Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-06-02
World League Entirely Up
ToU.S Says Taft At Church
Former President Addressing Congregation of First
Unitarian Church, Says America Is So Powerful,
That Not Only League But Entire Future of World
Depends Upon Her.

William Howard Taft occupied tn
| platform at First Unitarian churcl
yesterday morning for S. minute
during which he referred to a new
religious spirit caused by the war
and then he considered his leagu
! of nations propaganda.
All seats of the church were occu
pied. Rev. Mr.. Leavens read Lin
coins "Gettysburgh Address," Mis-
Eloise West was at the organ an,
Mrs, O. w. Eldridge sang Kip1ing
occasional, music by Reginald d,
koven. The Taft party occupied
seats which had been reserved il
the center of the edihce.
Members Of this church," sale
the minister in his introduction O
Mr.. Taft, ARE happy today in hav
ing as Our guest the first private
citizen of the United States. We re
member the occasion when Mr.. Tai
attended the cornerstone laying O
this church.
Taft's Voice Affected.
Frequent speaking engagements
have affected Mr.. Taft's throat. He
sought medical attendance Saturday
night and his voice at the beginning
yesterday morning was uncertain
but his words we're clearer. as he
proceeded.
Mr.. Taft said that he felt quite a.
home when speaking in Unitarian
church, and he gave all intimate ref
erence to the Unitarian church ir
Beverly, Mass, where he frequently
attended.
"Unitarianism has liberalized other
churches" he said. ut has taught
and emphasized the life and doings
of Jesus, and it has minimized the
Importance of dogmatic creed. One
of the reasons why Unitar1anisn
has not grown more than it has, is
because there are so many unitar-
ians in other churches. Much of the
practical work of other churches is
due to Unitarianism. My expe-
riences while travelling through the
country have impressed me that
Unitarians are. useful, earnest and
sincere members of society. While
we are few, we are select.
Majority Avoids Churches.
statistics show that 20 per cent
of our people are. regular church at
tendants. 80 per cent go once in a
while, and 50 per cent do not go a,
all. The reason that there are SC
many who do not go to- church al
all, is because that, with greater lib
crafty of thought and expression
many say they cannot subscribe to
the dogmas of the church of their
fathers.
1--WE must realize that if there is
hope for the world. it must come
through religion. We know that
every ordinary man and woman
needs inspiration from a higher
power, the existence of which he or
she must exercise. He or she who
lapses into a cynacism of indiffer-
ence is not going forward.
THE war, many of us believe,
should be the beginning of a new
spirit in the world. There is need
of a simple creed, recognizing God.
That new religious spirit must be
made a living thing. This war in
which we have been involved has
turned the world topsy-turvy. 1t
should make every man and woman
think of what the world has been
and what it ought to be. 1t should
be the line that marks a new depart
ure. This war has brought to us a
consciousness of the cheapness of
everything material; that everything
is hollow in the face of meeting a