The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-08-04
ROOSEVELT WRITES
 CATHOLICS LETTER
Regrets That He Cannot Attend
 Meeting at Atlantic City
ARE DOING A GREAT WORK
An Indian Representing the Sioux Con- gress In Addressing the conVen- ton Says What the Red Man
 Wants Are More Schools.

Atlantic City, N. J., August s.-The third days convention of the Catholic Federa- ton of societies wassopened with solemn requiem in St. Nicholas Catholic church, in memory of Leo XIII. Rt. Rev. Bishop Messmer of Green Bay, Wis, was the ceebrant. and Vicar General Fox of the Trenton diocese, delivered the sermon, his subject being The Late Pontiff'
 President Roosevelt sent the following letter to President Minahan
 oyster Bay, N r.. July 27.
 My Dear Slrs-I have received your letter and also have spoken personally about the matter with Bishop McFaul. l regret greatly that 1t is out of my power to accept your very kind invitation. l be- lleve most heartily in the work you are doing In your American federation of Catholic societies. and 1t would have been peculiar pleasure to have accepted your invitation. I am well aware of what your society has accomplished for the social betterment, not only of Catholics. but of all our people in promoting the unification and naturalization of our eountrymen, and in working for morality and decency es- pecially in the intimate home relations upon which rests the ultimate well being of the entire state. Wishing you all sue cess and congratulating you on what you have done in the past,
 T am, with great regard, sincerely yours, THEODORE ROOSEVELT"
 Wants Title Placed.
 Delegate Joaquin Ferran of Porto Rico addressed the convention. He said in his country there were but ninety-five priests for nearly a million Catholics He asked the convention to ask the Ameri- can government for an order directing that the title to the lands of the church In Porto Rico be placed In the name of the church, as, although the church was in possession of the property, title had never been placed on record in their fa- vor
 The representative of the Sioux con gress, Mintani Hanska, addressed the convention in his native language. His remarks were interpreted to the conven- ton by Father P. F. Dillman, s. J., the pastor of the Rosebud Agency, South Da- kota
 The chief said in part:
 T am glad to look on your faces, for I know you are my friends. know that you will protect the rights of the Indian. If you will help the poor old Sioux peo- pie, I know you will help their chill
  children, and the black robes (missionary priests who are trying to make all the Sioux good.
 Want More Schools.
 My people love their children very well and they want them to have good, strong bodies, but they also want to have good souls. They waa to have good lives here and also hereafter, and we do want more schools. We want more black robes to teach them well. And when l left my people, far away, they said: You go to the great big federation and the federation will give us more schools and more black robes"
 The chief added that he was a cate chist and that the nearest church to his home was forty miles away, there be- ing two priests in 5000 square miles and that on Sundays he collected the people and led them in prayer and singing.
 Closing, he said.
 "All I have heard and all have seen will tell my people when I go back to them and it will gladden. their hearts. May you all prosper and may the great spirit bless you"
 Among other letters approving the cause was one from D. Falconio, the apostolic delegate.