Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-12-05
HOW CHURCHES CAN
HELP IN WAR WORK
A Plan to Supplement Prayer
With Active Suppression
Of Disloyalty

To The Editor Of the Ecening Public Ledger:
Sr--Your most progressive and practical
paper could not support better cause than
that of a Liberty and Loyalty Alliance or
garized for the dCtC rtiou of oncr y propa.
ganda and the fostering of loyalty among al
classes. Such an alliance should be headed
by the clerFymeu and the doctors in all parts
of the country. If the clergy of all demon.
nations would lead and support Liberty
and Loyalty Alliance in their churches and
arrange for meetings once Il week or once
in two weeks at which there should be dis
Cussons of the duty of all good citizens to
stand by the cause of liberty against Prus.
sianism at this time. the churches as well
as the nation would profit. And # the five
or six doctors usually found in every con-
gregation. or IL not in the congregation then
in sympathy with the church, would coop
crate with the clergy, we should have "a body
of organized and Informed workers who could
do much to stop the spread of German propa.
ganda and strengthen the spirit of loyalty.
Stories of Red Cross activities, reports of
Y. NJ G. a workers who are serving without
pay and dying near the front ranks for the
soldiers and for liberty, historical studies Of
democracy and liberty would make mcm-
orable evenings more important than prayer
only
y my ancestors were praying people and
I believe I'm prayer; but just now II is more
important to keep the powder dry for our
own use ard in our own hands exclusively
When "A mad bull is gCr'inE innocent persons
even children and women, ii is not the time
for prayer alone. but for some additional ac
ton. When an autocratic power is headed nv
an irresponsible king of paranoiac type. who
has hypnotl2ed hundreds of thousanh into
the belief of a world rule and the death of
liberty it is not the time for prayer without
action.
Let the clergy call together the people to
a Liberty and Loyalty Alliance meeting once
a week and Billy Sunday crowds VIII be small
| 49,. ,.,aI,, .l,f.,
nificent work in both PRAYERS and action !:
but could they not also take on the addi-
tonal burden of forwarding the slogan,
Liberty and Loyalty" and defeating Ger
man propaganda?
The clergy and doctors already have
tabs on all famie es and know where there
are active disloyalty and lukewarm loyalty a
committee of five could be big brothers" to
many reported cases and reclaim many who
speak carelessly and who do not understand
propagauda against liberty. Others lukcwarm
for liberty would be watched Those opposed
TO liberty could be interNed at once and not
after some overt act, The fate of others,
classified as spies, would be determined by
the Federal Secret Service
The supreme court Of such Liberty and
| LOYALTY Alliance movement would, of course
| be the Secret Service system of the United
| States, admittedly the best in the world
The clergy, the doctors and the appointed
| committees would unearth and sift out facts
which would be of incalculable value to the
cause of liberty. Such a Liberty and Loyalty
| Alliance would be constant support to
| ,ons and husbands fighting at the front for
| liberty till victory be attained
The Liberty and Loyalty Alliance needs no
| further organize ton than the churcles co.
| operating in this movement. They are al
ready organized IN every city, every town
| ard every hamlet
Let your great paper have the credit of
| star. az .ne Liberty and Loyalty Alliance
| movement and putting on record the answer
| of every inhabitant in the United States to the
| question Are you for liberty or not?"
INSIDE IMPORTATION.
| Philadelphia December a.