Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-06-24
CHURCHMEN AROUSED
TEMPEST IN A TEAPOT OVER
COVENTRY PAGEANT PLANS.

Special Cablegram to The Star.
LONDON, June pa storm of indigna-
ton has been aroused at Coventry by the
decision that La Milo shall represent Lady
Godiva in the pageant. and only in flesh
lings and transparent gauze CLOAK. Resi-
dents appalled, at the decision. and are
declaring that the procession must not be
tolerated Among those interviewed is Canon
Beaufort, an influential churchman. who
has resided in Coventry for more than
forty years. 1.-The entire things is I'M
speakably vulgar" he said. NAY, l will
go farther. and say that it is positively
demoralzng, and that the whole business
ought to be stopped"
man, declared: II hope that it will yet be
killed through lack of interest," and
falling off in the subscriptions. l am
afraid that 1t Is not illegal, or we would
Rev. F. NJ. Brodie, the vicar Of Christ
Church, said among other things: Such
an exhibition Is sensual and devilish. l
suggest that meeting of the clergymen of
the town, nom conformist as we'll as Church
OF England, be called. The people of this
town do not want immortality encouraged
they are DESTROYS of suppressing it. -
Rev. w. H. c. Palmer, pastor of the
Congregational Church, said that there was
only one possible view that was right. ION
more than one OCCASION he stated. 1.-The
non-conformist ministers have made strong
representations to the authorities concern
ing certain turns at public entertainments.
There can. therefore be no question as to
what our feeling is regarding exhibition
II the streets of what we object to in the
comparative privacy of the music halls
Clergy Call It an Outrage.
He added that he would certainly CO.
operate in any movement by the other
clergy to prevent this outrage on public
opinion.
Rev w. P. Emery, the leading Baptist
minister, of whose church the present
mayor is an official. said: AT a fraternal
gathering of ministers recently d clergy
man declared that the entire idea of hav-
ing anytn hing suggestive of the ancient his
torical tradition of nude woman riding
horseback through the streets of Coventry
was disgusting and degrading. This seHti-
ment met with chorus of approval. The
thing is sensual. and if the program is car
red out it will be a disgrace to the city.
For the sake of the young, if for no other
reason. spectacle that relies for its sue
cess upon ggestiveness should be re-
pressed.
On the other hand. the secretary declares
that the protest is of the nature of a temp
est in a teapot and that it is largely case
of EVIL to him who evil thinks" He also
declared that one of the chief arguments
against the program was that an enterpris-
ing American newspaper published glaring
accounts with misleading pictures and
headlines. There exists. however a fear
that the entire question will be settled
through lack of financial support for the
pageant. The statement is made that con-
siderable is still required to make the event
a success and that inasmuch tradespeople
and prominent business men in Difference
to church sentiment are holding aloof it is
possible that no more money can be raised.
However the secretary of the committee
still persists in declaring that the enter
tainment will take place along the lines
. originally laid out on August Z.