The Leader, enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1915-1921, 1918-05-15
Nation Is Closely Knit
Together by Tragedies
OF The War
(From the Atlanta Journal.)

IRON the Atlanta Journal.)
Atlanta, Ga, May 1.-THE ce-
menting OF the nation through the
tragedy OF the present war was force
fully impressed upon an audience of
thousands at the Wesley Memorial
church Saturday night by Hon. 10
sephus Daniels, secretary of the U.
). navy. in a patriotic address to the
general conference of the Methodist
Episcopal church, South.
The fighting men of America have
been trained alike in Camp Grant and
Camp Lee, Camp Sheridan and Camp
Stonewall Jackson, Camp Sherman
iand Camp Gordon, said the secretary,
and thus has the whole republic been
born again in a common cause against
the enemy OF freedom and civiliza-
ton.
Secretary Daniels address at the
Wesley Memorial church was turned
into great patriotic celebration.
Besides members of the conference,
there were present hundreds of At
lantians who cheered the secretary
to the echo. Occupying seats on the
platform with him were Miss Mar
garet Wilson, daughter of President
Wilson, who sang to the audience and
was wildly applauded: Governor
Hugh M. Dorsey, Mayor Gambler, Ma
Jor Cohen, Clark Howell, editor of the
Constitution; w. G. Bryan, publisher
of the Georgian; H. H. White. Jr.
president of the Atlanta Chamber of
commerce, and the bishops and fra
ternal delegates to the conference.
LIN beginning his address, Secretary
Daniels recalled that it was in Atlanta
that the patriotic Mckinley, Meth
odlst, warmed all patriotic hearts bv
proposing that on May 3Oth, of every
year. the graves of the men who
fought under Lee and under Grant
should be cared for by the United
States government and decorated
alike i'll recognition of their common
heroism and their equal devotion to
the right as God gave them to see
the right. Secretary Daniels recalled
that this utterance of the martyred
Mckinley was of part with the
counsel of that other president, Gen
eral Grant, when he said "let us have
peace"
-. Recently" said Secretary Daniels,
IN selecting names for the new de-
Stroyers, | came to Georgia for an il
lustrlous name for this best weapon
against the submarine menace. and it
Will be christened Tattnall, after the
brave Georgia naval officer who made
famous, by his assistance to our Brit
lsh cousins, the declaration that
blood is thicker than water The
Iattnall will fight alongside the Far
ragut. another evidence that the war
OF brothers has left behind it nothing
but common conservation to a re-
united country. mutual appreciation
OF courage. which demonstrated AM
erica's ability to fight without hate
and without barbarism and to forget
the differences which no longer divide
those sections once in conflict"
H. One Methodist Church
Secretary Daniels urged upon the
two million Methodists of the South
that the time had come when all
branches of American Methodism
should be merged into one mighty
army of militant Methodists. "In this
supreme hour, when partianship has
bourgeoned into patriotism, when sec
tionalism has blossomed into national
unity: and love of the republic has
broadened to make possible freedom
and democracy for all nations! great
and small, the supreme duty of Meth
odists, north and south. is to make
any and all sacrifices that NAV be
necessary to mobilize Methodists in
to one mighty church. We have lost
much by the divisions and seen much
wasted effort. There is no excuse for
a northern Methodist church in At
lanta Or a Southern Methodist church
in Seattle. If politicians and business
men have forgotten there was n
son and Dixon's line. the Method
churches cannot wisely longer mar
in senarate columns under separ:
organizations. Efficient naneuveri
against the forces of evil cali for
solidarity of movement for the owe
throw of evil. This demands t.
uniting under one organization of -
who proudly follow where Wesle,
blazed the wav Whv DELAY? Once
let Methodists of all branches ser
that their high duty is to unite, ard
the obstacles will he made to melt
awav and during the world-war we
shall see a compensa ton in a Meho-
dism hat is one in faith. one in zeal.
and one in resolve tn measure I'D to
the high RESPONSIBILITIES which large
membership imposes upon it united
in one organized force. With the