Evening star., 1941-08-09

ORDER IN Russia which no CIlIlSlldll
,an approve, but the goal of Nazi-ism
he said, is fatty un-ChriStian. The
Communist goal of universal tel-
lowship, on the other hand, is, he
said, part of the Christian hope,
though its method of trying to reach
its goal is bound to frustrate Its
own object.
It will be recalled that the Arch
bishop of Canterbury. head OF the
Church of England, took a similar
stand shortly after the invasion OF
Russia. 1t may well be, said the
archbishop, that RusSias S de1ense OF
it's own land and the new unity
which this will bring may LEAD 10 a
new tolerance of religion by the
Soviet government, and a new re-
surgence of the merits ol rellglol,
always deep-seated in the heafts OF
the Russian people.
But the attitude OF Free Churcn
and Roman Catholic Leaders toWalu
collaboration with Russia appears
TO he much more cautious than tnat
of Church of England leaders. A
recent editorial in the Brltlsn
Weekly. which reflects Free Church
opinion, indicated the embarrass-
ment of the nonconformlsts. Inc
hest wav to think Of British collap-
Grafton with Russia. said the brl'lSn
Weekly, is not to think OF IL at all
Members of the British Roman
Catholic hierarchy have remained
generally silent regarding Anglo
Russian collaboration, but the Catn-
olic press has been outspoken III
warning against any Soviet alllance
that goes beyond the limits OF strlct
military cooperation.
Roman Catholics in England are
now greatly preoccupied with the
nossibility of sending missionaries
into Russia. The Legion OF Mary
has been preparing for the past TWO
and a half years to revive the Ro-
man Catholic Church in that couh-
trv. and the prospects are CONSIDERED
bright in British Catholic circles
II was revealed that units OF the
Legion of Mary have been formed
among Russian emigres attached 10
the Jesuit Mission of the Slavonlc
rite established on the ESthohlail
border.
c, 0. Problems.
All has been fairly quiet along the
religious peace front for some weeks.
The usual summer lull has set In.
Few religious conventions-nauonal
and local-were held during july
and-outside of the summer STUDY
conferences-fewer still are sched.
uled for August. Therefore, untli
religious groups resume their norman
activity in September it is not pos
sible to gauge accurately the present
extent of pacifist or interventlonlst
feeling in the churches. although
the belief is that interventlonlst
feeling has made some headway.
But this week religious paclnsts
figured in three developments.
At Lancaster, Pa, conference
was held between Brig. Gen. Lewis
B Hershev, deputy director OF selec-
tive service; Paul Comfy French
executive secretary of the Natlona
Board of Religious Directors. State
officials and leaders of the Amlsh
and Mennonite paciflst sects OF
Pennsylvania.
The meeting took place at the
farmhouse of Bishop David z. Fisher
of the Old Order Amish Church 70
discuss the religious and agricul-
tural aspects of the plain sects' as
they relate to draft problems.
The sects are opposed to physical
violence in any form. Their re-
ligion also requires them TO De
farmers. So far, at least IA mem
hers of the sects have refused to
report for duty even after they were
classed as C. O.'s and assigned 10
special work camps. Sect leaders
proposed that the objectors, instead
of being sent to civilian work camps,
be placed on farms at the same
wages paid selectees-S21 a month.
At the conclusion of the confer
ence. Gen. Hershey said he had re-
ceived a good picture of the condl-
tions and problems which both the
draft boards and the farmers face.
Although he would not divulge the
results of the conference, he said:
There are very few problems that
don't vanish when men sit down
and talk with one another. Gen.
Hershey, by the way, has Menno-
mite background himself.
On the Pacific Coast, the regional
secretary of the American Friends
Service Committee, G. Raymond
Booth. told the annual convention
OF Christian Churches of Southern
California that the conscientious
objector to war seeks hazardous
places of constructive service.
He said that his organization re-
ceives as many as 400 applications
a day from objectors volunteering
to do dangerous work in War-rldden
countries. The Quakers, he added,
recently sent one man to do air.
raid reclamation work in London,
and another to drive an ambulance
on the Burma road, but there are
not enough such openings to utilize
the nearly 1000 C. O.'s now in
civilian service camps. While the
men cannot conscientiously take
human life, they all want the job
of saving life under great danger,
said Mr.. Booth.
Another development involving
paciists occurred in England. A dis
patch to Religious News Service
from London this week said that
pacifists were overwhelmingly out
voted at the English Methodist Con-
ference when a statement on the
war upholding this sacred cause
until its complete victory has been
achieved by righteous and lasting
peace" was adopted by 1876 votes