The Minneapolis journal., 1902-07-19
THE POPE
And TAFT
The Pontiff Will Give the
American an Audience
on Monday.
Rumor That He May Take
the Negotiations Into
=
His Own Hands.

From, The journal Bnreo~, hoo''s 25, Fosa
Building, WdShtn8fo's'
Washington, July 19.-In this mornings
papers a correspondent OF the London
Chronicle is quoted as saying 'on an au-
thoritatiye source" that the pope is dis
pleased with the result Of the Taft nego-
tiations as conducted by the commission
of cardinals and has dissolved the COM
mission so as to treat with Governor TAFT
personally. How true this story Is de-
pends entirely on what the "authorit ative
source Is.
1t has been believed from the first that
the pope was favorable to the American
contention regarding the friars. The send
ing of Governor Taft to Rome would In
dicate as much. At the same time, how
ever, the pope has not felt free to act
without consulting the great orders OF
monks represented in the cardinalate. The
papal commission which conferred with
Governor Taft was in part made up Of
representatives of these orders and these
representa- tives, it Is underst ood, are re-
sponsible for the partial failure of Gov
ernor Taft's plan.
AS the entire subject has now been
opened up before the church authorities
and the reasonableness and unselfishness
Of the American demands showH, 1t is
entirely possible that the pope will feel
justified in taking independent action,
which, of course, he would have been dis
inclined to do before this government
had officially stated it's case.
Should the pope do as the Chronicle
correspondent suggests he will, it is be-
lieyed here that he will have the support
Of the leading men Of all the Catholic
countries Of Europe, outside Of the great
orders. This strong backing of the Amer
ican position in Catholic quarters 1t not
unlocked for, and hoping that it might be
secured the president and Secretary Root
were very careful in wording their in
structions to Governor Taft. These in
structions were prepared with great de-
liberation, and were intended to show the
great Catholic community that this gov
ernment was taking the stand in the in
terest of the Filipino people and in no
sense trying toeadYance Its own interests
or strike a blow at any, religion. -
The reported action of the pope, as
quoted VIA London, would seem to show
that the Americaps have made good : In
this regard. The London report has not
yet been confirmed, however. Washing
ton has had no advices regarding 1t, one
way or the other. It is believed here that
the report, if true, probably goes too far
in saying that the pope has acted in any
drastic manner. If he has done any
thing, he has probably arranged to name
delegate in the Philippines who will
accede to this governments request. In
cidentally, Of course, he may have ex-
pressed disappointment over the outcome
of the negotiations in Rome, but such an
outcome was to have been expected, when
the personnel Of the papal commission Is
remembered.
AS has been said, the negotiations have
served to bring out in detail the official
statement Of this country's position, and
this, it is quite likely, may give the pope
an excuse for taking the matter up and
bringing about an expulsion Of the fr1ars.
Unofficial adv1ces here for some months
have Indicated that the pope would so
agree. Had it been suspected that he was
opposed to such course, Governor Taft
would not have gone to Rome as he did,
and such men as Archbishop Ireland and
Bishop O'Gorman would have taken no
hand in shaping the American policy.
w. W. Jermane.