Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-04-13
been most kind to them, and whose
souls are hArbors of sedition.
MOBHIZTNG THE PULPIT.
EWaterioo Courier.l

IL Is estimated that there are a0Out
81. 900 preachers in this country: II we
say that they address congregations
that average one hundred persons It
means that they have opportunity to
speak to three and half millions
every year, and that they are pri-
vileged to speak to, these over and
over. This means that the ministry is
one Of the chief influences in the
country and it suggests that the nation
would be wise to mobilize this force
more completely than it has.
The churches have done much, how
much nobody can compute, cynics to
the contrary Notwithstanding; they
have served as centers for all manner
Of patriotic activities and they ahve
played major part in the various war
drives. Nevertheless they have not be-
gun to render all the service to loyalty
which they are capable Of rendering.
The government should see to it that
every pastor breaches at least one ser
mon on loyalty every month: it should
have a system for regularly supplying
ministers with accurate facts and ma
terials in order that those sermons
may be most effective. It should not
ask these men to perform this service:
it should command them. They should
as much consider themselves drafted
to preach loyalty as the soldier is
drafted to fight for It.
To those who love and serve the
christian church in America it is dis
concerting to read how often some
pastor has been found disloyal; most
OF these men. it goes without saying
ara serving congregations made up Of
aliens. Others are men who have not
yet recovered from the pacff1st ideas
which had so taken root in the pulpit
before the war. They are religious
bolsheviki. Wherever a disloyal
preacher is found he should be in
stantly denied the privileges and pre-
negatives Of the pulpit.
WHAT CRITICISM ACCOMPLISHED
[Sioux City Journal]
Harmony has been achieved with
in the last two weeks" The Wednes-
day conferences at the White House
between the president and the direc-
tors OF the actual war making func-
tions of the United States are said by
high officials to have "speeded the
prosecution OF the fight for democ-
racy to the point Of greatest eff
cheney yet reached Important de-
cisions have been made by these heads
OF great war activities, under the
guidance Of President Wilson," and
the president lis said authoritattively
to have smoothed numerous Difficult
ties which might have resulted in
delay or friction without a mutual
reached in conference"
Without even considering the guam
tity or quality Of the political ad-
vice" that the Presidents regular"
cabinet may render him, one may
study the facts that are
presented with regard to the other or
war" cabinet. Unless memory Is
gravely at fault 1t was to accomplish
exactly such results that friendly crit
les OF the administration months ago
began agitating for war cabinet.
for CO. ordination Of departments, for
a truly sweet running and centralized
machine. Unless memory
still errs egregiously. It was the need
for any OF those things that the ai-
most bitterly denied.
Thus by establishing now the co-or-
that emphatically was not
needed great benefits have been
achieved that were quite super4iuous.
The reform was needed. The bene-
ats are real The criticism was war
ranted. Tho 1t made the admin
Istration mad as wet hen to be
criticised. 1t prohted by the expe-
Renee. Let us be charitable. If wise
suggestions will be made use Of only
under the violent pretense OF reject
ng them. that Is better than not at
all. Olympus is readable. We are
making progress. On to Berlin!