New-York tribune., 1919-04-07
Breadless Men
March tOHeart
OF Old Trinity
Column of $50 From Gree
Soup and Bread'' Mission
File to Church i'm Silent.
Spectacular Appea

Four hundred and fifty members OF
New York City's breadline filed into
Trinity Church yesterday morning in
a column of twos.
They took their places quietly, Thew
made no demonstration and created no
disorder.
With elaborate planning they had
been organized into church parade
for the one purpose of directing the
clty's attention in a spectacular man.
ner to the acuteness of their need.
From twenty-five states they came,
and after the service they were grouped
by states and arrangements were made
to send messages to chambers of com
merce in those states in order that
the responsibility for their welfare
might be localized.
Before the service they were in
spected with the minute attention to
detail that precedes an army parade.
instructions were given that they
were to do no more than present them
selves in body that the congregation
at Trinity might realize that the bread
line is an actuality.
Pastor Touched by Spectacle
DR.. Manning, the rector of Trinity.
was touched by the spectacle. He
greeted every one of those in the
breadlinc personally and expressed the
hope that employment might be found
for them. He promised whatever sup
port Trinity might be able to afford.
The men responded to his greeting
with brief statements Of their want
Then they filed out in just as orderly
manner as they had entered.
On arriving at the breadlinc every
man was given ticket which provided
for weeks tood The heart of the
city had been touched, and funds were
on hand to carry on the work of the
brcadline for some time Only few
days ago it was feared that this chari-
ty might have to be abandoned, but.
following the publication Of the stories
OF the men, checks were received from
many sources.
DR.. Manning in his sermon discussed
the necessity of regarding religion as
an indispensable part of material life.
at gives me great pleasure to see
you here DR.. Manning said in his
after-scrvice meeting. ~ want to see
you again very often. You arc un-
doubtedly in a difficult position in
many ways, but you must remember
that we are doing the best we can at
TINS time. We want you to feel that
you are welcome and to know how glad
we are to receive you.
Mr.. Ledoux is doing his best to help
you, and we shall aid him whenever
we can. May God be with you"
., me h!cN were assembled at Al Howery
the brcadhnn 1o.cGuartera, ana there
were given porridRc and bread After
the service they were given thick SOUP
and bread-thrce slices of bread, az
against the customary two.
Explains Aim of Work
!, Urban j. Lcdoux. who has charge of
the steplng stones" as the bread lines
are called, issued the following State
ment @ concerning the work:
on account OF an apparent confu-
s,oi sno, IN some of the press reports
Ieel that 1T may be we'll to make a more
formal and specific statement regard
Ing inc real nature Of the work now
ppelng done at the Stepping Stoncs.' 2O3
East Ninth Street and ID Bowerv in
line "'''" oieao
some reports have characterized the
,oveIheht as mere breadline and
employment agency. These reports
nave drawn upon the sympathy of some
put also upon the animositv OF othors
~ - 1"trc'hely opposite camps, namely.
ahe hard-shelicd capitalists, who do NOT
want the misfortunes Of the under dog
IN y, naoe 700 much Of, and the hard -shelled
oociaiists, on the other hand. who feel
mat any attempt at aievatinp Tho snf.
ierlngs Of the unemployed and down-
and cutters merely tends 10 mako thon,
content with the present systcm and |
30 postpone the revolution '''
Hotbed of Rebellion, Charged
"Other reports characterize tho worl
as sinister and camouflaved .t+ann~ 49,
70 gather together the agitatoTs and .ha
and start something wb;ch
may end In riot and bloodshcd '"'S"
AS is nearly always the case thoso
'onficting reports are partly right and
PARTLY wrong. The bread line and nrr
'ioyment agency part Of the work H.
y no means mere bread line and em,
'ioyment proposition. II is an attemn+
o perform temporarily and tbro,,oh n
'rjvate agency duty which shnnId
nd: must become a permanent and r.n'
gnized function OF the government
Continued on pegs jout