Evening star., 1943-05-13
Bishop Leonard's
Leadership Praised al
Memorial Service
Roosevelt Message Notes
Loss to Men at Front
And RELIGIOUS Forces

Tribute to the late Bishop Adna
Wright Leonard, presiding bishop
Of the Washington area of the
Methodist Church, who was killed
in plane crash in Iceland on
May while on tour of American
battle fronts, was paid yesterday in
memorial service at Foundry
Methodist Church.
Attended by ranking Government
officials and their representatives,
church leaders and laymen. the
service reflected the sorrow at the
loss of the church leader, who, as
chairman of the General Commits
sion on Army and Navy Chaplains
represented 80 Protestant denomi-
nations on his ill-fated trip.
Episcopal messages of remem-
hranCe were preached by Bishop H.
Lester Smith. Bishop Bromley
Oman and Bishop Edwin Holt
Hughes.
Roosevelt Message Read.
A letter from President Roosevelt
to Mrs. Leonard was read, in which
the Chief Executive stated Bishop
Leonard's death was loss to the
men at the front and to the re-
ligious forces of the Nation" Mes
sages were also received from Lord
Halifax, British Ambassador, and
from other religious groups.
Mrs. Leonard and Mrs. Miller,
wife of Col. Frank T. Miller aide to
Bishop Leonard on his tour, who
was also killed in the plane crash,
were present for the memorial serv-
ice
Bishop Smith praised Bishop
Leonard as "a great Christian. a
great churchman. great patriot,
g great man, and great leader
Furthermore. he was a devoted
husband and father, and a loyal
friend"
Likening Bishop Leonard to
Moses, the speaker asserted. He
endured because he saw the In
visible King" He added that he
was "a true interpreter of the word
and will of God"
Bishop Oman pictured the late
bishop as a man of great strength,
who refused to spare himself in
the service of the Lord" He pointed
out that Bishop Leonard had no
fear of the dangerous trip on which
he was embarking and had the
mind and will of a soldier and
lived and died like one"
An "Uncomprising Worker"
Bishop Hughes, whom Bishop
Leonard succeeded, recalled the late
church leader as distinctive in
divldualist and a man of inf1exible
honesty" An uncompromising work.
er, Bishop Hughes stated. Bishop
Leonard was a man whose moral
geography knew no neutral terri
tory If he was taskmaster at all,
he was taSkmaster over himself"
Participating in the service we're
Bishop w. w. Peele, who presided:
DR. Harry w. Burgan, Hamline
Methodist Church; DR.. Paul F.
Douglass, president of American
University; Horace E. Cromer, Dis
trict superintendent DR. John R.
Edwards, District superintendent,
who read the Bishops favorite
poem. Let Me Die Working" and
Dr. Frederick Brown Harris. pastor
of the church, who gave the me-
mortal prayer Bishop Peele gave
the benediction.
Representations were made by
Col. Chester Hammond. assistant
military aide to President Roose-
velt; Henry L. Stimson, Secretary
of War; Capt. Robert D. Workman,
chief of Navy chaplains, represent
ing Secretary of the Navy Knox:
Brig Gen. William r. Arnold, Army
chief of chaplains; DR.. Daniel A.
Polling, Servicemen's Christian
League, Prof. William Adams Brown.
Federal Council of Churches of
Christ in America; Dr. Arthur De
Van, General Commission on Army
and Navy Chaplains; DR.. w. w. NC
Pherson, Board of Education; Mrs.
J. D Bragg, St. Louis. Mo-, president
of the Womens Society of Chris
tan Service Board of Missions. who
represented Bishop Arthur Moore;
Fred G, Holloway president Of West
ern Maryland College; DR.. Harry
Evaul, Dickinson College: the Rev.
Edward G. Latch, Dickinson Col
lege, and the faculty and Board of
Trustees of American University, the
Washington area district superin-
tendents and Methodist ministers.
Also present were Bishop James
NJ Straughm, Pittsburgh, and