Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-09
BISHOP MCDOWELL
BACKS SHIP BILL
Churchman Declines to Join
Movement in Protest to
" Cruiser Measure.
BIZ FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.


Bishop william F. Mcdowell. senior
bishop of the Methodist Episcopal
Church of the United States, has de-
clined to associate himself with the
protest against the cruiser bill now
being made by distinguished church
men, educators and other prominent
citizens. Bishop Mcdowell favors the
passage of the measure providing for
is additional cruisers. His attitude is
designed to attract the widest possible
attention in washington and the coun-
try at large following its disclosure, for
the first time. through this writer.
It will arouse interest because Bishop
Mcdowell, on February 81, 1928, head
ed the impressive delegation OF church.
men who protested to President Cool
idge at the White House against the
projected, and eventually ShipWrecked
program to add II vessels to the Navy.
The delegation appeared on behalf of
the Federal Council of the Churches of
Christ in America, of whose Washing
ton Office Bishop Mcdowell is chair
man.
Held Not Unreasonable.
The present proposal--to construct
held by Bishop Mcdowell not to be I'M
reasonable. It is described on his be-
half as certainly not of nature to
call for protest or opposition from him"
Overtures to join the citizens con-
ference against the cruiser BILL, failed
to. enlist Bishop McDowell's support,
even though the call for the conference
is mainly sponsored by his co-reii-
zionist, Bishop Francis j. Mcconnell
of the Methodist Episcopal Diocese OF
Pittsburgh. chairman of the conference,
who was recently elected president OF
the Federal Council of the Churches of
Christ in America. The Federal Coun-
Gil and the National Council for Pre-
vention of War, form the principal
anti-preparedness groups in the country
and are jointly conspicuous in this
weeks anti-cruiser drive on the Senate
Bishop McDowell's first interest is
represented to be in the prompt rati-
fication of the Kellogg pact for re-
nunciation of war. He joins President
Cooliee and Secretary kellogg in the
belief that there is no conflict between
the multilateral treaty and the pro-
gram to bring the United States Navy,
by the addition of Is cruisers, nearer to
the general strength contemplated by
the $50 ratio of the treaty OF WASH
ington.
Board Not Concerned.
The only reason why the senior
Methodist bishop has refrained from an
earlier and more public statement Of
his views about the pending cruiser
measure is that DR.. Mcdowell did not
wish to seem to come into opposition
to the group assembled in Washington
to protest against the Senate bill. The
+, Board of Temperance, Prohibition and
Public Morals of the Methodist Epis-
copal Church at Washington, OF which
Bishop Mcdowell is president, Is not
concerned, as an organization, with the
cruiser bill, pro or con.
Senator Hale, Republican, Of Maine,
chairman of the naval affairs COM
mittee and in charge of the cruiser bill,
is being deluged with letters and tele-
grams from all over the country advo-
eating passage Of the measure. Women
are predominant among his correspond
ents. Senator Hale is particularly In
terested ia a letter from Salt Lake City,
the home bailiwick of Senator King,
Democrat, of Utah, leader of the Senate
opposition to the cruiser bill. The let
ter comes from Mrs. Stephen Abbot,
a prominent Utah woman, and reads
as follows:
IF the Endorsement of the admins
tration's Navy bill by the women OF the
country does not equal in volume and
in force of rhetoric the protest against
it which is addressed to Senators, 1t is
not because Of lesser intensity Of feel
ing on the part of the approving
women. We, average. right-minded.
home-loving Americans, take certain
things for granted, the right of self
defense among them.
"Tt would be the most fragrant end
cruel miscarriage Of justice If the Or
ganized activities of professional propa-
gandists and their facile converts were
permitted to obscure the fact that the
less vocal majority of Americas wives
and mothers are back of the cruiser
bill. heart and soul.
I'VE, in this city of the intermoun-
tain region, have been in a position to
observe the way in which the machinery
works in at least one city--and we
know. We count on your men Of in
telligence and power to secure for us
the defense that is necessary If we as
Nation are to fulfill our destiny"
tCopyrisnt. 1920