Twin city review. [volume] (Champaign, Ill.) 19??-1929, 1924-08-22
NATIONAL DEFENSE
TEST OPPOSED BY
URBANA PASTOR

{ =, - - AH&tAAa HaNtHH AA Tie FtfsA
esFaS' church Of Othana. leads a
movement an the churches at TIE Twin
I'ues IN opposition 30 he spirit and
motive Of the so-called National be
tense Iest daN, which Nill be OBJ
served BY the military units Ia Ameti.
Ga ami those who are IN sympathy
"'ta the administratiop's plan II pre-.
| paretlness.
In stirring sermon the pastor
strikes an attitude of opposition 10
The celebration taking as his teNl
Math, sesa2. lie emphasizes the
teaehlng~. Of Jesus Christ, and points
out clearly the position Of the ehurrh
toward celebration that can mean
nothing else than preparation for
war and culture of the war spirit in
The hearts of Americas citizenship.
Rev Long said in part
As followers OF Jesus We are called
10 decide between the use af the sword
with the steel edge and the swerd Of
the spirit One ffeauenil, heard IN
the days Of the Great War that the
church had failed. Whether il failed
OF did not fail one thing j. true that
The church has not emphasized with
all its power that The use of the
sword Is the most colossal aud fulnous
siu that alliets mankind today, that
It 4 utterly UNCHRtSf1AN; that
the war system means everything
which Jesus dld net mean and means
nothing that he did mean.
As Christians We have the pattern
set before as, The teaching, practice,
and spirit of Christ constitute our
guide, The Christian church today
Is face To face with the alternatives.
Christ or the eNpedieney of CONNER.
eialisM; Christ Of racial antagonism.
Christ OF the generals. Which shall
IT be. If We are true to our trust
the Christian religion must create
that form of society where there is
neither jew nor Gentle, barbarian
Seythia, bondman nor freeman, but
where We are brothers in Christ
Jesus"
The question might very well be
raised, can the church continue 10
parade the ideals of Jesus and al the
same time pronounce blessing on
WAR3 We were led to believe In the
faithful discharge of our duty fea
years ago In the mest dreadful holu-
caust IN history, that We were wage
ing a war to end war We dreamed
of peace when the instruments of
battle would be transformed into
agencies of peace. We looked for
ward TO the day when No would no
more think Of our sons as goldiefs
and our daughters as manisiof work
the guns ceased firing we have been
thinking In terms of larger and in
creasingly larger fighting machine
until today We have organized across
the country more young men for Wal
than at any peace time period In our
history. We have our cavalry units,
our university training schools, our
summer training camps besides an
endless propaganda for a larger army
aud war spirit IN addition TO what We
had before the Great War.
The Call TO Mobilize September IL,
Peace loving people aud advocates
Of peace all over the country are nt
odds with the war department today
over the call TO bring together "all
of those divisions and other military
organization necessary TO form the
basis for complete and immediate
mobilization for the national defense
in the event of national emergency
declared by congress" This inter
pfeted by Seeretaf Of War Weeks
means a Demonstration of the plans
for mobilization"
From the moment Of this announce.
ment IL has met with opposition, not
| from fanatics, but from the wise
moral religious leadership of the
country. One of the first revolts came
from Harold II. II. Spelght, Captain,
Chaplain Officers Reserve Corps,
302nd Infantry oath Division, In a
letter direct to the President of the
u. S.
II have felt compelled TO resign,
! through formal military channels, the
commission which have held In the
Officers Reesrve Corps "a Chaplain
| tcaptain) since ] was honofably dis
charged from the army at the eonelua.
ion Of the World War. ! feel bound
10 take this step as protest against
what ! feel 10 be the most unfOrtnn-
ate action of the War Department in
planning a mobilization day for Sep
/ tembef 18th next. This intended
demonstration of the military
strength Of the u. S. In men and
munitions cannot but be regarded by
the peoples Of other countries as u
militaristic venture"
Not only has there been reaction on
the part Of individuals but churches
In their national convention have ex-
pressed themselves without equivoear
ton upon this issue. The F@eeutive
Committee of the Federated churches
Continued on Page ~