Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-14
CHURCHES BACK
NAVAL CUT PLAN
Support of Presidents Pro-
Gram CabIed Religious Heads
in Britain. France, Japan.
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press n.y.,
NEW YORK. February Ia ne
Federal Council of churches -.
America has cabled to the churches u
Great Britain, France ana Japa" q
statement indorsine lresioe.it ~, ~.
idcc's message regarding tuf'hei "''1
tafion of naval armament ana an
nn,,nc;n~ that the churches OF TINS
country 'as a unit VIII Sta'iu ''
h,tely behind the President.
THE statement will be dissemina led
among the churches Of Great bfi,a-n
hv tho Christian Conference on i,o,i
tics Economics and CitiZenshlp' ia''' :,
iarly known as "Copec. embracing al
Protestant churches there. In france
distribution will be made by the REQ
Grafton of Evangelical Churcnes. a"u
in japan by the National thrls'ial'
Council. embracing 20 denomlnatlons.
The announcement was sis,'eu y.
Dr & parkes Cadman, president OF
1he Federal Council. under authorize
ton of the other officers of the organ
iZation.
Qualification Expressed.
The message to tho foreign churches
follows:
1.-THE message to Congress by Pres
dent Coolidge, telling of his comm =
njcation to Great Britain. France. ltaH
and Iapan with regard to the turtheF
limitation of naval armament. mas
been received with deep qualification
The churches Of tho country as unit
will stand resolutely behind the Pres
idcnt.
THE Federal Council of Churches
has reneatedlv taken action urging
further reduction Of ornaments by
the nations and specifically at its
meeting December "a. 1926. expressed
its advocacy of the policy for broaden
ing the application of the spirit ana
principles OF the limitation Of arma-
mont formulated at the Washington
conference.
The spirit shown by the Pr sident
In his approach to the European ma
lions. his sympathetic understanding
of their problems and his manifest APP
probation of the highly complex and
Intricate character Of the question Of
disarmament impress us with his com
urehcnSiya and dscr mnating grasp
of the actEalities of the situation.
I'VE believe that the peculiar difti-
tulties of the European nations re-
auire the most sympathetic cons:dera-
ton but that they can be met if
dealt with in a spirit of mutual good
will.
W nope t1al the ROUSE anu sell
ate will whole -heartedly support the
President in this program and will
do nothing to jeopardize it or to
hamper it's practical realization.
Alternative Pointed Out.
1T is earnestly to be hoped that the
President viii push his proposal per
sistently and persuasively and that
the governments and peoples of the
other nations will receive this appeal
In the same spirit and good faith with
which it is issued and will respond
to his earnest request for prompt &C
tion.
Our people should realize what the
alternatives are-either positive pro-
gram for ending further competition
I'm naval arma ments or renewed and
unrestrained competitive naval build
ing programs. inevitably causing inn
mediate increase of mutual suspicion
and i'll will, heavy increases in naval
building budgets and corresp nding
waste of money and resources of all
the nations which ought 10 he used
for the benefit of their peoples and for
the amalioration of their fina ncial
distresses
I'VE believe that the President is
right i'm declaring that competitive
ornaments constitute one of the most
dangerous on:ributing causes of in
ternational suspicion and discord and
are calculated eventually to lead to
war