SHOULD ROME BE BOMBED ?
Sut,—I read a great deal in the papers about the propriety or impro- priety of bombing Rome. What I have not seen mentioned among the reasons against bombing Rome is the fact that the centre of Rome is a neutral State, the Vatican City. It might not be easy to bomb Rome without anything being dropped within the too acres or so of the Pope's domain. It has a population of over i,000 whose lives are guaranteed by international law; and this does not include some 3o diplomatic representatives, including our own. Even to run a risk of doing damage in the Vatican City, or of killing or wounding any of its inhabitants, would be wholly indefensible.
There is also the consideration that such an act would turn violent.; against us and our cause the 330,000,000 Roman Catholics in ti-e world, and Canada, and probably Australia, would have to get out of the war. European peoples who today are our friends, openly or secretly, would become our enemies. Why is it that no one, not even your contributor " Janus," makes this point against bombing Rome? It seems to me both clear and incontrovertible.—Yours, &c.,
E. C. BENTLEY-
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