Evening star., 1909-06-11
FR|ARS' 'LANDPR0BLEM
President Taft Describes Me-
gotiations With Catholics.
SETTLING THE QUESTION
Large Advance in Religious Toler-
ance Demonstrated.
CONDITIONS IN PHILIPPINES
Address Delivered Last Night to the
Congress of Missionaries at the
Catholic University.

| Congress of Missionaries at the
Catholic University.
Before gathering Of several hundred
persons, composed of priests and laymen
President Taft delivered an address at
the Catholic University last night show
ing the increase In tolerance among the
different religious denominations. His
visit was, to the congress Of missionaries
to non-Catholics. who are holding their
annual session this week.
In introducing the President, who ar
rived at the university at $50 o'clock.
Father Doyle. rector eof the Apostolic
Mission. who presided at last nights ses-
sion, called him the "great harmonizer,"
a characterization applied to him recently
by the widow of '-Stonewall' jackson.
He assured the President that although
the gathering he was to address. was
composed Of out-and-out Catholics, they
were good Americans, and better Amer
lean citizens Father Doyle added, be-
cause they were good Catholics.
The President was frequently inter-
rupted during his address by bursts of
| applause, and as he drove away from
the university In his automobile he was
| loudly cheered. At the close Of his ad-
dress he shook hands with everybody
| present.
The evening session was given over to
the discussion of the work of the mis-
sion In the south. Father Bresnahan
| read a paper on "A Mission by the Su-
vance River" and a general interchange
or experiences In the south was had
between the various priests present who
had worked in that territory.
Conditions In the Philippines.
| The President. after giving an account
of the negotiations he conducted with
Pope Leo XIII regarding the disposition
Of the friars lands in the Philippines
and other questions affecting the Cath
olic Church in the islands, which negotia-
| tions, he added, would have sunk any ad-
ministration forty years ago. spoke of
the present condition OF the Catholic
Church In the Philippines.
| The removal of government support and
the necessity for support by the men,
| bers Of the church, he said. had put a
| tremendous strain upon the church and
one which would Involve the teaching of
lessons 1t would require some time to
learn. Since the change in the govern
| ment of the islands ministers of other
denominations have gone there, and their
presence. he thought, would produce an
emulation which the President declared
| to be good for all denominations.
President Taft spoke In the highest
terms of Pope Leo whom, he said, he had
| found to be man OF the highest In
| tellectual powers land keenly interested
| in the questions he discussed with him.
The President said:
Father Doyle and my fellow citizens:
| In the selection of army and navy chap
| lains from the different denominations
| we have some one from each denomina-
| tiOn upon whom we can rely as the true
| representative Of that particular church,
SO that when q chaplain from any church
| shall not do his duty-a rare case, / am
glad to say-we may hold his church in
obtain chaplains Of the highest character.
Now, Father Doyle represents the Catho-
lie Church In respect to chaplains ap-
pointed from that church. and that brings
him into contact with the President a
great deal, so that when he comes and
says this or that / have to listen to him
with great deal of care. That is my
explanation for being here tonight. He
invited me and / came. l feel as IL /
ought not to interrupt your deliberations
and your cOunsels with reference to your
| work by coming here to make few des-
| ultory remarks.
Problems Of the Philippines.
"When I went to the Philippines did
not know as much about good many
| things as know now. The problems that
were presented there were problems of
great difficulty, because of circumstances
| that nobody could have prevented. 1t was
a change from a government in which the
church was so inextricably mixed, IL l
may use that expression, with the gov
ernment, that when the government was
| transferred to American sovereignty, In
| which it was impossible to unite church
and government, there was a good deal
of headache produced in determining what
| were the church's interests and what were
| the governments interests.
.oh Il
| fenences were likely to arise. l don't
know that you know 1t, but even minis
ters sometimes differ, and we had those
differences there. But I came into most
sent by Leo XIII-Archbishop Guidi-a
diplomat, a man of great ability and of
great experience. broad man in every
way, and we worked along year after
year, apparently not making any prog
ress but after a time we wore each other
out and we got to a compromise.
/ The change which has taken place in
1.-THE Philippines has been a very great
strain upon the Roman Catholic Church,
the Importance Of whose functions In the
islands, from the standpoint of peace and
| order and good government l have always
ATTEMPTED to emphasize. To change from
a church. supported by a government,
| whose priests were paid by q govern
ment, whose buildings, churches and rec
tories were all maintained by a govern
ment and kept in repair. to one in which
the support OF the church depends either
| upon resources drawn from without the
islands or upon the congregations them
| selves is a change that puts a tre-
mendous strain upon the church. and
yet that change is going on and has to
be made. Now, in the end, believe it
will strengthen the church there, as free
dom and complete tolerance and complete
separation of church and state strengthen
the Roman and every others church in
this country.
Benefits of Emulation.
i Now there have been introduced into
the islands, since the change of SOW
| creignty ministers of other churches,
| YcT ~MyUS A DAN