The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-11-09

Church Convention Memorializcs
Congress for More-Receive
$4,000 to $500 Per Annum.
Their Varied Duties-Act as
Censors of Moving Picture
Shows, Schoolmasters and Hos
pital Angels-Some Must Open
All Letters and Packages Sent
to Their Charges-Their En-
ployment Once Caused a Row,
but Attempt to Gust Them
Was Frustrated - Some Are
Heroes-Sharc of the Various
Sccts in Their Appointment.
nf JOHN ELFRETII WATKINS
Washington. y. g
n lore chaplains for tho army and
INI navy arc to be asked in me-
mortal to Congress just author
lied by tho trcnnlal general conven-
ton OF the Protestant Episcopal
Church. y special committee OF two
bishops. two clergymcn and two lay
men Is now Mt work upon this docu-
ment. which also will ask additional as
eistan;s and better equipment for these
naval and military parsons.
Nearly hundred clergymcn, em-
ployed as such. arc already upon I'm
clio Sans payroll TO be exact. there
are ninety-six members OF his chap
lain corps. sixty-siN belonging - the
army. twenty-four to the navy, four
10 the Federal penitentiaries and two
TO Congress. OF the army chaplalns
sixteen are Catholics. fourteen are
Episcopalians thirteen are Methodists
seven arc Baptis's. seven are Presby-
ter!ans. four are ConSregationalists
two are Lutherans. one Is "A Unitarian
one is Dutch Reformed and one min
ister of tho Christian Church. OF the
navy chaplains. six are Catholics. six
are Merhodists. Ave are Eplscopalians.
three are Daptists. two are Presbyte-
rians, one a Disciple of Christ, ono
Cniversalist and one q Congregation
al!st.
ApportIonmcnt of Sects.
The apportionr1ent Of these parsons
ia each branch of the defensive serv-
numerical rank OF communicates OF
their churches. Thus the Methodists
and Catholics who. according 10 the
census. are larger than any other
American sects. arc entitled TO more
chaplans than any other Of the
churches Recently some of our Jew
ish citizens have made effort TO
have u rabbi appointed TO vacant
chaplaincy. but the request has not
thus far been granted.
Fifteen OF our sixtytwo army chap
lains rank majors. twenty-four as
ttrS
lieutcnants. Those with the rank Of
major receive as high as $4,000 a year
on reaching their twentieth year OF
service. while those ranking as cap
tain get from $1,000 10 S3,36c. while
the lieutenant chaplains draw from
pay they receive free quarters. horse
feed. medical attention. etc. In each
case. and at retirement each receives
three quarters OF his last active salary.
II was in 1893 that congress created
FOR tic army the Office OF post chap
lain and schoolruastcr" at n pay OF
$40 a month. four rations a day. quar-
tiers and horse feed, but with neither
enlisted nor commissioned rank. Not
until 1867 were all chaplains commits
stoned
\ now army chaplain is appointed
every few months. In the War De
partment is kept a register wherein
applicants for cLaplaincies enter their
names. ard from this. as vacancies
occur, the President selects those who
may lac examined. To be eligible each
candidate must prove that he is under
forty years old. citizen Of the United
States and all ordained minister In
good standing. He must appear nude
before board OF officers and submit
"a severe physical examination. as
we'll rs 10 educational tests. Having
hecn confirmed by tho Senate, he en-
ters with the rank OF lieutenant and
soon learns that his duties are not 10
he confined to preaching and pray
ing. In addition TO holding religious
services AT his pot each Sunday he
must perform burial services over the
dead OF his command, distribute read
ing matter among the sick in the hos
pitfalls and the prisoners in the guard
house. give instruction IN the com
mon English branches OF education
10 the enlisted men of his regiment.
identify the dead after q battle. act
often counsel for the defense AZ