Evening star., 1927-05-27
PRESBYTER|ANSH HIT
FASC|STSAND KLAN
Mission Report Says Work Is
= Hampered by Groups
Activities.

The Fascist government and the
Ku Klux klan are arraigned as
inimical to the mission endeavor in a
report prepared for presentation to
the General Assembly of the United
Presbyterian Church of North
America. made public today
The report, coming from the Home
Missions Board. will he formally laid
before the assembly, now in session
at Wallace Memorial Church, early
next week.
1t accuses leaders of the Fascist
movement Of supporting Roman
Catholic propaganda against Pro.
testant Italian missions in America,
thereby increasing the difficulty Of the
Home Missions Beard in evangelizing
foreigners. This is particularly true
in the case of the Italians, who face
the risk Of being branded as traitors
and the prospect of the confiscation
of their property in their native land,
according TO the report. which adds
that alleged Catholic propa ganda
against Italian Protestant missions
here is directly supported by the
Fascist government
KIan Held Hindrace. ..
The opposition Of the ku klux Klan
hindrance to the work of the home
mission board among foreigners, as
immigrants associate the klan with
Professionalism. which Immediately
renders missionary work among Cath
olic immigrants. almost impossible of
accomplishment, the report says.
accomplishment. the report hays.
Turning TO the negro problem, the
report advises that the general
policy of the church in that field
should be directed along educational
rather than evangelistic lines. 1t
emphasized the necessity of educat-
ing negros toward leadership in their
own race and declared that the mar
velous progress of the negro in three
score years, coming out of slavery,
handicapped by ignorance, superstition
and destitution, is accounted for only
by what the church has done in offer
ing Christian education so generously
TO the entire race" The report also
pointed to the increasing facilities
for negro EDUCATION in Southern
States and declared that ''the eX-
panding demands of the negro race
point the way of the church's duty
to that race"
Federation of Boards.
The special committee. appointed by
the assembly to study the question of
the federation of the principal boards
of the church. namely, Freedmens
Board, Home Missionary Board and
the Foreign Missionary Board, yester.
day afternoon submitted a report ad-
vocating the repeal of legislation
which had federated the boards. If
this line of action is followed by the
assembly, it will leave the main boards
of the United Presbyterian Church
without representation in the general
board at Pittsburgh.
The opinion of the finance committee
on the same question remained at
variance with the findings of the "spe.
cial committee" and urged greater
federation and compactness in the
cause of economy. Churchmen, how
ever, stated that in view of the enor.
nous number of trust funds. benevo-
1ences and other financial items which
would be involved by the consolidation
of the various boards, the activities of
the General Council, or Federation
OF Boards, would be vastly increased.
Controversy Over Hymns.
The controversy which threatened
yesterday relating to the addition of
150 hymns to the psalter, which would
be radical change. in the tradition
of the United. Pfesb%teriafis. was re.
ferred to the judiciary committee.
The United Presbyterian Church
has, since its inception, maintained
that the inspired poetry of the Bible
should be the basis of the religious
devotion, and the departure from this
tradition, 1t is predicted, will arouse
great discussion when the final report
of the judiciary committee is entered
Several synods from India and the
United States have strenuously op-
posed this course of action, although a
psalter-hymnal was ordered prepared
by the 1926 assembly, which contain
ed hymns of praise.
Report on Social Service.
The special report of the commit
tee on social service last night,
which touched in part on the prohi-
bition question, was especially stren-
uous in its condemnation of the prev
alent spirit of lawlessness among
the youth of our land" and declared
that moral and religious training
are the only antidotes." The report
also expressed deep concern over
the activities to repeal and nullify
our Sabbath law, which is slowly
being brought about by allowing
amusements and sporting contests on
Sunday"
The findings of this committee also
criticized portions of the press for
its part In the general inefficiency
of prohibition enforcement and went
on TO say that public attention
should be called to the flood of
unreliable propaganda which is being
given out to the country to break
down the prohibition cause" The
80 4 A.
was set forth in the report and
called for total abstinence"
Memorials were read from the In
dian synod of the Punjab yesterday
and from many American synods, re-
Questing an appeal from the act of the
general assembly of 1926. which united
the hymnal and psalter and added
hymns of praise. The protesting Pres.
byterians are desirous Of having the
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