Evening star., 1949-03-12
Church Farley Backs
Civil Rights Plans,
'AssaiIs FiIibuster
BY CospoF Nonnes
Stor Stoff CORRESPONDENT


CLEVELAND, Mar. 12.-The
National Study Conference on the
Churches and World Order yes
terday went on record as indors-
ing President Truman's civil
rights program and at the same
time called on the Senate to end
the f1libuster preventing action on
the bill.
During the concluding session
yesterday the conference side
stepped action on a proposal that
ProteStantS and Roman Catholics
"at the highest level of leadership
in both groups" meet to consider
the issues "of religious liberty and
related human rights" by referring
the motion to the Executive Com
mittee of the Federal Council of
Churches.
This committee will meet in
New York Tuesday. The confer
ence here was held under the
auspices of the Councils Depart
ment of International Justice and
Goodwill
A substitute motion on religious
liberty in totalitarian- dominated
countries was passed. 1t was con-
sidered a compromise by many
delegates.
Presented by Woman Leader.
The resolution on the filibuster
and the civil rights bill, presented
by Miss Thelma Stevens, of the
Methodist Church's Women's Divi-
sion, declared that America S
moral leadership toward world
order should be purified and
strengthened, and we urge that no
obstacles be placed in the way of
the adoption of the Presidents
civil rights program by the Con-
gresS of the United States.
ITO that end we respectfully re-
quest that the present f1libuster be
stopped, and that the rules of the
United States Senate be amended
to permit cloture on any motion
by request of a majority of that
body"
The motion originally was sug-
gested by the Rev. w. H. Jerna-
gin of Washington. who urged the
conference take a definite stand
on the civil rights issue and the
filibuster.
Submission of the original reso-
luton on Freedom of Religion
and Related Human Rights" re-
suited in several amendments pro-
ducing what several delegates
called pronounced anti-Catholic
utterances.
Heated Discussion Arises.
The most heated discussion
arose from an amendment pro-
posed by Dr.. j. Dawson of Wash
lngton calling for separation of
church and state in the United
States and denial of public funds
to parochial schools.
The Rev. Paul N. Carnes of
youngstown, Ohio. charged Prot
estants in Spain have as much
chance as ProteStants behind the
Iron Curtain, which we feel called
upon to condemn"
John Foster Dulles, American
delegate to the United Nations
and prominent Presbyterian lay
man, told the gathering IF you
want to negotiate with Roman
Catholicism it is a matter of deli
cacy and needs to be approached
through negotiation in the spirit
of conciliation. Those who nego-
tlate with the Vatican or the
Soviet Union have to carry it out
in an official manner. 1t should
rest largely with official bodies
such as the World Council of
Churches or the Federal Council
of Churches"
Sensed Complications.
DR.. o. Frederick Nolde of the
Lutheran Theological Seminary,
Philadelphia, who introduced the
resolution. said he believed the
conference failed to act on the
matter because:
Some delegates wanted to write
document against "totalitarian-
ism in Roman Catholic practices"
A majority sensed the situation
was 80 complicated' they should
not take deflnitive action. A ma
jority also was puzzled as to how
to reconcile "totalitarian practices
in Spain and in Communist-con-
trolled states"
DR.. Nolde said courses open to
the Executive Committee on the
question of religious freedom in
cluded recourse to the United Ma
tlonS and request to the Amer
lean Government to invoke the
peace treaties with Bulgaria and
Hungary.
An amendment was defeated
which asked the recall of Myron
c. Taylor, President Truman S per-
sonal emissary to the Vatican, and
said ecclesiastical policies of the
Roman Catholic Church do not
oooorS with ro1io;o,,c froodox,