THE VATICAN FOOLED.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 68, 20 March 1915, Page 16

THE VATICAN FOOLED.

MISLED BT GERMAN LIES. LEARNING THE TRUTH. M. Auguste Melot, member for Namur !u tlie Belgian Chamber, who has returned from a visit to Italy, writes as follows In the "Petit I'arteieu":— "Astonishment has been expressed that the Tope has not yet protested publicly uculnst the violation of International law by Germany, and Hfrainst the monstrous crimes, perpetrated in Belgium by tlerman troops, especially against priests. What struck mc during my slay in Koine was the ignorance, of the Catholic world concerning the events of which my poor country has been the scene. There wore also in circulation a great many inaccurate and mistaken views on the subject. "I was received by the Pontiff on November 10. and believe that I was the first to make known to him the exact number of priests assassinated by the Germans in the diocese of Namur alone. This ignorance is thus explained: The German Government had been preparing for war for a lons time. Knowing that the Vatican could Catholic countries, she had placed at the Holy See three oilicial agents, viz., the Aastro-Hungarian Ambassador, the Bavarian Minister, and the Prussinn Minister, to whom were attached numerous other acents. "On the violation of Belgian neutrality the Germans pave out that they were at first lv agreement with Belgium, aad that Belgium was merely simulating resistance before withdrawing her army to Antwerp, having made a djgniiw-d protest against German acts. Events having openly given the lie to these statements, the Germans spread a rumour that as early as July 31. before ihe declaration of war, French soldiers had entered Belgium and had assisted in the defence of Liege.' , Thee, said M. Melot, came the ridiculous story of the alleged Anglo-Beljrian Treaty. As to the atrocities, they, were attributed to the crimes of the Belgian people. To all these efforts on the part of the Germans, the Allies made no reply, having no official representatives at the Vatican. Cardin.il Mereier alone at the time of the Papal Conclave was able to bring some truths to light. At length, however, facts were revealed. "The Pope no longer doubts that the neuitrality of Belgium was violated without reason and without excuse. His Holiness knows that the Belgian people have been martyred, their priests assassinated, their churches' profaned, and their religion flouted." The question is now whether the Pope will not think the moment opportune for recalling the immovable principles of Catholicmorality, and in particular the ecclesiastical penalties with which the Chnrch punishes those who maltreat her ministers and who commit sacrilege.