The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-04-05
ARCHBISHOP IRELAND ON ROOSEVELT
 INCIDENT
PreIate of St. Paul Scores Meth Odists and Does Not Believe Teddy Would Have
 Visited Them.

St. Paul, April 5-Archbishop Ire land, after reading the report from Rome concerning the Roosevelt-Vati- can incident, made the following state nent:
 Before passing judgment on the Roosevelt incident in Rome one should be thoroughly conVersant with all attending circumstances; more so, indeed, than the persusal of the quick ly prepared dispatches appearing Tn the morning papers seemingly permit
 Of one thing I am certain-the Meth odist propaganda in Rome is so yile so ca1unnious in it's assaults upon the Catholic faith, so dishonest in it's methods to win prose1ytes that the Holy Father the supreme guardian of the faith, is compelled by the vital principles of his high office to avert at cost, the slightest movement on his part that might. directly or indirectly, be interpreted as abetting the propa- ganda or approving, even by implica- tion, it's purposes and tactics.
 Since the Fairbanks incident I have received from Rome most reliable data that more than justify any statement I have heretofore made or may at any other time be prepared to make, with regard to this Methodist propa ganda. Indeed, the Methodist minister in Rome, the Rev. MT. ripple, in his ad- dress the Sunday after the Fairbanks incident, is an al1-suffcient indication of it's rancorous spirit and of the egre- gious ca1umnies to which it resorts. It is as clear as monday to those who know the facts in connection with the Methodist Roman propaganda that any man, however, otherwise worthy and iEustrious, giving or likely to give, public recognition of any kind to it's work, even to it's existence, could not be received by the Holy Father.
 How far Cardinal Merry Del Val had reason to suspect, from the move ments of the Methodists themselves. or otherwise, that there was peril lest ROOSAVa1f unVVjtfinQIV be entang.ed in their meshes, am not in position to say. The Cardinal is a wise,- judicfous statesman, and must have well weighed the whole situa- tion before he acted. His words to the agent of the Associated Press de- serve consideration. .'It is not,' he Roosevelt might have gone to an Episcopalian, Presbyterian or any other church, except the Methodist, and delivered an address there, and he even on the same day. But he could not be received when it was suspected that after the audience with the Pope he intended to go to the Methodist church in Rome, which is carrying on a most offensive campaign against the Pontiff.''
 Nor did my friend MT. O'Laughlin help out the situation when to the antee that MT. Roosevelt will not vis-< it the Methodists here?'' he replied: 1T cannot. Indeed, I believe MT. Roosevelt is just the man to go there. He will do he Dleases-''
 For my part differ with MT. O'Laughlin. I believe that brought face to face with the situation in Rome as created by the Methodist propaganda, MT. Roosevelt would not have addressed the Methodists. He wrote his telegrams in Cairo, away from the seat of war. and refused to bind himself to his movements before he was on the ground. But once in Rome, face to face with the situation, such as his quick intuition into things would have soon revealed it, he would not have thought of leaving the Vati- | can to repair to the camp of it's viru- i lent foes. That is MT. Roosevelt as I think I know him.
 At the same time I comprehend the | position from which Cardinal Merry l del. Val measured his duty He had to be guided by the situation as it i 1oomed up around him in Rome, by | the knowledge he had of local circurn- l He could take no risk; prin- cipIe was at stake. And so he de- l assurances that, whatever l was likely to happen, the honor of the | Holy See was safeguarded.