THE POPE AND THE CRISIS [To the Editor of THE - SPECTATOR.]
SIR,—If the " sentimental ideal " expressed in my letter on the above subject in your issue of a fortnight • ago is worth
pursuing may I, in reply to Mr. Barry's letter, suggest that it is
difficult to see any fair analogy • between the Pope now pronouncing a war on Abyssinia to be "-unholy " and Mr:
Barry's instance of " the British Prime Minister pronounc- ing judgement on an American gangster without having heard the case either for the prosecution or for the defence and with no commission to act as judge " ? If the "case " before the
Pope was whether by the standard of pre-,League times Italy would be justified in making war against Abyssinia, Mr.
Barry's analogy might hold good. But the " case" at this
stage is simply this. Is Italy morally right in dishonouring not only her undertaking by the Kellogg Pact to renounce war but also her obligations and promises as a member of the League ? On this clear-cut issue the " case for the prosecution and for the defence " is already before the Pope in the blatant
facts of Italy's behaviour and utterances during the last few months, culminating in Baron Aloisi's announcement at Geneva on Wednesday that " Italy reserved liberty of action in all respects whether to leave the League or to declare war.". Surely in the Pope's mind there can only be one answer to this, to pronounce which now would be neither " condemning without trial " nor being " led by sentiment and not by reason." And the Pope's " commission to • act as- judge" would be the responsibility lying on him as head of that large section of organised . Christianity, the Roman Catholic
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