Evening star., 1941-05-16
Tells Plans for Army
Religious Life
Peoeetime Neglect Makes
Vast Expansion
Necessary
By Jny A. BonUtt.

By Jay A. B0UUtt.
With all indications pointing to an
increase in the size of the armed forces,
the problems facing the War Depart
ment and religious groups of the coun-
try in ministering to the Armys religious
needs are mounting daily.
Early in the country's program for ma
tional defense, arrangements were made
for an army of 100000 men. Today
estimates place the number in the
future United States Army at much
higher figure, with a resultant increase
in the difficulties in meeting the mani
fold spiritual requirements of SO large
a group of men.
An appraisal of what has been done in
this connection since the last war shows
what the War Department and Army
command are up against. During %
years of peace the religious needs Of
the armed forces were virtually neglected
Out of 160 Army posts, only II had
chapels In % years, only about 100000
has been spent for chapels for the
Regular Army. There have been fewer
chaplains than were necessary.
During emergency mobilizations, chap
lains frequently have had to set up
their altars wherever there was some
unused space. Soldiers prayed in
theaters, mess halls, tents, recreation
buildings-even in a clearing In the
woods.
Now, with the emergency mobiliza-
ton swelling the ranks of the Army,
these conditions have to be corrected.
The hundreds of thousands of young
men changing their mode of life from
civilian to military for years period
must be given the opportunity to wor-
ship as they wish under favorable con-
ditions.
Facing this problem are numerous
agencies Of the Government-the Army
command, the War Department and the
National Defense Commission.
Foremost in the plans for the religious
life in the Army Is three-point pro-
gram for ministering to the religious
needs of Protestant, Catholic and Jew
alike. Special arrangements are being
made so that each man may worship
according to the traditions of the re-
ligion in which he was raised.
The three-point program consists first,
Of greatly increasing the number of
chaplains to serve the religious needs Of
each and every soldier; second. OF a
construction program to provide sufi-
cient number of chapels, and third, Of
developing two new hymnals, one a
service book for field service and the
other more comprehensive hymnal for
use in cbapels.
In the first instance, the Army plans
on providing one chaplain for each 1900
men. Approximately 1900 chaplains are
now serving the Army, and by the end
of June, as the number of men in the
armed forces reaches greater strength,
it Is planf ed to have about 800 chap
lains on duty.
In the realization that their duty to
their country lies, in great part in
maintaining the morale of the coun-
try at large through the men in the
armed forces, religious leaders of the
country have responded to the Army's
call, most of them leaving organized
and well-equipped parishes and COM
Portable homes to take up Army life.
The chaplain's assignment is an i'm
portant one. He is expected to pro-
vide full and complete religious service
for the soldiers and officers under his
care. He also is encouraged to invite
clergymen and church organization
from nearby communities to provide
religious ministrations for minority
groups.
In addition to conducting such Sum-
day ana weekday services as are Gus
tomary and required by his church. the
chaplain must organize societies, study
classes and fellowship groups in line with
the soldiers religious requirements.
There are numerous other activities
which the chaplain is expected to per-
form to promote high morale among the
armed forces, such as acting as cultural
adviser, consulting with the men on their
personal problems and worries, visiting
the sick, and the like.
In the chapel construction program,
nothing within the means of the Army
is being left undone TO provide proper
settings for the devotionals of Catholic,
Protestant and Jew. A total of 604
chapels are to be built under a special
appropris ton of $12,816,880 Each
chapel will seat 400 soldiers and cost
$2l, l,220.
The magnitude of this project may be
understood from the fact that the basic
distribution will be one chapel for each
regiment. Therefore, in the larger can
tonments. as many as Is or 20 chapels
will arise among the tents and barracks.
Originally, the Army had planned on
arranging for denominational use of
the chspels at different hours of the
day so that each faith could worship
individually and in accordance with its
practices
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