The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-06-17
ROOSEVELT WRITES
ON MISSION WORK
Letter Is Addressed to Delegate
at Conference
SYMPATHY WITH WORK
Former President Sends Regrets at
Being Unable to Attend Meeting
and Offers suggestions for
Missionary Effort

Edinburg, Scotland. June ia letter
from Theodore Roosevelt, expressing
sympathy with the movement and regret
at his inability to be present. was read
at todays session of the world mission
airy conference. The communication,
which was addressed to silas AIcBee, an
American delegate, aroused much en-
thusiasm.
The former President wrote:
London, May 16 1910.
MY Dear SirA-"It is a matter of real
and profound regret to me that | am im-
perativeiy called away to America. SO
that am enable to- be present in person
at the world missionary conference. ]
regret it the more as If had been able
to be present 1t would have been as a
delegates from the Dutch Reformed church
of America, to which | belong
Nothing like your proposed conference
has ever hitherto taken place. From
many nations and from many churches
your delegates gather on this great oc-
casion to initiate a movement which !
not only hope but believe will be fraught
with far-reaehing good.
For the first time in our centuries
Christians of every name come together
without renouncing their several convic-
tlons or sacrificing their several prin-
cples, to confer as to what common ac-
ton may be taken In order to. make their
common Christianity not only known to
but a vital force among the two-thirds of
the human race to whom as yet it Is
hardly even a name. Surely every man
imbued, as every man should be, with
the ethical teachings of Christianity,
must rejoice In such an effort to COM
blne the strength OF all the churches in
the endeavor to Christianize humanity
and to Christianze 1t not merely in name
but In very fact. =
Your conference represents the prac.
teal effort to apply the teachings OF
the gospel to what the epistle of judo
calls The common salvation. An infinite
amount of work remains to be done be-
fore you can regard ourselves as being
even within measurable distance of the
desired goal, an infinite amount at home
in the dark places, which too often close
ly surround the brightest centers of light
and an infinite amount abroad, in those
dark places of the earth where black
ness is as yet unrelieved by any light.
when such is the high purpose to
which you have dedicated yourselves. !.
IL eminently fitting that your invitation
should have gone to all Christian churches
In the lands. | am sure there will be
a general. and | hope a universal re-
Spouse. In missionary work, above all
other kinds of Christian work, 1t Is I'm,
perative to remember that divided
Christendom can only imDerfectly bea'
| witness to the essential unity of Chris
| tlanity | believe that without compro
mise of belief. without loss of the posi-
tive good contained In the recognition !"
diyersfties of gifts and differences oil
administration. the Christian churches
may yet find a way to cordial co-opera-
tion and friendship as regards the great
underlying essentials upon us. as foun-
cs ton on which all Christian churches
are built This is one of the lessons
which has been particularly impressed
upon me by what 7 have seen of Chris
ton work In Africa. both in heather and
Mohammedan lands. | believe that unity
IN spirit of Christian brotherhood fol-
such broad Christian work will tend
rot to do away with differences OF doe
trine but to prevent us from laying toe
much stress on these differences of doc
trine. 1t Is written In the Scriptures thai
He that doth My will shall know OF
the doctrine but the reverse of this
proposition cannot be found in Holy Writ
Emphasis Ii to be put upon doing the
v,ill' II only we can make up our%minds
t. work together with earnest sincerity
for the common good we shall find that
doctrinal differences in no way interfere
with our doing this work
wishing you all success. I am, very
sincerely yours.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT"