The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1918-08-06
NO TIME TO
Be HATING
EACH OTHER
-. E--
ARTHUR E. HUNGERFORD,

ARTHUR e. HUNGERFORD.
Lond, Aug. S.-"This is no time
! to be hating each other for the love
of God" exclaimed Roman Catholic
priest, when newcomer from the
states remarked about his work in a
y M. c. A. hut in England This
remark has gone up and down the
| American camps in France and Eng
land and typifies the spirit of Roman
Catholics and protestants alike in
working for the common good of the
American soldier.
At a great rest camp in England
where thousands of American troops
are sent after landing to rest for
six or seven days before going on to
France, a man. who back home is a
Presbyterian minister, may be heard
urging Roman Catholic soldiers to
make their confessions and to go to
mass. More than that he arranges
for the priest to visit the camp, turns
his office over for a confessional and
prepares the hut for mass at $3.50
on Sunday morning
This man is the Rev. w. William
Russell, who was assistant pastor of
Bethlehem Presbyterian church, Phil
adelphia Here is a typical example
OF how he looks atcer the spiritual
welfare of the Roman Catholic. 1t
took place on Friday evening.
How many of you are Roman
Catholics?" he asked of crowd of
soldiers gathere in a "Y' hut. More
than half Of them raised their hands
Men. l have arranged for Father
Gile, an English Chaplain, to come
tomorrow night to receive your con
fessions. He will use my office.
He will celebrate mass on Sunday
morning at 9:30 in this hut Won't |
you come? | am protestant, but
you men have just escaped the perils |
Of the submarine, Attend mass and |
then write home to your mothers or
wives or sweethearts that one of the |
first things. you did upon landing was
to make your confession, attend mass
and thank God for your safety. We !
have a Roman Catholic secretary |
here. If any of you want to meet |
him you may do so by asking for
him"
many called on the Rev. Mr.. Russell
to thank him for giving them the op-
portunity to do so.
At camp in Ireland, where the
American Y NJ. c. A. is compelled to
use a building, the original owners
of which put a stipulation in the /
deed that it should never be used for
a Roman Catholic service of any
kind, the association secretary every |
Sunday morning arranges a church |
party for the Roman Catholic SOL
diers and carries them in trucks to
service he brings them back
The services conducted by the Y.
NJ c. A. are attended not only by
protestants, but also by Jews and |
Roman Catholics. They are not form
al to say the least At some of the |
Huts the men are allowed to smohc
Turing religious services. This comes
as a shock to many of the new work |
ers and ministers. 1t must be re-
membered, however, that the services
are held in the 'Y" huts which not
only serve as the religious, social and
recreational centers but frequently as
the general stores of the camps. AS
one secretary put it,
Il would rather have a religious
service in a hut chucked full of men,
smoking than more formal service
with only one or two men inside and |
all the rest turned out of doors. A |
religion that won't stand every dar
wear and tear won't last long over
here. i have learned many things
since l came over here. That is oae
of them.
Harris Dickson, the writer, WAS
7 sht when he said that many of us
"Y' men come down here with long
faces, but thank God they are grow
irg shorter every day. Mine has
grown considerably shorter. l have
learned over here the practical side
OF religion"