Evening star., 1942-05-25
10000 Attend Service
OF fMassing Of CoIors
Al Mount s.. AIban
Representative Short,
Bishop Freeman Appeal
For a Spiritual Front

For a Spiritual Front
The annual massing Of the colors
service yesterday afternoon brought
approximately 10000 people to
Mount st. Alban to hear Repre-
sentative Dewey Short Of Missouri
and the Right Rev. James E. Free
man, Bishop Of washington, call
for q rededication to fundamental
American principles as . prerequi-
site to victory In the Second World
War.
Repeated outbursts of applause
greeted the speakers demand for "a
spiritual front" against tyranny and
aggression.
Mr.. Short argued: There are two
immediate problems before the
American people today-the win
ming of this war, because unless we
win it we lose everything. and the
preservation of our American Gov
eminent and our American way of
life, without which any victory
would be in fact defeat.
Must Save Essential Values.
"Our greatness in the past arose
from the Christian religion, our con-
stitutional republicanism and our
system Of individual initiative and
free enterprise. II we are to be great
in the future, we must save these
essential values of Americanism"
Mr.. Short condemned "those who
use patriotism as an excuse for at
tacking the character Of men Of diff
ferent political views" National
unity, he insisted, cannot be
achieved If small minorities insist
upon taking political advantage OF
the prevailing crisis. We must re-
member that America Is threatened
from within as well as from without.
We must be ever vigilant, alert and
keen to fight the foe who would de-
stroy our civilization by subversion.
The house of America is on fire and
we ought to quit fighting each other
and put out the fire.
Intelligent and constructive criti-
cism, Of course, is necessary, but we
should not forget that a dead DEM
ocrat is just as badly OF as dead
Republican and a dead New Dealer
is in no better fix than a dead Old
Dealer. More than anything else
America needs moral regeneration.
We should get on Gods side in this
struggle"
Assails Flippant Parties.
Bishop Freeman spoke Of the I'M
pact of religion on the lives OF
soldiers and sailors. He told OF
preaching at West Point and An
napolis and testified to "the pro-
found spiritual idealism" he had
found In the Army and Navy acade-
mics.
What a contrast it is" he de-
clared, ito come back from them
to the city to find society-people
many of whom have done nothing
to merit great wealth-engaged IN
light and fippant parties! cry
Shame and again Shame upon
those who devote themselves to silly
entertainment while brave and un-
selfish men are dying for America:
We must take this war seriously and
be willing to pay the whole price OF
victory If we are to win It"
Representative Short was intro
duced by Brig. Gen. Albert L. Cox.
Also taking part in the service were
y, r Uirlen TT g a
representing the Army CHIEF OF
chaplains, who read the lesson;
Chaplain Robert Meters, U. S. NJ,
representing the Navy chief OF chap
lains, who read the prayers, ana
Chaplain Howard E. Snyder, depart
mental chaplain of the American
Legion, who read the commemora-
tory sentences.
The Marine Band, directed by
Capt. William F. Santelmann, played
a sacred concert before the service
began and accompanied the choir
of Washington Cathedral, led by
Paul S. Galloway.
Principal Musician Winfred Kemp
sounded taps at the moment OF
commemoration, the congregation
standing at attention while hun
dreds of assembled flags were held
high around the woodland altar
with a golden cross in the center.
The sky was overcast during the
service, but, though some rain fell
at intervals, the ampitheater re-
manned filled with people to the
end.
Taking part in the procession
through the Cathedral grounds and
down the pilgrim steps were more
than 1,500 marchers, including dele
cations of the Military Order of the
World War, sponsoring the service;
the American Legion, the American
Red Cross, the Daughters and Sons
of the American Revolution, the
Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Mill
tary Order of the Purple Heart,
the Knights Templar, the st. An
drew Society of Washington, the
Irish War Veterans of the United
States, the Salvation Army, the high
school cadets, the Boy Scouts and
the Girls Scouts and more than
100 additional patriotic, civic and
fraternal organizations.
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