Evening star., 1921-11-24
AMERICA LEADING
WORLD IN THINKING
Bishop Mcdowell Says Ma.
.tions Should Be Grateful
for New Drive on War.

America should be thankful that she
can lead the world in straight
thinking" Bishop William F. Nc
Dowell declared in the course Of his
sermon at the national Thanksgiving
service today at the Metropolitan Me-
mortal Methodist Episcopal Church.
Congregations of the Metropolitan.
Trinity. Wesley Chapel, Hamline,
Waugh. Wilson Memorial, Ryland.
North Capitol and Gorsuch NJ. E.
churches and representatives of the
Junior Order of United American Me-
chanics Joined in the services.
Maybe we can use our power to
make a world in which there shall
not be any unknown dead, however
Mcdowell said. Preaching his sixth
annual sermon at the church. Bishop
Mcdowell said, in part:
Grateful for Drive Against War.
I'VE ought to be soberly grateful
today that America and the rest of
the world are thinking as never be-
fore about war itself. Proud as we
are of individual heroes. We have no
illusions about the glory of war
itself. War is seen in its hideous-
ness, its wickedness and its fruitless-
ness. Mars can no longer fool us
into believing that he is one Of the
good gods. He is plain beast, and
NM" liIl lOT what ne is.
We are untangling some of our
ethics and teachings about war. 1t is
the, poorest school for world virtue
that ever was invented. When it was
on we made out as well as we could,
but we are not deceived now. We
covered the rest with silence. We
have found out that courage is not a
military quality borrowed for other
realms OF life.s 1t is a moral quality
perverted and debased when used for
the slaughter of men,
"Self-sacrifice is not a military
quality borrowed for other uses. 1t
is a moral quality put to unnatural
uses in war. Heroism has higher
uses than those that attach to per-
sonal fighting or natural fighting.
We need not look for the moral
equivalent of war. There is some
thing far finer and better to look for
in the moral qualities that shine in
peace. True peace is not tame and
colorless. The making of a world
without war calls for far better quail
tiles than those that call for the
worlds destruction.
Proud Of Arms Conference.
eve are also seeing that there are
nobler things to do with power than
to kill with it. America ought to be
very proud of what is now going on
in her capital. Nothing like it has hap
pened on our planet before. The pro-
posal Of our President and Secretary Of
States is enough to set morning stars to
singing again. It shows what can be
done by men whose eyes are single.
America ought to sing a doxology
over the power to lead the world into
better ways. Let other nations lead
If they want the straight and long
shooting. Let other nations invent
and use big Berthas if that is the
hest they can do. Let us be thankful
that We can lead the world in straight
thinking and invent the best schools,
churches and homes in the world
"All this calls for thoroughness. We
must be born again. To destroy our
weapons and retain our greed. our
hatreds. our envies will not bring us
to our goal. To take away our wea-
pons and leave our fighting spirits
will not save us. The world is wrong
in the spirit and heart Of it
On this Thanksgiving day the people
of God ought to thank God for the
spirit, the power that can create a
new mind and renew a right spirit
among men and nations"
Clergymen of the various churches s
participated in the service, under the
leadership of Rev. DR.. Harry Dawson
tional Methodist Church. as it is
known. The church auditorium was
decorated with products of the earth.
including prize oats from Wyoming,
pumpkins and corn. A display Of
flags of the nations gathered in the
arms conference was striking. The
flag of the Chinese republic was
brought to Washington yesterday by
airplane from New York city, at the
command of Assistant Secretary
Roosevelt of the Navy Department.
The service was preceded by the
playing of the chimes by DR.. Richa I'd
Johnson. Special musics was given
during the service. Tonight at
O'Clock Evelyn Baldwin will lecture
on Some "reminiscences of Artic
Toll" The lecture will be given in
the main church.