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Show Spanish Friars Must Go. A TELEGRAM from the Eternal City, dated March 10, states that the pope, on receiving Archbishop Sbarretti before the latter's departure for the Philippines, urged him to make every effort to work with the Americans, Ameri-cans, from whom, including President Roosevelt himself, the Vatican had had such marks of friendliness. The words of the pontiff were the more important as he has lately received re-ceived warm petitions from the friars urging him to maintain their moral and material supremacy in the Philippines, Phil-ippines, recommending him especially to prevent their removal. Several cardinals consider that if the Washington government insists the friars will nit im:i telv- Tip B-rarln i withdrawn. Already it is contemplated lo supply sup-ply the places of these friara with American missionaries, and the Paul-ists Paul-ists are making efforts to train priests for just such a mission. A bill for the putvhase of lands owned by the friars Is before congress. - Probably the most Important feature of this big land deal, as outlined by Senator Spooner, concerns the disposition disposi-tion of these vast tracts of land, which include whole town sites, and a large percentage of the best, agricultural lands in the islands. The purpose is to throw these tracts open for settlement settle-ment on payment of a price of about J1.20 per acre in American money. . The further settled policy of the administration ad-ministration is to turn these lands over . Luc x-jujjiiios ,. memseives and to create an actual .statutory preference in favor of the present tenant. As provided in the Lodge bill, Ihe land will be bought from the friars and .then sold at cost to the tenants, so that the transaction will not in the end cost the United States government anything at all. It will be necessary, however, to advance a large sum of money to secure Immediate possession and title to the-lands now held by th religious orders; To obtain this money the Lodge bill provides for an issue of 4 per cent bonds payable in from five to thirty years The money will be used exclusively for the purchase of land, but the bonds are to be made available as a basis of circulation by national banks; and thus will become Immediately desirable In this country |
