Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-06-22
BACKGROUND OF, EVENTS
BY PAUL COLLINS.

Il
There Is seen upon the horizon -
cloud of patriotic revival-perhaps as
big as a hand, but sure enough be-
tokening of a. storm a-brewing. Just
as Martin Luther was one Of the first
TO declare that all men are created
eoual-when he led the revolt against
the oppression of the princes in the
sixteenth century-so the church which
bears his name today reasserts the
independence and equality OF the In
dividual under the law, and sees that
only by manly resistance TO evil will
mankind maintain his freedom and
rights.
The Lutherans have little patience
with the ostrich act of pacifism in
hiding the vision and 50 Affirming that
what they don't see cannot exist, A
bioerapher says: "A single fiaw In
Luther's character was his tendency to
use rude and Incorporate language
toward his adversaries" Maybe SO, but
he went even farther in his "rudeness''
when he saw the devil leering at him
and he threw q bottle Of ink straight
at His Satanic Infernity and splattered
ssthe wall with the ink, when 1t passed
through the intangible devil. That was
sthe first demonstration that "the pen
is mightier than the sword
s Now many of the followers manifest
similar Lutheran readiness to Tight. the
sdeyiEsome with ink, some with elo-
i quent vocal protest, but they don't
mince their meanings.
At the Thirty-fourth Triennial Con-
vention of the Evangelical Lutheran
Missouri Synod, the church went on
record as follows '.The Lutheran
Church deploIes war and the unspeak-
able sorrow which comes in the wake Of
such national catastrophes. The very
thought of this brutal carnage must be
repulsive to every sincere Christian who
knows the admonition OF his Lord, Love
one another
But any civil government Is obli-
gated to protect the lives and property
of its citizens" the statement contin-
ued. ITO cry .Peacer when there is no
peace, to do away entirely with national
7defenses and safety, and to declare in
an absolute manner No more wars!' is
procedure which is contrary to the
scriptural admonition and national pr1l-
dence"
How that does remind one of the
Slacker's Oath-in the reverse! Those
Lutherans can throw their ink ct the
target even better than did Martin Luz
Their himself.
That cloud upon the horizon grows
biggers md mere sign ficai1t. = AT q con-
ference held this week In the New York
Avenue Presbyterian Church. where
President Lincoln used to attend. the
several Presbyterian churches OF wash
ington decided to be more actively loyal
TO the Government which still lives at
Washington. So committee on Loyalty
was selected whose duty 1t win be to mr.
- IT,
somewhat as Aaron and Hnr STAYED sfip
Moses hands, while Noses sat on q
stone and watched the battle. AS long
| as Moses held up his hand, Israel pre-
vailed, and when he let down his hand
Amelek prevailed, but who can hold MS
hands up by the hour unsupported? SO
the new committee on loyalty should be
named the "Aaron-Hur Committee of
the Presbytery.9,
~ l*-7* i &
Now comes the ,Anti-Saloon. League
which senses the mission of the Aaron
Hur committee and goes It. one better.
by issuing an appeal to- al preachers
and Sunday school teachers TO. make
Sunday. June 80. Loyalty Sunday by
preaching and teaching the funda-
mentals of,patriotic loyalty on that day
the Sunday next before July Fourth.
That does not mean merely waving
odd Glory around and adjoining the
churches with the tri-coloF. It means
adherence to the principles or patriot
ism In q practical way--StandinT even
with the Lutherans in readiness to de-
fend the country In time Of war, stand
ing with the President and all ASSOC
ciated with him In authority" actually
standing with the veterans who gave
their lives or-what is q greater sacri-
flceTtheir health and manhood and op-
portunity to develop careers of their
own. 1t is going to jar some preachers
to undertake outspoken patriotism like
that, and not dwell upon supineness as
an ideal Of loyalty. But when Moses
hands wavered and dropped in fatigue.
then Amelek prevailed, and this new
movement is to recall some Aarons and
Hurs to their obligation to uphold the
arms OF the leader Of the hosts of Israel,
kk -
1t Is all well enough for the President
to select a commission to INVESTIGATES
crime conditions and the problem OF
law enforcement. but that investigation
will disclose that one of the causes of
crime and national weakness Is the fall
ure OF the Aarons and HurS to hold I'M
the arms of the Government against the
wavering Of the confused privates in
the ranks OF lighting. So why not fore
stall the report of that crime commits
sion and recognize the INDISPENSABLE
support Of public backing to the. Presi-
dent, who in his inaugural declared UNI
eQuivocally:
Il have been selected by you to exc
cute and enforce the laws OF the coun-
try. I propose to do so to the extent
of my own abilities, but the measure
OF success that the Government shall
attain will depend upon the moral sun
port which you. as citizens, extend, The
duty Of citizens to support the laws of
the land Is co-equal with the duty of
the Government to enforce the laws
which exist. Our whole system of Gov
eminent will crumble either IL officials
elect what laws they will enforce or citi-
Gems elect what laws they will support.
For our citizens to patronize the viola
ton Of a particular law on the ground
that they are opposed to 1t, Is deStruc-
tive of the very basis Of all that protee-
ton Of life, homes and property which
they rightly claim under other laws.
~ 4
There are many good citizens" who
readily accede to the call to patriotic
duty to night against any injustice of
foreign enemies toward our Nation, but
who feel justified in selecting certain
laws of Our own country which they do
willingly obey. II they chance to have
an important undertaking In hand
some special ambition-they select q
bootlegger Of known quality. or a physi-
clan well supplied with prescription
blanks for stimulants, aud they assume
the right to be patriotic" In their own
way, and to their own limit. Slackersl
President Hoover fails to discover any.
principle OF that kind, In his conception
iof law enforcement, for he said in his
recent speech to. the Associated Press:
Law should be observed and must be
enforced until IS repealed By the