The New York herald., 1920-01-16
DIR. GRANT, MILDLY REBUKED BY
VESTRY. AGAIN COUPLES PILGRIMS
WITH REDS ABOARD "SOVIET ARK"'
Report to Bishop Burch Calls Use of Parish House Start
ing Point of Amnesty Parade Unwise but That
Rector Had Full Authority

Church or The Ascension, f1ftn avenue
and Tenth street, was mildly rebuked by
his vestry yesterday for recent acts and
utterances criticised as radical. The re-
huke was in the form Of report to Bishop
Charles s.. Burch. DR.. Grant issued a
long statement. again coupling the de-
ported aliens aboard the Soviet Ark
with the Pilgrim Fathers aboard the May
flower. Then he took to his bed.
DR.. Grant has been reported as suf-
fering from cold since last Saturday
night. He was able to attend the special
meeting Of the vestry hsid in the Parish
ming at his home, No. z West Tenth street,
1t WAS said he was suffering from
head trouble, a severe sold and high
fever" and that his physician was attend
ing him constantly Further action against
him may be halted for the present.
Although it had been predicted that the
vestry would exonorate DIR. Grant in its
official report. that body went on record
as deploring that their rector loaned the
use Of the parish house of the church as
"a recruiting station for the conscientious
! obiectors who paraded in Fifth avenue
last Christmas Day. The vestry termed
highly unfortunate" the fact that DR..
Grant in his sermon the Sunday before
Christmas mentioned the Mayflower and
the Pilgrim Fathers in connection with the
Soviet Ark" and its deported aliens. How
ever, the report stated, the vestry valued
DR.. Grants sincerity, courage, earnest
moss and devotion to humanity"
Declares for Free Speech.
The vestry reiterated it's conviction that
the rector should continue to have the
right of free speech, 1.-The only limitations
being such as are imposed by law and the
properties OF every person."
Bishop Charles 8. Burch did not get the
report from the vestry until early yester-
day morning. It was accompanied by q
request that the Bishop make it public.
The statement, which consisted of about
one thousand words, was the modified
report of the special committee of five
vestrymen which was presented to the
vestry at the meeting Of Wednesday after
noon. The chairman of the special COM
nnittee, which had been appointed by DR..
Grant himself, was George Gordon Battle,
junior warden. 1t was addressed ITO the
Rector, Wardens and Vestrymen."
The report states that it deals with only
two issues. One was "the action of the
rector on allowing certain parade or pro-
cession to assemble at the parish house
on Christmas Day last and thence to
parade up Fifth avenue such parade being
in support of an amnesty for all so-called
political prisoners in this country"
The other was IAN address of the rector
delivered at the forum meeting in the
Church of the Ascension on the evening
of the Sunday before Christmas Day last,
in which he declared his dsapproval of
the practice of deporting aliens from this
country and mentioned the arrival of the
Mayflower with the Pilgrim Fathers in
connection with the sailing from our
shores of the transport Buford carrying
number Of aliens deported by law"
Blames Police for Parade Results.
The report puts the blame for the parade
feature on the police rather than on DR..
Grant.
LAS to the parade or procession" says
the statement, I'VE have been informed by
the rector that either the Captain or the
Acting Captain of the precinct in which
the church is situated, called at the parish
house on Christmas morning, examined
the placards which were to be worn by the
paraders, and stated that so long as the
parade was to be single file no police
permits would be required. and further
parade.
TT appeared that the police of another
precinct must have had a different view
or else there was some confusion, be-
cause some of these paraders were sub
sequentIy arrested in Fifth avenue after
leaving the church. These were afterward
discharged by City Magistrate Corrigan,
who stated that the placards were un-
Questionable and that the persons ar
rested in each case we're entirely within
their legal rights. From these facts we
conclude that the parade was legal. we
further find that the rector had the neces.
sary authority to allow the use OF
the parish house as an assembly ana
starting point for this procession.
Our personal opinion, however, is tnat'
in view Of the circumstances, 1t was un-
wise to permit the use of the church ouild-
inrs for this purpose. The result OF such
permission was to produce the impression
upon the minds of many persons that the
members of the Church OF the Ascension
favored immediate amnesty for all So
called political prsoners-all of whom
have been convicted under due process OF
law and many Of whom have been con-
,icted of crimes against the statutes OF
the United States after a trial by court
and jury.
1--WE recognize that the general purpose
of the parade was humanitarian and that
~ motives of those engaged in it were
most excellent; but on subject so con-
troversial. and as to which opinions may
a;ffer IL would have been wiser in our
onioion for the rector to have consulted
with the vestrymen or with some COM
n,ittee of the vestry, and we suggest that
when similar occasions arise In the future
theat course be pursued.
Discuss Deportation Remarks.
The rest OF the statement discusses the
so-called radical utterances OF Dr. Grant.
"As 70 the address of the rector in re-
card TO the deportation Of aliens, she has
informed us that he spoke from notes
and not from manuscript" says the re-
mort. ''He has told us his recollection OF
the subject matter of the address. which
is confirmed by the vestrymen who heard
It.
''The rector states that his allusion TO
the landing OF the Pilgrims was merely
a comment upon the historical coincidence
that n period of 299 years had elapsed be-
tween that event and the sailing OF the
Buford. He intended to comment merely
upon the fact that the Mayflower
brought the Pilgrim Fathers to this coun-
try as political asylum, while the Bu-
ford carried away from these shores those
who had sought asylum here.
HE expressly and positively dis
claimed any intention OF comparing the
Pilgrim Fathers in any way with these
= taI hat 40 a.