The evening times., 1899-10-04

arbitration has been made by tn eXecu-
tive commission of the Pan Presbyterian
Alliance, now in session in this city Ii
shows the work and influence this churca
is now exerting to bring about such arbi-
tration The Western section OF tie AL
lance appointed q committee 10 present u
the President of the United States the me-
mortal adopted by the Sixth Council oil the
Alliance ON the subject. Tie committee
was also instructed to present 10 the Presi-
dent the petition of the Christian churche5
throughout the world in favor of arbitra-
tion and disarmament.
The committee consisted of the Amerl-
can secretary, as chairman, with the Kew.
Dr. Radcliffe, OF the New York Avenue
Presbyterian Church of this city; Rev j.
R. Drury, ID. D., of the Reformed Church
in America; Rev. DIR. Pitzer, OF this city,
and Rev. Dr. Barr. of the United PresDy-
terian Church. The report says:
The committee was given audience by
the President of the United States. The
members were most cordially received py
him. and he said that he had recommend
ed to the Senate of the United States ar
bitration as a method of settling dlfhcul-
ties with Great Britain. and that he had
hopes of its ultimate adoption by other ma
tious He also said he had responded
promptly TO the Cars proposal Tor disar-
mament but under present circumstances
the armament of the United States coulu
not be Iessened but would in any event Le
smaller than would satisfy European ma
tons 1t is evident that MIR. Mckinley
was in hearty sympathy with the OBJECT Oh
the petition.
The committee desires to place on rec
ord certain OF the facts worthy OF special
attention connected with the petition. AS
a paper IL stood in a remarkable way lor
the unity of Christian sentiment. The sig
natures attached TO il were representative
of all denominations and countries Inc
Church of England was represented by
the names of seventeen prominent dlsni-
taries including the Bishops OF Durham
and Ripon; the Church of Scotland by the
moderator of its general assembly, and
twenty-nine other churches in Great Brit
ain and ireland signifed their official ap-
proval while the Salvation Army signed
through its general. In addition, 1t was
adopted by two churches in Belgium, two
in Switzerland six in Holland, twelve in
| Australia, and twenty-eight in the United
| States.
".In the United States are included the
! Baptist, Congregational, Lutheran, Meth
i
as well as the Presbyterian and Reformed
! Churches. All the churches in the Alliance
/ also are to be regarded as having sus-
taiued the petition. and among the s.gners
are representatives of Two Roman Cath
olic examinations. The total number OF
/ Christian denominations supporting II.
therefore. is li5. representing more than
! ninety millions of Protestant Christians
1T is further of value TO state that the
ac-fr 10 FAd
I the Presbyterian Church OF the United
! States. under the leadership Of the la
meuted DR. Campbell of Richmond, Va.
! The committee headed by DIR. Campbell,
I forwarded the petition TO every Christian
/ church throughout the world, with the re
J suit CT securing signatures as above stat
/ ed
/ A report has also been submitted by the
! same committee on the condition Of the
churches. The report says:
1T is believed the American churches
I in this Alliance are without exception
! in good spiritual and financial condi-
ton Their work progresses steadily,
though slowly. Their advance during the
past year has not been as rapid as IN years
! previous. but there has been unquestion-
ably an increase in the spirit of the devo-
! tion TO the cause of Jesus Christ. We hope
! for large tokens Of the divine blessing IN
]
twentieth century opens before the Chris
tian church.
The executive committee eastern Sec
tion) of the Alliance reported the following
! important item OH tha condition of the mis-
! sionary WORK in Western Persia;
The changes already made in the Mes
/ torian mission in Western Persia by thE
! appearance and apparent success Of the
priests of the Russian church. with the anx-
! iety OccasioHed by the Tumors OF an ap-
preaching occupation of that country bj
! Russia led the Presbyterian missionaries
! in that field &c desire from the British for
oign Office information as 10 whether, sup
posing such occupation were TO take place
they would be protected in carrying on thsil
mission work as usual. The committee
therefore. entered into correspondence
] with the foreign office on this important
| subject, bur found tha, the foreign Office
| was unabla 10 make any definite reply to
| hypothetical question and one that wa:
| complicated by the fact that the Presby-
| terian missionaries were not British sub
| iects II was therefore not ct liberty Il
| assume The responsibility OF giving def
/ mite answer 10 the enquiry. Feeling tbs
! force of the reply and as the matter is ont
| Of the utmost importance and involving in
| terests OF other fields than Persia, the East
ern section of the Alliance suggests that tn;
Western section charge itself with suita-
bic action in the matter
Among other matters dealt with by thi:
| committee was a proposal that an addres:
should be presented from the Presbyterian
churches of the world TO the Queen of tht
| Netherlands on her accession to the thrcne
The proposal was urged On the ground:
that the Queen of Netherlands is the onl.
Presbyterian monarch in the world, ant
that the services rendered in times pas
by the House OF Orange, of which she i
the sole representative. and by the peopl
of the Netherlands TO coreligionists il
many lands in the days of their sore perse
cutions should be acknowledged.
The Allinace having agreed TO the pro
posaI, a suitable address has been pre-
pared IL has been signed by the presiden
of the Alliance and by other officers rep
rosenting its different branches, f0llowe,
by the signatures of some sixty moderator
| and presiding officers of Presbyterian ant
Reformed churches residing in differen
parts Of the world The address is nov
ready for presentation when this uniqu,
event in the history of the Allianc,