The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-11-13
.3CARD|NALSF FOR
 UNITED STATES Catholic Community Very
 Enthusiastic GIBBONS CONFIRMS 250 Regretted That Archbishop Ireland of St. Paul Could Net Have Been
 Recognized-Stradelli
 Issues Statistics
GIBBONS CONFIRMS 25O
By ID. V. FRANCIS

| is to have three new cardinals has been hailed with enthusiasm throughout the great Catholic community. This splen- did recognition of the church in the United States is no more than it's due. In no country in the world is the church so progressive and prosperous as it is | here.
 While the selections made are most worthy and excellent, there is bound to be a feeling of regret that the services of that great American churchman, Arch bishop Ireland of St. Paul, could not have been recognized and his career
 rounded out with the greatest honor with in the gift of the church.
 There is likely also to be a feeling of
 regret that all the four cardinalates given
 to the United States should be confined to the northeastern section of the coun- try.
 These regrets are overshadowed, how ever. by the central fact that for the first time in it's history the American
 church has received proper recognition. Gossip Is the worst sort of dssipa-
 ton and does more harm among women than liquor does among men, according to Cardinal Gibbons.
 Cardinal Gibbons administered the rite of confirmation to a class of 250 In Wash ington recently.
 "Girls, don't gossip" said his eminence,
 addressing the confirmation class. I'm
 sure you are not likely to be incorporate in the use of strong drink, but idle gos-
 sip is intemperance, of the grossest sort
 I beseech you don't spend your spare
 time in gossip about your friends and
 acquaintances. It is unkind and cruel.
 "Young men, let strong drink alone.
 Show me a person who lives to gratify
 his passions and l will show you one who is never happy. Don't drink until you are 21, anyway, and then you will never become slave of the habit'
 The cardinal exacted a temperance pledge from the entire confirmation class to be effective until the members are of age.
 General Booth of the Salvation Army has returned to London for short rest, and, on the whole, he deserves 1t. He has just concluded his seventh motor campaign The tour occupied a clear month, he travelled 1900 miles, and ad-
 dressed 60 meetings, sometimes appear ing at three in one day.
 He has been telling story about little girl whose brother set a bird trap in the garden, to her infinite horror. So | keenly did she feel about the suffer- 1 ings of the poor bird that at night she | inserted a special clause in her prayers. hoping that the dear little birds would moi fall into Freddies wicked trap"
 When she rose from her knees her
 mother asked: Do you think your prayer about the little birds will be answered?"
 "I know 1t will" was the positive re- ply.
 How do you know?'
 Because" was the simple explanation, "before I came to bed l went into the
 garden and broke up the trap Stradelli, a well known Italian statis- tican, has just issued an interesting col lection of statistics showing the progress
 of Roman Catholicism during the nine- teenth century. Even allowing for the
 increase of population Stradelii argues that the church is rapidly gaining ground
 in every corner of the Christian world. England, without counting Ireland. had 12O0O0 Catholics in 1900 and 2,O0O,oOO Tn 1900, he figures from returns made to the vatican. In Germany the hunper rose from 6.O00OO0 to more than 2OOOO.- GOO and in Holland from 300000 to 1,SOO,OOO
 Statistics are wanting for Russia, but StradelH points to the number Of con versions in the five years from i9oo to
 1910. the last recorded. The total is said
 to be 23O.o00. In Africa there were only
 few Catholics in 1900. but the new
 century opened with SSo,OOO.
 But 1t is in the United States that
 he finds the most remarkable growth of Catholicism. He states that during the century the number of Catholics In Amer lea increased from 40,O0o 10 more than | g, 800, 900.
 The development in Australia is also striking At the opening of the last century the Roman church had not a single adherent on the southern conti- nent. At its close she counted 1,60O0OO members there.
 All of the 21 great missionary socie- ties of America which handle the money of the eight principal religious podles' Baptists North, Congregationalists, DIS ciples. Episcopalians, Lutherans, Metho- | dists North, Presbyterians North and the | Reformed Dutch branch have now closed | their books for the calendar year, ex- cent the two Methodist boards. Reports l from all of the 19 and careful estimates | for the other two show mission gifts for | 1e11 through their main societies, 10 pc sl3 SIPS. Ten years ago the same peo- | ple through the Sdihe societioe say Ss' 42s.24O, an average annual gain of s592'-
 AS.
 The central council of the Girls Friend 1 lv society in America held its 18th annual
 meeting in New York recently. The so-
 cietv Is under control of the Episcopal | church. and is organized along lines of l that body. In 59 diocese and districts l there are eos branches, with member
 shin of 39, ,592 The object of the society
 is the development of Christian woman hood. ,,,.
 p,ost important one Is counted that of
 commendation, which provides for meet 1 inc and welcoming its members coming | to the United States from Great Brit
 ain. and helping them to join their fam 1 lies or to get established in employment ] if need be. The society Is now represented
 in all countries, and is the oldest and
 largest society for girls in the world
 At the New York council. Canada and
 New Zealand were represented. 1 Evangelist Sturgeon once expressed his
 surprise to find the motto God Is Love. " l inscribed upon a weather vane. He asked :"What do you mean by put ting that text on a weather xane? Dc you mean that Gods love is as change 1 able as weather vaneT
 "Oh, no! was the quick reply Of the l housewife. 'T mean to say that God is :, love whichever way the wind blows' Killed Himself and Friend St. Johnsbury. Vt, November 12.-IIi' mind unbalanced. 1t is believed, by tht | recent death of his daughter and by fi l nancial difficulties. Nathan c. Butter