Watertown leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1909-1911, 1910-06-17
ROOSEVELT ON
MISSION WORK
EX-PRESIDENT SENDS LETTER TO
WORLD CONFERENCE DELE
GATE IN EDINBURGH.
MUCH GOOD is ACCOMPLISHED.
Writer Declares He Saw Results of
Christian Movement During Re-
cent African Trip.
NEED COMBINING OF STRENGTH.

EDINBURGH, Scotland, June 49,
A letter from Theodore Roosevelt ex-
pressing sympathy with the movement
and regret at his inability to be present
was read at today's session Of the World
Missionary conference. The communi-
cation, which was addressed to Silas
McBee an American delegate, aroused
much enthusiasm.
The former president wrote:
LONDON, May 10, 191O.-My Dear Sir:
1t Is matter of real and profound regret to
me that | am imperatively called away to
America, so that | unable to be present
In person at the world missionary confer
ence. l regret 1t the more as il l had been
able to be present 1t would have been as a
delegate from the Dutch Reformed church
or America, to which / belong.
Nothing like your proposed conference has
even hitherto taken place. From many ma
lions, and from many churches, your dele
gates gather on this great occasion, to intti-
ate movement which I not only hope, but
believe, will be fraught with far reaching
good
Combining of Strength.
For the first time in four centuries, Chris
t1ans OF every name, come together, without
fenOuncing their several convictions or sac
rlnclng their several principles, to confer as
TO what common action may be taken in
order to make their common christianit not
only known to, but vital force among the
tWO-thlrds of the human race to whom, as
yet, It IS hardly even a name. Surely every
man lmbued, as every man should be, with
the ethical teachings of christianity, must
rejoice In such an effort to combine the
strength of all the churches in the endeavor
10 chrlstlanize humanity, ana to christianize
IL not merely in name but in very fact.
Your conference represents the practical
eHort to apply the teachings Of the gospel
TO what the epiStle of Jude calls 1.-The COM
mon salvation" An infinite amount Of
zInS 70 he n tNoPAr
gard ourselves as being even within meas
urabie distance Of the desired goal; an in
mite amount at home in the dark places
which too often closely surround the bright
est centers of light and an infinite amount
abroad In those dark places of the earth
where blackness is as yet unrelieved by any
light
When such is the high purpose to which
you have dedicated yourselves, it is emf
nently fitting that your invitation should
have gone to all Christian churches in all
lands.
Good Work Accomplished.
I sure there will be a general and I
hope universal response. In missionary
work, above all other kinds of Christian
work, 1t is imperative to remember that q
divided christendom can only imperfectly
pear witness to the essential unity of Chris
tlanity. [ believe that without compro-
mise of belief, without loss of the positive
good contained In the recognition of diver
stiles of gifts and differences Of administra
a way to cordial cooperation and friend
ship as regards the great underlying essen
tials upon which, as a foundation all Chris
tfan churches are built This is one of the
lessons which has been particularly i'm
pressed upon me by what 1 have seen Of
Christian work in Africa both In heather
and Mohammedan lands | believe that
unity in a spirit of Christian brotherhood
for such broad Christian work will tend
not to do away with differences Of doc
trines, but to prevent us from laying too
much stress on these differences of doc
trlne. It Is written in the scriptures that
He that doeth my will shall know OF the
doctrine; but the reverse of this PROPOSE
ton cannot be found in holy writ Empha-
sis Is to be put upon doing the will;'' If
only we can make up our minds to work
together with earnest sincerity for the com
mon good, we shall find that doctrinal diff
ferences In no way interfere with our doing
this work.
Wishing you all success, I am very sin
cerelr yours,
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.