The Washington herald., 1915-09-12

world. many of them in countries now
at war. Reports from these countries
read at the conference resulted in the
| adoption of the following resolution,
presented by John Wanamaker:
Recognizing the courage and ten
der brotherliness. Of the brethren in
Japan ard Tokyo, who are encourag-
| ing the worlds committee to issue the
call for the worlds convention at
Tokyo on october Is. 1916. it is the
judgment of this committee. at this
time. that in view of the information
before US as to existing conditions.
that The date Of the convention should
be changed to a later date in the
future to be recommended by the
committees of our Tokyo brethren"
Those who attended the conference.
in addition to Mr.. -wanamaker. were
H. J. Heintz, of Pittsburgh. Frank l..
Brown, Of Brooklyn; Bishop J. c..
! Hartzell. of Africa; w. N. Hartshorn.
of Boston; DR.. George w. Bailey. OF
Philadelphia; A. B. McCrellis, of Prov
| idence, r. l.; Fred A. Wells, of Chi
cago: J. w. Kinnear. of Pittsburgh;
G. E. Hall. of Plainfield. N. j.: George
w. Penniman. of Boston: Dr. Alex
ander Henry, and w. G. Landes, both
of Philadelphia.
The first organized religious move
ment in the United States to provide
national defense organization ready
to answer the country's call should a
foe attempt an invasion has been
launched in Philadelphia, when the
directors of the Drexel Biddle Bible
classes announced plans for training
their members along military lines.
The idea, according to Anthony J.
Drexer Biddle, the father of the
movement. is to form the military or
ganization for peace purposes rather
than for war. 1t will cover eighty
thousand members of the Bible classes
in thirty States of the Union.
Forty speakers, directors in the
Bible classes, are putting the idea be-
fore the church. going people of these
States. and. with the aid of many as
sistants. they will speak in hundreds
of churches throughout the country.
Thousands of pledges have been dis
tributed among the church people.
which read as follows:
We. the undersigned. are American
citizens. We promise our God to pro-
tect the flag and the honor of the
United States of America with our
lives.
tHdn S.UUU nave
been obtained by Mr.. Biddle person.
ally. and he said that fully 10000
more were in the hands of the other
speakers.
I'VE have just been feeling public
opinion out on this matter" he says.
''and We find that the church people
as a whole stand against preparation
for war. We are not preparing for
war. but for peAce. We place peace
above everything else. but we real
ize that in order to preserve it a
trained along military lines. The fact
of being adequately prepared to de-
fend our homes in times of invasion
is the foremost factor of peace.
We believe with Gen. Leonard
Wood. who is one of our counselors.
in the Plattsburg idea. and it is our
intention to follow out many fea-
lures that have been brought out
there. We know that war is against
the teachings of Christ, but we also
believe that preparedness for war in
Sures peace" 80
Mr.. Biddle points out that the majority
of church people who advocate national
disarmament come from remote sections
of the country where they would not at
the outset be subject to land or sea at
.tacks The people along the sea coasts
and borders, however, are not immune to
the ravages of an invading foe, and, con-
sequently, they are not so averse to~the
idea of having a body of men always
prepared which would insure peace by
warning the foe to keep out.
The method Of training the men and
the organization of battalions and COM
panies is left to the discretion of the
board of directors of the Bible classes,
who will announce their plans when the
campaign closes.
Mr.. Biddle says that many members
Of the classes were also members of the
National Guard or other military organ
izations and they are enthusiastically
indorsing the idea.
The name of the Latin-American mis-
sionary conference. which Is to be held
at Panama next February. has been
in Latin-America. The new name
broadens the scope of the meetings. in
accordance with a resolution recently
adopted which states, 1T shall be the
purpose of the Panama congress to rec
ognize all the elements Of truth and good
ness in any form of religious faith.
This definition Of the spirit Of the PAN
anna congress was adopted at repre-
sentative meeting of the chairmen Of
the several commissions and others at
Caldwell, N. J., DR.. Mott presiding. The
executive secretary stated at this meet
ing that the eight commissions now max
ing investigations for the Panama con-
gress have rs members and are now con-
sidering over two hundred papers re-
ceived from more than six hundred cor
respondents. The government of Pan
anna has offered the national institute
buildings for day meetings and dormitory
accon9modations and the new National
Theater for night meetings. Immediately
following the Panama congress groups Of