Evening star., 1946-03-05
Church Council Report
Urges U. 5. 10 Shun
Role in Atomic War
By Tho A,soeiot.d Pres.

If
COLUMBUS, Ohio, Mar. 5.-A
special commission of the Federal
Council Of Churches of Christ in
America appealed to the United
States today not to be the first to
use atomic weapons in future wars.
The commission, in report pre-
pared for a special session Of the
council representing 25,000.0 900 Prot
estant churchgoers, also recon-
mended that the manufacture of
atomic bombs be halted pending
development Of effective interna-
tional controls.
AS 500 religious leaders convened
in the opening session Bishop G.
Bromley Oman, council president,
set forth the conferences objective
as formulation of a concrete pro-
gram "by which the Christian ideal
shall come alive in the practices
of the common life"
I'VE are resolved" he declared,
ito lay hold upon the measures
whereby the ethical ideals of our
faith may be translated into the
realities of world law and order, of
economic justice and of racial
brotherhood.
Calhoun Head of Commission.
The report of atomic warfare was
prepared by 20-member commits
sion headed by Robert L. Calhoun,
professor of historical theology at
Yale University.
1t will be formally submitted to
the delegates tomorrow.
Stating that "the new weapon
. has opened before us all the
prospect Of swift ruin for civiliza-
tion and even the possibility of a
speedy end to mans life on earth"
the commission said:
I'VE believe the church should
call upon the Government of the
United States, as present holder of
existing atomic bombs and plants
for producing them, to move more
swiftly toward allaying distrust re-
specting their possible use.
1--WE therefore call upon the
churches to urge, first, that all man
ufacture of atomic bombs be stopped,
pending the development of effec-
tive international controls. We urge,
secondly, that the churches call upon
the Government of the United
States to affirm publicly, with suit
able guarantees, that it will under
no circumstances be the first to use
atomic weapons in any possible fu-
ture war;
The commission of prominent
theologians asserted that control of
atomic energy should "be assigned
ultimately to civilian, not military,
Opposes Exploitation.
These agencies. the commission
said, must assure wide and equit-
able distribution of whatever eco
nomic benefits may result from the
use Of atomic energy and Ito pre-
vent monopolistic exploitation by
cartels or other minority groups"
The commission, turning to the
surprise atomic bombings of Hiro-
shima and Nagaski, said such vio-
lence was morally indefensible"
and unnecessary for winning the
war"
"All things considered" it said, at
seems necessary to include in any
condemnation OF indiscriminate
violence not only the use of atomic
bombs in August, 1945, but the pol
icy of wholesale obliteration bomb
ing as practiced at first by the Axis
powers and then on a far greater
scale by the Allies"
Prevention of atomic warfare can
not be accomplished entirely with
any political structure, the commits
sion asserted.
I'm particular, the hope for world
government, useful as guiding
cannot be turned into a
program for immediate action with
out very serious confusion of aim"
it said.
TT is better to start with the i'm
perfect accomplishments and prom
ises of the provisional forms OF CO.
operation that have actually begun
to take shape and earnestly seek
their improvement"
Truman to Speak Tomorrow.
President Truman will address the
council tomorrow on The Place of
Religion in American Democracy"
Today, however, a study of inter-
needs monopolized the
attention. John Foster
Dulles was scheduled to report on
the London meeting of the United
Nations Organization which he at
tended as a United States delegate.
DR.. Abdel Ross Wentz will discuss
the meeting at Geneva, Switzerland,
of the committee for planning the
World Council of Churches Assem-
bly, meeting to be held next year.
DR.. Wentz is president of the Get
tysburg Theological Seminary at
Gettysburg, Pa, and also chairman
of the American section of the
Lutheran World Convention.