The Washington herald., 1914-09-27

Next Sunday, October 4 will no doubt
be more generally observed In one COM
mon program than any previous SUNDAY
America has known. The exercises VIII
he held in compliance with the recon-
mendation of President Wilson, who was
actuated in naming the day by re-
quest of the Federal Council Of Churches.
Jew and Christian alike, Of all denom-
nations plan to observe the day.
The interiors Of many Protestant
churches and Jewish synagogues will be
decorated with the colors Of the ma
tons involved in the struggle, care being
taken to avoid suggestion OF paruaIity
by including the colors Of all the ma
tons involved-Germany, Russia, Eng
land, France, Austria, Servia, Belgium
and Japan.
So far as can be learned, the favorite
form for the address or sermon is to De
an explanation Of the proposed Hague
Arbitration Court, and the part which
the nations with the United States as
leader, have taken to establish It; the
description of the work Of the two
great peace societies, the American and
the church; the part the United States
may play in any scheme Of mediation
and its present duty; and the arguments
0ON-
not prove that Christianity has failed.
In many cities not only are collections
to be taken on the day named for the
Red Cross and the Prince Of Wales Fund,
but especially for the starving women
and children of Servia- This small ma
ton has been through three wars In three
years and. according to the Archbishop
Of Belgrade, suffering among children
is widespread. The Servian church
mittee has been named to forward
funds.
The Living Church CChicago approves
of the Presidents call to prayer, and
says editorially:
The Presidents proclamation Of Sun
day, October 4, as q day Of prayer for
peace does credit to him and to the
American people. 1t breathes the true
Christian spirit and it carefully abstains
from suggestion of a breach Of neutral
ity.
And of this we must all take the great
est care. The prayers that We offer
must not be for the one party as against
the other. They must not even demand
immediate peace. The President is very
happy in indicating their scope: that
overruling the counsel Of men. setting
straight the things they cannot govern
or alter taking pity on the nations now
in the throes of conflict, in His mercy
and goodness showing a way where men
can see none almighty God wild vouch-
safe His children healing peace again.
and restore once more that concord
among men and nations without which
there can be neither happiness nor true
friendship. nor any wholesome fruit OF
toll or thought in the world: praying
also to this end that He forgive US
our sins. our ignorance of His holy will,
our willfulness and many errors, and lead
US in the paths Of obedience to places
of vision and to thoughts and counsels
that purge and make wise
We venture to say that no American
State paper ever was more happily con-
ceived and expressed than this, and that
no step that President Wilson could take
in this world crisis would be more ap-
propriate than this.
The whole Anglican world will on that
Sunday-the seventeenth after Trinity
be listening, in the epistle for the day
to the admonitiol Of st. Paul, the pris'
oner of the Lord: that ye walk worthy
of the vocation wherewith ye are called
with all lowliness and meekness, with
Iong-suffering. forbearing one another in
love; endeavoring to keep the unity oi
the Spirit in the bond of peace
1T is the prescription to the nations
whereby their peace may be secured and
may persist unbroken.
We hope the American people will
very generally participate in this act OF
service to which the President invites
them.
rs it not unprecedented-we ask rather
than make the assertion-for a neutral
and wholly uninvolved nation to take
so seriously to heart a war among other
nations, as thus formally to be hidden tc
prayer by its chief executive?
IF so. President Wilson has set a
most salutary precedent. Thoroughly
ought Americans to realize that we have
our part to perform in this world tragedy
and that 1t behooves US TO play that part
well.
Alone among the great nations we are
in feeling no less than in outward form
the friend Of all nations that are at war"
The Congregationalist and Christian
World makes the following suggestion
concerning the object of the peace pray
ers, declaring that the Presidents noble
proclamation strikes a responsive chord
in the hearts of all true Christians"
Our prayers should be directed toward
the restoration of peace among the war.
ring nations at an early date, but espe'
cially that conditions may be so ad
justed that when peace is restored it shall
be permanent. Probably IL peace were
he permanent peace. Undoubtedly the war
with all its horrors and losses, must 81
on until one side or the other has beer
so weakened that it will be humble, anC
that all the nations involved may SCI
as they never have seen before the folly
of war and the disastrous effects of mill
tarism. Let US work and pray, there
fore, that the terms of peace may bt
righteous, that the nations may MAKE
their governments truly Christian and
that good will, cooperation and the ulti
mate establishment of wise and stable
democracy may take the place of con
fict, hatred and the selfish autocracy o.
empire and overlordship, which are cost
ing the world so dearly in life and treas
ure. Work and pray for democracy, so
cial justice and international righteous
ness, for only upon these foundations car
we build enduring peace.
call to prayer, in response to tn
proclamation of the President, has beer
addressed jointly by the Federal Council
of the Churches of Christ in America
and the Church Peace Union to the NOR,
than $4,000 churches which compris,
their constituency. The MESSAGE says:
President Wilson having issued a proc
lamation appointing Sunday, October 4. a
q day Of prayer and requested all God
fearing persons" to unite at their re
spective places of worship in supplica
ton to Almighty God to restore concord
among the nations now at war. the Fed
eral Council OF the Churches of Chris
in America and the Church Peace Uniol