Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1944-10-09
Bishop Dun Joins FighI
AgainsiC ondepnation
OF s.. Paul S Church
Letter to Gen. Fleming
Protesting Move Reed
Before Congregation

Bishop OF Washington, has joined
st. Paul's Episcopal Church, 917
Twenty-third street NV, IN its
fight to preserve the church from
condemnation by the Government
to clear the entire block for a new
George Washington University Hos
pital.
A letter from Bishop Dun was
read at meeting Of the congrega-
ton in the parish hall yesterday
after the morning service. The let.
ter was presented by the Rev. Airing
ton A. McCalfum, rector. Progress
In the church fight against the
Government and q. w. u. was out
lined by several speakers. The at
titude OF DR.. Cloyd Heck Marvin
president Of the university, was
sharply criticized during the session
The congregation was told by
Wales H. Jack, junior warden Of the
church. who is a member of the
special committee of the vestry au.
thorized to handle the matter. that
a. hearing on the case in District
Court, which had been scheduled
for today. had been postponed until
Thursday. The church's petition
for an injunction has been joined in
by several property holders in the
block.
Letter Sent to Fleming.
In the letter to Maj. Gen. Philip
B. Fleming, Federal Works Admin
istrator, Bishop Dun explained he
had kept in mind the fact that the
church Is called upon to give full
weight to the total community vel
fare, and not simply to our own
special interest.
Seeking to approach this issue In
that spirit" the Bishop wrote" II
is my considered Judgment that
there Is a very substantial inequity
In the summary action contem-
plated.
THE congregation OF st. Paul's
Church has worshipped in their
present location for some rs years, >
he said. Their life as a congre-
CATION is deeply rooted in this church
building, its altar and its memorials
On about the 18th of September
they were informed that they must
vacate before November /. While
1t is true, of course, that the church
Is made up of people knit together
in one worshipping body. and not
OF stones and mortar. it is also true
that such body depends on having
a church home they can call their
own.
This contemplated action will not
only destroy building; it will scat
ter and threaten the very existence
Of church in the deeper sense. They
cannot possibly find another site and
make provision for their continuing
common religious life in the time
allowed. AS their chief pastor, am
bound to be deeply concerned, and
the whole Episcopal church In this
diocese is concerned, in a step
which threatens the continuance OF
one Of its parishes. In our view
only an emergency OF the most crit
ical sort would justify the sacrifice
Of these values. '='
Reconsideration Sought.
"For these reasons, + most earn
estly ask for reconsideration of this
project, especially with regard to the
time element. / ask this quite apart
from the outcome of the court action
to which the vestry of st. Paul's is
party.
The Government Of this Nation
has shown in many ways its interest
in furthering the life of our churches
1 cannot believe that an important
agency of our Government will fail
to give every consideration to the
church's stake in this undertaking
when the matter is called clearly te
its attention"
Bishop Dun closed with the as.
surance that I shall continue tt
approach this issue with regard fol
all the common human interests in
volved," adding, II am confiden,
that the leadership of st. Paul's
Parish will do the same"
DIR, Marvin Criticized.
Sharpest criticism of DIR. Marvin
came from DR.. M. P. Eslin, a dentist
who told the congregation he was
a graduate of GNU and had taught
on its faculty, but felt impelled t.
tell what had happened at meet.
ing of the church vestry last weel
with the university president.
DIR. Marvin made several con.
hicting remarks" DR.. Eslin said
He simply contradicted himself, il
our opinion. It was very EN-.
barrassing affair. The whole eve.
ming was simply a waste Of time.
He told us that three month.
before he hadn't the faintest ides
that this matter would be dumped
into his lap. Then he showed us &
map with plan which he said tn,
Park and Planning Commission has
evolved for placing the hospital OF
this block. The two statements, IL
our opinion, didn't meet at all. H,
made other statements later which
showed to us that the university
itself had planned it for some time
= They've had the plan al
along.
Called "Capricious Move"
1--WE believe that this is a ca
precious and arbitrary use of powe
by a semipublic institution, GWU, t,
the disadvantage of another semi
public institution. st. Paul,s Church
No one disputes the right OF emf
nent domain, for public use, blu
GNU Is not q public institution. /"
In answer to q question from /,
member of the parish as to why tn,
Government was planning to taxi
st. Paul's, whereas 1t had exempte,
st. Mary's Catholic Church on tn,
site Of the new General Accounting
ONCE, near Fifth and G streets NV
Mr.. Jack explained that st. Mary
had life tenancy in the land.
If the Government took tina
church, he said, under q will which
gave the land to the church, tn,
funds would not 60 to the church
but to the heirs Of an estate.
Miss Murtho J. Peurce
Ps&ne A T~l