New-York tribune., 1919-12-25
Marchers to Sing
For Release of War
Directors To-day
Banners Urging Liberation
Will Be Borne by Pro-
ession to Pass by
Churches i'm Single File

New York CITY will witness unique
demonstration to-day, when several!
hundred men and women, among them
many Of prominence, starting from the
parish house Of the Church Of the
Ascension, Fifth Avenue and Tenth
Street, will walk up Fifth Avenue
carrying signs asking for the libera-
tion Of all political prisoners in the
United States. Those carrying the
signs will walk single file at distance
of several feet apart. as the police au-
thorities refused TO grant q permit for
a parade. The demonstration will be
under the auspices of the Free Politi-
cal Prisoners Committee of the Pco-
ple's Freedom Union, with Offices at
1873 West Thirteenth Street.
The first person in the line of march
will bear sign reading, "Peace ON
Earth-Good Will to Men" Other
signs will bear these legends:
"Fiftecn Hundred Fehind Prison
Bars for Conscience Sake" "Christian
England Has Freed Political Prison
crs," "Christians of America Grant
Amnesty" "Ten Prisoners Have Died
Has Freed Political Prisoners-How
About America ?" LET Good Will to
Men Open the Door to Political Pris-
oners," eighteen Bishops Helped Free
English Conscientious Objcctors."
The procession will be headed by
three automobiles containing a choir
Of men and women in full vestments
and two men and two women, who will
personify political prisoners. They
will be dressed in prison garments, and
tleir hands will be manacled to empha-
size the fate Of those sentenced to Jail
for refusing TO do military service.
The cars will line up at the churches
in Fifth Avenue as the congregations
enter, and the choir will sing Christ
mas carols.
After passing St. Thomas's Church
and St Patrick's Cathedral the march
ers will turn and walk down Fifth Ave
nue.. Special dctachments will fall out
of the main line and picket churches in
Fourth Avenue and Broadway
Among the uptown churches to be
visited by the marchers are: Church
of the Ascension. Grace Church, St
Rartholomew's, Church of the Trans
fguration, Church of the Incarnation.
Church of the Heavenly Rest. All Souls
Church. st. Nicholas Church, Fifth
Avenue Presbyterian, Old First Presby-
terian and Calvary Presbyterian. A
special feature will be the singing of
Christmas carols in front of Trinity
Church downtown
When seen yesterday regarding his
permission to the marchers to use the
parish house of his church as the
starting point Of the demonstrations,
DR.. Percy Stickney Grant, pastor of
the Church Of the Ascension, said:
~ am glad to allow those who are
seeking the release of political prison.
ers the use of the parish house of the
Church of the Ascension, because am
heartily in sympathy with what they
are doing. There could be no time
more fitting than Christmas morning
to remind Christian people that in stil
Furnishing these prisoners Of conscience
Christian America is not living up to
Ter IDEALS.
"Evcry one of these men and women
Is there because Of loyalty to opinion
According TO their own light, these
prisoners have even been as patriotic
81 those Of US who held Numerically
opposite views.
The American people need to be re-
minded that there was no retaliation
at tho close of the Civil War. Though
the Southerners were in the position Of
traitors to the Union at the close of
the war, there were no reprisals, pro-
scriptions, nor deportations.