The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-02-09
IRELAND ATTACKS
 ROME METHOD|STS  Archbishop Discusses Meaning
 of Fairbanks Incident CRITICISM IS SEVERE Archbishop Ireland Declares That the Mcthodists In Rome Are Prose
 Iytes and the Pope Could Act
 In No Other Way
CRITICISM IS SEVERE

Chicago. February s.-The following statement was offered the Associated Press by Archbishop Ireland today:
 People in America may easily misap- prehend the circumstances in Rome which led the Vatican to refuse an audience with the holy father to MT. Charles w. Fair banks, after he, former vice president Of the United States, would have made public address before the Methodist as- sociation of that city. Most likely MT. Fairbanks himself did not fully realize the meaning which Romans would attribute to his address.
 .Tt was not a question of MT. Fair banks being Methodist or going to Methodist church in Rome for Sundays s devotion. It was a question of appearing to give the fullest approval of the work of the Methodist association In Rome. American Methodists in Rome are active, and l may readily say pernicious, pros- elyters The Methodist association is not in Rome to ssrve and meet American Methodists. but to pervert from the Cath ollie faith all those upon whom they can bring influence to bear.
 T was in Rome last winter and l made a very particular study of this Metho- dist propaganda. It has gone so far that the Catholics have organized the society for the preservation of the faith to fight against 1t.
 "The purpose of the work of the Meth odist association in Rome is confessed openly. The means employed are by no means honorable. They take every ad- vantage of the poor of Rome. The books circulated and displayed in the windows of their book stores are islanders against the Catholic faith, the holy pontiff at home and misrepresentation of the whole Catholic system. The success of the movement is far from adequate to the ef- forts put forth and the money expended They don't make permanent Methodists of Italian Catholics. They may possibly detach pupils from the Catholic church, and this means from all Christian things for Italians.
 Now public address by a former vice president of the United States before the Methodist association can have no other meaning in the eyes of the Roman public than the approval of America of the propaganda of the Methodist association. Had the holy father, guardian of the spir- itual interests of the Catholic church of the world, smilingly welcomed MT. Fair banks to an audience on the following day in what other position would he ap- pear to be than giving his approval to the propaganda of the Methodist association before which the address had been given?
 Tt was simply impossible for the holy father in his official position as a sov- ereign pontiff of the Catholic church to do aught else than to say politely to MT. Fairbanks. "I cannot receive you and accord you the honors due you in all other circumstances as an American and a distinguished representative of a great republic.
 "l repeat that I am most willing to be- lieve Mir Fairbanks did not catch up the full meaning. in the eyes of the Roman people, of the address he was to make to the Methodist association.
 'One arm of combat which those Meth odsts employ in Rome, as I know from personal observation, Is to create the inn pression that Methodism Is the great faith of tho American republic, and that the Catholi, church is merely an Italian institution.
 "There are in Rome Protestant Amer ica, churcnes for the benefit of Ameri- cans that put forth legitimate efforts, mi z their own business and make no war upon the Catholic church. What have said of the Methodists in Rome does not apply to the other churches. have in mind the Protestant Episcopal chapel on the Via Nazionale, and its for mel rector MT. Nevins. a man whom l wa pleased to call friend and whom was always glad to meet
 1T shall leave for New York tomorrow ane I shall be pleased to answer the Methodists here or in the east at any time. I cannot make 1t too plain that I am not attacking the entire Methodist church, b,' merely the Methodist asso- ciation in Rome.
 .1 am not too old to enjoy fight when the occasion requires it.