New-York tribune., 1920-03-09
Scientists Open
Fight to Gust
Church Papers
Continued FROM gage enc

Ore, congregations already have in
dorsed the exclusion policy.
Many other congregations. accord;nc
to both Mr.. Dawson, Of the faction sun.
porting the board of directors and
another ardent Christian Science fol-
lower who may be said to renr-sent
the trustee faction, have taken similar
action.
Both concede that majority Of the
congregations balloting are favorable
10 the mother church and strongly op-
posed to divided authority, although
the one. speaking for the trustee fac
tlon declares the schism has grown
70 such an extent that the entire world
structure Of the Church is seriously
imperiled.
The churches individually are not
handling the periodicals published by
the publishing society in Boston be-
cause of the removal of those publica-
tlons from the control of the board of
dlrectrs," Mr.. Dawson said last night.
The periodicals ("The Monitor" 1.-The
Sentinel" "The Journal" lie -Hcraut. !"
Der Herold" and "The Christian
Science Bible Lessons Quarterly'O we're
given to the mother church by Mrs.
Eddy, the founder of the faith, in her
deed of trust.
-. seateo tnaL the directors
should have control. The suit of the
trustees brought against the board of
directors to restrain the latter from
assuming jurisdiction in the publica-
ton of the church's periodicals is con-
trary to the manual of the mother
church and the wishes of Mrs. Eddy
All twenty of the congregations in
greater New York, Mr.. Dawson said.
virtually have agreed to exclude the
publications.
Mr. Dawson gave it as his opinion
that every Scientist congregation in
the world eventually will have placed
its ban on the publications. The First
Church Of Christ, Scientist, In London.
by vote of 480 to 22O, decided to sup
port the board Of directors.
Admits Schism Exists
1T Is ridiculous to say that there
Is no schism in the Christian Science
Church." a leading supporter of the
trustee faction declared Yesterday.
The schism is so great that it con-
stltutes a grave menace. The more
publicity that can be given the dis
pute. the better, in the end, for the
whole faith. 1t is not a war that is
gong to mean disaster to the faith of
Christian Science, but it is, believe,
going to mean the complete reorganiza-
tion of the church structure
The income from the publications
which the mother church faction is
seeking to abolish as an expedient
looking to the rearing of autocratic
sway exercised by five popes in a
vatican amounts to more than $780,
600 a year profit. To abolish these
publications means that the income
from the works of Mrs. Mary Baker
Eddy, the founder, amounting alone to
approximately 100000 a year, will be
lost.
ut would be the grandest achieve
ment in religious history if this thing
were thrashed out to a finality. Any
element that opposes carrying it fully
through the courts is to be compared
to the pacifist elements during the
war. The work of the church as an
organization is at stake"
The latest suit-that of the Christian
Science Delegates, who ask to be al
lowed to intervene in the present liti-
cation on the side of the directors and
First Members-is characterized as a
"reactionary effort to get back to the
old order" and to impose a sort of
"popedom" on the church membe rship
throughout the world. There are be-
tween 100000 and 100000 adherents
of the faith.
The petition for intervention by the
Christian Science Delegates will be
heard, it is understood, next Saturday.
This suit is brought in the name Of
Mrs. Emile B. Hulin, Of Brooklyn, a
First Member, and that of Martin F.