The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-02-14
BISHOPS CRITICISB.
THE COMING IMPOSITION AT
 JA HESTOWh, "A

Say the Programme is Utterly Different
 From Plan Given Out When First
 Submitted to the PubIic-MiIitary
 and Naval Pageants Unworthy of
 This Peaceful Nation.
 The fact that the triennial meeting of the general convention of the Protes- tant Episcopal church at Jamestown, Virginia, apd the celebration of the ter-centennial of its establishment in America coincides with the coming na- tional exposition there furnishes an oc- casion and perhaps creates a duty for the expression of a criticism upon the proposed programme of the exposition by the bishops of the church, ministers of the gospel of peace.
 In common with many others throughout the country, we have been surprised and shocked at the transfer nation of the programme, which has now gone so far as only too fully to warrant the announcement which is made that the exposition will be prl- marily a military and naval celebra- ton. That an international military and naval celebration was to have con- spcuous place in the expositions pro- gramme, as provided for by congress in 1905, was well known, and may have been conventionally proper; but the purpose to make the exposition the greatest military spectacle the world has ever seen" was not known, was not avowed, and has clearly been a gradu- ally evolving purpose, whose carrying out as now so elaborately detailed In the exposition's official organ and ad- vertised throughout the country can only work immense mischief to the country tnd to the world
 The present programme is utterly different in its order and proportions from that given when the plan of the exposition was first submitted to the public, when tie various states were asked for and granted large financial support to insure its success. We are unwilling to believe that many of our states would with knowledge of the predominant features of the present programme in which an amount dou- ble the governments total original grant of the exposition is to be devoted to military pageant alone, have made such appropriations We are confident that such plan as that now an nounced, calculated to stir up the fever of military excitement and emulation in our people at time when that is precisely what we should all most ear nestly cooperate to discourage, cannot command the approval of the serious and thoughtful citizens of the republic.
 We are blad to express our apprecia- ton of the many useful educational and industrial features in the exposi- tion's programme. But no usefulness of these can compensate for the harm involved in the overshadoWing military | features now outlined The primacy of these features in our judgment makes l the present plan of the exposition dis c0rdant with the character of our own religious commemoration at James l town, incongruous with the historic event which is its occasion, unworthy | of this peaceful American republic, and | a gross anachronism at time, when l our own nation is 10 unite with the na- | tions of the world in deliberations ir | behalf of the supplanting of the hoarS wrongs and vanities of war by the ra- 1 tional and worthy methods of interna' tional justice. We solemnly protest against 1t.
 Francis Key Brooks, Bishop of Okla. homa and Iniian Territory Ellison Capers, Bishop of South Caro- lina
 Joseph Blount Cheshire, Bishop o North Carolina.
 George D, Gillespie, Bishop of West | ern Michigan.
 Junius M. Horner, Bishop of Ashe' l viIle
 | William N. Mcvickar, Bishop oi Rhode Island.
 William w. Niles, Bishop of New l Hampshire,
 Charles Sanford olmsted, Bishop ot l Colorado.
 Arthur L. Williams, Coadjutor Bish. | op of Nebraska.
 Charles D. Williams, Bishop of Mich igan.
 Charles E. woodcock, Bishop of Ken, lucky