in the modern his
tory OF the church and state.
Representing the Vatican and the
Italian government, respectively. Car
dinal Gasparri, papal secretary OF state,
and Premier Mussolini, creator OF the
Fascist state in Italy, placed their sig
natures upon three historical documents
one a treaty solving and eliminating
the Roman question" which has ex-
isted ever since the loss OF temporal
power in 1870; the second a concordat
designed to regulate the relations OF the
church and state in Italy, and, third,
convention settling the financial re-
lations between the Holy See and Italy
Text Not Made Public.
The text of these documents was not
made public, since it must still be rep
resented for discussion to the legiSla-
tive assembly, but 1t was announced
that an exhaustive and precise synopsis
would be given out tomorrow, which Is
the anniversary of the coronation of
Pope Plus. While the official text has
not been made public, it is known that
the first treaty" recognizes the abso-
lutte independence and sovereignty Of
the pontiff, at the same time slightly
rectifying the boundaries of the Vati-
can, without any great increase in its
actual area. The concordat, regarded in
some quarters as of even greater i'm
portance, concerns the relations be-
tween Italy and the Holy See. It is
understood to provide for the accept
ance of canon law by the state, thus in
Producing the church attitude on such
questions as marriage and divorce into
the civil code.
The agreement also provides for an
indemnity, which the Italian govern
ment will pay the Vatican. At first
the indemnity was placed at 100000
900 lire (about $105,000,0 ,000). but this
was reduced to ,750,000,000 lire, of
which 750,O00,000 (about $39,375 ,000)
will be paid in cash and the remainder
in government bonds. The total amount
is ABOUT SGT ,5UU,UUU.
Was Premier's First Visit.
The signing of the documents took
place in the famous Council Hall Of the
Lateran Palace. 1t was the first time
that Premier Mussolini had ever en-
tered the historic structure. He and
CARDINAL Gasparri, who arrived at the
palace about half hour apart, greeted
oook, o%hoys xyory1aIu ond nYrhanUpH a
few compliments on the occasion.
There was a crowd of many thou
sands outside in the great square.
Present for the signing: For the
Holy See were the Most Illustrious and
Rev. Francesca Borgongini-Duca, sec
retary of extraordinary ecclesiastical
affairs; the Illustrious and Rev. Mgr.
Giuseppe Pizzardo, undersecretary of
state, and Prof. Lawyer Francesca Pa
celli consulting jurist Of the Holy See:
and for Italy: Alfred Rocco, minister OF
Justice; Dino Grandi, undersecretary
for foreign affairs. and Francesca Giun-
ia, undersecretary to the prime min
ister.-
The Rome newspapers appeared at
noon with the first word OF the accord
which they had printed thus far In
special editions the papers varied their
usual conservative headlines with seven
column display heads.
Bells Announce Signing.
With serried ranks, theological stu
dents. barring their heads, sang the ''Te
Deum" under the rainy sky, and a
hundred black-shirted militia shouted
the Fascist battle cry in honor of the
momentous scene being enacted within
| the Lateran Palace.
The actual signing by the cardinal
| and the premier took about Is minutes
The populace below waited IN the rain
| in the hope that the cardinal and the
Duce would come to the big balcony
overlooking the Lateran square to re-
ceive their plaudits, but it was in vain
Just as the plenipotentiaries were
about to affix their signatures the great
bells of st. John Lateran, "the mother
church of Christendom." pealed JOY
ously announcing that the old difference
of 1870 had finally been settled.
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