Evening star., 1951-11-12
Norman Thomas
Urges Religions
Stossen Also Speaks
At Conference of
Christions ond Jews

Norman Thomas, former head
of the American Socialist Party,
last night called for brotherhood
among religious sects as a major
step in achieving the world BROTH
erhood goal of the National Con-
ference Of Christians and Jews.
Mr.. Thomas was one of four
speakers at the third
session Of the four day conference
ending today in the Mayhower
Hotel.
Others on the rostrum who also
dealt with the subject of proofs
of Brotherhood" were Harold E.
Stassen. president of Pennsylvania
University and former Governor
of Minnesota; Charles S. johnson,
president Of Fisk University, and
Mrs. Byrne Hope Sanders, editor
OF a Toronto, Canada, magazine.
Hits "Tndiscriminate Return"
The much-sniped-at but in
domltable dean of American So
cialists started off by deploring
the fashion" of the last few
years to believe that the only
hope for the world is to return
to religion"
Eyeing his audience earnestly.
Mr.. Thomas declared: "I believe
in religion too much to accept an
indiscriminate return to religion.
What he feared most in such
"a trend, he said. is the return Of
days when men killed each other
enthusiastically in the name Of
religion.
Soviet Russia. he went on, has
the attributes of a religion" in
that its citizens are "either true
believers. or second or third class
citizens"
The danger is that each religion
believes it has a "stranglehold on
the TRUTH" Mr.. Thomas said. And
there is nothing harder than for
sincerely religious people to be toll
Grant OF each other"
Cites Trouble Spots.
He cited riots in India between
Moslems and Hindus, the division
OF Ireland into two States on the
basis of religious belief. He named
the Union of South Africa as one
OF the trouble spots in the world
because lit leads the world in
discrimination and enslavement'
Iof the Negro population.
And" Mr.. Thomas added, "the
prime minister of South Africa is
a deeply devout man"
The religion that counts" be
declared, lis the religion that will
challenge South Africa, Cicero
ullo and Mississippi
Speaking further on the dis
elimination question, Mr.. john
son. who heads one of the Ma
t1on's leading universities for
Negroes, reported progress in the
last four years.
He gave these figures:
More than 1000 Negro students
have matriculated in Southern
white" universities; more than
zoo are teaching in Northern and
Western universities; the Negro
vote in the South has increased
300 per cent; seven of % Negroes
who ran for State or local Office
in the South last year were
elected; racial integration in the
armed forces has substantially"
begun. and professional associa-
tlons have begun accepting
Negroes to membership.
Stassen Looks to Youth.
THE great prayer for patience
today" DR.. johnson said, "is not
on behalf of minorities long dis
clplined to this virtue, but on be-
half Of those doggedly misguided
ones who in their blind power and
racial arrogance are retarding the
spiritual maturity of this Nation. :"
Mr.. Stassen declared that the
greatest progress in brotherhood
will be made if the older genera
tionS let youth speak and act on
their convictions concerning BROTH
erhood.
The former Governor was pre-
sented the conferences silver me-
dallion for advancing the brother
hood movement since 1916. ;
Mr.. Sanders stressed the need
for carrying on brotherhood work
| in the home with children the