Show INTfHfSTS Of THE I CATHOlCS AItCHBISaOP ntm TALKS ION I-ON THE SITUATION Afairs of the Church Win Cause No Complications I Our New Pos I sessionSNo iissionary Field I Washington Aug 20ArchbIshop Ireland who has ben in the city for several days left today During his stay he has had several conference wIth President McKinley with whom his relations are of the most cordial charhctel The archbishop has declined to discuss the significance of his caus uporthe president but it has been generally dersood that he wasactng In the interests of the CJtholc church for ltl protection In our new posses Sionil Archbishop Ireland dismissed as without foundation the statements that the lurch mnters are liable to cause dissehsJon To the Associated Press tonight he made the statement which follows The church questonn our new possessions pos-sessions offers no difculy whatever To principles are already settled by the consttuton and laws of America There will be no union of church and state such a Is established by custom or cOiudrd in ertain Catholic countries coun-tries of Europe There will be complete com-plete protection of all properties and of all persons With such principles Catholics in the United States are satisfied sat-isfied and CatholicS in oUr new possessions pos-sessions will be satisfied The socaled church question need not be considered by mlt l or pece commissions I is fully regulated the moment the fag of this country Is raised over a territory terri-tory The people of our new possessions I posses-sions understand I am sure this matter mat-ter very well and will loyally accept the situation I may not he very easy for them at first to adapt themselves in all cases to this situation but the embarrassments felt will be temporary tempo-rary The people wi soon realize that I Is their duty to support religion by voluntary and personal contributions In the greater number of parishes moreoVer church properties yIeld ample am-ple revenue to meet all expenses The church everywhere in our new possessions posses-sions is thorough organized I wears 116 missionary or experImental aspect but has the full form and the full I strength of complete organization and iswel prepared to care for aU her interest without the help of state or charitable aid I demands no favor no privilege naught but liberty and the legal protection of the natural and civil rights of its members Certain people who talk of these territories as fields for missionary efforts ef-forts from the United States do not know what they are talking about I They might with as much sense organize or-ganize missIons for the conversion of I the Catholics of Santiago Havana or I San Juan and their labors would have as much prospect of success in Wash I ington as in those cites of Cuba and Porto Rico The separation of the countrIes of South America from Spain and Portugal brought no change of religion nor will the separation of I Cuba and Porto Rico from Spain bring any Indeed the Catholic church will flourish better in Cuba and Porto Rico I than in other territories formerly colo flies of Spain because in Cuba and Porto Rico there will be the liberty and stability of order which stabity our fag Cuba and Porto Rico formS an ec clesiatcal province with the archbishop i archbish-op i Santiago as metropolitan and sUfragan bishop at San Juan and Havana II Ha-vana This province will take Its vana wi place I I in the American hierarch just as does the province of Baltimore or that of St Paul making the fifteenth eceles I ecce lastcal province in the United States and bringing to our Catholic population I 3n addition of two and a half millions II I not to talk of islands in the Pacific E whatever else wi come to America I I from the late war considerable Increase crease of numbers and power will come to the Catholic church As a Catholic I I I am very much satisfied wIth the way thing have been goingand as an AmerIcan I am of course thoroughly I I satisfied But if I were to speak at length of my feelings as a AmerIcan I the interview would be too lengthy and situation I stop at the religious feature of the |