Saturday, May. 19, 1923

The King's Mission

King George and Queen Mary returned from their visit to Rome. During their stay in the Eternal City the British sovereigns were everywhere acclaimed with spontaneous joy by the populace. The sight of two of the few remaining monarchs in Europe greeting each other with brotherly affection was too much for the Latin temperament of the Romans. They gave themselves up to the brilliant splendor of a visit that will go down in Italian history as the principal event of 1923.

During the period of their stay Rome the British King and Queen were received with every mark of sincere respect and friendliness by Pope Pius XL The gorgeous ceremony of the Vatican visit can only be compared to the magnificence associated with the courts of medieval days. The Vatican announces that it attaches great importance to the visit, and, although the Pope refuses to divulge the subject of his half-hour conversation with King George, a high Vatican official said that the visit was regarded as " the beginning of a general reconciliation in the Church of Christ."

Another important event occurred when the King received Benito Mussolini. Great political significance is attached to this conversation, a report of which was not published. It is known, however, that a definite Anglo-Italian accord is in the course of consideration by the Italian Government. Such an agreement is directed against the Franco-Belgian alliance, which is at present operating against British and Italian interests. A more striking parallel cannot be found than that of the visits of King Edward VII to France and Russia, which brought into existence the Entente Cordiale.