The San Francisco call., 1898-08-22
ASSURED BY THE PRESIDENT
NO TROUBLE ABOUT OUR NEW
 POSSESSIONS.
Church Interests, His Grace Says, Will Flourish Better Under Our Flag Than Ever
 Before.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 21.-Archbishop Ireland, who has been in the city for several days left tonight. During his stay he has had several conferences with President Mckinley, with whom his relations are of the most cordial character. The Archbishop has declined to discuss the significance of his calls upon the President, but it has been gen. orally understood that he was acting in the interest of the Catholic church for it's protection in our new posses sions Archbishop Ireland dismisses as without foundation the statements that church matters are liable to cause dis sensions. To the Associated Press to- night he made the statement which fol- blows:
 The church question in our new pos sessions offers no difficulty whatever k Two principles are already settled by the constitution and laws of America: There will be no union of church and state. such as ie established by custom or concord in certain Catholic countries of Europe. but there will be complete protection of all properties and of all persons.
 With such principles Catholics in the United States are satisfied, and Catho-
 
 tsfied. The so-called church question need not be considered by military or peace commissions. It is fully regu- lated the moment the flag of this coun- try Is raised over a territory. The peo- ple of our new possessions understand, 1 am sure, this matter very well and will loyaIly accept the situation. It may not be very easy for them at nrst to adapt themselves in all cases to this situation, but the endorsements felt will be temporary.
 "rThe people will soon realize that 1t is their duty to support religion by voluntary and personal contributions. In the greater number of parishes. moreover church properties yield ample revenue to meet all expenses. The church everywhere in our new DOS sessions is thoroughly organized: it wears no missionary or experimental aspect, but has the full form and the | full strength of complete organization and is we'll prepared to care for all her | interests without the help of state or charitable aid. It demands no favor, no privilege-naugh but liberty and | the legal protection of the natural and civil rights of it's members.
 Certain people who talk of these teF- rftories as fields for missionary efforts 1 from the United States do not know what they are talking about. They might with as much sense organize | nISSlOnS TOT the COHNeISlOI Ol lne l Catholics of Santiago, Havana or San l Juan-and their labors would have as l much prospect of success in Washing | ton as in those cities of Cuba and | Porto Rico. The separation of the | countries of South America from Spain and Portugal brought no change of re- l ligion, nor will the separation of Cuba and Porto Rico from Spain bring any. | Indeed, the Catholic church will four l ish better in Cuba and Porto Rico than l in other territories formerly colonies of l Spain, because in Cuba and Porto Rico | there will be the liberty and stability
 of order which our flag guarantees.
 Cuba and Porto Rico form an ec-
 clesiasticaI province with the Arch ] bishop of Santiago as metropolitan and
 suffragan Bishop of San Juan and Ha-
 vana. This province will take it's place
 in the American heirarchy, just as does | the province of Baltimore or that of St
 Paul, making the fifteenth ecclesias- l tical province in the United States, and l bringing to our Catholic population an
 addition of two and a half millions. not
 to talk of islands in the Pacific; so, | whatever else will come to America 1 from the late war, considerable in-
 crease of numbers and power will come l to the Catholic church. As Catholic I am very much satisfied with the way i things have been going-and as an l American, I am, of course. thoroughly
 satisfied. But if I were to speak at l length of my feelings as an American. l the interview would be too lengthy and
 I stop at the religious feature of the l eli ny1