Evening star., 1933-12-08
CHURCHMEN URGE
MORAL RECOVERY
Council Warns Of Racial
Prejudice and Increase
in Lynchings.

A warning to beware Of socially dis.
ruptive forces and . call for Nation
wide effort toward moral and spiritual
! recovery are contained in the tentative
draft of the message the Federal Coun-
. Gil Of Churches in America will send to
approximately 100000 congregations In
the United States and Canada.
The message was read at the CLOSING
yesterday of the councils two-day ses-
Sions, marking its twenty-fifth ami
/. versary and called to consider spiritual
problems resulting from the economic
stress of the times.
1t stated that persecution Of Jews In
Germany, discrimination against Ne
groes and the recent terrifying in
crease in lynchings gave solemn warn
ing OF the disruptive forces which
threaten mankind"
liquor question, with dry sentiment up
permost, the message contained no ref
erence to this matter. In response to q
query from the floor Of why this was
not mentioned, DR.. Beavan explained
that the councils Advisory Committee
will present a statement on its liquor
stand at special meeting Of the Ex-
ecutive Committee in New York City
December 18.
Spiritual Breakdown.
American Professionalism was called
upon, in the message, to re-afiirm its
faith in Christ as the only force which
can lead the world out of its misery.
1t was said that the spiritual life of
. the individual must be renewed before
the Nation can stage a SPIRITUAL re-
covery. There is at present a spiritual
as well as material breakdown, the
council stated.
The message expressed satisfaction
with the spirit of cooperation for
which the Roosevelt administration Is
working and said: THE social ideals
for which we have stood are being
woven into the fabric of our national
life"
Use of material resources for selfish
gain was condemned with the state
. ment that the "aim of every economic
system should be the welfare of the
people,"
On behalf of the council. commit
tee presented to Acting Secretary OF
State Phillips resolution urging the
United States to continue efforts to
secure the negotiation of disarmament
treaty at Geneva.
Debate on Lynching.
Late yesterday afternoon a heated
debate on the recent Princess Anne
lynching broke out, with an Eastern
Shore minister objecting to commenda-
ton of Gov. Ritchie contained in a
resolution submitted by Bishop w. j.
Walls of the African M. E. Church,
Chicago
The resolution, which said that "un-
fortunate assertions" of Gov. Rolph of
California were being counteracted by
the patriotic efforts" of Gov. Ritchie,
, was referred to the Executive Com
mittee and no action taken.
The first speaker following its intro
duction was Bishop James A. Gregg
of the African M. E. Church, Kansas
City, who said that every Negro in
America thanked God for President
Roosevelt's statement that lynching
was a ''vile form of collective murder" |"
Rev. Leonard White of Salisbury,
Md, Salisbury district superintendent
of the Wilmington Conference, Meth
odist Episcopal Church, leaped to his
feet and said that grave injustice
5 would be done fine, clean. upright
people If hasty judgment were passed
on the population of the Eastern Shore
without full knowledge of the facts.
He said Gov. Ritchie could have
prevented the Princess Anne lynching.