Wednesday, August 01, 2007

Dès Le Début - 90th Anniversary



Today marks the 90th anniversary of the issuing, by Pope Benedict XV (1914-1922) of the Apostolic Exhortation Dès Le Début.

Better known as the Peace Note, the Exhortation was a seven-point peace proposal which, among other things, demanded a cessation of hostilities, a reduction of armaments, guaranteed freedom of the seas, and international arbitration. US President Woodrow Wilson responded by arguing that a declaration of peace was premature. Meanwhile the main Europe powers regarded Benedict as biased in favour of the other and were unwilling to accept the terms he proposed. As a result the Pope's proposal, unfortunately, came to nothing.

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