Evening star., 1950-06-22
Memorandum Urging
Vatican Envoy Filed
By State Department
Continuing Of Present
Informed Stotus Backed
In Note to President
By Dasid Laurence

representative 10 go 10 Lne VaLl-
can or whether he should ask the
Senate to confirm a diplomatic
representative with the title of
either minister or ambassador.
1t became known for the first
time that the State Department
in memorandum, filed with the
President shortly after Myron
Taylor resigned, recommended
that successor be appointed and
that he be given the same in
formal status that Mr.. Taylor had
The memorandum was written by
George Perkins, one of the assist
ants in charge Of Western Euro
pean affairs.
The White House, it was learned.
sent the memorandum back at the
time to the State Department
with the notation, Let this mat
ter lie dormant for while" or
words to that effect.
Last week a report was pub
IShed in newspapers here that
some members of Congress had
been informed that the President
intended to take no action until
after the autumn elections.
Many Protests Lodged.
Meanwhile, a good many pro-
tests have been lodged with the
President urging him to drop the
whole matter permanently and
not to send any personal repre-
sentative" hereafter. Represent
atlve John Mccormack of Massa-
chuSetts, Democratic leader, has
recommended that the President
make O nomination for minister to
the Vatican and send it to the
Senate so that q regular legation
would be established as 1t was
IS years ago.
CuriouSly enough. Joseph M.
Dawson. the executive director of
the Joint Conference Committee
on Public Relations for the Bap-
lists Of the United States, said in
q recent issue Of his monthly
newsletter:
1T is our earnest insistence
that any appointment be submit
ted to the Senate for ratification,
in order that all the people through
their chosen representatives may
have an opportunity to express
themselves"
This. Of course, is an implied
criticism Of the course Of the late
President Roosevelt, who did not
submit any nomination to the
Senate. merely appointing a per-
sonal representative" so the issue
didn't have to be voted upon.
On May 10 last, O petition was
sent to President Truman, the
Secretary of State and the Con-
gress, stating that more than 1O,-
900 messengers from 27.285
churches composing the Southern
Baptist Convention with a mem
berShip Of 6,761, ,265 persons, as
sembled in Chicago in regular an
nual session, do most earnestly
and respectfully petition you, and
each Of you, to Immediately
terminate the Office of representa-
tive from our Government to the
Vatican and the embassy created
by such appointment in Decem-
ber, 1939." The argument was
made that "this continuing ar
rangement" has alarmed and dis
turbed the people and will thrust
upon our Nation a bitter struggle
in maintaining the wall separating
church and state"
Counsellor Transferred.
In these dispatches on June Z,
It was revealed that Franklin
Gowan, the counsellor to Mr.. Tay-
lor, after period of waiting in
Rome had been transferred to a
diplomatic post in another coun-
try and that this had caused con-
cern at the Vatican, where it was
believed the United States was
growing Indifferent to the i'm
portance Of the Catholic COM
munities everywhere in maintain
ing a front against communism,
inside and outside the Russian
orbit.
On June 10. the United General
Assembly of the Presbyterian
Church recommended at its meet
ing that the moderator of the
church appoint representative to
convey to President Truman a re-
quest that he forgo the appoint
ment of o successor to Mr.. Taylor
The big query now is what will
happen after the autumn elections.
viii the President, after examin-
ing the vote, feel that he need
not worry about protests that
might be forthcoming in 1852 and
hence make the appointment next
December of q personal repre-
sentative? Or will the President
feel that the Democratic Party
cannot suffer any i'll effects if
he, terminates the whole arrange
ment?
Certainly the advice of the State
Department that continued rep
resentation at the Vatican is in-
portant in pursuing the "cold
war" in Europe has not been re-
garded seriously enough by the
President to take action now, and
the whole question, which OBJ
viously has political implications
both ways. has resulted in the age
old tactic of the politician
"When in doubt, don't"
Reproduction Rishts Reserved)
q
III