TALK IN THE WOOD

Grey River Argus, 17 April 1940, Page 10

TALK IN THE WOOD

No Deliberate Secrecy DR. TEMPLE EXPLAINS. LONDON, March 19. The Archbishop of York, in a letter to the “Daily Mail,” throws a new light on what has been described as a mysterious peace talk among international churchmen at a secret meeting place in a Dutch forest. The meeting took place last January, but information about it has only just been disclosed.. The archbishop, who, with other English dalegates, was present, tells exactly what happened at the “supposed secret peace talk in a wood”. He writes:— “I went to Holland to attend a committee which had arranged last July to meet again in January. There was no publicity about it, because rye met to do routine business. But there was no deliberate . secrecy either. The only reason why I cannot say where we met is that I cannot remember the name of the place—a.hotel charmingly situated in a wood—and I had no occasion to do so because our Dutch hosts arranged for us to motor , there direct from the aerodrome at Amsterdam. “The Scandinavian . bishops who were present had arranged that while there we should meet them and put before them the views which we, as British Christians, held with regard to the situation. There was no surprice about this. At the end of our conversation the British members present formulated their views in a document; its contents were religious as much as political.” .... ... i There has been, speculation whether this “international . talk in., the wood” and the publication of th?, document referred to had any influence on President Roosevelt’s decision to send Mr Sumner . Welles oil his mission of investigation. As to that Dr. Temple writes. “Whether our statement influenced President Roosevelt or hot, I have no idea, but it seems to me most unlikely.”