The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1943-08-14
SOLDIERS ARE.
CHEERED With.
BISHOPS VISIT.
Pursues Heavy Schedule
And Wins Friends
For Allies
By SCOOP" JONES
AMP War Correspondent

WITH AMERICAN FORCES IN
NEW GUlNEA--tANPD - Bishop
John A Gregs OF he AME church
and special representative % Presi-
dent Roosevelt on a mission here
;n the Southwest Pacific area 10
bolster the morale II Americas
fighting mon. has been constantly
on the move since his arrival fort
nigh; ago.
Immediately upon his arr;va, here
Che noted ecelcs,astIc was CHARTERED
in the sWank Australian hotc, with
his staff including Major Chap
lain John A DcNeaux. Who IS now
On detached service from the Gard
division and ass isncd 10 tho bishops
party for the foreign mission. and
Col. Ivan l. Bennett, chief Of chap
lsins 81 Inc Southwest Pacific area
Later Bishop Gregg mot with
Gen. Douglas Macarthur. his aides,
and the American consul. after
which he was conducted on a tour
OF the area by Brig. Gen Rilea.
Is Guest Speaker
The climax 10 the bishops stay
IN Sydney came with his appear
anee as CUES, sneaker 10 a capacity
crowd in the Lyceum theatre, which
has the largest religious congregs-
tion in the country. Bishop Gregg
reminded his listeners that he had
seen seven years previous church
service in South Africa and knew
and admired the British people Re-
counting his experiences with the
natives and other residents caught
the Imagination OF the audience and
solloifed his popularity here.
Rounding out very heavy sched-
ule in which he met and talked 10
hundreds OF soldiers. the noted pre-
late visited troopers in the Towns
willie area He was met and escorted
on the tour by Chaplain Theodore
r. Frierson and Mai Hardecree,
base chaplain, and Maj L. f Ham
In. representing Col H c Brown
who commands the base.
Next stop on Bishop Gregs's
itinerary was the American head
quarters in New Guinea where he
arrived July % While here he was
the guest Of Col Galway and
housed in special accommodations
used by Gen. Macarthur when he
Is on the island.
Bishop Gregg visited several
units including an engineer unit.
eirdromes, and other installations
maintained by the doughboys in
this theatre OF war. The churchman
slso went 10 Moresby 10 see the
American hospital there and inspect
several Qusrtermast-' organiza-
tons. He was dinner guest Of an
engineer unit and apparently en-
joyed the regular field rs,lons Of
the men.
Visits were also made TO every
sub base on the island and at spec
ial services in the smphi,heatre OF
@ base hospital Bishop Gregg ad-
dressed the congregation with spIr-
ttual inspiration.
Bishop Gregg made the trip 10
The Southwest Pacific in a Consol-
idated B-24 Bomber Laboratory
through arrangements with the war
department. While here he is the
personsl representative OF President
Roosevelt. The trip was planned as
a result OF the need 10 have a re-
lgious leader report TO a post war
planning conference on the welfare
Of servicemen in foreign battle
areas.
Bishop Gregg was selected BY
members OF the AME Council anc
other denominations in meeting
designed 10 name representative
for the important mission. The
bishop symbolizes by vrtue OF hi
nomination six million Christians
10000 churches. and II denomina
lions.