The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1915-10-22
FAILURE OF CHURCHES
70 ACHIEVE PURPOSES
MAKES WAR POSSIBLE

! Declaring that the European war
&tas he result Of tho unfaithfulness Of
ne church OF Christ and that It spells
bankruptcy for what was formerly
termed Christianity. Joseph Allen Ba-
;ker, member OF the house of COM
mons Of the parliament Of Great Brit
ain, speaking yesterday afternoon be-
fore the eight hundred delegates at
tending the two days session Of the
first international conference Of men
Friends. said the task OF restoring
European culture upon plane Of
upon the United States.
international. permanent peace, he
said, will be brought about only after
there Is complete and united disarma-
ment. He favored the destruction Of
all engines OF war.
He advocated as part Of the recon
struction program to follow the war
the sending OF German-Americans and
Austro-Americans az missionaries to
their mother countries. These, he said.
should actively seek to promote the
cause OF international peace and the
radiance of all ideas of future con-
flicts.
Young Friends Work.
Mr. Bakers address in the main
dealt with the work Of the Friends
Ambulance Unit of England, which is
composed of young Friends doing Red
Cross work In Belgium, France and
Italy. ~......--. .l
He carefully refrained from any &C
ton Of the international diplomatic sit
uation or the present circumstances OF
the affairs of the British cabinet. He
explained, privately, that he was in 4
certain sense barred from any pub
lie comment He did not touch upon
the neutrality of the United States,
although he expressed his apprecia-
tion of the general financial support
and contribution in men which this
country has made in England's Red
Cross propaganda.
I'VE in England have had to con-
Tess our failure to accept the respon-
sibilities of the church, because had
the church done what Christianity ex-
poets there would have been no war"
said, Mr.. Baker. Our great duty is
to see that similar catastrophe never
occurs again. Perhaps our prayers
and work for peace in England were
not In vain. but they did not prevent
the outbreak of war.
20 Friends stand Firm.
1.-TWO or three days after the war
broke out the members Of the Society
of Friends In England assembled all
appeal for Christians to stand firm
upon their faith was circulated, which
had greater scope than any similar
document and will be historical. It
was drafted by Henry T. Hodgkin,
who IL attending the conference. $3.50
This appeal sought assistance for
the mitigation of the sufferings OF
Germans and Austrians in England.
After the prison camps were visited
ard material aid rendered those con-
fined in them, and In the homes of
aliens by the aliens relief committee
and work of helping war victims was
started. WEES - e."
Such success followed the efforts
of the committee In meeting and elm
mating to great extent the distress
of the alien in England, that German
liar work in their respective coun-
tries
Describes War Scenes.
The speaker described in some de-
tail the battle-scarred fields and cities
of France and Belgium, which he visit
ed, and then dwelt upon the work Of
the Friends Ambulance Unit, an or.
ganization perfected by his son, Phil
lip Baker. Two students from Earl
ham college and two from Haverford
college in Pennsylvania are members
of the unit.
DR.. Henry Hodgkin, who followed
Mr.. Baker in making brief address
to the conferees. declared that the
organization of England which is pro-
noting the cause Of peace is more
than a peace movement. He said:
I'VE have refused to accept the belief
that war IL a necessary evil, and so
our members have gone to all coun-
tries spreading the gospel Of new
religion. Their stand has been met
with opposition. They were stoned
and mobbed, but they continue to
preach. We are now considering or
ganizing a similar corps in the United
States"
Famous Men Speak.
Other speakers yesterday afternoon
we're Harry r. Keates Of Des Moines,
la. Ellison R. Purdy of Wilmington,
o., Edgar H. Stranahan of Oskaloosa,
Ia, and DR.. J. Douglas Adams OF
Hartford, Conn. Albert J. Brown pre-
sided, and Edward Mott of Cleveland
led devotional exercises.
The general topic was Church Elk
tension Among Friends" and much
stress was laid upon the immediate
need of a program extensive in scope
and containing feasible. practical
methods to be used in furthering the
interests of the church. increasing it's
membership and finances, was unani-
mously endorsed.
Harry keates suggested that within
five years there should be $50 active
workers and a campaign instituted for
the collection of million dollars to
be divided into funds for missions,