The Washington herald., 1914-12-13

America held its annual convention at
Richmond. Va, last week, December 8
to II. The Federal Council officially rep
resents nearly all the Protestant bodies
in the United States. including the Bap-
tist, Congregationalist, Methodist, Lu-
theran, Presbyterian and Reformed
churches
This convention included among its
official delegates over $50 Of the prominent
clergymen and laymen from all parts Of
the country. The Secretary of State.
William Jennings Bryan, as a delegate Of
the Presbyterian Church, participated in
the proceedings Of the committee.
Other delegates were Prof. Shailer
Mathews, dean OF the divinity school of
Chicago University, who Is the president
Of the Federal Council; DR.. Sidney L.
Gulick, OF Japan; United States District
Court Judge Henry Wade Rogers, Bishop
z. r. Hendrix; Rev. WilIian9H. Roberts,
State clerk Of the Presbyterian Assembly;
Rev. Howard B. Grose, Bishop Earl
Cranston. Of Washington; Bishop Luther
B. Wilson, John NJ. Glenn, director Of the
Russell Sage Foundation; Rev. Doremus
Scudder, Of Honolulu; Rev. Charles L.
Thompson, Rev. Hubert C. Herring, and
Dean w. F. Tfllett, Of Vanderbilt Uni
versity.
The Federal Council leaders regard this
years meeting as the most important In
the councils history. The question Of the
church as a body interesting itself to
a greater degree toward the solutioA OF
social and economic problems, the peace
movement, church unity, and the Japan
ese question were Important topic OF dis
cussion.
In his annual report to the committee,
the secretary of the council' DR.. Charles
S. Macfarland, reviewed the activities OF
ne Va riot,1 coY,o Y,opoisaiopa durinR the mast
year.
The proclamation by the President of
the United States, appointing Sunday, oc-
tober 4, as a day of prayer for peace,
was made at the request of the council.
Thirty Of the delegates at the peace con-
ference held in Constance, Germany, just
as the European. war broke, were dele
gates from the Federal council.
The council has been much in the pub
lie eye, during the past year through the
activities OF its commission on relations
with Japan, the membership Of which
includes Rev. Charles R. Brown, dean
of Yale Divinity School: Prof. Charles r.
Henderson, of Chicago University; Ham
ilton Holt, editor OF the Independent;
John r. Mott, secretary Of the World
Student Christian Federation. and Robert
L. Speer, chairman Of the Commission on
Foreign Missions.
Shailer Mathews. will probably go to
Japan, accompanied by DR.. Gulick, with
a message from the American churches.
DR.. Gulick has made over 80 addresses
in all parts of the country urging a bet
ter feeling between Japan and America.
The councils committee on industrial
relationships has been active in the Col
Orado strike situation Three OF the So
ciaI service secretaries, Drs. Ward, Bat
ten and Carroll, are now in Colorado,
where they are sitting with the Federal
council commission on Industrial rela-
tons
Other commissions unite the church
forces on temperance, Sunday observance
and family life. A committee of 100 is
laying out a continuous campaign at the
Panama Exposition and another is ar
ranging the celebration of the Treaty
Of Ghent. The commissions number over
a thousand members, representing thirty
denominations.