The sun., 1918-09-12
DIR. STRATON,S CAR.
The Pastor Of the Calvary Baptist
Church Discusses in Some Detail
His Own Case Of Noncompliance.

humorous, ana certainly highly imagi-
native, STORY" In Mondays SUN about
my use Of my automobile last Sunday.
THE SUN reporter came to my study
at the church Sunday night before the
services. , He said: Doctor. have come
on a rather unpleasant mission. You
know you answered THE SUN quite
pointedly some time ago in tho dlscus-
! sion OF Sunday newspapers, the caba-
rets, &C. and some things you said
rather got under the skin. when we
learned, therefore. this afternoon that
you had been using your automobile
to-day, which Is 'sasless Sunday we
naturally felt that We had come
back at YOU
laughingly told him that certainly
must commend THE Sun for It's enter
prise In learning SO quickly, and acting
30 promptly. about my supposed mis-
behavior, but that the car had been
used entirely In necessary church work.
and not for pleasure or 10y riding"
While l did not feel called upon to go
into any detailed statement, or to re-
port my days work for the judgment
OF the young man. did take the time
to explain to him that was frequently
called on Sundays for sick visits. and
sometimes for funerals and marriages.
and had TO use the car. therefore, pretty
much as a doctor does.
He seemed to see the reasonableness
OF this; but I have been a newspaper
man myself. and I saw that he was set
on getting a STORY" out OF It. The
situation reminded me Of the case where
the editor was instruoting the new re-
porter as to what is news" He said:
III dog bites a man, that Is not news.
But II man bites a dog. that is news.
Write 1t up in full and put IL under
scare heads!"
realised that a preacher found using
his car on ''gasless Sunday" was to the
papers, case Of the man biting a dog
that It was too good chance for the
newspaper boys to let 60 by. and 90 I
told him II he wished to use Il to 70
ahead. and that would try to keep up
with THE Sun, as in the former in
stance.
The reporter then remarked that a
| story about 1t might do some good by
clearing UP the question of who ought
to use their cars He then asked me
u
| sermon on War Stamp Gambling" and
| handed him the manuscript as he went
| out.
Now I ind myself standing in the
| bright rays OF Mondays Sun. as ut
shines for ALL" In rather unusual COM
pany, and certainly In company that
did not select. However we will let
! that pass. with compliment to the
! reporters dramatic instinct, but the
publicity over the incident raises the
| important question OF the use OF auto
| mobiles on 'gasless Sundays in really
necessary professional work. AZ to my
self. read with great care Mr.. Gar
| fields request about the matter. and
| noted his explicit statement that 1t was
not the desire OF the authorities at
Washington to interfere with the use
OF machines in necessary professional
work.
For over ten years now have used
| automobiles in my church work and
would feel at loss without a machine.
My church here has a large membership,
scattered all over Manhattan, The
! Bronx. Long Island and Brooklyn. One
OF our Sunday school superintendent,
for instance, lives IN F'latbush. Brook
| Ign.
am frequently called over the phone
TO visit members miles away. For ex-
ample. was called by one of our MEM
| bers the other day. who told me that
poor old man was very Ill In an apart
ment adjoining their own and that
| there did not seem to be any one to look
| after him. So / went over there the
| other Sunday afternoon and found that
1t was indeed case of pathetic need
Then again I was called to go out be-
yond Bronx Park TO a case where there
was sickness, added to other family dis
| tress.
On the Sunday just passed I had an
unusually heavy day. l had to speak
four times. In addition to two MORN
| ing services the young people requested
| that conduct their Christian Endeavor
| meeting that evening, beginning at I
| o'clock Then l had n baptismal SER
vice in addition to the regular preach
ing services that night. During the
afternoon had to make a pastoral call.
that could not be postponed. down town.
| n had depended upon our present in
adequate street car service could not
possibly have met the calls upon me
for the day. live several miles from
| the church, and even by using my ma
chine I did not have sufficient time to
get back from that visit down town.
make my preparations for the evening
service and then get to the church for
the opening OF the young peoples meet
! ing I was fifteen minutes late at that
meeting.
II under these circumstances THE Sun
derives any satisfaction from having
linked the name of ono of the city's
pastors with that OF a vaudeville star
twining the two designedly and sarcas-
tically through its columns, II Ia GER
tainly welcome to that satisfaction.
THE SUNS spirit of fair play, how
ever, ought TO prompt It to declare It,
! self on the question OF the legitimate
use of automobiles on Sunday. Should
doctors let the sick suffer, and should
| ministers leave the dying unattended
| and the dead uncared for In order TO
save few gallons OF gasolene?
think that our city has given mag
nifcent illustration OF public spirit in
the fine way in which the people have
responded to the Governments request
in the matter OF saving gasolene. And
We have in this also a splendid exam
pie of the efficiency and usefulness OF
our newspapers in bringing tho matter
promptly before all the people. But Is
there not q rational limit even for this
u. hat