The Waterbury Democrat., 1946-10-07
THE WATERBURY DEMOCRAT wATERB RY CONN., MONDAY OCTOBER 96
Spiritual Aid Now Europe's Greatest Need
 pr. Walker Speaks
 On Recent Visit
 To Wor Notions

Judged by American minimum standards, great numbers os people in Europe will need material aid for some time to come, stated the Rev. John c. Walker, Second Congrega- tional Church pastor yesterday morning in his sermon, Europe Re- port-1946'
 Dr. Walker said in part: q Physical hunger no longer makes desperate claim on relief agencies, at least in the countries we visited, Great Britain, France, Italy, Bel- Fg1um, Holland, but there are hungry people in Western Europe. Thank God the problem of feeding people no longer seems insoluble. The har- vests this year and the stores of food being shipped from overseas will guarantee falling death rate. Where rationing controls are strict, as in Great Britain and Holland, few dine sumptuously but few lack the minimum requirements of balanced ration Great numbers of people are shabby, fuel will be scarce and expensive, a cold, areary winter is in prospect for the greater part of Europe. We think we have hardships and deprivations in this country and the times seem out of joint but the things we lack in this country, the discomfertos we suffer. near no comparison to the grim necessities of our friends beyond the seas. We must continue to share out prosperity with their poverty if we are to keep our self-respecr as Americans and as Christians. Cloth ing, shoes, powdered milk, flour. vitamins, medical supplies must be sent to Europe for months and years to come.
 Beyond material aid, however there is greater need and that is for spiritual reconstruction. Every where in Western Europe thought full men see little hope for the fut- ure Of Western European civiliz- ation except as the churches are strengthened. Apathy and cynicism are prevalents in certain classes in society and in France and Italy there seems to be a general break down of respect for the forces of law and order. Dr. Cavert of the Federal Council who has just returned from mission in Germany reports that the basic problem in Germany is not to prevent an upsurge of mili- tarlSm but to stop the spread of cynicism before it produces social and political chaos. A young man out of the American Army who had spent several months driving a truck for the World Council and had delivered relief supplies to vari- ouS cities and centers all the way rom the Pyrannes to the North Sea was thoroughly convinced that the spiritual needs of the people was vastly greater than the material. In Holland we discovered that they called the barracks churches given oy the World Council and erected oy local volunteer labor, need churches a name which seems to me to speak volumes. The American Friends Service Committee. our Congregational Christian Service Committee, Church World Service. which represents our united Pro- testant work aboard, will continue material aid in Europe for some time to come but the shift of en- pnasis now is toward spiritual re- building. It must be remembered that we cannot expect national gov- ernments or international relief agencies to take the lead in the spiritual field. This help must come from the churches of America and must be given into the hands of the churches of Europe.