The Washington herald., 1911-07-29

| Special TO The Washington Herald.
Silver Bay, Lake George, n. Y, July
26.-For intensity of spirit, for maturity
and saneness of its personnel and for
downright thoroughness of its plan and
programme of action, this Men and Re
Iigion Forward Movement Is a winner.
This Is not the critical judgment of an
| optimist, but of a hard-headed' Boston
business man who has been in many an
organized movement in charity, business,
and religion, and is now.
To cover the mass of material presented
during the past four days of this setting
up conference adequately would require
far more space than could be allotted by
the average newspaper: but It is just to
say that the emphasis of evangelism,
| important as that element undoubtedly
| is, has been eclipsed by the determined
| and unequivocal urgency of the pro-
moters of the social programme.
When speakers and leaders of the cal
iber and experience of DR.. j. W. Ma
gruder. of Baltimore; Raymond Robbins
of Chicago; DR.. ]. F.. Lansing, formerly
of the International Reform Bureau. and
I the Rev Charles Stelzle, of New York,
throw themselves into a campaign like
this, there will be no uncertain note from
salvation. Exactly this has happened at
Silver Bay. and after the platform meet
ing last night Fred B. Smith, the CAM
paign leader, averred that there were
Just three things open to the churches
of North America II the social service
message of Robbins, Stelzle, Magruder.
and Lansing, and their like. Is TO be
really faced. Either We must run away
from truth of the situation as outlined.
or stagnate through indifference, or
we must get into this fight for social
iZat ton of modern industry and life in
the name of the Christ, even at the risk
of losing our jobs"
S r
National leaders in the campaign OF
emphasis on the social message of Chris
tianity include some of the foremost
workers in philanthropy. civics, and in
dustrial welfare work in the nation. They
include John NJ. Glenn, director OF the
Russell Sage Foundation; Edward T.
Devine editor OF The Survey; Robert A.
Wood, head worker of South End House,
Boston: Lawrence WELLER, of the National
Housing Association; Gaylord S. White,
of Union Settlement, New York; Owen
R. Lovejoy, general secretary OF the
National Child Labor Committee: H. S.
Baucher, secretary of the Playground
Association of America: Graham Taylor,
warden of Chicago Commons; Miss Jane
Adams head resident of Hull House,
Chicago; Alexander Johnson, secretary
National Conference of Charities and Cor
rection; Federic Almy, secretary of Buff
falos Charity Organization Society; Ho-
mer Folk, president National Conference
of Charities and Correction; Livingstone
Ferrand national secretary Association
for Study and Prevention of Tuber-
culosis: Hastings H. Hart. of Child
helping Department, Russell Sage Foun-
dation; George J. Fisher, president of the
Society for the Promotion Of Social Serv-
ice in the Y. M. c. A, and Charles
Stelzle. superintendent of Department of
Church and Labor in the Presbyterian
Church, U. S. A.
There is unanimous agreement among
these leaders that the Men and Religion
Forward Movement offers the Christian
men of America an unparalleled oppor-
tunity to express the growing social con-
seriousness in the church. They say that
men in the brotherhoods and in the
church were never so eager to under
stand what social service means and to
give themselves to 1t. What they need.
say the leaders, is direction to definite
tasks Continuing their declaration on
plan. and message, these So
cial workers say:
The fact that the leaders in the MEN |
and Religion Forward Movement have
given social service so prominent place |
in the proposed campaign indicates that |
they are alert not only to the need of |
such work. but that they appreciate its |
in connection with a move |
ment which is to touch the whole life of
Americas manhood. 1t also shows that |
these leaders have rightly Interpreted 1
social service" when they characterize |
II as being distinctively religious" Such |
an emphasis makes plain the fact that |
II is Just as important for men to get /
right with men as that they get right |
with God" II Is laying stress upon the
second great commandment, Thou shalt |
love they neig.lbor as thyself,'' which |
Jesus said was like unto the first, Thou |
Shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy /
heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy /
mind"
Because this movement has in It such
a comprehensive appeal we give i our
hearty support. We bespeak for II the |
OF all social workers who
may hitherto have been Indifferent TO
the church. because they have felt that
the church has not been concerned about /
these unfortunate members of society to
whose interest they devote their lives.
We value this movement because Il gives /
portunity to come face to face with one
church. We believe that out OF the cop-
ferences and discussions and mass meet
lngs win come q greater appreciation Of l.
the needs OF our common humanity: that /
the workingmen and the employer Of