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269702901
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Memorandum from William D. Hassett to President Harry S. Truman
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document
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1
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269702901
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document
title
Memorandum from William D. Hassett to President Harry S. Truman
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President's Secretary's Files (Truman Administration)
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269702901
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8
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1950-02-08
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2
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1950
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1c64bb450454653f
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THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
February 8, 1950
MEMORANDUM FOR THE PRESIDENT:
File
Under the Foreign Service Act, the President can appoint a
Minister to the State of Vatican City by sending a nomination to the
Senate.
It seems to me that the paramount consideration is politics --
nothing but politics. A nomination will arouse Bishop Oxnam's forces;
failure to nominate will make vocal the cohorts headed by Cardinal
Spellman. All these elements will be heard in full fury presently when
Congressman Lesinski is subcommittee resumes hearings on the Barden Bill
for Federal aid to public schools.
Mr. Taylor has received a significant letter from Pastor
Boergner of Paris, representing the French Protestant bodies, with a
qualified endorsement of the President's plan for an early conference
in Washington of all Christian forces willing to work together to
establish peace in the world. Pastor Boergner's letter bears evidence
of Bishop Oxnam's influence in the drafting.
The French Protestant leader who was heartily in favor of the
conference when Mr. Taylor talked to him in Paris now writes that the
meeting could not be effectual unless the Roman Catholic Church participated.
The Pastor adds that if Catholics participate the meeting would be regarded
as more political than religious in character. This passage might have
been written by Bishop Oxnam himself who has it in his power to torpedo
the conference if he so wills and he has never been slow to assert his
nuisance value.
Pastor Boergner will be in Washington in June and hopes he
will be invited to call on the President to discuss the proposed conference
with him.
With these storm warnings all along the coast, it seems to me
the President could await developments on the highly controversial
Barden Bill before going bravely to Ephesus to fight other beasts.
Yours in sin and sorrow,
W.D.H.
W.D.H.