Evening star., 1940-01-22

who is a veteran in political eX-
perience, ventures boldly to send a
personal representative to the Vati-
can when the doing of such an un-
precedented thing revives political
backfires familiar to every one who
has ever engaged in national poll
tics?
Granting that the argument of
those who have always feared a
possible union of church and state
are sound, which is by no means
conceded, why would any admin
1stration go out of its way to incur
the liabilities of political-religious
controversy, especially in year of
a presidential campaign?
Two Possible Answers.
There are two possible answers.
One is that Mr. Roosevelt does not
care about political consequences
so far as he is concerned because
he may have made up his mind that
<he cannot be injured politically un-
less he is willing to be candidate.
The other is that Mr.. Roosevelt is
playing for the larger stakes in ma
tional politics-the prestige that
might come from being acclaimed
as the peacemaker in the present
European war.
If, for instance, peace negoti-
alton should be begun and the Presi-
dent were an integral part of the
process. would not the demand arise
that Mr.. Roosevelt be drafted and
that the third term tradition be per-
mitted to go by the boards in order
to accomplish the greater objective
world peace?
Assuming that Mr.. Roosevelt is
keeping his eye on these poten-
tialities in politics, or that he wants
to achieve the peace-making goal
irrespective of whether he is or is
not candidate, the one place where
1t was essential that cordial rela-
tions be established at once was
the Vatican. Mr.. Roosevelt knew
very well how anxious the Vatican
has been to establish close relations
with the United States Government.
1t never pressed for diplomatic re-
lations of the formal kind because
1t did not wish to stir up a need
less controversy. But If President
Roosevelt took the initiative, that
was different.
The personal friendship which the
. President developed for the present
Pope when he visited America as
a cardinal made it possible for an
understanding to be reached quickly.
Mr. Roosevelt wanted intimate re-
lations with the Vatican because
the latter has trustful access to all
belligerents in Europe. The Vati-
can, on its part, wanted quasi
recognition from the American Gov
ernment. The two desires conceded
at a critical moment in world his
tory.
Formal Action Up to Congress.
The President. on the other hand,
has had his troubles at home about
the incident. Certain religious
groups have let him know in no
unequivocal terms that they feared
the step meant formal diplomatic
relations. Mr.. Roosevelt had con-
fined the move to the sending OF
Myron Taylor as personal repre-
sentative with the rank of ambassa-
dor" Only Congress, however, can
establish formal diplomatic rela-
tions and there is no indication that
The administration will make a re-
quest for such authorization or ap-
preparation. Fortunately, from Mr..
Roosevelts viewpoint, Myron Taylor
is a wealthy man so doesn't need
the salary and can serve as $1-a-
year man, SO no issue can be precip-
itated in Congress among the fac
tions on the subject of money to
be appropriated for the mission.
The Vatican the other day pub.
lished its directory of diplomats ar>
credited to the Holy See and ln-
cluded Mr.. Taylor as persona
representative of the President If
the United States with the rank If
ambassador. From the Europea1 n
viewpoint all the benefit that may pe
said to accrue from formal recognt-
ton of the Holy See has been at
tained by the President, though from
the domestic viewpoint he has
necessarily been at pains to point
out that the move relates wholly 10
world peace and does not mean
formal diplomatic relations.
There are many people in Amer
lea who will not become concerned
over whether the United States Gov
ernment does or does not enter into