Ad Universam Creaturam: "Quia arcano Dei consilio succedimus in locum Principis Apostolorum, corum nempe quorum doctrina et praedicatio jussu divino ad omnes gentes et omnem creaturam destinata est et quia primi in loco ipso mira sane ope Marconiana uti fruipossumus, ad omnia et omnes primo nos convertimus, atque, hie et infra, sacro textu juvante, dicimus:
"'Aduite caeli quae loquor, audiat terra verba oris mei.
"'Audite haec omnes gentes, auribus percipite omnes qui habitatis orbem, simul in unum dives et pauper.
"'Audite insulae et attendite populi de longe ad Deum. . . .'"
All Creation, save Russians and savages listened raptly to the tremulous Latin of Pope Pius 261st authentic Roman Pontiff, when last week he inaugurated Vatican City's radio broadcasting Station HVJ. The Soviet Government had for bidden Soviet stations' rebroadcasting the speech. The savages lacked receiving sets. But all other peoples hearkened. Devout Catholics fell to their knees at the radioed sound of the Pontiff's revered voice. Non-Catholics listened intently, musing on the significance of this most modern manifestation of Roman Catholic extension.
The date was Feb. 12—Lincoln's Birthday for some 123,000,000 U. S., inhabit ants, ninth anniversary of Achille Ambrogio Damiano Ratti's coronation as Pope Pius XI for 331,500,000 Roman Catholics the world over.* The U. S. through the National Broadcasting and the Columbia Broadcasting Companies assisted the Pope mightily by hooking up some 150 stations in the U. S. and Canada and relaying the papal words to nations which Vatican City's station HVJ was unable to reach clearly. The hookup was the most widespread and the most intricate in radio's experience.
Ceremonies began toward evening in Rome, toward noon Eastern Standard time in the U. S. (time differential between Rome and Washington, six hours).
The Pope's red motor car carried him, seated in his gilded, damask-covered motor throne, from the Vatican Palace, over the graveled roads of the Vatican gardens to the small, redbrick, garden-surrounded broadcasting station.
Guglielmo Marconi, inventor of wire less, Senator and Marchese of Italy, builder of station HVJ, great & good friend of His Holiness, fell to his knees, kissed the papal ring. The Pope was smiling, showed traces of excitement. The Mar chese Marconi and entourage entered the small building over a thick red-and-blue carpet. Whimsically His Holiness threw in switches which set electrical devices in motion; he tapped a wireless key, punched a teletypewriter's keys, proceeded to the transmitting room where from a throne he spoke to All Creation.
At first his voice trembled with both the novelty and the import of the occasion. Quickly, however, his cadenced Latin gained measured speed. Latin adepts had difficulty keeping up with his racing thoughts and Italian pronunciation. As soon as he finished, translators, who had stood by him, vernacularized in English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Polish the substance of his message which began: