Evening star., 1937-12-26
ROOSEVELT HEARS
SERMON ASSA|L|NC
MOCKERY OF WAR
Crowd 0verfIoWs Church of
the Covenant Attended by
Presidents Party.
"PEACE ON EARTH"
HELD LOST REFRAIN
Christianity Still Holds Cure to
Worlds Ills, Says the Rev.
Mr.. Peter Marshall.
President Roosevelt, on whose shoul-

President Roosevelt, on whose shoul-
ders rests the weighty burden Of
maintaining peace, yesterday heard .
young Presbyterian minister speak
out against the Inconsistency and
mockery" Of another Christmas festi-
val in war-torn world
Crowds overfiowed the Church of the
Covenant as the Rev. Peter Marshall,
who is 35, told them and the President
that "the world seems to have repudi-
ated everything in Christmas"
The cure of human ills, he said, Is
Christianity, yet untried.
1t was the first time the youthful
pastor Of the big downtown church
had preached to President. He for.
merly held pastorate at the West.
minister Presbyterian Church in At.
lanta, Ga.
He labeled as a "lost refrain" the
angels song: Peace on earth, good
will toward men"
Shocked by Hypocrisy.
Say the words over and over, and
you will be shocked at the hypocrisy
Of world celebrating In solemn man
ner something it has not taken to
heart" he said
With sorrowful irony the nations
Of the world do not place their trust
in God but in armies and navies and
machines of war.
1T is Christmas Day in Spain
and machine guns rattle in the hills
- 1t is Christmas Day in China
and shrapnel is falling in the rice
fields It is Christmas Day all
over the world-and little children
are being taught to wear gas masks
- 1t is Christmas Day in WASH
ington-and many are shivering, many
are hungry, many are weeping. Some
people are even thinking of suicide.
Some are bitter, with the drums Of
rebellion rolling along the corridors
of their hearts as they hear the old
refrain: Peace on earth, good will
toward men,
THE world cannot say that Christ
is not its Savior, for it has never
given Him chance. Men cannot
the worlds ills, for they have not
applied it.
fas The startling, shocking truth Is
that we have the cure-unless the
angels lied.
Proud Empires Lie Buried.
THE world has tried all sorts Of
programs, and they have all failed.
The years that are gone are grave
yards in which have been buried all
the proud empires of the past -.
And with them all the devices and
the persuasions of men. They have
all crumbled into dust. If history
has any lesson, if the yesterdays have
any voice. it is to say that all these
ways of men led nowhere.
There remains one way, untried,
untested, the way Of Him who was
born babe in Bethlehem
THE message which he preached
and personlfled has O. zen been car
ried away on the screaming hur-
ricanes of mems greed and selflshness
-" but it still lives. ""'
Nothing can kill it. nothing can
defeat it. Christ's way Is the only
way. He has won. The victory is
his
"Only the news has not yet leaked
out!"
Enters Church With James.
Mr.. Roosevelt, wearing cutaway
coat and striped trousers. entered the
church with his eldest son, James.
John. the youngest son, escorted
the Presidents 84-year-old mother,
Mrs. Sara Delano Roosevelt, and 9TH
ers in the presidential party were Mr.
Roosevelts half-sister-in-law. Mrs. J.
r. Roosevelt; Mrs. James Roosevelt
jr.: Harry Hooker Of New York, the
Presidents former law partner, and
John Drayton of Boston, a Harvard
friend visiting John.
In the other churches of the city
were other Christmas services, most
of them we'll attended, while thousands
slept late after attending midnight
services.
Parties and largess for the poor oc-
cupied others, while the great mass Of
the city gathered about bright Christ
mas trees for the traditional exchange
of gifts.
Such as these was the White House
family, which supplemented its church
going with turkey dinner and a
tree. The President, himself, carved
the huge bird for the dinner last
night.
Three Children in Bed Early.
The three children who made
Christmas morning a merry affair ut
the White House had their dinner at
lunchtime. since they had to be abed
before the evening meal. The day
was full for them-Sara. S, and Kate,
nearly 2. children Of Mr.. and Mrs.
James Roosevelt, jr., and Diana
. Hopkins. 5-year-old daughter Of
Harry Hopkins, Works Progress Ad-
, ministrator, who is convalescing in 4
! Rochester hospital. =
. A three-way telephone conversation
. with absent members of the Roosevelt
, family was one of the big events of the
day. The President talked with Mrs.
Roosevelt, who il in Seattle with their
daughter, Mrs. John Boettiger, her
husband and children, and to his son.
Elliott and his family, at Fort Worth.
, Tex.
Hundreds OF charitable, civic and
business organizations yesterday ana
Christmas eve probably brought cheer
, to more poor homes than ever before
with Christmas baskets and supplies.
=