The Northwest enterprise. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1931-1952, 1948-05-19
Rx MARY n. DUNCAN

Some, coming for the first
time, might have thought the two
Kansas cities-Kans. and Mo-
twin Cities" flat as a pancake
(most think Midwestern cities
are) but they have real hills
which make for an individual APP
pearance. There are some sky
scrapers overlooking the wide ex-
panse of the river connecting the
two cities-closeness of the air
field to the downtown section Is
most unusual great convent
ence.
Stopping on the Missouri side
in the palatial home of the A. ].
Walkers, friends of ours on Gar
field St., cousins of our good
friend Mrs. Wilworth Houston,
Omaha, who Joined us in attend
ing the conference, en- route TO
and fro we realized that 1t was
only quick jump from the
hustle of busy downtown to the
quiet country atmosphere of the
suburbs where trees along the
sidewalks form a picturesque arch
which must give pedestrians a
shady retreat in the summertime.
Inspiration for our being in
these parts was the 33rd Quad
rennial Conference of the African
Methodist Episcopal C hurch
which convened in Memorial Hall.
Kansas City Kans.. May to 16.
Attendance esteimated at 10000
daily-largest in history of the A.
NJ. e. Conference, included all
presiding bishops; namely. Bish-
ops w. A. Fountain, r. G. Ran
som, j. A. Gregg, S. l.. Greene,
G. b.. Young, M. II. Davis, Noah
w. Williams, H. Y. Tooker, r. r.
Wright, Jr., ID Ward Nichols,
Frank M. Reid, A. j. Allen.
George w. Bober, John H. Clay
born. Twenty-Five general off
GERS thanked the circle of bishops.
We covered the grand opening
of the conference = the largest
Legislative body of Negroes in the
world, in last issue. previous to
hot, debated and contested BUSH
ness sessions - controversial is
sues dealing materially with the
changing -rotation-of all bish-
ops. which was finally settled by
a vote of 1893 to 307 on an
amendment to a resolution pro-
posed by DR.. d. o. Walker. urg-
ing the General Conference 70
lirect the Episcopal committee to
assign all bishops to different
district.
AT long last-first in history of
the A. M. E. General Conference
(33 Quadrennials, years each,
or 1872 years. that ballot on
such legislation was in the hands
of the delegates-the 1aity-first
time in history of the church that
an issue of legislative import was
considered serious enough to re-
quire the secret ballot. Hereto
fore such balloting has been pre-
served for electing officers. But
this time we were balloting for
legislation. 1t truly is a new
day and better one for Meth
odism.
Rev. P. e. Womack, who scored
Saturdays filibuster to prevent a
vote or even the further reading
on the much debated resolution,
said: There are serious mo-
ments in which the whole world
is looking to this delegation to
save African Methodism from the
disgrace that some of her I'M
scrupulous and selfish Episcopal
tors have thrust upon her, and
that every moment of the time is
needed for constructive legisla-
tion."
This history making resolution,
presumably calculated to petition
the Episcopal Committee to move
all of the bishops from their pre-
vious fields of service to others.
was an eye-opener. 1t made I'M
mistakably clear to all where the
roots of the trouble lie. There
was grave suspense as all waited
the outcome-none knowing what
would be done - despite the
shouts by some, "They ought to
be unfrocked"; others less dras-