The emergence of the Vatican as a world political influence is one of the crucial and hushed-up developments of our time. This year, when the presence in Rome of thousands of pilgrims attests to the Vatican's power, it is timely to examine the Vatican's bid for authority as an international state, influencing national governments and their policies.

To bring you the first full and frank report on Vatican world political activities, THE NATION is sending Paul Blanshard on a roving commission to Europe and the Middle East. With headquarters in Rome, he will report from first-hand observation on such questions as:

• Does the Vatican represent a new totalitarianism?
• How does it influence our State Department?
• What are its aims in Europe and the Middle East, and to what extent have they been attained?
• What are its methods of seeking power?
• Is Jerusalem earmarked to become a new Vatican City?
• What are Rome's relations with Mohammedanism?

Readers familiar with Mr. Blanshard's famous articles on Roman Catholic policy in the United States, which appeared in THE NATION in 1948, will not want to miss these important new revelations about an issue that affects us all.

[As part of the same flier]

People of influence say
about The Nation

. . .

"Its liberal values have made it representative of much of the promise of American life."

JACQUES MARITAIN

                            February 2, 1949

The Nation,
20 Vesey Street,
New York, N.Y.

Dear Sirs:

        I am surprised that The Nation has used my 
name in its submissions respecting Mr. Blanshard's 
articles.  This fact obliges me to state that the 
articles I contributed to The Nation and my 
appreciation of its liberal values have very little to do 
with the case, since they were written before the
publication of the articles in question.

        I have always wished for free and fair
dialog and respected mutual criticism between
men subscribing to diverse religious or philosophical
creeds.  The Blanshard articles are simply harmful in
this regard.

        With respect to the case under discussion,
I, as a Frenchman, have no opinion to express on
matters concerned with the American law.

        My only interest is to say that the cheap and
biased intellectual quality of Mr. Blanshard's material
makes the idea of contributing, with him, to the
same periodical rather distasteful to me, and that
the expression of such a feeling seems to me perfectly
compatible with my aversion for censorship and my
devotion to freedom of expression and discussion.

                            Very truly yours,
                           [Jacques Maritain]