The Savannah morning news., 1902-07-18
Mr.. ROOT TO TAFT
ANTICIPATED FAILURE OF THE Me-
GOTIATIONs.
APPROVED RAMPOLLA'S PLAN.
MEANS FINAL SETTLEMENT AT
MANILA.

ghe Position of tho United States ms
Acting simply for the Benefit of
the FfIipinos and in a Spirit of
Utmost Fairness to the Church
Fully Set FOrth-SiMce the Vatican
Does Not Favor the Offer Made the
That a New Apostolic Delegate for
the philippines BE Appointed and
n Careful Estimate of the Value of
the Lands Made With View to
settlement Is Approved.
washington, July 1.-THE War De-
partment to-day made public the last
note of Secretary Root to Gov. Taft,
dated last Monday, relative to the ne
rotiations for the friars' lands. 1t
formed the basis for the note which
GOV. Taft yesterday communicated to
the Vatican, the essential points of
which were cabled from Rome by the
Associated Press last night In adj
dition to portions already published
the note says;
Regarding the withdrawal of the
members of the religious orders from
the Philippines, the Philippine gov
eminent desires social results which it
deems of great Importance to the well
fare of the Philippine people and
which can be accomplished only by the
withdrawal of this class of persons
VINO have fortuitously been thrown
into special and antagonistic
political relations with the
ueople. That government has
proposed an arrangement with it sup
posed to be very advantageous to the
church.
recognizing the intensity and prac-
tical unanimity of the feeling among
The Filipinos and at the same time de-
string to avoid causing loss to the
church. the United States government
representatives proposed to pay for the
lands out of the public funds if the
friars would leave the island, and give
place to other religious orders of their
own faith who, might be able to accom-
plish for their religion what they them
selves Had so signally failed to ac-
complish.
1T is the desire to accomplish the
removal of this cause of disturbance
and discord that has led me to approve
that clause of your proposal which
would involve the government of the
Philippines in a large and underlined
obligation for the purchase of lands
in advance of a specific ascertainment
of their values and of the estimated
prices which we can reasonably expect
to receive from them when we in turn
offer them for sale, and to the clauses
which would anticipate the authority of
Congress in regard to the ascertain
ment of rentals and damages in the
course of occupation and the convey
anccs of church lands provided for in
your proposal.
Cardinal RampOIIa's Suggestions.
IF this object is not to be assured,
then the arrangements should more
closely follow the suggestions of Car
dfnal RampoIa that a just estimate
of the value of the lands is a compli
Gated question reuqiring special study.
his memorandum declares the dispo-
sition of the Holy See to instruct the
new apostolic delegate to the Philip
pines to amicably treat this affair in
an understanding with the American
government and to secure just set
Element of all the matters touched up-
on in the memorandum. 1t will be the
duty of the Philippine government to
determine for itself the price it is will
ing to pay for the various property in
which the religious orders are inter-
ested and which they are willing to
sell. That price will of course be
largely affected by the practical bene-
fits from the purchase in view of all
the facts then existing and by the fact
that the real and substantial title to
the lands in a great measure has pass
ed out of the religious orders and is
vested in corporations which they
cannot entirely control and which hold
the lands for the purpose of lawful
gain and are alone competent to sell
them.
1T may we'll be that the prices
which you will feel justified in offer
ing for the lands will be ac-
ceptable. The whole matter may
thus be disposed of by friend
ly agreement, in conformity to
the ordinary methods pursued
in business affairs. l believe that the
good understanding which has been
reached between you and the ecclesi-
astical authorities in Rome cannot
fail to do away with the probability
OF friction or difficulty"