The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1923-01-05
Prominent Americans Now
Issue Warning
NEW YEAR APPEAL
Better Mind Must Prevail If Flu
ture Armed Conflicts Are
To Be Averted
Associated Press DISPATCH. ]

1 that the natl0nS are frankly push
ing preparations for another war,
and that the prevention of such u
war is the foremost duty of the
Christian Church, a group of 100
| prominent Americans, including
many we'll known clergy men, edu-
Gators. business men and editors,
today issued a New Year appeal to
church people throughout the nation.
They declare another war Is lneV-
Iitable unless a better mind can pre-
vail"
Among the signers are William ].
Bryana, Frank A. Vnaderlip, Roger
lW. Babson, George w. Wickersham,
Cardinal O'Connell, Nehemiah Boyr-
ton, chairman of the National Church
Committee Of World Alliance; Ar
] thur ]. Brown. secretary or the
Presbyterian Board of Foreign Mis-
sions; Kenyon l.. Buttertield, presi-
] dent of the Massachusetts, Agricul-
tural College: John B. Clark, OF the
Carnegie Endowment for Interna-
tional Peace; Professor Irving Fish
er, of Yale University; John P. Frey,
editor Of the Moulders Journal. Gin
Clnudu, blSuop IuO1ho2 NoHSA
Of the Protestant Episcopal Church;
Harriet B. Laidlaw, of the Women's
Pro League Council; Smaller Math-
Jews, dean of the Divinity School VI
IChicago University; President
Thwing, Of Western Reserve Uni
Sersity; Miss Mary E Moolley.
President of Mount Holyoke Col
llege; Mrs. Philip North Moore,
president National Council of Wo-
men; Mrs. Percy B. Pennybacker,
President Chautauqua Woman's
Club; Judge Henry Wade Rogers, OF
the Circuit Court, New York; John
r. Mott. General Secretary of the
International Y. NJ. C. A, and many
of the most prominent Episcopal and
Methodist Bishops and other lead
nomination.
The Appeal In Full.
The appeal, which is given out
through the World Alliance for In
ternational Friendship through the
Churches, follows:
1.-THE present situation in interna-
tional affairs, involving as 1t does
the imminent peril OF war, must give
concern to every thoughtful Chris
tian. After a devastating conflict
which has cost millions OF lives,
piled up a debt of fifty dollars for
every minute of time since Christ
was born, the nations of the earth.
/ apparently having learned nothing
land forgotten nothing. are once more
playing the old game OF competitive
lfmperflism and competitive arma-
ment. The Church of Christ, was Sc
verely blamed for the occurrence os
the last war. That the Gospel should
have been so long on earth and yet
should not have prevented the great
I catastrophe with all it's hideous
cruelty and suffering was a charge
AGAINST the Church so serious. that
all Shoughtful ministers felt its force
and were driven defensively to meet
1T Even more will another war
bring down upon the Church of
Christ the charge of moral coward
ice and fatal inefficiency.
"Yet another war is being prepar-
ed In the vindictive hatreds, the ma
Itionalistic ambitions, the schemes
of racial and imperial self aggrand-
iizement which mark the worlds in
n International relationships. The spirit
tof good will and sincere cooperation
lfor the welfare of mankind as a
whole is so lamentably weak, is SO
openly scoffed at in influential quar-
tiers, and expectations of war are Sc
freely voiced and preparations for 1t
30 frankly pushed, that another war
lis inevitable unless better mind
can speedily prevail.
Regard War Most Ruinous
There are some among us, OF
whom the signatories Of this appeal
form small group, who regard war
which mankind now faces; who are
sure that the war system and the
Christian Gospel cannot permanent
ly abide together on the same earth {:
who see Clearly that the sSifit OF
war and the spirit of the GosNI are
antithetiCaa. the one representing
what the other hates and would de-
istroy: who recognize that war is fu-
tile as means Of furthering Christ's
Kingdom, even where the end sought
il righteous and where the spirit OF
the ombatants is sacrificial.
"Our position in this appeal does
not involve theoretical pacifism; we
are not concerned to deny the ne
1t may be, In an emergency, nor of a
| moderate military organization for
defensive purposes. But the war
Isystem is not an appeal to force in
an emergency-it is a long drawn
out and deliberate. preparation for
1.-THE use Of every known means OF
leruel and collective destruction, II
rests upon the assumption that the
welfare of one people involves the
ruin of another and 1t plans far
ahead Of the event to be able to
compass that ruin. 1t represents the
deliberate organization Of the world
into isolated and armed peoples,
suspicious Of each other, hating each
Iother. waiting to fall upon each 9TH
Ter, instead of sanely cooperating
peoples finding the best interests of
all fulfilled In decent, peaceable
and reasonable fellowship.
I'VE will not believe that man
kind is so deficient in character and
intelligence as to make the rational
solution of our international prob
lems impossible and TO commit us to
the continued rule Of insane fear,
hatred and collective destruction.
And we are certain that unless the
Church of Christ takes now "a clear
and consistent stand on this matter
Of life and death to our civilization
and 10 the world, she will merit the
contempt of men and the judgement
Of God.
. Urge outspeken Declaration
! I'VE therefore urge all the people
, of the churches, and all ministers In
particular, to an outspoken declara-
T ton that the war system and the
QoAoeI of Christ are diametrically