The Washington times., 1917-04-02
WAR CHIEF TOPIC IN
CAPITALS PULPITS
Pastors Leave No Doubt Of
Their Attitude on Relations
With Germany.

Washington pastors yesterday left lit
tie doubt as to their position on the
question Of war with Germany. Practi-
caIly every minister in the getty who
touched upon the question urged his
congregation to be prepared and ready
to meet aggression with strong resist
ance. a.
The Rev. Randolph II. McKim, pastor
of the Church Of the Epiphany. strongly
urged his congregation to take up arms
and aid in the overthrow OF Germany.
"A powerful and unscrupu;ous foe be-
yond the seas is levying war upon the
United States, sinking our ships. muir
dering our citizens without mercy, for
bidding our merchantmen the freedom OF
the seas and secretly plotting an alli-
ance with Mexico and Japan against
our national integrity.
High and Sacred Duty.
Let me say then, as plainly and as
strongly as 1 can. speaking as min
lister of Christ. speaking as a messenger
of God, speaking with a solemn sense
of the obligations of my sacred office,
speaking in sanctuary OF Christ. and
with a full sense OF my accountability
for every word ] utter in this holy
place. that it is the high and sacred
duty Of the American people to take up
the gage Of battle which Germany has
thrown down to us and to prosecute the
war with all our energy and with every
resource at our commandment hesitat-
inEly. not half hearted,y-but with all
our hearts and with every pound OF
energy We possess
81 have no hesitancy in saying that
the voice OF a just God summons us
to this war. and that II is in the high
est sense of the word holy war.
The cruelty, the rapacity. the savag-
cry of Prussianism is not matter of
opinion. or the indictment of preju-
dice, but IL is a hideous fact which
we have seen with our own eyes dur
ing the last two years or more"
That the United States is as unpre-
pared as the five foolish virgins who
did not prepare their lamps for the
wedding feast. was the statement
made last night by the Rev. Howard
l. Stewart. pastor of the Second Bap-
tist Church. Fourth and Virginia ave
nue. southeast. deploring the lack OF
preparedness of certain classes of
Americans who "are continually put
ting off the work OF preparing"
I'VE may be started tomorrow
when Congress meets to debate the
national crisis. said Mr.. Stewart
The FIVE virgins who had the
foresight to have surplus oil
on hand were able to be at
the marriage feast. Let our Iegis-
lators take heed from this parable
and prepare for what may come. We
have no guarantee that we will not
be attacked in our unprepared state"
Urges Immediate Prohibition.
Daniel A. Polling. associate presi-
dent of the National Temperance
Council, urged that prohibition be
adopted at once as a preparedness
measure.
I'VE must allow nothing to go on
that will decrease our national efflci-
ency in this crisis" said Mr.. Polling.
Liquor should go and go immediate
ly. Prohibition is a war measure here
just the same as IL was in Russia
and France. We cannot fight liquor
and an enemy at the same time. To
day is the crucial test Of American
patriotism. In the United States true
internationalism swears allegiance
first of all to the Stars and Stripes"
A crowded church greeted the Rev.
Simon p. w. Drew, pastor of the
Cosmopolitan Baptist Church, when
he delivered a fervid address on pa
triotism and Americanism last night.
Take your Bible in one hand and
Old Glory in the other and march to
victory or DEATH" said Mr.. Drew. "The
noble boys that stood fast at Car
rizal have set an example OF courage
which is contagious, and our youth
as well as our men are ready to take
up the flag and wave it high against
the foreign foe"