The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-06-25
Noted Denver Divine Asks
'Conscription" of All in
Service of God.
OUR WAR RESPONSE
BEARS IT'S LESSON
Session Last Evening Closes
Four Days Convention of
Church Workers.
And If any man ask you, "Why
do 70 loose him?" thus shall ye say
to him, Because the Lord hath
need Of him."-luke xix :31.

DO ~ loose him!" thus shall 70 say
to him, Because the Lord hath
need Of him."-luke XIX :31.
Taking the foregoing verse for his
text and "The Conservation of Con-
scriptiOn." for his theme, DIR. Orien w.
Fifer of Denver delivered the annual
convention sermon to delegates to the
twenty-s second annual meeting of the
state Epworth league Sunday morning
at the Methodist church.
DR.. E'ifer spoke to an assemblage
of all denominations which filled the
attractive edifice to its capacity. His
message was to the effect that the
word conscription. hitherto one which
carried a most unwelcome meaning
with 1t. has become n part OF our ma
tional life today as 1t has been Il part
OF the Christian life through all time.
He placed emphasis upon the necessity
for all to take new heed to the call of
Christ and the church, not offering
themselves but replying to the note
Of conscription to Christian service.
"Most Impressive Spectacle"
He declared that the selective reg
istration OF June was "the most i'm
pressive spectacle in a generation"
1T was done quietly, quickly and
with practically no opposition" he
said. "rhe response to the call is a
tribute to the loyalty and patriotism
of the young men of the nation"
The service began shortly after II a.
m. DIR. Charles p. Crouch. pastor Of
the church. gave several announce
ments and then called to the attention
of the congregation the passage Of the
food bill with the prohibition clause
in it, by the house of representatives
at Washington Saturday. He fol-
loved his remarks with prayer
thanking God for the congressional ac-
ton.
With DIR. Fifer and DIR. Crouch on
the platform of the church were DR..
Leon II. Sweetland, president of Mon
tana Wesleyan university; DIR. c. r.
Tiff OF Denver, founder of the first
, Methodist church in Missoula, and
Rev. w. w. Van Orsdell.
Americas New Word.
These are militant days." said DR..
Fifer on opening his address, 1--WE
are becoming accustomed to hearing
martial music. to the sight of military
camps. We know that the nation Is
stirred. and that there is note OF an
ticipation in the air and that anxiety
for the future is in the minds of many
"As a nation, we have heard a new
word-conscription. To most of us
this word comes as an unwelcome in
truder. 1t has the sound of the hiss
ing of a vengeful spirit. For over
so years this word has seemed the
sound of autocracy breaking in over
democracy. 1t has seemed to typify
everything American.
Young. Men Prove Loyalty.
Nearly 100000 young Americans
less than 81 years of age have been
compelled to enroll for vast army for
the United States. This enrolment is
in preparation to the conscription OF
an army of a million men which the
nation will call to the colors. Yet
despite the feeling this word con
: scription' has aroused. there was little
opposition to the enrolment. 1t ali
was done so quietly and quickly that
to some of us it seemed as though
nothing extraordinary had occurred
And yet this enrolment was the most
impressive spectacle in a generation
1t was tribute to the loyalty and pa
triotism OF the young men of the ma.
ton.
Seemed Un American.
But the greatness of the movemen
stunned the American mind. Con
scription seemed to violate the nations
ethics. 1t caused us to think tina
suddenly had all our ideals been shat
(EnnfiNllad Iln l,inhf