Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-26
IDRY ISSUE SPLITS
| EPISCOPAL OPINION
Bishop Freeman Heads Com
mittee Criticizing and De-
Tending Amendment.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
DENVER, Colo, September 26.-Pro-
hibition has Joined the list Of issues
upon which there is registered differ
ence of opinion among delegates to the
General Convention Of the Protestant
Episcopal Church.
Prohibition was both criticized and
defended in a report by the Committee
of Twenty-one adopted by the House OF
Bishops. The committee, headed by
James z. Freeman of Washington, was
appointed to consider prohibition and
lawlessness, world peace and industrial
dislocation.
There is" the report recites, wide
spread and honest difference Of opinion
in the Nation, within the church and
among members of this convention as
to the wisdom and desirability Of re-
tanning the eighteenth amendment and
the consequent legislation in their pres
ent form.
There are those who honestly favor
the retention of the law as 1t now
stands, believing it has accomplished
good and may accomplish more and
better results. Others. not less devoted
to the high purpose which prompted
the passage Of this law. believe that In
its present form 1t ministers TO disre-
spect for law and the growth Of dan
gerous spirit of anarchy"
Complication Of Issue.
The committee hesitates to recon-
mend concerted action on grounds that
issues involved are highly controversial
and closely related to partisan politics. y
THE enforcement of the prohibition
law" the report states, has been
steadily resisted, and has been accom-
panied by graft. corruption. lawlessness
murder mad political cowardice and
ypocrisy-lawlesSness, however, issues
in part out of conditions which have
not always been given full consider
alton, such as the enactment of laws
or the failure to repeal laws which dc
not command or continue TO enlist pub
lie confidence, and have lost the respect
and support of majority of the peo-
pie"
The ignoring or violation Of such
laws, the report continues, results solely
because the laws affect personal rights
and liberties which individuals them
selves determine to maintain, regard
less of social consequences.
The Committee Of Twenty-one, COM
posed of bishops. clergymen and Z
laymen, urges United States member
ship in the World Court and strict ad-
herence to the Kellogg BRAND pact,
outlawing war
Solution of the problem Of industrial
dislocation, the committee believes, is
the responsibility of the community.
with the reco0nition of the "downyooSt
man as the supreme ethical task Of our
day"
Other Problems in Hand.
Problems regarding marriage and d.
vorce and the use of the American
Missal, mass book, were in the hands
OF the House Of Bishops today, after a
heated session of the House Of Deputies.
Provisions of the matrimonial canon
adopted by the deputies included pre-
marriage instruction, the establishment
OF an ecclesiastical court in each do
cese and missionary district and the
right of divorced persons, remarked by
civil authorities, to retain their COM
municant rights in the church after
applying TO an ecclesiastical court for
recognition.
The deputies disposed of the con-
troversy in regard to the American
MisSal. mass book, through adoption of
a resolution which prohibits the use of
portions OF the Book of Common Prayer
in any other book of worship. or similar
book, with authority of the church.
In the failure of the resolution to
set firth provision defining the Book
OF Common Prayer as the only author
lied book of worship of the church the
so-called high church element claimed
victory.