New Britain herald., 1915-12-08
CAMPAIGN TO AID
 COUNTY CHURCHES
Pinchot Pleads for Cooperation Through Community Federations

Columbus, O., Dec. S.-Country churches in the near future must CO., operate through the medium of com munity federations and they must interest themselves more closely in the material welfare of the rural population, Clifford Pinchot, president of the National Conservation asso- citation, declared today in an address at the opening session of the national convention of the commission on Church and Country Life, branch of the Federal council of churches of Christ in America, which is meeting sim multaneously.
 MT. Pinchot, who is chairman of the commission, called on both coun- try and city residents to unite in try Ing to solve the problem of the present decadent condition of rural churches He predicted that the rural church campaign to be institut- ed at this meeting would be an eff fectlve conservation movement inas- much as it would tend to conserve the religious and economic health of country communities.
 Sound and Vigorous.
 
 There can be no permanently sound and vigorous life for the na- tion unless life in the country is viz orous and sound,' said MT. Pinchot. ''The strength of any civilization is best measured by the soundness of life on the land. The tenacious spir- 1tual Ideals of the open country con- stltute our most resisting barrier agalnst the growing laxity and luxury or our social organization.
 l believe we are standing today on the threshold of great movement which will bring back to the church Tn the country and smaller towns the greater power for good which it used to have. I do not contend that the church should take the functions of the Grange or the agricultural school but I do believe that failure or the country churches through their min- isters to get into productive touch with the work and needs of the coun- try people is one of the fundamental reasons for the present weakness of country church.
 MT. Pinchot urged the necessity of good farms, good roads and good schools as necessary for the success of churches, but declared also that
 
 fully in securing improved material conditions. He explained that the commission on church and country life, created one year ago under au- thority of the Federal council of churches, was the partial outgrowth of former President Roosevelts com mission on Country Life. MT. Pinchot was member of that commission. He praised the work of Dr. Warren H. Wilson, New York, who has charge of the rural church work for Pres byterians, of Dr. George F. Wells, of the Federal Council of Churches and of Rev. Charles Otis Gill, secre- tary of the commission. He urged all denominations to unite in a move ment to improve the country church.
 Truth About Conditions.
 we are not here to advocate the weakening or strengthening of any de- nomination at the expense of an- other,' said MT. Pinchot, "nor have we any theory to exploit or any axe to grind. We merely seek the truth about conditions, and remedies that are both wise and practicable" The conference will be in session tomorrow and Friday, concluding with an address Friday evening by President Wilson on rural life prob lems in the United States. Most l meetings of the Federal Council of Churches are for business transactions and the public program is largely be- | fore the rural life commission. Pinchot Noted Churchman. l Because of country church move 1 ments tends to eliminate unnecessary l churches and duplication of effort. l Clifford P1nchot, Americas foremost l apostle of conservation, is chairman of the Commission on Church and l Country Life. "It is one of the great 1 est ends of the conservation cause to conserve human energy in the ru- ral religious and civic field," he says. ! Pinchot is 50 years of age. He is 1 president of the National Conserva- tion association. He was forced to leave Belgium several months ago while arranging for distribution of ] American supplies for French within ! German lines, because the Germans considered him pro Allies. Now he ] is featuring on the European war He i became interested in forestry when a young man and persuaded his father, James Pinchot, a wealthy New York merchant, to endow the Yale forestry school. He is now called "the father ] of forestry in America" He was chief United States forester under | President Roosevelt and was dismiss ed by President Taft during the Ballinger controversy. In 1914 he was married to Miss Cornelia Bryce. daughter of General Lloyd Bryce, former ambassador to Holland.