The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1927-06-20
NOTED CLERIC SCORES
CITIZEN DRY SHOPPERS
DIR. ABERNETHY
WILL STAY

Wide differences of opinion exist.
ed among Washington churchmen
today over the mass meeting at
Calvary Baptist Church yesterday of
the City Service Association for
Law and Order, and its program
to place volunteer "dry" citizen
informer in every block in the city,
Not only is large part of the
clergy cool toward the purposes of
the organization, but actual opposi.
ton was voiced in some of the
most influential church circles.
ONE OF the ranking Protestant
ministers of Washington TO-DAY
candidly expressed the belief that
Or. William s. Abernethy. presi.
cent OF the law and order associa.
tlon' and his colleagues. .need 10
take alcohol in small doses"
Nationally Known
Ihis minister. whose name is
nationally known to churchmen.
SAID he had no hesitancy in protest.
ing the formation of such an or.
ganization as met yesterday in the
Calvary Baptist Church.
The old saloon" he said, "was
bad, and probably required a surgi.
cal operation. The Volstead law
was the operation.
But 1t was not successful one.
and. like all bad surgery. it re-.
suited in blood poisoning. That is
the condition today, and the forma.
ton OF such an organization as
this law and order league il a
manifestation of blood poisoning in
our society.
II you will inquire of any
reputable physician, as I have done.
you will find that he treats blood
poisoning in part with the admin.
lstration Of small doses OF alcohol.
I think alcohol in small doses
would help DR.. Abernethy and those
gentlemen who are associated with
MIN in this undertaking"
open declaration by Rev George
M. DliIenderfer that promotion is
peing denied members Of the Metro.
poLtan Police unless they are known
TO be dry" has stirred every one
OF the fourteen police precincts.
Major Edwin B. Heese. chief of
police, spoke from the same Mat.
form few minutes after the Rev
Dltfenderfer and did not denv that
this was the case.
Abernethy RumOr Revived
The meeting, the first militant
gathering of the newly-organized
lily service Association for Law
ana order, also has revived the
nltnerto unpublished run1ors in the
calvary Baptist Church concernine,
the resignation of the Rev. DIR
william S. Abernethy. -
Dr. Abernethy, pastor to the late
President Harding when the IatteT
attended Calvary. il president ~
one Jaw and order association and
ohs OF It's most militant members
ast thursday, according to mem.
80. VI CalVary Church. DR.. Aber.
my returned from a short trim.
oaneu special meeting, and an.
nouhced TO his congregation that he
would not resign. az
delivers Ultimatlum to Flock
Al the meeting it was disclosed
that some part of the Calvary CON.
gregauon had grown cold to their
pastor. Actuated by this fart ara
py a reported offer of a nuIn;t in
cleveland. Ohio, DR.. Abernethv bs a
considered giving up his nosition
here. PoSilroll
II mas not been learned what RON.
slderations Influenced his decision 70
remain here. At last Thursdav'e
meeting, however, DR.. Aberratby Sa'
ilVered polite ultimatum tn his con.
gregatlon, making it plain that those
members who opposed him would
nave to step down and ont" snd
give MIN free hand in what he CON
sldered his pastoral duties.
Yesterdays mass meeting of the
city Service Association for T,aw
ana order followed, with DR.. Aber.
nethy presiding, <A'ei'