Decorah-posten og ved arnen., 1918-06-18

= of its representatives.
Since its organization, the National
Commission has held four meetings.
The Executive Committee has met
twelve times. Besides, there have
been a great number of meetings OF
the officers OF the Commission "a
prepare for the larger meetings, and
to act on the great many matters
7 that have been referred 10 them. The
!, Commission opened an office at 437
: Fifth Ave, New York City, on the
! 9th of November, occupying one
medium-sized room. Since then it has
been necessary to move to larger
quarters in the same building, where
the rapidly increasing work can be
| handled to advantage. The Reverend
]. A. O. Stub. who was, to begin with,
Field Secretary for the Norwegian
Church in its army work. and later
Western Field Secretary for the Ma
tional Lutheran Commission, has now
been appointed Executive Secretary,
and has his headquarters at the above
address. The Reverends Howard r.
Gold. c. +. Hoffsten, and w C..
Schaeffer are now acting as Field
Secretaries, and the Reverend VIM
Freas as Office Secretary. AT present
there are ninety pastors who are APP
pointed by the National Lutheran
Commission for work in the camps,
environments. and training stations in
our Country. and more are being
added to the list constantly. In nearly
all cases. the Commission pays the
salaries and expenses OF these men.
When war was declared, there were
two or three Lutheran chaplains in
the service of their Country. At
present there are forty-nine IN the
various branches OF the army and III
the navy. The appointments OF these
men have all passed through the
Chaplains' Committee of the National
! Commission, and no men are APP
pointed by the United States Govern
ment at this time unless they are ap-
proved by this Committee. As the
Government does not furnish any
equipment for spiritual work, the
Commission has furnished these chap
lains with literature, communion SETS,
and other things that are helpful IN
doing their work for the boys. More
chaplains will be appointed from time
TO time, and the C%haplains Committee
has already approved several
and submitted them to the War De
partmcnt. The Reverend Chas. M.
Jacobs. ID. d. is the chairman OF TINS
Committee, and applications should
be sent TO him.
In accordance with the earnest
desire Of our Church and our boys
with the ColorS, and upon the urgent
invitation from the French Lutheran
! Church. an effort has been made to.
send pastors Of our Church to France.
! After a great deal of delay and much
negotiation, the War Department has
finally consented to our sending two
men to negotiate with the French
Church as to what we can best do to
assist them in caring for the soldiers
OF our faith overseas. A list of avail
able men for this mission has been
submitted to the Wan Department,
and it is expected that a choice from
among these will be made in the near
future. and that our hopes of being
represented over There Will soon
be realized.
Another way in which our Church
may be advcntageouSly represented
in the work in France has been
opened through the Red Cross. The
Red Cross desires a number OF chap
lains for hospital work As we'll as a
large number of men who need not
necessarily be clcrgymen, for work as
Casually Searchers. The importance
OF these two branches of work can
hardly be over-eStimated, and IT has,
therefore, been determined by the
Executive Committee of the Commas
sion 10 pay the salaries OF Lutheran
men for this work, as the Red Cross
only provides equipment and expenses
for these men. The Red Cross will,
however, pay for the support of th-
chaplaiu'S family at home IN the case
Of exceptionally well-qualihcd men,
and on the recommendation of his
War Commission The service of The
chaplains is for the duration of the
war, bur men will be sent for the
minimum service OF one year. The
scarchcrs are also appointed Tor one
year.
In order that the camp pastors and
chaplains may be able to do as
efficient work as possible, it is neces-
sary that they be equipped with suit
able literature. \ great many local
congregations and pastors have also
been looking for proper literature
with which TO fortify the boys before
they leave home as well as after they
have entered service. In order to
meet this demand, the Commission
has published a soldiers letter to be
sent to all boys with the ColorS, also
a soldiers Cathechism. which is a
collection of Scripture passages that
answer a great many questions that
will naturally come to the mind OF
every thinking man with the Colors.
y war time service, Message for the
Day, with a hymn, collect, and text
for every Sunday in the Church year
and a short sermon on this text has
also been prepared. This IS being
extensively used as a weekly message
to the boys from the home Church.
and Is in several instances sent direct
from the Commission offices TO the
individual soldiers and sailors. An
other splendid publication Is The
Christian Service in War Times. with
suggestions to pastors and congrega-
tons, prepared by the United Inner
Mission, and distributed in great mum
bers by that Committee as we'll as by
the Commission. For Lent, 1917. a
handbook of texts, collects. bidding
prayer. and Litany for use AT Church
services. wa prepared and sent to all
Lutheran pastors in the country. /;
was very thankfully received. and has
been extensively used. The most
popular publication of the Commits
sion i. no doubt. the Army and Navy
Service Book, which has been pro-
nOunced the most excellent book OF