Evening journal., 1917-05-09
Church CLUB MEN
RALLY FOR FLAG
Incidentally Welcome Dele
gates TO Diocesan Con-
vention Today
SPEAKERS TELL
OF WAR HAVOC

Harry f. Speakman. vice-president OF
the Church Club of Delaware. presided
at a patriotic meeting OF that organiza-
tion, held in the parish house Of Trinity
Church last evening. The occasion also
was in the nature of an informal rccep-
tion for the delegates and visitors To-
the one hundred and thirty first convcn
tion of the Diocese of Delaware, which
convened in st. Andrews Church this
morning. Mr. Speakman announced t1at
the president of the club, Judge Victor
b. Woolley. due to an unusual engage
ment, was unable to attend the meeting.
10 later developed that Judge Woolley
was attending a dinner IN Philadelphia
TO Sir Arthur j. Baiour and to the mem
hers of the British Mission TO the United
States.
Addresses were made by Bishop kins-
man Eric Allen. field secretary of the
American Red Cross: General James II.
Wilson, Henry b. Thompson, Captain
Marvin. chaplain at Fort DUPONT, and
Paul Shimmon, the personal representa-
tive of Mar Shmun, patriarch of the
Assyrian church.
The meeting room was tastefullv
decorated by the use of the flags of the
Allied nations. with. Of course, the
Amcridan colors predominating
Bishop j. i. Ninsman made a brief
address at the opening of the meeting,
and in part he said;
Coming on the eve Of our conven-
tion this patriotic rally reminds us
forcibly. as churchmen as we'll as
citizens OF this great republic. OF our
duties in this grave national crisis.
One Of the chief points in our patriot
ism Is the way in which we are re-
mindeded of other countries than our
own. We should not permit our
patriotism TO cOnline our thoughts or
actions TO our own county, but should
think i'm terms of the whole world. Our
duties are those of citizens Of the
entire world. rather than those of an
individual country.
There is some regret among the
delegates that our convention should
be scheduled for this evening and to-
morrow, because there are many Of
us who would like to be in Philadel-
phia to meet the French Mission
Universal patriotism is well eXemph-
fed in the meeting OF the British
French and Americans in conference
on the well-being OF the entire
world"
The Bishop told of the trend OF
French thought toward balanced
combinations Of idea SIN and prac-
tical common sense. AS an illustra-
tion. he pointed 70 JOiire. who, he
said was the embodiment Of shrewd
common sense. He declared that there
was something wrong with us il we
were able to keep our eyes concen-
trated on our own affairs when this
whole world is involved in war ant
bloodshed. He said that patriotism
should be conceived as in its relation
to the universal brotherhood of al
mankind.
he was followed by Eric Allen, tn
field secretary of the Red Cross VIII
gave an exposition Of the origin. worl
aims and desires of that organization
and made an appeal for increased mem
bership.
Paul Shimmon. whose home is j
Peruvia, Persia. and who is IN this coun
try as the personal representative @
the Patriarch of the Assyrian (Syrian
Church. gave a graphic description q
the horrors Of the war, as it affected th
Christians in his country, lett by tn
withdrawal Of the Russian army to tn
tender mercies of the Kurds and Turk
He told Of wholesale slaughter and cor
ditions of misery and brutality whic
the Christians of his country suffere
which we're almost incredible to beliey
could have been perpetrated by huma
IrFn a n
children.
As he finished his address there wa
n tension in the entire building whic
was rapidly becoming positively paint
when the Rev. r N. kirkus, of Trinit
Church, rose in his place and said; "L'
us sing hymn. "Onward, Christis
Soldiers" was sung with . vim whiC
acted as a safety valve for much pen
up feeling.
Captain Marvin, chaplain in the Goa
Artillery Corps, was the next speake
In part he said;
"The thanks of this assemblage Al
due TO Mr.. Kirlxus for breaking Il
strain under which we were, followir
the last speaker. There is one thOugl
which would emphasize tonight. Yea
ago, when l first entered the army, Il
government provided that chaplain
should study the rules of the Red Gro
Geneva convention, and later the pr
ccedings Of The Hague conventions.
appears, in those sections and par
graphs of regulations there adopte
that at last the human race had a
quired by suffering and toll great i
heritance: that war had been robbed
some of its terrors. and that a proteC
ing shield had been thrown by this co
ference Of nations over the women al
children, the prisoners Of war, and {
wounded of nations. It appeared
though no nation ever could go back
what plainly was history.
II ask the representative OF the RI
Cross, here present. can he say tn
the power with which we are abol
to engage in war. respects the
laws, to which they were signatOr.
Is it not true that England has r
moved every yestige or trace OF d
sign OF the Red Cross from its no