Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1913-10-08
RACE. ISSUE IN THE
EP|SCOP Al CHURCH
Question to be Threshed Out
At Conference in New
York.
DIVERSITY OF VIEWS.
May Have Negro Bishops No
episcopal Pope" - Six Negro
ChCirs at Gathering This Week.

New York, Oct. S.-An unusually
large gathering Of men in the garb
Of the clergy was to be seen in the
lobbies of New York hotels yes,
terday. The occasion is the 44th
general convention of the Protestant
Episcopal Church of America, which
formally opened today in the Cathe-
dral of st. John the Divine, which
will continue in session for three
weeks and possibly longer.
Church dignitaries and laymen
representing the dioceses in the Unit
ed States and over-sea territories
practically all arrived yesterday and
took up at least ar informal discus
sion issues vital to the church.,
which will be thraShe! out during
the convention. The church gather
ing includes nearly 5000 interested
persons. The convention itself EN-
braces 7l5 representative men from
all parts of the world and the leg
islation which they will pass will be
in behalf of 100000 communicates.
One of the topics to come before
the convention for discussion will be
the question, What Shall be Done
With the Colored Brother?" The
subject is to be brought before the
convention in "a memorial asking that
negro bishops be placed over special
" defined dioceses in the South,
where negro churchmen are to be
found in great numbers.
Bishop Greer intends to have it
thoroughly thraShed out in special
conference to be held Sunday night,
October l9, in the Cathedral, in the
presence Of the entire delegation.
Addresses will be made by members
of Congress-, and six vested choirs
composed entirely of negroes, will
sing special service.
Numerous parties inside the
church are already at work. One
party is sending broadcast state
ment of Bishop Spalding, of Utah,
attacking the United States Steel
Corporation, in which he is quoted as
saying that "this corporation en-
p!oys in China 81 900 natives, paying
them only 2 cents day"
The change from the present
structure of the church, dividing the
country into eight provinces under
metropolitans or archbishops, who
shall select from their number a
primate, is another matter which is
likely to stir up discussion. Oppo-
ments of this measure say this will
create "an Episcopal Pope and they
would rather stay as they are.
Still another matte to come up
makes the creation Of an officer never
before operative in any church. This
is the bishop of the army and navy.
There are now so many Episcopal
clergymen serving as chaplains in
both branches of the service that the
general convention Of 1910 was me-
morialZed to create a special dlo-
cese for men. The commission ap
pointed then will report to the con.
vention about to sit, and it is ex-
pected that favorable action will ne
taken.
Twelve hundred members Of the
Women's Auxiliary which holds If
session coincident with the general
convention, are already in the city
for their meeting.
The delegation from the diocese ct
Virginia is as follows:
Rev. William Meade Clark, D. D.,
rector of st. James Church, Rich
mond; Rev. E. E. Goodwin, Ashland;
Rev. William D. Smith, Winchester;
and Rev. Angus Crawford, Episcopan
Seminary, Alexandria, churchhen:
Judge r. Carter Scott and P. H..
MAYO, Richmond: Judge J. X. NJ.
Norton. Alexandria, and Roosevelt
Page. Hanover county, iaymen.
Both Virginia delegations will be
able to report to the general conver-
ton that they have taken up tine
work of the social service commits
sion. which has the hearty indorse-
ment of the Church. Rev. F. Emes,
INarran raetnr Of Mazda Marnneial