The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1915-04-03

AoAI 4CSSulSu Ou Iuo SuUJ0CI OI his
Visit in the Spring of 1902 to the Vati.
can" when he brought about the secu-
larization of the friar lands in the Phil
ippines, before members of the Ma.
tional Geographic Society of Washing
ton, at the New Masonic Temple last
Friday evening. He told in detail of
the long and delicate negotiations be-
tween this government and the Catho-
lie See at Rome, by which was finally
untangled the problem of separating
church and state in our far island pos
sessions, which problem was one of
the most difficult that confronted the
United States upon taking over the
Philippines.
Mr.. Taft first recounted the history
of the going to the islands of the
friars; how they secured and devel-
oped 100000 acres of land on several
of the islands and how they became
the real officials there. Then he fol-
lowed with his visit to Washington in
1902 after his appointment to the Phil
ippine commission; of conferences
here between Secretary of State Root,
President Roosevelt and himself, and
of their determination that the better
way to settle the dispute and get the
friars out Of the Philippines was for
him to go to Rome and confer with
the head Of the Catholic church.
Mr.. Taft said that he found Leo
XIII, although the Pope had reached
the advanced age of 80 years, man of
keenly active intelligence. Tho Pope,
he said, followed every point of the
American address with close atten-
tion. and showed a deep desire that
the negotiations might be successful
as speedily as possible.
AS the Pope did not understand the
English tongue, Mr.. Taft explained, the
address, which he had drafted in Eng
lish, had to be translated into French
Mr.. Taft gave an amusing, intimate
description of the way this translation
was effected by two of the members
of his mission, Bishop O'Gorman and
Major Porter.
Il found that Bishop O'Gorman and
Major Porter had different views as to
what was good French and what was
not. Half of the document l would
commit to one of them for translation
and half of it to the other, and then
would submit the half translated by
each to the other for such suggestion
and criticism as he might make. !
was much amused at the Struggling Of
shoulders that each manifested at
reading the other half of the transla-
tion. But in spite of this my address
to the Pope was finally translated, and
Major Porter read It,"
Mr.. Taft said that he found the Pope
possessed Of true sense of humor,
which he showed in numerous, playful
inquiries, at the conclusion Of the
reading Of the address. The pontiff
told Mr.. Taft that from all the evil
dence of the American ENJOYS gen.
eral appearance he was unable to
credit rumors of his illness. Con ar
irving in Rome Mr.. Taft became i'll
and his visit to the Holy Father was
postponed for few days.)
At the conclusion of the hearing the
Pope expressed the wish that the Phil
ippine islands, under the control of
the United States, might be source
of great benefit to their people.
One of the interesting phases Of this
mission which Mr.. Taft pointed out
was that the spirit of religious toler-
ance had made such genuine advance
among the American people that there
were few protests made against it's
undertaking. A few protests. however,
were made upon the ground that the
American governments mission to
Rome was tantamount to the recogni-
tion by this government of a temporal
power in the Catholic See beyond that
of other denominations.
Mr.. Taft's mission brought about a
general understanding with the Holy
See concerning the points in ques-
tion, and in further negotiations every
thing was settled satisfactorily to both
parties.
Pope Leo XIII sent representative
to the islands with authority to act
He sent Archbishop Guidi, whom Mr..
Taft praised as "a very congenial and
high-minded gentleman" They had a
survey of the lands made and the
surveyor estimated that $6,200,0O0 was
their valuation. After talking the mat
ter over $7,5O0,O00 was decided upon
as the sum to be paid and bonds for
this amount were issued. The inter
est upon these have been paid so far
and Mr.. Taft believes will continue to
be met. Yet he did say that IL this II
not the result the responsibility must
fall nm fhosa vhn havo chanpod tts