Evening star., 1939-12-28
By DEWITT MACKENZIE,


Associated Press Foreign Affairs Writer.
President Roosevelt in embarking
on his peace drive is tackling a
task which was tried unsuccessfully
by President Wilson during the
World War under circumstances
considerably like those existing now.
Mr.. Wilson and Pope Benedict
co-operated in efforts to end the
conflict, as Mr.. Roosevelt and Pope
Plus are now doing Mr.. Roosevelt,
however, would appear to have put
the operation on business-llke
basis by sending Myron c. Taylor
to the Vatican as Ambassador with
out portfolio, and at the same time
securing the support OF the Jewish,
Protestant and Catholic churches
in America.
Some observers believe they see
possible help to the cause in the
historic visit of his holiness to the
Italian King and Queen today. These
observers feel that this ceremony,
which draws the church and state
into closer relations, may mean CO.
operation between the Vatican and
the government toward peace efforts.
Fascist authorities, however, say
there has been no coordination Of
foreign policy.
Wanted No Negotiated Peace.
An unsurmountable difficulty which
President Wilson and Pope Benedict
encountered was that neither the
allies nor the central powers were
willing to quit short of decisive
military victory. A negotiated peace
didn't interest them. Finally, IN
April of 1917, we ourselves joined
the allies.
In effect the Anglo-French allies
and Germany are in much the same
position today. To be sure there is
much greater leaning Of the popula-
tions toward peace, but the gov
ernments of both sides are disposed
to try each others fighting strength
thoroughly before resorting to the
conference table.
There is another striking SINH
larity in a matter which l venture
to say may prove to be the kernel
of the nut which Mr.. Roosevelt and
his holiness will have to crack. !
refer to the attitudes of the allies,
then and now, toward the respective
German governments.
Let's get the thing in the words OF
President Wilson'S reply on Aug
ust 27, 1917, to Pope Benedicts S
peace inquiries. This was after we
had entered the war. Of course. Mr..
Wilson said:
I'VE cannot take the word OF the
present rulers of Germany as a
guarantee of anything that is to en-
dure unless explicitly supported by
such conclusive evidence of the will
and purpose of the German people
themselves as the other peoples OF
the world would be justified in &C
cepting. Without such guarantees
treaties of settlement if made with
the German government, no man.
no nation, could now depend on"
Chamberlain's Reply.
On October IL of this year Brit
ish Premier Chamberlain said in
the course of his reply to Herr Hit
ler's peace terms:
This repeated disregard OF his
(Hitler's) word and these sudden re-
versals of policy bring me to the
fundamental difficulty in dealing
with the wider proposals in the Ger
man chancellor's speech.
The plain truth is that. after our
past experience, it is no longer pos
sible to rely upon the unsupported
word of the present German govern
ment"
Attention should be called to Mr.
Chamberlain's characterization OF
the lack of faith in the present
German government as a "funda-
mental difficulty This is a most
cogent reminder that the allies are