The Washington times., 1922-12-21
CONCERTS Win
DESPITE ALL
PROTESTS. !.
School Board Decides Com.
munity Group May Continue
Sunday Activities.

SNVNoy V~
kid glove warfare" between
Washington ministers and the
Community Music Association II
ended today, with the Board OF
Education, as referee, declaring
the association victorious.
The battle centered on the Sun
day night community concerts
given by the association in the
Central High School auditorium by
permission Of the school authori-
ties.
Board Heard All Protests. =
The fray was conduced dipio-
matically, as leaders In the associa-
ton are prominent pewholdes In
Washington churches.
The board Of education heard pro-
tests Of spokesmen for the min
listers at its meeting In the Frank
lin School yesterday afternoon. and.
as no board member dissented from
the boards original approval OF the
concerts, the concerts automat1cal-
ly were permitted to continue.
Protests against the concerts
were registered by the Rev. ii. F.
Randolph, president Of the Pastors
Federation; the Rev. George M.
Diffenderfer. president Of the Wash
ington Federation of Churches, and
the Rev. Earle Whitley. in the
order named.
Tho frank disapprobation voiced
by DR.. Randolph, as the first
speaker. was modified by DIR. DIFF.
fenderfer, while DIR. Wilfrey, the
final representative Of tho churches,
offered q broadly tolerant view Of
the concerts.
Hurting Congregations.
DR.. Randolph said he was heart
lily in favor of community singing"
and declared thsA he and other min.
listers had discussed the matter
with Robert Lawrence. director of
the concerts, afterward approving
the general principle Of the con-
certs.
1T was to the astonishment of
many of US, without regard to our
feelings. that the Sunday night
concerts were started" said DIR.
Randolph. These concerts are
damaging our Sunday evening con.
gregations. We ministers bring a
religios message to the city ut our
services. No such message ID given
the public at these concerts"
DR.. Randolph warned the Board
Of Education that II the concerts
were allowed to continue, ''the re-
sponsibility will have to be yours,
and yours will be the responsibility
for the character OF the man who
conducts them"
Dr.. Diffenderfer said he did not
know how his congregation was If.
fected by the concerts, but protest.
led, "as Christian minister and a
citizen, against substituting these
concerts for the worship Of Al.
mighty God"
He said he had been told that .5
cents admission had been demanded
for a non-reserved seat, at one of
the concerts.
Thought Ii Europesn.
| DR.. Whitley said the chief aim ol
the pastors was to fight the Euro.
pean form OF Sunday observance.
| James T. Lloyd and e. c. Ora.
ham. board members, questioned the
ministers, forcing the intimation
from DR.. Randolph that he did not
care what use was made Of the
Central auditorium, Just so the sun.
day night concerts were stopped.
| DR.. Abram Simon. president OF the
School Board, read a long list al
Sunday night community center &C
tivfties, against which no protest had
been made by the ministers.
A letter from the Community
Music Association, Justifying its
concerts. was read by Harry c. Hine
secretary OF the board Mr.. Hine
read also two protests on the con.
certs from the District Sunday
School Council Of Religious Educa.
ton and the Emmanuel Baptist