The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-05-09

couraging.
 It was asserted that the British government was iukewarm; that Italy and Germany were unwilling to enter such conference because they would be in a minority against France, Britain and Poland; that the French were unwilling to dis cuss Tunisia and that the Poles were unwilling to discuss Danzig.
 As opposed to this, the News Chronicle of London said that 1t was taken for granted" that the British government would lend its services to any such proposal by the Pope.
 Accept In Principle
 But unusually well informed sources here said that, as the re- suit of conferences between French and British foreign offices, and be- tween them and the Polish foreign office, France and Britain had de- cided to accept in principle the Pope's invitation, subject to Po- lands approval. It was said that France and Britain thought it es- sential to allow Poland the most complete liberty to decide its own position as regards all Danzig ne- gotiations.
 According to diplomatic circles here Hitler asked Monsignor Or senigo, during their talk at Hit ler's Bavarian mountain villa, to obtain more information as to the Vatican's intentions.
 It was for this reason, inform ants said, that Monsignor Orsenigo planned to go to Vatican City.
 So far, it was said, Hitler had neither accepted nor rejected the invitation.
 Concessions of Poland
 Monsignor Cortesi, the nunzio of Poland, in his talk with Colonel Beck yesteray, discussed in detail the maximum concessions which Po- land might grant in any negotiations on Danzig.
 It had been known that the Pope, deeply anxious over the dangers of the European situation, had been unusually active in diplomatic dis cusSions for many days.
 The United Press published Sat- urday, from Semi-official Vatican City source, the news that the Pope was actively working for peace full Polish German agreement and that it was believed he would use his good offices if he thought both Warsaw and Berlin would welcome them.
 At that time, it was suggested that Monsignor Orsenigo has asked Hitler whether he would welcome a Vatican effort to remove Polish German differences.
 Vatican City reported thatt he Pope last week received and sound- ed out 8 number of diplomats &C., credited to the Vatican, asking them whatt hey thought might be accom- plished as regards a Polish German settlement.
 It was reported also that the Pope was preparing an encyclical including direct references to Eu- ropes problems.
 HOnored Diplomatic Career
 The Pope, in any effort to aid in avoiding war, had the strength Of a long and honored diplomatic career as well as his position as head of the Catholic church.
 As Cardinal Pacelli, secretary of state to the late Pope, he was re- garded as among the foremost of European statesmen.
 But as churchman, even aside from the horror of envisioning the destructiveness of @ European war, he was confronted with the fact that millions of Catholics would be opposed to each other. There are 20,000,000 Catholics in Poland, 21,- 100000 in Germany, 41,000,OOO in Italy, France does not recognize re- ligions, officially but it has IT arch bishops and 68 bishops, excluding Alsace and Lorraine, and 51,OO0 Catholic clergymen of various grades. Protestant Great Britain has about 3,OOO,OOO Catholics.