The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-05-18

event of Wedr
 terest of breaking down rather than
 emphasizing denominational distinc-
 tions" The department had no busi-
 ness with desire one way or another. On this un-American, unconstitutional
 whimsical notion, the religious war work was planned and carried out, ex- Icept where Jews and Catholics were
 involved. Their rights were everywhere respected and their interests carefully conserved. All non-Catholic, Christian bodies were forbidden the camps, ex- cept for the period camp pastors were allowed, and these were soon elimi- mated in pursuance of the general lplan The result was, that in the most crucial hour in the worlds history, the hour of the greatest evangelistic opportuni- l ty. the hour when the men in the camps 1 most needed the strength of God in | their hearts, the great evangelical bodies of America, which had made tho moral fiber of the nation, were forbid den to minister to their people. At tn.
 same time the Catholic communion, es. sentialiy autocratic. was given piacd 1 in the camps and the moral power ol the government put behind it to boos. ] it's interests
 l COULDN'T SECURE CHANGE l "A joint commission from the conven- tion and the Northern Baptist convention waited on the third assistant secretary oe war in Washington in the interest of ! larger opportunity for Baptists and other denominations for serving in the camps. Baptists have never deserved any special privileges. The immediate ohuse of the visit the appeal and the protest, was the order removing camp pastors. We were
 received with courtesy, but told that there was not the slightest intention of chang ing the order. There was some softening of expressions later, but the door to op- portunity was held closed, and Is closed yet to all Christian denominations, except Catholics.
 | Tt is known generally that the gov ernment created great intuition centers into which it invited tens of thousands l of the people to work. In these centers though Catholics were, in many cases,
 a small part of the whole population. the government planned to build Catholic meeting houses, while Baptsts, Metho- dists, PreSoyterians and others were not allowed to build their own houses in the places. A misoalled Liberty" church was proposed for all on-Catholics This is only an extension of the general plan to break down the non-Catholic denomi- nations while paramountng Catholicism.
 "The plan was also expressed in the agreement of the department with the Young Mems Christian association, ac- cording to which agreement, that social entertaining organization was to encour- I age nothing denominational in the camps. Your speaker believes the Young Mems l Christian association ought to have a large place in the camps; but it is faii l to the whole situation to say that 1t d1o not and could not represent the Baptists and other denominations. It's very genius forbade it. Few serious-minded church members will believe any social organiza- tion capable of acting for churches in the deep solemn things of religion. Ano by it's agreement with the department lit did not represent the denominations The plain fact is, the Baptists and other great non-Catholic comnunions were not allowed to serve their people Tn theH time of greatest need"
 Atlanta. May (SpeciaEJ-One of the most far-reaching pieces or lesisia- Ition ever adopted by the convention went through unanimously and witn- out discussion at the tail end or the | Wednesday morning session:
 The matter acted upon was the re- port of special committee appointed two years ago to inquire into the legal status of the convention and its boards The convention had observed the difficulties encountered by some or | the northern conventions and by the southern Methodists in convention with
 some of their properties Determined not to encounter the same experiences l in any way, the convention two years Iago appointed Clifford Walker of Georgia, J. F. Brownlow of Tennessee, M. E. Wolfe of Texas and pr. Frank Willis Barnett of Alabama. commit :, tee to investigate the legal status of I the convention.
 Their report was read and adopted. Ia .-l- se $1.o$ a l convention is an incorporated body, Icharter having been granted it by the 1 general assembly of Georgia in 1S45, | and they recommend that all titles 10 all Southern Baptist property be trans ferred to the Southern Baptist conven-
 tion. That boards act as agents for the l convention and that hereafter all titles
 shall be vested in the Southern Baptist
 convention. The report was adopted l without dissenting voice.
 I The report. as read by Clifford Walk CT. attorney general for Georgia, in full is as follows:
 Your committee on the legal status of the several boards of the Southern Baptist convention. appointed by the l convention of 1917, having had under l consideration the legal status of tho boards in the light of opinion of able
 attorneys of the several states Involved respectfully report:
 "1. The Southern Baptist convention 1 is duly and legally incorporated under
 a special charter granted by the legis- lature of the state of Georgia.
 l ~7i We recommend that the title to
 all property. both real and personal now vested in the several boards of the convention, be transferred to the Southern Baptist convention. incorpor- ated
 f "3. That this convention authorize and direct the several boards to con- ! tinue to transact business as agents of
 this convention. under the terms and