The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-02-10

consequently Cduocu oOHLS as
constituent by publishing a volume
on his earlier experiences as a
mountain climber.
He invited baseball playing and
introduced radio within the pre-
cincts of the Vatican. He author
lied the taking of motion pictures
|of himself and attendants in va
rious ceremonies and he installed
loudspeakers in st. Peters so that
all might hear his voice when the
vast edifice was packed with TO-
900 auditors on great occasions.
He came into power when post
war burdens still weighed heavily
upon the shoulders of European
states. lie aimed from the start
to establish closer relationship be-
tween the church and these trou-
bled governments and lost no OPP
portunity to make his influence
felt in its proper field.
He instituted an effective sys-
tenn of relief for the then fam
ished Russians, endeavoring not
only to alleviate. the suffering, but
to bring the church of Rome into
closer relationship with the East
ern church.
Gave Large Sums to Charity
Pope Plus also gave lavishly to-
ward the relief of impoverished
Austria and Germany and extend
ed his benefactions in this regard
to Ireland, Greece and Asia Min
or.
1t was said that he gave more
than $1,OOO,OOO to charity from
his privy purse in the first 19
months of his reign.
His aims towards Cancellation
of peoples made enemies by the
propaganda of war times, were
vigilantly pursued. When the
Genoa conference met in the
spring Of 1922 he expressed the
position of the Holy See in a let
ter to the bishop of that city, send
ing the missive through Cardinal
Gasparri.
That conference consisted of
representatives of 20 European
governments but the inclusion of
Russia made a dominant issue out
of renewal of relations between
the soviet union and other Euro
pean countries. Eventually the
conference broke down because
Belgium, backed by France, insist
ed upon restitution for all for
eign owned property in Russia
which had been confiscated or de-
stroyed in Russia
The significance of the gather
ing from the church viewpoint
was that it was the first postwar
conference which approached fl
nancial and economic problems
from the reconstruction angle in
stead of as reparations. For that
reason the action of Pope Plus in
giving out a pronouncement upon
it was well received and was con-
sidered significant, especially in
Germany.
Settled French Problem
Another question of great i'm
port which confronted Plus con-
cerned the relations between
France and the Holy See. The gap
caused by the republics expulsion
of religious orders in 1905 had
been bridged only in 1921 when
papal nuncio had been returned
to Paris. But the structure OF
amity was shaky and it was con.
stantly imperilled by the activities
of French royalists, all ardent
Catholics.
Pope Plus braced the official
bridge into rightly by putting on
the index "L'Action Franchise"
the official organ of the royalists.
He explained that every Catholic
was free to prefer a monarchy to
a republic, but that the political
action advocated by the royalist
leaders was pernicious.
The action virtually barred
faithful Catholics from the French
royalist party. 1t paved the way
for reservations of full cordial re-
lations between the Vatican and
France, a result which was more
fully contaminated when Plus rec
ognized the diocesan associa-
tons, the joint committees of
laymen and clericals for the ad.
ministration of the French church
es.
Extended Time to Elect Pope
An early official act that graft
fled American Catholics was a de-
cree which extended from 10 days
to Is days the interval that must
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