The Washington times., 1937-11-25
liberal VIEW.
FREEMAN'S PLEA.
At CATHEDRAL
10000 in Gathering
For Holiday Rites

An appeal for greater liberalism
in government to combat "odious"
forces abroad and to distribute
material well-being to every man,
woman and child in the country
was heard today by more than
10000 persons gathered Tor the
national Thanksgiving service at
the washington Cathedral.
So large was the throng that
the vaulted chapel Of the huge
cathedral could not accommodate
it. Amplifiers were extended from
the chapel to an outdoor niche
on the grounds nearby and from
this point nearly 100 persons
heard the bishops message.
The appeal was made by the
Rt. Rev. James z. Freeman,
bishop of washington, at the
THANKSGIVING service in COM
memoration Of the Sesquicenten-
NAL celebration Of the United
States Constitution, sponsored by
the bishop and the dean and
chapter Of the Cathedral. and
the Grand Lodge Of Free and
Accepted MaSons Of the District
of Columbia. The celebration was
under the auspices Of the Constr
tuition Sesquicentennial Commits
sion.
DEFENDS LIBERALISM
Referring to Kaleidoscope"
changes In the United States that
have altered conditions every
where and created new problems,
Bishop Washington told his vast
audience:
I'VE are not reactionary when
we turn to our avowed ana
cherished ideals and give them
place in our life: we are guilty
of an inconsistent conservatism
when we fail to recognize that
new occasions teach new duties
I'VE. make no fetish Of our
fundamental law, nor do we re-
frain from amending its pro-
visions as occasion demands. To
make it more Just and equitable.
this we have done and shall
continue to do, but only as our
own people registers its mind
and will"
"The United States is the rich
list country in the world. Her re-
sources are virtually unlimited"
he continued. ut Is Self-Suffi-
Gent to guarantee to every citi-
zen subsistence ample and ade-
quate to every need. Its man
power is adequate to run its
mills and factories and to give
it protection from every foe"
And yet, Bishop Freeman con.
tinued, forces are at work which
are paralyzing.
Even while we meet on this
Thanksgiving Day." he said,
there are hungry men, women
and chilren in a land Of plenty,
and toilerS who are denied the
Just rewards of their lahorS."
HITS UNEARNED DOLES
mo Aladdin's lamp can sup
ply this deficiency" he said
further. Systems Of unearned
doleS or gratuitieS cannot as
Suage the pain Of poverty or
ease the burdens which long
continued idleneSs imposes"
All these factors make it more
evident, Bishop Freeman said,
that the spirit of the golden rule"
must take hold of the country If
the fruits of its founders are to
be nurtured.
Referring to the "conSistencies
and inconsistencies that character.
ICES our life," Dr.. Freeman told
his listeners:
1T has been made clearly evil
dent to us that the rapidity Of
our growth and the expansion
Of our industries have outdiS-
tanced our capacity to deal
fairly and equitably with the
problems they have created, or
to remedy the evils which in
evitably accompany abnormal
growth and development"
DR.. Freeman said that the
United States does not wish to in.
terfere with experiments in gov
ernmentS abroad. I'VE wish them
godspeed," he said, but We ask
that we be freed from their de-
vices and unembarrasSed by their
persistent propaganda"