The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-11-17
PRELATES ARE SILENT.
DISLIKE TO DISCUSS ACTION OF
 MARQUIsE MONsTIEREs.
Semi-Annual Meeting of the Directors
 of the Catholic University or America Held in Wash fnntOu.

Washington, Nov. 16.-The semi annual meeting of the board or direc- tors of the Catholic University ot America, convened at the university today and considered matters of En- portance connected with the future or the institution.
 The chief of. these was the renun- citation of the Catholic creed by Mar qufse Monstieres. formerly Miss Gwen- dolin Caldwell, who founded the uni versity. and the bankruptcies or Thomas E. waggaman. the treasurer Of the university whose failure may seriously embarrass the board in pro- vidinE finances for immediate use.
 The. statement of the American Mar quise made public yesterday in a communication to the Associated Press from Rome came as a complete sur prise to the oficials of the university. They did not know she was contem- plating such step. nor that she had gone to Rome from New York where she spent the summer.
 The last meeting of the board Of trustees was held in April and that meeting was adjourned until today. When the meeting was called to or- der there were present Cardinal Gib- bons. Archbishops Williams of Boston: Ryan. of Philadelphia; Farley. of New York and Keane. of Dubuque; Bish- ops Spalding, of Peoria; Foley. of De- troit; Macs. of Covington. Ky. and Harkins, of Providence. R. l.. and Charles J. Bonaparte.
 George Hamilton, of this city, at- torney for the university also was present to confer with the board con- corning the Waggaman case. The Waggaman case was the principal matter considered but 1t was not de- cided to give a statement to the pub lie at this time. The statement is- sued giving an interview with the Marquise des Monstieres was taken up but not as a part of the business of the board. Most of the members are acquaintances of the Marquise and the discussion was wholly of a person. al nature. One of the members said the board Is loath to give considera- ton to the case now and is opposed to having any member quoted in regar ' to the case.
 It is not understood by us.'' he said, "and until a formal communica- tion comes we would not like to talk about 1t. The entire matter came as surprise. especially to those of us who were familiar with the Marquises physical condition. But please do not m1sunderstand me in that regard-we do not mean to imply that she was in any way tncapacitated to think and act for herself. She is her own mistress. Knowing nothing of what prompted her to take the course she did we must wait until 1t is made clear"
 The building in which the board is meeting Is that built with the original contribution from Miss Caldwell,
 Two sessions were held. one in the morning and the other in the after. noon, the latter extending we'll into the evening. The Marquise des Monstieres Merinville affair and the WaEgaman failure continued to occupy the atten- tion of the directors; in the latter case the discussion relating to the effect of the failure on the university and the means to be taken to protect so far as possible the institutior1's interest in the bankruptcy proceedings.
 Of the Marquise des Monstieres Me. rinville, the dignitaries of the church when seen tonight at the university cared to say little if anything. Cardi- nal Gibbons asked to be excused from saying anything, but Archbishop Ryan authorized the statement that no reply from Rome had been yet received to the cablegram of Mgr. OConnen, the rector of the university asking for in formation. on the subject. The Arch bishop put little credence in a pub lished statement that because of the pro- government feeling of the Mar quise's husband in the matter of ex- pulsion of religious orders from France he had induced her to renounce the Catholic faith.