Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, April 16, 1995                   TAG: 9504180072
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A-6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: ROME                                LENGTH: Medium

NAZIS, JAPAN MAY HAVE SOUGHT NEGOTIATED PEACE

That secret U.S.-Japanese talks in Rome even took place would appear to be a major revelation, although a Vatican historian cast doubt that such a meeting ever took place. But the historian confirmed that contacts between the Vatican and Germany were made.

Germany surrendered unconditionally May 7, 1945, and Japan surrendered Aug. 14 after the United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

The documents describe meetings said to have taken place in February and March 1945, when it was clear Allied might would bring heavy destruction on the two countries.

The papers were obtained by the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles from the archives of the OSS, forerunner of the CIA. They apparently were prepared by OSS informers.

The Vatican historian, the Rev. Robert Graham, corroborated that a meeting between the German ambassador to the Vatican, Ernst von Weizsacker, and Pope Pius XII took place on March 1, 1945, as reported in the document.

Germany attached such conditions - such as not pursuing war crimes trials against Nazi leaders after they resigned - that the pope reportedly replied it would be useless to pursue talks.

A second document describes a meeting said to have taken place between Myron Taylor, President Franklin Roosevelt's personal representative to the Vatican, and Japanese ambassador Harada Ken in the presence of Monsignor Pio Rossignani, a relative of Pope Pius XII.

Graham said the report first surfaced years ago and that Taylor, who died in 1959, denied he ever met with the Japanese ambassador.