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.He offered a general sketchof his emerging plan,  that if people of all religious faiths would, in thepresent world crisis, unite upon a universal two-point declaration embody-ing the spirit of belief in God and belief in human liberty, to which mankindwould dedicate itself, it might help temporarily and be effective permanentlyin bringing people to a better basis of understanding in the interest of worldpeace. Taylor reported to Truman that, at least in initial discussions, thesechurch leaders sounded receptive to the proposal.But he soon encounteredthe intricacies of religious politics, as he gingerly explored the possibility ofmeeting with the Eastern Orthodox Patriarch in Istanbul.Both the Angli-cans and the Catholics informed him that the Church of England enjoyedcloser relations with the Orthodox Church than did the Church of Rome,so any possible approach should be mediated by Canterbury rather than theVatican.4239Ibid.40Truman to Taylor, August 7, 1947; WHCF; State Department, Myron Taylor 45; HSTPapers.41Memorandum from Taylor to Truman, August 26, 1949 reads in part:  From almost thebeginning, State Department has been hostile to the Personal Representative and resentsprivate reporting to the President. Myron Taylor Papers 2; HSTPapers.AlsoMiller gives anaccount of Taylor revealing the existence of the  secret code to a small group of Protestantclergy.See Miller, 425.42Taylor to Truman, September 25, 1947; Myron Taylor Papers 1; HSTPapers.THE  REAL TRUMAN DOCTRINE 125Not all of Taylor s efforts remained veiled in secrecy.During his meetingwith General Lucius D.Clay, commander of the Allied Occupation Forcesin Germany, the Ambassador shared copies of some of the correspondencebetween President Truman and the Pope, which was about to be made pub-lic in the United States.Clay realized the considerable public relations valueoffered by the warming relations between Truman and Pius XII.He informedTaylor that  we are arranging to distribute the exchange of letters betweenthe Pope and the President.The distribution will help us in raising ourresistance to communism to a high level. 43 No doubt the warm words andcommon purposes shared by Truman and the Pope would demonstrate toGermany s Catholics whose side they should take.The Soviets took noticeof Taylor s meetings as well, though not with favor.The Soviet-sponsorednewspaper SED, published in Berlin, ran an article sternly warning that  evi-dently the German Princes of the Church are to play a special part in a darkJesuit intrigue. The newspaper elsewhere painted a picture of an elaborateconspiracy involving Taylor, Germany s Catholic leadership, and the Pope asevidence why  Dr.Adenauer, the political confidant of the Archbishop ofCologne, cannot bring himself to breathe the freer air of the Eastern zoneeven in the narrow circle of his party friends. 44 The Soviets refused to sitpassively by as religion was mobilized against them.While Truman and Taylor often described their project s purposes in thelofty prose of  peace,  brotherhood, and  unity, at other times theyrevealed a more pointed agenda.Taylor described to Lord Halifax his intentionto  arouse religious unity among all denominations in an effort to combatthe propaganda and accomplishments of communism, particularly as relatedto Russia. 45 In a similar vein, Taylor wrote to the Archbishop of Canterburyof his desire to create  a beneficent influence to offset the growing propa-ganda and accomplishments of the Soviet which are contrary to our faith andimperil human liberties. 46 This rhetorical ambiguity was perhaps a shrewdtactic designed to maintain the moral high ground of idealism while stirringup fears of communism.One church official, at least, soon emerged as a valuable ally.BishopOtto Dibelius, the Lutheran Bishop of Berlin and the leader of the German43Lucius D.Clay to Taylor, September 15, 1947; Taylor Papers 1; HSTPapers.44Translations of articles included with letter from Taylor to Pius XII, October 8, 1947; TaylorPapers 1; HSTPapers.45Taylor to Lord Halifax, October 8, 1947; WHCF: State Department Papers, Myron Taylor 45;HST Papers.46Taylor to Archbishop Geoffrey Fisher, October 8, 1947; WHCF: State Department Papers,Myron Taylor 45; HSTPapers.126 PART TWOProtestant churches, was known both for his vocal opposition to the Nazis,which landed him a lengthy stay in prison during the war, and for hisequally fervent anticommunism.During their meeting in Berlin, Dibeliushad warned Taylor that perhaps 50,000 German children in the Russian zonehad been abducted by the Soviets and taken away for communist indoctri-nation.Shocked at this news, and impressed by the bishop s resolve, Taylorbecame an advocate for Dibelius, ensuring that the Allied authorities grantedhim sufficient paper for his sermons to be printed and distributed, and arrang-ing for Dibelius to meet with General Clay.47 Taylor also arranged for a WhiteHouse meeting with Truman during Dibelius visit to the United States in lateOctober, 1947.Truman s correspondence secretary and trusted aide WilliamHassett gave a glowing report on the meeting, describing Truman as  cap-tivated by Dibelius.Hassett noted in particular the bishop s comment toTruman that  now is the first time in recorded history that the victor nationsare seeking to help the vanquished to get back on their feet. 48In the midst of trying to mobilize Christian leaders in Europe, Truman andTaylor found themselves fending off fervent criticism from many Protestantclerics in America.The American tradition of religious disestablishment mademany Protestants quite wary of any steps towards granting official recogni-tion to the Vatican, which they perceived as violating the boundaries betweenchurch and state.Even Taylor s lesser status as the President s  personalrepresentative to the Vatican  as opposed to an official ambassador head-ing an Embassy  caused many American Protestant churchmen profoundapprehension.As a result, Taylor attracted heated criticism from AmericanProtestants throughout his tenure, but most especially under Truman [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]