WAR PRODUCTION A CATHOLIC AXIS?

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIII, Issue 39, 16 February 1942, Page 6

WAR PRODUCTION

A CATHOLIC AXIS?

ORDER FOR U.S. RADIO

PLANTS

WASHINGTON, February'l3.

The War Production Board has ordered radio manufacturers to convert their entire facilities to arms production within four months. If this is not done the Government will take over the unconverted plants. Declaring that every suggestion of compromise must be rejected, Mr. Thomas Dewey said that he had been informed that the "American ' Cliveden Set in Washington and other cities was scheming to end the war short of military victory. He added: 'They are awaiting the v time to come out into the open with plans for a negotiated peace, but we shall wage this war to total victory."

VICHY, SPAIN, & PORTUGAL #» , ■ . . .

NEW YORK, February 14.

The Buenos Aires correspondent of the "New York Post" says that informed diplomatic sources assert that General Franco plans the formation of a Catholic Axis by Vichy, Spain, and Portugal, in which he is joined by Portugal's Premier. The principal duty of the Catholic Axis will be to-capitalise on the pro-Fascism of strongly Catholic circles in Latin America.

Archbishop Giovanni-- Cicognani, Apostolic Delegate to the United States, issued a statement on behalf of the Papal Secretary of State denying that the Vatican attempted to interfere in the Inter-American Conference of Foreign Ministers held at Rio de Janeiro last month. Reports to this effect had been disseminated in Latin-America by Axis agencies, also by- Italian radio broadcasts.

The statement added: "It has been asserted that the Pope received the Spanish Ambassador in the presence of South American diplomats and made insinuations against the Conference. The fact is that the Pope never received the Spanish Ambassador together with the South American diplomats. When ,the Spanish Ambassador was recently ■ received in audience alone the Pope appropriately expressed the hope''•that Spain will always remain faithful to its Catholic traditions. It is known, furthermore, that .foreign radio stations have been using the name of the Holy See in propaganda campaigns in South America. Naturally, the Holy See cannot assume responsibility for broadcasts of this kind."