The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-05-26
JOINT COMMITTEE
 REPORT ADOPTED
 BY PRESbYTER|ANS
Relation of Church to Social Service EmbOdied-Objec- tiOn of Church to CathO-
 licism Is Explained

Kansas City, May 25.-Action that ultimately may result in the union of all the Presbyterian bodies in the United States was taken at tonights session of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian church in the United States (southern). The commissioners approved an overture from the coun- ell of the reformed churches in Amer lea looking to closer relations and more effective administrative cooper alton between the several Presbyterian and reformed churches represented in the council.
 Kansas City, May 25.-,rhe report of the joint committee of the four largest Pres byterian bodies in the United States on the relation of Christian faith to social ] service was adopted by the general as
 sembly of the Presbyterian church in the United States (southern) today. The report recommended that the church take more active interest in the social, economic and industrial lives of it's people The report of the systematic beneficence committee, which was expected to be dis cussed, was not ready. It will come up
 tomorrow or Wednesday. The expected opposition of the womens council to it's provision that it's funds be placed under | the control of the benericence committee probably will not develop members of
 the council said today. ..-r,-
 We will, however paka an attempt
 to have this recommendation modified by the special commission to which the re-
 port deferged." said Mrs w. c. | Winsborough Superintendent of the aux Hilary. ''If this is refused we will abide l by the decision of the assembly. We be-
 lieve, however, that the method under whichfwe are working is better than the pkan proposed by the systematic bene- kficence committee
 Method Praised
 The women's method of handling the funds was praised by the Rev. Egbert w. Smith, in reading the report of the supervisory committee for the woman
 auxiliary. He said it would be unwise to change the policies of the auxiliary convention concerning the handling of funds. The report was referred to the | committee on church societies.
 | The assembly today adopted the fol-
 lowing resolution following addresses l from number of speakers attacking the | Catholic church:
 1 The general assembly views with serious
 concerns the growth and pernicious ac- tivity of that powerful politico-religious | organization known as the Church of
 Rome, which is and always has been a
 menace or a blight to civil and religious
 liberty of every kind wherever it has
 obtained foothold; the assembly also views with serious concern the danger | ous apathy prevailing all classes of
 Protestants in this country touching this menace"
 Explain Catholic Attitude | It was made plain during the debate
 that the objection of the Presbyterians to l Catholicism is not against any spiritual doctrine connected with it, but against
 what the speakers termed the political
 activity of the Catholic church. Those who spoke on the subject before
 the resolution was adopted included the
 Rev ]. s. Lyons of Louisville, Ky, and | Dr. J. Addison Smith of Murfreesboro Tenn. Dr. Smith charged that an edict from the pope was in the possession of | Major Butt, who died on the Titanic, | commanding all Catholics to vote for a candidate other than Woodrow Wilson in | the presidential elections
 | Dr. Smith said that he recently served
 or committee which appealed to the As- sociated Press for wider publication of l general Christian news and that the ef- 1 forts of the committee were unavaling.
 MT. Smith declared that "even the As
 sociated Press is controlled by the fine
 hand of the man on the Tiber.'