The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-10-24
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS

Dr. Broadly. Dr. Dickinson and I were invited by the national war work council Y. M. c. A, of the southeastern depart ment to meet in Atlanta a few leaders from eight of the southern states to have a heart talk about the united war drive. and try and arrive at a policy and map out a programme from the standpoint Of the Protestant ministers
 A few laymen were present just to keep the preachers in line. The meeting was held at the Capital City club, there be- ing present about 25 visitors and half as many local men. Practically all of the scented, and it was most representative body of men, many of whom were the accredited leaders of their respective de- nominations
 I never saw finer spirit. The discus sions were frank and yet permeated with the spirit of the Master. I had ex- but the thought that each of us were responsible for the spiritual and physical welfare of our boys in the camps and on the battle front caused us to forget our particular religious affiliations and seek the best way by putting behind any denominational rivalries or jeai- ouses.
 The war is having a broadening effect ;,,, tIa a,, in the religious world. In pre-war times the mere thought of punching together the Y. M. c. A., r. w. c. A., Y. M. H. A., the Knights of Columbus and the Saliva tion Army, and some other religious ac- tivites would have been impossible. Yet this is the programme and to put it over | Protestant. Jew and Catholic are called upon to support the plan to raise sl7o.- coo O00
 From this you can see that the Protest ant churches had big question 10 face | and they faced it. There was no attempt at evasion. It was discussed from every angle Each man had his way and no one dodged or was there the slightest | Slloll Oii tHe part ol tAtC Asit VI A. 1 leaders either to direct or control the l conclusions arrived at.
 l Now the matter is much too big for me to state my own views on it in this column. and am going to give the con sensus of opinion arrived at and em- bodied in a set of resolutions. Man after man arose and said he had come | to the gathering to express his disap- proval of the evangelical churches en- tering heartily into any such programme with Catholics and Jews--not that they were out of sympathy with them as l neighbors. but because of conscientious differences in matters of religion.
 
 l One of the matters threshed out was 1 the withdrawal order of camp pastors. issued by the war department. Under 1 the order it was feared that the chap lain might arbitrarily use his power to deny those of different faith from hold ing religious services within the camps, l-but it was the unanimous opinion of all the army Y, M. c. A. workers and direc- tors of religious and educational activi- ties that nothing was to be feared on | this point even though the army chap 1 lain happened to be a Roman Catholic or Jew, for on all previous occasions both Catholic and Jew had shown a | hearty desire to give all an opportunity to do religious work and to aid in every way possible the reaching of the men.
 
 | This testimony was given by represents tive Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians, Episcopalians and other preachers of the various evangelical churches, But on top of this one of the editors of a re- lieious paper stated that he was just back from a conference with number