SMUGGLING THE POPE TO SPAIN

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2707, 29 February 1916, Page 3

SMUGGLING THE POPE TO SPAIN

STORY OF AN AUSTRIAN PLOT

THE BEST-LAID SCHEMES -!

The Rome correspondent of the New Yrk "Sun" gives the following account of ail Austrian plot to induce the Pope to leave Rome and take up his quarto's in Spain:— "Full particulars are now available of a sort of plot hatched by the Austrian Ambassador accredited to the Holy See, Prince Sohonbourg-Hartenstein, last May, to induce the Pope to leave Rome. It is now known that when tho Italian Government denounced tho Triple Alliance the Kaiser and tho Emperor of Austria confidentially informed King Alfonso of Spain that war between Italy and Austria was inevitable, and, inasmuch as the Pope's safety in Homo would be in danger when war was declared, and the law of guarantees suspended, tliey suggested that Spain, as the only Catholic and neutral European Power, should offer hospitality to the Pontiff. , This suggestion was immediately acted on, and both King Alfonso and the Spanish Episcopate invited the Pope, to Spain 'if lie considered it expedient for die independence of the Church and his personal safety to leave Rome.'

"News of this invitation leaked out, and tho British, Belgian, and Russian Ministers accredited to tho Holy See hastened to assure the Pope that the Italian Government absolutely guaranteed the full independence of Ins spiritual ministry and his personal safety in case of war, and denied that the law of guarantees would be suspended. The I'cpe was oven informed that the Italian Government would not demand tho departure of the diplomatic representatives of Austria, Prussia, and Bavaria accredited to tho Holy See, nor exercise r«uy censorship over the official correspondence of the Vatican, so as not to prevent the Pope from communicating treoly with all tho nations, including those at war with Italy. The Pope was so reassured that besides agreeing to a special modus vivendi with Italy and insisting himself that the Ministers of Prussia and Bavaria, as well as the Ambassador of Austria, should leave Home when war was declared, he declined without the slightest hesitation Spain's offer of hospitality-

"All this happened about the beginning of May, and undoubtedly constituted a diplomatic triumph for the Allies, since, obviously, 'had the Pope left Rome complications between the Italian Government and the neutral Towers, both Catholic and lion-Catholic, would have followed. Besides the departure of the Pope from Romo would have created a, most unfavourable impression against Italy throughout the Catholic world, .and possibly serious dissensions in Italy. ,

Elaborate Scheme Comes to Nought. "The Austrian Ambassador did not reconcile himself to the failure of getting the Pope out of Homo, however, nnd_ with tho aid of Mgr. Csiszarik, ecclesiastical consulteo of the Austrian Embassy, and tiio co-operation of several lloman prelates and members of the Pope's entourage, who openly sympathised with the Central Empires, he decided on an eleventh-hour effort. The plot was elaborately and expensively organised, and the Spanish Ambassador accredited to the Holy See was expected to help towards its success, tut he backed out just in time on the plea that he had not received precisc instructions from his Government. The preparations for the Pope's flight were carried' on with tho utmost secrecy. The Austrian Ambassador ordered two large closed touring cars from Vienna. Two cars were provided to carry the : Pope's luggage, the'.fisherman's ring, relics, and other valuable things which the Pope was expected to take with him when ho left Rome.

"Five chauffeurs were summoned from Bucharest, where Prince SchonbourgHartenstein was Minister before lie was sent to Home. Those men 1 did not speak a ward of Italian or French, and when brought to Rome they were instructed to drive motor-cars between Rome and Gaeta daily until they were thoroughly familiar with the road. Along the route which the Pope was expected to take in his flight—namely, Eomo to Gaeta via Vellotri, the same road followed by Pius IX—trusted personages were to be posted to help the Pope in case of emergencies, and spare motor-cars were to he kept in readiness in case of a breakdown.

' "When nil three preparations lir.d been completed, the naval observatory at Gaeta rr-pavtol that a large trainAtlantic liner, evidently Spanish, was visible off t!io hctbour oil the night-t,f May 20. This vessel had been specially chartered to convey the Pope to Spain, and it had been arranged that the Spanish cruiser Alfonso XII was to act as oscort. She was, in fact, sighted out at sea beyond Italian territorial waters. "It is reported on good authority that a huge Pontifical flag of white and gold, with the tiara and the keys in the centre, had been prepared to be hoisted when the Pope went on board. He was to be conveyed to Valencia, where all the> cardinal's and/ bishops of Spain wero to assemble to welcome him. From Valencia the Pope would hare been taken to Seville or Granada,.where lie would reside as guest of tho Spanish Government. "The Austrian Ambassador, assuming that the Pope, alarmed at such elaborate preparation, would have no time left to think tihe matter over, but would decide at once to leave Rome, solicited an audience with the Pontiff. He informed the Pope that as Austria and Germany could no longer guarantee the independence of the Holy See, lie had, with the consent of both tihe Emperor of Austria and the Kaiser, made all the necessary preparations for the lopes departure. The Ambassador then explained in detail the plan of flight, and ended by saying, that everything was ready awaiting his Holiness s orders. ■ "Benedict XV listened in silence to all the Ambassador had to say, and when pressed for an answer calmly said: "Mr. Ambassador, please inform .your Government that the Pope has decided to remain in Rome."

A little over a month ago an appeal was' made by the Salvation Army. in Auckland to raise £2000. to Be utilised in equipping and purchasing a homo tor "iris orphaned by the wai. -he suiting subscriptions have exceeded the mneal bv £72 3s„ including hfteeii. sums of £100 each, seven of £50 each, and foui) of £25 each. AccommQcktion will be provided at the home for 40 girls between the ages of 6 and 14 years. Builders are now engaged in making the required alterations to "Tho Grange," a property that the Army has leased for the purpose of converting into the home. Any surplus of the amount subscribed for equipping the home will be devoted to a similar need of a boys' home in tho south.