Bisbee daily review., 1914-05-21
HUGE ASSEMBLY WILL TAKE UP PROBLEMS
 OF PRESBYTERIANS
General COnclave of Church in This Country May Develop
 Contest Between Factions.

contest betWeen FaCUOIlS.
 CHICAGO. May 20. - Prominent ministers and laymen from every sec tlon of Che country will attend tho opening session of the One Hundred and Twenty-Sixth General Assembly Of the Presbyterian Church in the United states held today at the new Fourth Presbyterian Church
 The assembly is composed of nino . hundred commissioners, equally d. ! vided between the clergy and elders | and representing 295 local Presbyter- ies. The last meeting of the general ! assembly held in Chicago. was in 1875
 An interesting contest is expecteda between the progressive and reaction ary elements over an interpretation of that portion Of last years report of the Board of Home Missions which sought to abolish the department of Church and Country Life, organized to enlarge and improve the work of the country church and adapt itself to the practical needs of the community The last general assembly adopted a report expressing the fullest sympa thy with the work, but directing that the department be discontinued as soon as practicable. The department has continued it's work under the di- rection of Rev. Charles l.. Thompson of New York but he is expected Co re- sign his post because of old age. He l is 7S years old. It is said that many in- fluential leaders will make a deter mined effort to have this department and its work continued.
 Reports from score of standing and special committees dealing with many important phases of religious. social. educational, political and indus trial life will be considered by the as- sembly in Che ten days it is in session
 Fey. Jihn Timothy Stone, D. b. pas tor of the Fourth PresbytcriaL Church and moderator of the body opened the general assembly at 1o3O o'clock with a sermon in which he reviewed the progress of the church and enumerated its principal actiyi- ties during the past year. It was the second time in the history of the Pres bvterian General Assembly that the . retiring moderator convened the new . assembly in the church of which he was pastor
 Rev William II. Roberts of Phila' . delphia who has acted as stated clerk . -.rrlH fr, roll after fna as. sembly had been convened.
 The first important item of business
 was the organization of the new body . by the election of a mouerator ana { other officials There were fewer
 candidates for moderator mentioned
 than in previous years and as a result little canvassing for votes. This was l a result of the precedent established
 last year when Dr. Stone was uneN
 pectedly elected from the floor of t1' assembly after half a dozen candl e dates had spent many days election
 eering among the commissioners.
 Rev. S. Hall Young, who spent 40
 years as a missionary in Alaska
 where he established the first churci @ of any denomination, presented botl ,- Moderator Stone and his successor
 with d gavel made from the tusks O
 a walrus, which Dr. Young killed oi one of his expeditions in the Behrini t sea. The Fourth Presbyterian Church Lake Shore Drive and Chestnut Stree in which the general assembly Is II is session. was recently built at a cos
 of s75O 900 and is said to be the mos
 beautiful and best equipped churc
 of that denomination in the worll O. It is situated in one of the most ari. y tccratic residence sections of the city fl although not more than one mile iroI
 the retail shopping and theater di'
 trict It was dedicated May 9, has -s seating capacity of 150O and will D 10 seven days a week church o' y voted to every kind of institution
 activity.