The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-12-07
WAR STRANDED
 AS GREATEST SIN
 BY CHURCHMAN
Race Problems Come To Fore At Night Session
 Of Federal Council
(By Associated Press. )

ATLANTA, Ga., Dec. 6-War and race problems tonight were the most important subjects before the Federal Council of Churches as it brought it's business sessions of the week to a close.
 Dr. M. Ashby Jones, Atlanta, de- scribed the racial question as the most insistent challenge to Christian relig- ion," but declared progress is being made in meeting the question of white and colored races in the south."
 War was branded as the "chief collec- tive sin of human society" in a reso- lution offered by Charles Morrison, Chi cago, editor of the Christian Century, asking that the council committee on army and navy chaplains discontinue tits activity and responsibility in the appointment of chaplains in the Off cers Reserve corps"
 Dr. Morrison's resolution was immed- lately sent to the business committee without debate. It urged that the com mittee be instructed by conference, with proper government officials to study the question of taking such steps as may be necessary and effective to place the service of ministers of religion to the men of both army and navy upon a non-military basis" The report of the findings, under the resolution, would be reported to the councils executive com mittee next year.
 "The next great war must be prevent ed before it is started" former Governor Milliken of Maine told the delegates. 'eThe churches are the custodians and trustees upon this earth of the only force that will prevent it by substitut- ing love for hatred and goodwill for suspicion, brotherhood for bitterness, in the lives of human beings, and so in the policies of nations. How great this responsibility is, not only for the spiritual welfare of humanity but for the very physical structure of civiliza- tion, it is impossible to over-estimate.
 The former executive declared he had patience with the puerile pacifist propa- ganda which seeks to prevent war by pledging individuals to refuse coop eration with their governments in the event of war;" Such an attempt to prevent war, he continued, "is like seeking to dam Niagara by throwing pebbles on the brink of the cataract" "
 We must face the fact that the su- perior might of one group over others often gives that group superior oppor- tunities," he said "These super op- portunties may have been land, climate and immunity from manual tasks.
 We must face the fact that these super achievements in government and the arts of civilization must be preserved and at times defended from the weaker and more backward peoples. This may become the Justification for the gov ernment of one race by another.
 '"This has been responsible, however, for most of the tyarnies of the world. It has almost always been too severe a test of human nature to make one group subservient to another It seems well nigh impossible for the stronger group to govern for the welfare of the weaker group. It is too great temptation to exploit them-keeping them weak in or der that they may be used for the bene- fit of the strong"
 .- The work of inter-racial committees in the south, he said, has been con cerned with human sympathy and the meeting of the ''best representatives of both races to discuss not the academic question of the relation of the races but the specific needs of the home cases of injustice and discrimination in the courts or the business world"