Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-05-17

300 Delegates From All States
and Nine Foreign Countries
to Convene at Atlantic
Tomorrow
RECEIVE 14s ovERTuREs


hffANrIc CITY. May 17.-Perhaps
utntfal Assembly OF the Presbyterian
Ctofnh IN the United States has It's annual
NESTING convened with such enormous pos
abilities as the one which will open on
the Steel Pier at Atlantic City tomorrow
H1ornfng n will continue for 10 days.
Nine hundred delegates from every
State IN the Union and nine foreign ma.
tIons. Brnzil, China, Korea, Japan. Mexico
india, the Philippines. Syria and Persia
win be III attendance 10 settle the un-
nrecedented difficulties which the Presby.
tnfian Church confronts this year There
win also be 500 visitors from all parts OF
tld nation, who will have no vote in the
General Assembly, but who may influence
ftltEates. W
one hundred and forty-eisht overtures
from synodsvfn all parts OF the country on
= multitude of subjects have been received
by the Stated Clerk of the General AS
aeinbly&Dr. w IT. Roberts. OF Philadelphia.
He win present them to the Committee on
Bills and Oyertures. This committee will
bo selected after the General Assembly
opens Or. J. Ross Stevenson, president OF
tho Theological Seminary OF Princeton Uni
verplty and retiring Moderator of the Gem
eral Assembly, will act as chairman of this
eomniittee.
The Rev Edgar W. Work, one Of the
most prominent Presbyterian ministers Of
mittee and its wqrlt, that much depended
on tho personnel OF this body, saying there
win be no politics about how the committee
u selected, but there may be about who is
eolected."
swe, OF New York, realize that the mat.
ter OF ousting the Presbytery of New York
from the General Assembly depends on the
personnel of this committee" he said. "tf
the men on IL are friendly to New York the
overtures sent to the General Assembly will
% laid on the table. If. on the other hand,
they are not, the overtures will likely be
admitted TO the delegates and then, Of
course. no one can foretell what the result
will be-"
Presbyterians assembling here today do
not hesitate to say conditions have reached
climax; that something must be done it
the work of the Church is to continue Many
resent the attitude of the Presbytery of
New York In licensing young men who do
not believe in the Virgin Birth and other
miracles OF the Bible to preach They say
the very foundations of the Church are
being undermined by such action
For this reason, the selecting of the
Moderator of the 12sth Annual General
Assembly Is of more Importance than at
any previous session, according to church
authorities. who feel that the strongest man
possible should be selected for the place.
The retiring Moderator, DR.. j. Ross Stew,
enson, will deliver the opening sermon to-
morrow morning, at 1890 o'clock. The
election will take place in the afternoon
and the new Moderator will take his seat
Immediately and preside through the rest
Of the General Assembly.
fractional divisions and geographical pref
erences will be forgotten for the first time
in the history of the Assembly. All men
are looking for the man, forgetting whether
he halls from the East, West, North or
South. So far there are six possibilities
These were made public today.
The only Pennsylvania man being con-
Bidered for moderator is the Rev. w. l..
McEwan. of Pittsburgh, but; although he
Is an unusually strong man, his selection
Is considered doubtful. because he has been
nominated opoA before. Other men men,
toned for the position of moderator are .
The Rev. Dr..John A.. Marquis, Cedar Rap
ids, Iowa. president of Coe College, a Pres
bsrterian Institution; the Rev. DR.. Hugh
Keiso Walker, First Church, Long Beach
CAL and the Rev Or. Henry C. Swear
ingen. House Of Hope, st. Paul. Mimi All
OF these are commissioners to the General
Assembly.
Two other men. the Rev, DR.. Cornelius
NJ. Steffens, president OF the Dubuque |
Theological Seminary for Foreigners, Du- |
buque, Ia. and the Rev DR.. Samuel S. |
Palmer, Broad Street Church. Columbus, |
o.. who II was thought would enter the |
race. are not eligible. because they are not |
commissioners this year. Doctor Steffens |
was nominated last year at Rochester, and |
Doctor Palmer was nominated three years |
ago at Atlanta Ga.
Opinion is divided as to the advisability |
Of hliing the position of permanent clerk of |
the Assembly, made vacant by the death of |
the Rev William b. Noble, DID, LID,
since the last session. Some Synods have
sent overtures advising the abolition of the
office of assistant clerk. and the election of
the present assistant. the Rev. James M
Hubert. as permanent clerk. Others have
their favorites picked for the Office and say
nothing about the abolition of any office
DVerftlFeA have aIrpndV bepf1 in bn,
ever. by a score OF Synods advocating thru.
offlcers instead of four