POSSIBLE MEDIATION MOVE

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 255, 25 July 1944, Page 5

POSSIBLE MEDIATION MOVE

Readiness Of Vatican

LONDON, July 23.

There is reason to believe that the Holy See last night viewed the situation in Germany as sufficiently critical to require the utmost readiness on the part of the Vatican to mediate between the Allies and a Germany admitting defeat, says Reuter’s correspondent in a dispatch from Rome today.

He adds: “High Vatican officials questioned the German Ambassador, Baron von Weizsacker, and the officials are believed to have indicated the Pope’s determination to profit by any changes in the German situation which might facilitate intervention. Baron Weizsacker gave his private opinion that any overtures would fail unless direct approaches were'made from the Vatican to Russia. “The officials asked Baron Weizsacker informally whether the generals’ putsch might result in the emergence of an authority who would bo prepared to declaim publicly that Germany had lost the war and desired peace. Baron Weizsacker is reported to have replied that, the fragmentary news from Germany did not enable him to prejudice the likelihood of a change in the German leadership. lie added that even if such a change occurred it. would depend on the Allies and not on the German leaders whether armistice negotiations could be opened.”