The San Francisco call., 1908-05-08
MAY ASK FOR MORE
NAVY CHAPLANS
Local Ministers Declare Number
Is Inadequate for Needs
of the Service
Luncheon in Honor of Ministers
Who Came Round Horn
With Fleet

A notable reunion Of chaplains in the
American navy took place at the lun-
cheon given yesterday noon by the
religious auxiliary of the citizens COM
mittee at the Hotel Stewart Four of
the Eve chaplains who made the voy-
age around the Horn with the fleet
We're present. and also Chaplain Dick
ins OF the Pacific fleet, assigned to the
Tennessee, and Chaplain Patrick, sta
TONED at Goat island.
Father Gleason, who made the trip
upon the flagship Connecticut, was un-
able to be present. The four ministers
OF the feet who attended were Senior
Chaplain g. II Charlton of the Georgia,
@. Z. T. Stevenson of. the Virginia, T.
r. Fleming of the Rhode Island and
S. X. Evans Of the Minnesota
1t was the largest gathering of the
religious leaders Of the navy which
any Of the members present had at
tended in many years.
In the absence of Bishop Nichols, the
chairman Of the committee, his place
was taken by Rev DR.. Guthrie. The
other local ministers attending were the
Rev. Drs. II. II. Bell, George E. Bur
lingame S. G Patterson, Robert Lord
Cave. Frank ". Gale, Bradford Leavitt,
Frank Stone, Chaplain Patrick. and
Secretaries T. II. McCarl and II. ]. Nc
Coy of the Y. II c. A.
Chaplain Evans was the bearer of a
message Of greeting from Bishop Pot
ter OF New York to Bishop Nichols Of
California and hoped later to have the
privilege Of presenting 1t TO the prel-
ate Speaking of the religious life on
shipboard, Evans said:
1t is our custom to hold three SER
vices on shipboard Sundays. the attend
ance upon which is entirely a matter of
choice with the men. There are no
religious requirements made in the
navy. the work Of the chaplain being
wholly up 10 him. Whatever influence
he nay gain over the men on his ship
IS matter Of personal relationship.
Our morning service is similar TO that
OF any church on shore. In the after
noon we have an informal gathering. at
which all sorts Of topics may be dis
cussed. the men feeling free to intro
duce whatever interests them We try
TO guide this conference to a certain
END, but not so as to interfere with
anybody's liberty Of speaking his mind.
Tt is opened and closed by the chaplain
with the briefest service and we find
# satisfactory to let this afternoon
meeting be what the men make it."
Drs. Guthrie, Bell and the other To-
csl ministers present expressed them
selves as desirOus Of getting something
tone 10 have better provision made in
the way of anOrding religious counsel
and compantonship for the men than is
now the case in the navy. This matter
is one which the chaplains declare they
cannot with propriety in their official
position agitate or bring TO the atten-
tion of the people
The local ministers are considering
the advisability of impressing upon
Secretary Metcalf the necessity of de-
veloping the chaplain service in the
navy along with its general growth. It
Is not generally known that the service
has Just the same number Of chaplains
today that il had 40 years ago. For
the scores Of war vessels, some Of them
carrying a complement of nearly a
thousand men, the navy has today but
p chaplains, a few of whom must be
detailed for shore duty at the appren-
tice training stations, navy yards, etc.
The local ministers feel that a cleri-
cal force which perhaps was adequate
when the navy consisted of few
frigates and monitors is beneath the
requirements of the second navy in
the world. DR.. Bell stated that a
number Of times bills had been intro
of affairs, but each had met the fate
ures involving a financial outlay
death by neglect in committee.
It is probable that the clergy of
the Catholic church and the Protestant
ministers federation here will cooper
ate IN a movement to secure congress
sional action looking to the appoint
ment Of a chaplain for at least each
one Of the major vessels making up
Uncle Sans navy.