Evening star., 1898-08-20
Plans for Educating the Ignorant
Natives of the Island.
7. m. C. A. HEADQUARTERS IN HAVANA
American Priests to Succeed Span
ish Church Officials.
CURRENT RELIGIOUS NEWS
Written for The Evening Star.

is secretary of the American Baptist
Home Mission Society, urges that our ma
tfonal government, through its commission
er of education, take immediate steps to
cover Cuba with a complete public school
system. He points out the wisdom of Sc
lecting such man as DR.. A. s. Draper of
the University of Misunderstanding Judge
Draper's name simply to make clear his
meaning-to go to Cuba and supervise the
entire work such a man can says Gen
eral Morgan, "solely because he knows
how do in a year what the Cubans cannot
themselves do in twenty-five years, If at
all. And if it is now organized, as quickly
as possible, such a system will remain.
Without education for the common people
there is little hope for Cuba. With it there
is great hope. OF course, there are to be
church educational plans, but Cuba needs
the public educational plan, the best plan
made up from good points out of Michigan,
Iowa and Massachusetts systems, for ex-
ample. l hope some way will be found to
act, and that without moments delay
No Sectarfnn Rivalry.
General Gomez has sent to the United
States Mr.. Jose de Armas, a well-to-do Gu
ban planter of high standing, charging him
with the duty of consulting with managers
of church mission boards, with freedmen's
and other aid associations, and with lead
ing men in this country concerning the re-
lgious and educational future of Cuba He
has already arrived, and has told some of
the persons indicated that he has not come
seeking money so much as methods he
says that he wishes to ask those moral
forces which sent battle ships to Cuban
waters to free Cuba what is best to be
done next in order to make the most of
freedom Mr. de Armas also says he de-
SireS the secretaries of those Meth
odist, Congregational and other societies
which undertook work among the colored
and poor white people of the southern
states at the close OF the civil war. Cen
eral Gomez is sure they must have learned
by experience. He wants the benefit of
that experience. Mr.. de Arnlas has already
met several of the committees representing
the Methodist, Baptist Episcopal and
Quaker societies which contemplate educa-
tional work in Cuba. He is highly graft
fed to learn that these societies are to OBJ
serve comfy in entering into these new
mission fields, and as far as possible to
Danish sectarian rivalry.
Y. NJ. c. A. in Havana.
The Young Mems Christian Association,
through its International committee, has
already taken preliminary steps to open in
Havana an international association cad
quarters. Investigations are under way to
learn whether such association will receive,
within a reasonable length of time, some
local support, or whether 1t must be sup
ported indefinitely from outside sources. If
the former prove to be the outlook, the in
ternationai committee announces its inten-
ton of establishing an association in Ha-
Vana just as soon as political conditions
will warrant 1t is purposed to begin in
Havana, but associations will be planned
for other cities if local support can be had.
The condition of young men of the better
class in the island is said to be such that
imperative need for such agency
Christian association exists.
American Priests for Cuba.
High officials of the Church of Rome are
already acting in regard to religious work
in Cuba and Porto Rico. The private sec
1etary of Archbishop Corrigan Of New
York went within a few weeks chaplain
on the transport Relief which led to the
rumor in both this country and in Cuba
that the Catholic Church was acting
through New York Such is not, however
the case. a prelate of the church fully cog
infant of its affairs saying this week that
it is as yet too early to tell what is best
to be done. He indicated the progress of
events to date: Archbishop Corrigan is,
as you know, in episcopal control of af-
fairs in the Bahamas, but has never had
anything to do with Catholic affairs in the
West Indies. The archbishop of Santiago
outranks in seniority any American arch
bishop We expect to Cuba, inside of
ten years, an Englsh-speaking island.
Hence think it wise at this early date
to provide the church there with American
priests, because they know American ways
Indeed, there are reasons why American
priests are best in any event, since the
church there must be unsupported by the
state, and the Engiish-speaking priests of
Europe are unfamiliar with the system
We look to see the priests now in Cuba
sent back to Spain by the authorities at
Rome and American priests sent to take
their places. Correspondence is already
ne INC -a6n
From the Ranks of the Army
The army and navy Christian commission
is taking steps to gather into the churches
those soldiers who gave their names to the
secretaries in the camps as being desirous
of leading Christian lives in the future
No estimate can be made of the number
but 1T is known to run into the thousands
Around each tent in the various camps
there were organized Christian associations
similar to those in all our cities, the ma
terial being obtained in the regiments 1t
was found that very considerable number
of men enlisted in the war for the sole
purpose of doing evangelical and personal
work among other enlisted men. Enough
of these were available in many regiments
to form local associations These men
kept the names and home addresses of
the men who had made the new re-
solve. In most cases these names were
given to the regimental chaplains, and
it has now been found that in almost
CfSiy SdSc tHe CHdDldlHS nave, with all
their other duties, found time to communi-
cate with home pastors and put them into
communication with men who may be per-
suaded to become identified with a church
organization. All names are being canvass
ed, and every possible effort is making to
reap what has been sown.
A Metropolitan Church for Mr.. Moody
The plan is again brought forward of
building in New York a great institutional
church for Dwight L. Moody. This has
been discussed for the last two years, and
one man of millions has been approached to
give one of them toward the project Mr.
Moody is known to favor such a plan no.
to become his permanent field of labor but
to be center for the evangelical efforts of
the whole country, under Mr.. Moody's df-
fectien. The New York plan is revived at
this time through the efforts of Brooklyn
to erect such a church. An erroneous i'm
preston has been given concerning the
Brooklyn undertaking, that being in reality
nothing more than a suitable place for
Moody and similar meetings Brooklyn is
like many cities in this country without
such an auditorium, it being one of Mr.
Moody's complaints that he can find in few
cities places large enough to accommodate
his congregations Those who actively as
sist Mr.. Moody in the management of his
V1YfI Inafc rn raI l.