Evening star., 1941-11-16
Chest Support
To Be Urged in
Today
Contributions Loo
Behind Pace of
1910 Drive

Perturbed over the slowness with
which this years Community Chest
drive has opened, Washington
churchmen today will link their
forces with volunteer campaign
workers in a symposium of mes
sages calling on followers Of every
religious faith to heed the Chest
appeal in behalf of the distressed,
the sick and the underprivileged
The uniting of all religions in
the annual Community Chest cam
paign is symbolical of the spirit of
tolerance and charity that accom-
panies our cherished privilege to
worship in freedom" commented
Coleman Jennings, president of the
Chest.
Contributions to date number 49,
490 and represent $276.233.77, a
sum approximately $35,0O0 behind
the total at this period of the 1910
drive Off1cials expressed hope that
the week end would permit the cam
vassers to speed up their efforts to
the end that an advance over last
years results can be shown when
they meet for their third report
meeting at the Willard Hotel at
1890 pm. tomorrow.
Doubled Efforts Urged.
At Fridays report meeting work.
ers were urged to double their ac-
tivities in concerted effort to
reach the $4,000 900 goal in the two
week period allotted to the drive
and thus avoid an extended cam
paign. Herbert L. Willett. jr.. Chest
director, cited at that time that this
years total to date is the lowest
in the IA years of the Community
Chest.
Commenting on the interest Of
churches in the Chest campaign.
Carroll C. Roberts, president of the
District Christian Church Council,
said. The worlds darkest hour is
always the church's greatest oppor
tunity"
This year. as never before he
continued. united Christendom
must exemplify the heart warming
attributes of love. sympathy and
compassion. These are the core
of our religion. A skeptical world
may debate the premises of our
faith. but there is no argument
against an act of mercy. Christians,
therefore. must make potent by
deeds their words of creeds. We
must give that others may live
Bishop James E. Freeman warned
that. while engaged in a gigantic
national defense movement. Wash
ington residents cannot afford to
permit the many beneficent agencies
Of the city to suffer
They becomes more important
and their work more urgent by
reason of the tragic conditions that
prevail in our world" he added.
Chest Method Praised.
The Rev. William S. Abernethy,
pastor Of Calvary Baptist Church.
called attention to the needs OF the
less fortunate people of the city and
declared that common decencv. to
say nothing of other and higher
motives. demands that community
supply these needs" He described
the Community Chest method as
''the best yet devised for gather
work.
The Rev. DR.. Albert Joseph Nc
Cartney, pastor OF the Covenant
First Presbyterian Church, sug-
gested that people would be more
responsive to the Community Chest
appeal if they visited some Of the
agencies operated by it.
Il recently dropped into one Of
the community centers for colored
people about o'clock in the after
| noon" he recalled, "and saw 20 or
80 tiny colored boys and girls, mere
babies, waking from their after
noon nap and being prepared for
their mothers. who would presently
come from their work to take them
home. One good look at an enter
prise like that will answer 101 crit
icisms about our public charities
Community Enterprise.
The Rev. Oscar F. Blackwelder,
pastor of the Lutheran Church of
the Reformation and president of
the Washington Federation Of
Churches, pointed out that each
church has its own social welfare
work to do, but that it is impossible
for churches to do comprehensive,
scientifically administered. city-wide
social welfare job alone"
1T must be also a community en-
| terprise" he declared. land I ap-
peal to the churches, denominations
and individual church members to
give this years Community Chest
appeal a thoughtful and conscien-
tious response"
Rabbi Gerstenfeld, minister of >the
Washington Hebrew Congregation,
said: Every person who wants to
keep America stronghold of God S
peace feels an abiding obligation to
the Community Chest"
To the general appeal the Very
Rev. Arthur A. OLeary. S. j., presi-
dent of Georgetown University, add
ed the thought that, with the re-
cent rapid expansion in the popula-
ton of our city and the attendant
increase in critical social needs it is
particularly pleasing to see the Com
munity Chest taking an intelligent
lead in the charitable activities OF
our citizens"