Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1923-07-25
CONFERENCE ON RELIGIOUS AND
NAVAL TRAINING FOR SOL
DIERS is COMMENDED.
SPEAKS FOR PREPAREDNESS
Army and Navy Officials Think This
Pronouncement Comes at a Time
When 1t Will Be Effective Against
Communist Propaganda.
BY EDWARD B. CLARK

partments and officers of the army and
navy generally are pleased over the
pronouncements and findings adopted
unanimously by the recent Conference
ON Religious and Moral Training for
Soldiers"
The conference consisted of more
than sixty distinguished educators,
clergymen of various denominations,
leaders of welfare organizations and
twenty-five chaplains who rendered ex-
ceptional service during the World
war. 1t was individualized by the fact
that its personnel was drawn from the
ranks of Professionalism, Roman Catholi-
c1sm and the Jewish denomination.
While the sessions were in progress,
the leadership was taken at different
times by representatives Of all these
faiths. Among the presiding officers
were Bishop William Fraser Mcdowell,
Methodist Episcopal bishop Of Wash
ington; Father Francis P. Duffy Of
New York, who won the DISTINGUISHED
Service Cross during the war, and DIR.
Cyrus Adler, president Of the Jewish
Welfare board.
The War and Navy department au-
thorities were particularly pleased over
the findings and announcements of
this conference of churchmen, teachers
and welfare workers because from the
ranks of some of the churches and
| largely from the ranks of the welfare
workers have come the bitter enemies
OF anything like sane preparedness for
the United States armed forces.
Comes at the Right Time.
What the authorities regard as ebul-
litions of dangerous animosities to
American well-being have come to a
great extent from so-called welfare
workers-men and women who have
been in their life work largely asso-
ciated in social centers and elsewhere
with persons who are believers in the
communistic form of government,
and who believe that no govern
ment at all is the best kind of
state under which people should live.
1t is thought in Washington that this
pronOuncement of the conference of
representatives of religion, the teach
Ing profession, and welfare work gen.
orally, has come at a time when it will
do the most good.
The announcements and findings
were prepared by the following COM
mittee: Bishop William Fraser Nc
Dowell Of Washington (Methodist),
chairman; President John M. Thomas
of Pennsylvania State college; Rabbi
Morris S. Lazaron of the Baltimore
Hebrew congregation Rev. William f.
Barton, moderator of the National
Council of Congregational Churches /;
Bishop James DeWolf Perry, Jr. Of
Rhode Island (Episcopal) Rev. John
j. Burke, general secretary of the Ma
tional Catholic Welfare council; Rev.
Samuel z. Batten, secretary Of the de-
partment of social education of the
American Baptist Publication society ;
Col. w. P. jenkins of the Salvation
Army, and Rev. Jason N. Pierce of the
First Congregational church of Wash
ington, d. G.
Declared Against "FaIse Pacificism."
The announcements and findings of
the conference on religious and moral
training for soldiers was in part as
follows:
"Peace at home within our own coun-
try, peace among all the nations of the
earth is a sacred mission to which
America has devoted herself and her
resources. To pursue it unarmed and
undefended would be the quickest way
to invite war. Against the curse of
militarism America has traditionally
set herself. Militarism is absolutely
strange to the genius of her institu-
tons.
1--WE deprecate any attempt made
under the cloak Of religion and in the
name of a false pacifism, to deny the
support of the churches to the well
being of our army and navy. To the
churches and to the government, the
religious welfare of the men must be
a primary concern. For that reason
chaplains of the different denomina-
tions are commissioned. They minister
to the religious needs of the men. They
care for their souls. They bring to
them the word Of God; and refresh and
renew their spirit. From out of their
work come peace, strength of char
acter, fidelity and fitness for the obliga-
tions of individual and social life."
AS has been told frequently recently
In letters from Washington, the efforts
of communists in the United States tc
re-assert their doctrines and their
teachings, now that the war is over
and they are fairly free from the dan
gers of interference from the authori
ties. are being met sharply and vigor
ously by various patriotic orEaniza-
tions which have sprung into being
Within tho last few months TO helm tif6