The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-04-09
CAN'T JUDGE WAR, PRESIDENT ASSERTS
Tells Ministers That Out. come Must Be Awaited
 Before Judgment.


 Washington, April 9.-In a speech before the Maryland annual confer ence of the Methodist Protestant church in session here last night President Wilson said it was his be- lief that no man was wise enough tol pronounce Judgment on the Euro
 pean war at this time.
 "But,n" he added, i've can all hold our Npirits in readiness to accept the
 truth when it is revealed to US in the outcome of this titanic struggle.''/ .''/ The president reminded the dele
 gates that in transacting the business
 of their church they were like the
 men in charge of the nations govern ment, in reality handling tsthe phases of the day.
 t'You are handling the affairs of the church as they stand under the treatment of the men of your genera tion,' he said. Back of them lie the eternal principles which you are try ing to exemplify in the life of the church. Back of us here in the gov ernment lie the eternal principles of Justice and righteeusnes esss which, in my conviction, at any rate, we do not derive from ourselves, but from the same source from which a great church derives it's inspiration and au- thorfty.
 tfIt seemed to me that it was worth saying something like this: These are
 days of very great perp1exity, when a great cloud of trouble hangs and broods over the greater part of the world. It seems as if great, blind material forces had been released which had for long been held in leash and restraint. And yet, underneath that you can see the strong impulses of great ideals.
 ttIt would be impossible for men to go through what men are going through on the battlefields of Europe 1-Iz night of their terrible struggle-if it were not that they saw, or thought that they saw, the broadening of light where the morning sun should come up, and believed that they were standing each on his side of the con test, for some eternal principle of right.
 Then, all about them, all about us, there sits the silent, waiting tribunal which Is going to utter the ultimate Judgment upon this struggle, the great tribunal of the opinion of the I see, pray that it may be that do truly see great spiritual forces lying waiting for the outcome of this thing to assert themselves, and asserting themselves even now, to enlighten our judgment and steady our spirits No man is wise enough to pronounce jud gn1ent, but we can all hold soIIr spirits in readiness to accept the truth when it dawns on us and is revealed to us in the outcome of this titanic struggle.
 .sssYou will see that it is only in such general terms that one can speak on the midst of a confused world, as have already said, man has the key to this outcome. no man can see his own spirit prepared to contribute to the net result whenvthe outcome dis plays itself.
 -t.TIaat is fFa req sOr9T ss, i'd to d hafv similar to this only a few nights ago that I welcomed the atmosphere which these solemn assessments of the human spirit bring to Washing ton- For this is the place of assess ment. In- one sense Washington is not even a part of the United States. It is where everybody else comes and sooner or later speaks his mind about the United States and about many outlying parts of the world.
 MT Bryan and. are constantly auditors to what dare say is a large judge by the time it takes to express it, think it is very large part, and to judge by the variety and con trarfety of 1t, I dare say it is fair cross section of whatm en are think ing about.',
 Secretary Bryan followed the pres ident with an address of welcome to 1 the visiting clergy His remarks were confined strictly to a discussion of the three great sre1ationships,' 2 which l he characterized as government, SO ciety, and religion, or mans relation | to God.'' Great and important as al1@ these relationships were, MT. Bryan l said he believed religion was most imperative to the welfare of na- ton.
 Men in Battle Would