New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-11-15
PNCHoT GETS LIE
N PULPIT SPEECH
German in Park Av. M. E.
Church Resents Refer
ence to Atrocities.
AUDIENCE STIRRED
BY ADDED FEATURE
,shers Man the Doors, Expect
;,O Disorder, as Musician Qui-
etly Quits Auditorium.

that's llei" shouted p man in the
.,,sr.sa.ion at the Park Avenue
v.,hodit Episcopal Church yesterday
Ss,ning when Clifford pinchot, who
.,s .pe.king on the war, condemned
,ps German army for atrocities.
The church was crowded when
p,neho, mounted the pulpit. He pref
.esd his remarks by a statement that
he lack Of German sentiment I'm this
,onntrv was due 70 the atrocities com
r;,ted by German soldiers during the
;nvssion Of Belgium. As nc turned 10
A., notes 10 begin the lecture, he said:
German soldiers deliberately shot
down priests, nuns. women and chill
S-sn, all non-combatants. without
cause"
There was stir far up in the
church. A tall, we'll built. clean-shaven
ran Of about thirty-five years old. who
E;er proved 20 be Christian Dierks, a
nusicisn. Of 1921 Park Avenue, stepped
into the aisle and. pointing q finger
A the speaker, shouted:
that's lie
Mr.. Pinchot looked up and turned
toward the man who had interrupted.
Yyerv one In the church twisted and
turned 70 get a look at him. Several
even stood up. For several seconds
the man in the congregation glared at
Mr. Pinchot Further argument was
stopped by Mr.. Pinchot beginning his
lecture.
The man turned and strobe toward
the door. With his hand on the swing
lng cushioned doors he turned and
sgsin said. That's lie" But by that
time Mr.. Pinchot had got well into his
subject. and the remark could not be
heard by those sitting three pews from
the door. In pushing through the
doors Dercks knocked down a card
board sign on which was an invitation
TO the public to attend the lecture.
While the incident caused but a mo-
nent Of excitement. every usher took
his place near the door. If the must
clan bad not left the church quietly, II
Is said. he would have been faced with
disorderly conduct charge, with the
Rev. DR.. Arthur Jameson, the rector
IS the complainant.
Regrets Incident.
After the incident Diercks said, at
h, home: al am member of the
Park Avenue Methodist Episcopal
Church and have enjoyed the Sunday
morning lectures. This morning
went 10 the church expecting to hear
that would give me food
for thought-somethin that would
make me strive 10 do better things.
Instead. a man goes into the pulpit
s-d begins TO attack the land Of my
birthl His statement that Germans
deliberately murdered priests, nuns,
women and children is not true. Ger
r. -oldicrs entered Belgium, and
yeo7ic began shooting az them from
valows. Was il 70 be expected that
souiers were TO be shot down without
ria ating? No,
- -.esbly :, he6 remained longer
VI. Pi7cho. could nave given some
exclamation. ! should have controlled
myself. but I am glad there was no
excitement in the church. | simply
protested against what ] thought was
not true"
Dr.. Jameson denied that Diercks
was q member Of the church.
Nr. Pinchot told Of a German SOL
der. mortally wounded. who said he
was tortured by the knowledge that he
Ia shot and killed a woman and child,
but said he did il with an officer hold
ing a revolver against his head.
He said that this country. by the
recent loan, showed its sympathy for
the Allies He pleaded that the people
take a stand Of benevolent neutrality
toward the Allies, for they were fight
ing FOR everything held dear by
Americans ocracy and world peace
-vhile Germany was fighting to eX-
tend the spirit OF militarism through
u, the world He said that success
.r Germany meant German domino
ts, Of the world, while success for the
Allies meant that the United States
void be the greatest power in the
rcrld.