It is far from that land of frost and snow to the beautiful island of Porto Rico, washed by tropical seas, through the streets of whose capital there passes every day the carriage of the Governor, with its white-covered upholstery and its livery of white.  But I add this word:  The missionary sent to Porto Rico, be he Catholic or Protestant, must be a man who can stand among statesmen and society men and women, as well as one who can live and work among the humblest folk who lodge in leaf-thatched huts along the roadside or far on lonely hills.  Representative men of ability, health, culture, and courage are being chosen to carry on governmental work:  it is idle to send provincial men to the Church.  What is locally true of the Church in Porto Rico is fundamentally true all over the world, at home and abroad.  Each ministerial post to-day requires an imperial man.  Not every post requires the same sort of man, either in regard to general heredity or education.  Men are needed of the Peter-type, of the John-type, of the Paul-type; it suffices that, they be men of unusual power, and well fitted to their individual work.

4.  The Church needs a better system for the proper placing of men.  No phase of the world’s work can be carried on merely and simply because a man is pious.  In every phase of life, there is a constant shifting of men according to temperament, ability, and general influence and power.  In the Church we must have a quick and decisive recognition of a man’s ability, and he must be set where that talent can work easily and effectively.  Churches are not all alike.  There are no two alike.  When we think of it, what a ghoulish business “candidating” is!  No scheme for the right placing of men can be devised which does not place a great deal of power in the hand of a few leading men.  This power may be abused, but ought not to be, if it were really looked upon as under divine direction and inspiration.  Cannot a great leader be inspired to the choice of a man, as well as a great author to the choice of a word, a rhyme?  Comparatively few men thoroughly understand how to rate other men, and to these few men, as in all other great enterprises, must be given the power and authority to select and adjust.  By this I do not mean that a set of ecclesiastics will alone be adequate.  Ecclesiastical vision, like all other highly specialized vision, is partial, and does not always see quite straight.  There should also be called into play the business ability and discernment of men of large business interests or administrative gifts.  Sooner or later the various religious organizations will have to meet, in some better way than any thus far formulated, this growing need.