The New York herald., 1920-01-15
REPORT ON
DR.. GRANT SENT
TO BISHOP BURCH
Inquiry Followed Amnesty
Parade and Buford-May-
flower Analogy.

A report unanimously adopted by the
vestry OF the Church OF the Ascension,
whose rector, Or. Percy Stickney Grant,
has raised storm concerning his alleged
comparison of the Pilgrim Fathers to the
Reds deported in the Buford and his
activities in connection with the parade
on Christmas which was broken Up by the
police, was sent to Bishop Burch late last
night.
George Gordon Battle, Junior warden of
lhe Church OF the Ascension. acted as
spokesman for the vestry He would not
divulge its nature and said that Bishop
Burch who asked the vestrymen for the
report had been requested by them TO
make it public. II is believed the report
will be a practical exoneration of DR..
Grant.
About twelve OF the seventeen vestry-
men of the church passed on the report
at y conference at the parish house. No.
IL West Eleventh street, late yesterday
afternoon. The others did not attend
DIR. Grant, who is said TO be suffering
from heavy cold, attended the confer
ence, IL was learned, and gave the vestry
an expiration of his remarks in connec-
ton with the Mayflower and Buford
analogy and the parade of the amnesty
sympathizers on Christmas The vestry
committee OF five. composed of Mr. Battle
as chairman; Elbridge Gerry Snow, presi-
dent OF the Home Insurance Company:
Harold a. Content, Louis c. Myers and
James W. Cunningham. which met Tues
day at the Lawyers Club, submitted
report which was amended and added To
by the vestrynen and which later formed
the basis OF the report made TO Bishop
Burch
Vestry Started Inquiry.
According to Mr. Battle. the inquiry
into the utterances and actions OF Dr.
Grant was started originally by The vestry
who took I'D the matter the Monday after
Christmas. following DR. Grants connec-
ton with the Christmas Day parade, and
his remarks at the Church Forum the
Sunday night before Christmas. Some of
the vestryTren heard DR.. Grants rena rks
about the Pilgrim Fathers, and others read
newspaper accounts Of his utterances, Mr.
Battle said. which prompted the vestry 10
make an investigation
When their conferences became known,
Mr.. Battle said. Bishop Burch communi-
Gated with DR.. Grant and with Mr. Battle
and asked to be given copy Of the report
Of the vestry. He said that IL covered
merely the Buford incident and the Christ
mas parade. and said that charges made
by the Rev. Dr. Gustav A. Christensen.
rector Of the Holyrood Episcopal @--u-rh,
were not mentioned in the conferences.
While Mr. Battle would not give TX.
details of the report, the attitude Of many
OF the members OF the vestry is known TO
be favorable toward DR.. Grant, and 1t Is
thought that the report will be n virtual
exoneration OF the rector.
The Rev. Dr.. Christensen, who said on
Tuesday that in the event the vcstry
cleared DR. Grant cl argos would be laid
before Bishop Bm ch by clersymen on
canonical grounds which would bring him
before an ecclestiastical court for trials
said yesterday tina. he had confidence
Bishop Burch would settle the matter
tisfsctorily TO all concerned, and that
extreme measures probably would be
taken only in a case OF necessity.
Friends stand by Him.
'I think that his friends who stand by
him most loyalty" he said. in speaking Of
Or. Grant. will convince him that con-
cessions on his part are necessary. There
seems TO be several ways Of settling the
matter one would be a satisfactory states
ment from Or. Grant himself and assur-
ances on his part that the present diff
Guilty will not again occur. DR.. Grant is
inclined to be carried away by extreme
zeal In certain directions, and l think ne
can be made to see there are concessions
he will be wise TO make"
According to Mr. Battle the forum which
is held on Sunday evenings in the Church
OF the Ascension is not religious meet
ing He said that the forum was A cor
poration under the laws of the state, and
that he saw no reason why church. IL Il
complied with the ecclesiastical laws,
could not have such a forum. He said
that this requirement had always been
followed. When asked If there was any
intention to move the forum from the