The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1940-01-11

Washington, Jan. 9.-Both the
seriousness of the shadow af war
which hangs over the whole at
mosphere of official Washington
and the sincerity of the Admin
istration's efforts to do every
thing with it's neutrality pro,
gram to bring about peace be-
tween the warning powers Of
Europe, are attested by the ap'
pointment of the first United
States Ambassador to the Vatican
in II years.
From 1848 to 1867 this country
like all other nations, maintained
a diplomatic representative to the
Holy See, entirely apart from the
minister to the Kingdom of Italy
But the temporal domain of the
: Pope was ended in 1868, the Pa:
pal States were absorbed into the
Kingdom of Italy, and the head
of the Roman Catholic Church
became the prisoner of the Vati-
can" until the differences be-
tween the State and the Church
were smoothed out by Premier
Mussolini and the independent
nation of Vatican City, with the
Pope as its temporal ruler, was
set up in 1880.
By the appointment of Myron
c. Taylor as peace Ambassador
to Vatican City the President has
joined the Is other heads of ma
tons whose influence is being
united with that of the Catholic
Church in the effort to bring
about settlement of the Euro
pean situation by the moral pres
sure of the forces of organized
Christianity, of which the most
powerful in the nations of Cen
trail Europe is unquestionably the
Pope and his following.
Able AS a NegotiatOr
BY picking Mr.. Taylor for this
new post, the President has cho-
sen an Ambassador of whose
qualifications little can be said
in criticism. Mr.. Taylor was for
merly chairman of the United
States Steel Corporation, and is
recognized in the world of bust
ness as a man of high standards
of honor and fair dealing, and es-
pecially able as negotiator
Born and bred Quaker, and SC
imbued with the peace-loving te-
nets of that sect, Mr.. Taylor is
now a member of the Protestant
Episcopal church. He is, how
ever, a personal friend of the
present Pope who, as Cardinal
Pacelli, visited the United States
several times and was a guest at
Mr.. Taylor's New York home.
and has also been his guest at
the villa which the new Ambas-
sador maintains in Italy.
The efforts of the Pope and of
the heads of the other Christian
sects to discover a formula
whereby peace with honor" can
be negotiated between the war
ring powers, are beginning to be
regarded in Washington official
circles as offering almost the only
hope of ending the war without
terrific losses, human and eco
nomic, and consequences in
which the United States could
not escape involvement.
Revival of Spiritual Interests
That serious men of affairs, in
public and private life, should
turn to the ideals of religion in
time of crisis with serious hope
that this approach may be effec-
tive, is an interesting common
tary upon the widespread revival
of interest in spiritual things
which is being manifested in
America and the rest of the
world. There is no doubt that more
and more men in high places
have become convinced that nc
lasting peace can ever be made
except on the basis of the ele.
mental principles common to al
religions.
In announcing the appointment
of Ambassador Taylor the Presi
dent called upon the churches O.
all creeds to join in the effor
for peace in which he is coop
Grating with the Vatican, and es
pecially asked the Rev. DR.. Geo
A. Buttrick, president of the Fed
eral Council of Churches o
Christ in America, and Rabbi Cy
rus Adler, president of the Jew
ish Theological Seminary to joil
their efforts with his and to leat
their people into cooperation.
In Washington official circle
this latest move of the Admins
tration is regarded as conclusiv
proof that there is no lingerin
thought or intent in the Presi
Dental mind of letting this coun