SPECIAL DELEGATE TO THE VATICAN SENT BY JAPAN
It has been officially announced in Tokyo that an agreement has been reached between the Holy See and Japan for the establishment of de facto diplomatic relations. Ken Harada has been nominated representative of Japan at the Vatican.
The Japanese Foreign Minister has issued the following communique: "With the object of rendering closer the existing friendly relations between Japan and the Holy See, the Japanese Government hues derided to delegate officially the Minister Harada to the Vatican. In view of the present situation and the presence of many Ronzan Catholics in the Japanese Empire, the establishment of friendly relations and the direct contact between Japan and the Vaticaet assume very special intporterree."
The spokesman of the Japanese Information Bureau has pointed out that technically one cannot speak of formal diplomatic relations between Japan and the Holy See. Mgr. Paolo Mirella, Archbishop of Doclea and Apostolic Delegate, keeps unchanged his position as Apostolic Delegate in Japan, although he will now enjoy diplomatic privileges. He adds that the juridical status of Harada is strictly defined by the communique, which states that Harada is Special Delegate to the Vatican. • The representative of the Holy See in Tokyo, Mgr. Marella. according to the same sources, commenting on the appointment of a Minister-Plenipotentiary to the Vatican City, stressed the fact that this Japanese decision is extremely timely in view of the present situation. He then pointed out the strict neutrality of the Holy See and its special position in the present conflict. He added that the Vatican had a purely moral authority and that, with the action now taken by Japaa, almost all the Great Powers or the world would he represented at the Holy See.
(This news is commented upon on page 4,)