As our readers may have forgotten the circumstances in which
Dr. Cohalan was appointed to the Bishopric of Cork, we will repeat them. During the war Count Bernstorff, the German Ambassador at Washington, interested himself strongly in securing the appointment of Dr. Cohalan, who was at that time Assistant Bishop. Count Bernatorff telegraphed to Berlin :—
" England is using unusual efforts to have appointed. is strongly anti.German, although Germany, at our request, released him shortly after the outbreak of war. Assistant- bishop Cohalan is cousin of Judge Cohalan, and strongly Nationalist and pro-German. He was the intermediary between the insurgent Cork Volunteers and the British military authori- ties, and publicly exposed the gross breach of faith of the English with the surrendered men. Hence the effort to defeat him through the English Envoy at the Vatican. . . . It would have a great moral effect in Rome if Cohalan were chosen. if Germany can exert any influence to bring about this result it would defeat the English intrigue aimed against her interests."
We have no means of knowing the effect of Count Bernstorfr s efforts. At all events, Dr. Cohalan became Bishop of Cork.
Previous page
