The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1920-08-06
BISHOP ATKINS
ARRAIGNS SENATE
Charges 0pposers of League O.
Nations with Death in Europe.

1T will be hard for anyone Il
realize from this side what murder
GUS results have come and must still
come from the conduct of the United
States Senate for refusing the league
of peace" said Bishop James Atkins
of the Methodist Episcopal Church
South, who has just returned from
a visit of nearly three months to the
countries of Euroope, in speaking te
a Banner reporter Saturday after
noon.
1.-THE trouble is the Senate's stu.
pidity or its political moral blindness
has prevented it from realizing that
America has, all the time, had the
power without arms to settle the
perturbed nations of Europe. The
unspeakable crimes of Bolshevism
the end of which is not yet in sight
are chargeable to America-that Is,
to those in the Senate who have
blocked the League of Nations and
kept it blocked while tens of thou
sands have died of starvation and
blood, who should have lived if there
had been an adoption of the league" "
Bishop Atkins was one Of the orig
inal commissioners of the Methodist
churches in America to visit Europe
to see what should be done in the
war-ravaged countries towards aid
ing the people and his first visit was
made about eighteen months ago.
RESULT OF REPORT.
Acting on the report made by him
on his return, the board of missions
of his church decided work should
be undertaken in a number of the
European fields and accordingly the
college of Bishops appointed Bishop
Atkins as the Bishop in charge.
Within that year considerable relief
work was done and much prelimi-
nary work of permanent character
was inaugurated, such as the selec-
tion Of locations and the purchase of
property. Bishop Atkins was reas-
signed to the European fields by the
college of Bishops at the May meet
ing this year and his visit, just COM
pleted, was in the fulfillment of his
duties. He was accompanied by
DR.. w. w. Pinson, general secretary
of the mission board in charge of the
European field.
The countries visited were Eng
land, Poland, Belgium, France, Ser
via, and Czccho-Slovakia, including
the cities of London, Brussels, Paris,
Warsaw, Cracow and Prague, all cap
itals. Many smaller towns and vii
lages were also visited in order that
better knowledge of the people and
conditions might be obtained.
In speaking of Poland, which is
now one of the great suffering ma
tions of Europe, Bishop Atkins said
the condition of her people was truly
p.tiable. Other countries are still
suffering greatly from the ravages of
war, he reported.
There is a grave misapprehension
on the part of the majority of the
American people regarding the con-
ditions over there" said he. 1t is
assumed by so many that because
the war clouds have passed that pov
erty and suffering have passed with
them. No greater mistake could be
made. While the people, by hard
work, are making good progress in
restoring affairs there is an incon
amount of suffering for the
things that are absolutely necessary
to life."
AS an example he spoke of there
being 100000 children in Poland
alone, who are below the self-sup-
porting age and who would ctarve if
not daily kept alive by aid from
NEVER KNOW NAMES.
Thousands of these children will
never know who they are, because
their parents died or were slain
while the little ones were too young
10 remember their names or previous
condition in life, said Bishop Atkins.
He said he visited several soup kitch-
ms in Warsaw, one of the number
'eeding $500 of these children
iaily. The biggest relief agency in
his work, he said, is the American
Relief Association. The Jewish peo-
,le are doing a great work, lie said,
md other denominations are also CIV
ng aid He said he had the pleasure
# eating American bean soup with
he children. in one of the Kitchens.