Evening star., 1950-10-06
|Lutherans Ask u. ).
To Sponsor Program
For Preventing War
By Cospor Nonnes
Stor Staff Correspondent


United States sponsorship of a
four-point program to reverse
"the mad trend toward a third
world war" was advocated in a
report submitted today to the
17th biennial convention of the
United Lutheran Church in
America.
In presenting the report, DR..
o. Frederick Nolde. director of
The Commission of the Churches
on International Affairs, declared I:
The tensions which have brought
about the existence of two con-
flicting worlds must be relieved Al
least to the point where policy
of live and let live is indorsed by
all countries"
DR.. Nolde, dean of the gradu-
ate school of the Lutheran Theo-
logical Seminary, Philadelphia,
served as a consultant of the
United States delegation to the
San Francisco conference in 1945
which led to the formation of the
United Nations.
Observer Commissions Urged.
The report declared the Gov
ernment should:
l. Support in anticipation of a
possible recurrence elsewhere of
what happened in Korea, every
measure in the United Nations
which would defer further aggres-
sion. One way would be to locate
a network of international OBJ
server commissions at every po-
tential danger spot throughout
the world.
2. While making clear its re-
luctant but sufficient readiness TO
meet military aggression, demon
strate even greater readiness to
cooperate in creating a world
setting in which conflicting ideolo-
gies may compete peacefully. 1t
would meanwhile guard against
incidents which could precipitate
fighting on a world scale.
8. In opposing the enemies of
freedom, guard against the use of
totalitarian methods which are
condemned in others, set an ex-
ample of true democracy in do
mestic practice, and speed the
completion of an adequate inter-
national covenant on human
rights
Economic Assistance.
4. Recognizing that Soviet COM
munism finds an open door in
areas of economic deficiency. press
forward with a program for the
economic development of those
countries where such assistance is
needed.
The speaker said the action in
Korea, under the U. N. banner
has already been set for the first
step in collective security.
The day for unilateral military
action is passed. he declared. If
further aggression occurs, it must
be met by the authority of the
United Nations. To that policy
our own and every other govern
ment must be committed.
DR.. Nolde said the second step
toward collective security is now
under way by the formation of
international observer commits
sions to anticipate "the possibility
of aggression and to set preventive
measures in action"
Third Step Advocated.
Asserting these steps will not
remove fundamental theological
differences" he suggested a third
step that would remove enough
irritations" to enable the peaceful
competition of conflicting ideolo-
gies." This move would be the
establishment by the U. N. Gen
eral Assembly of an authority Ito
identify the major sources of ag-
gravation and to take initial steps
for their removal"
The United Lutheran Church
yesterday took a historic step
when it voted overwhelmingly to
join the proposed National Coun-
Gil of the Churches of Christ in
the U. S. A.
This is the first time the de-
nomination has accepted full
membership in any national in
terdenominational church agency.
At present it holds a consulta-
tive membership in the Federal
Council of Churches, which is one
OF eight interdenominational agen-
cies to merge into the national
council at the constituting meet
ing in Cleveland November 28-
December l. The United Lutheran
Church is a member of the World
Council of Churches.
An effort by a scattering of op-
position to postpone action on the
issue for two years so the indi-
vidual congregations might study
the question was overwhelmingly