Evening star., 1951-11-12
Eric Johnston
|sHonoredby
Christians, Jews
Stussen Also Given
Brotherhood Award
At Conference Here


of the Economic Sterilization
Agency, was awarded the Silver
Brotherhood Medallion today by
the National Conference of Chris
tians and Jews for his work in
heading Brotherhood Week this
year.
Another medallion for advanc-
ing the brotherhood movement
was given last night to Harold
E. Stassen, president of the Uni
versity. of Pennsylvania, who said
the greatest progress in brother
hood will be made if the older
generation lets youth speak and
act on their convictions concern
ing brotherhood.
The award. presented by Roger
w. StrauS, co-chairman of the
conference, was made at a lunch
con in the Mayf1ower Hotel. The
four-day meeting was to end this
afternoon with a discussion on
Toward Better Group Relations
in Industry"
AFL Leader Speaks.
Speakers scheduled were Will
liam Green, president of the
AFL; George Donahue. national
director of the Association of
Catholic Trade Unionists, and
Julius A. Thomas. director of. in
dustrial relations, National Urban
League.
The derisive laughter of such
men as Andrei Vishinsky, spokes-
man for Soviet Russia, at a dis
armament proposal made in good
faith cannot drown out the ex-
pressions of goodwill that resound
in the community of free nations
and free men, Mr.. Johnston de-
clared in his speech accepting the
medallion.
I'VE see examples on every side
We have seen in the United Ma
tionS that men of different coun-
tries, different faiths and differ
ent backgrounds can sit down
around the conference table. They
can talk things over and work out
agreements that will make this a
better world. We have seen that
they can do this despite Soviet
vetoes, Soviet filibuster; despite
the mocking. the cruel laughter of
the Vishinskys."
The speaker suggested that an
award be made to communities
that have improved their racial
and religious relations.
ITO the extent that We improve
human relations in our home
communities. we add to the moral
force of our leadership of the free
world he said.
Norman Thomas, former head
of the American Socialist Party.
last night called for brotherhood
among religious sects as q major
step in achieving the world BROTH
erhood goal of tie National Con-
ference of Christians and Jews.
Others on the rostrum who also
dealt with the subject of Proofs
of Brotherhood" were Mr.. Stas-
sen, Charles S. johnson. presi-
dent of Fisk University. and
Mrs. Byrne Hope Sanders, editor
of a Toronto, Canada, magazine.
Hits "Indiscriminate 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: Il 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"
Attribute 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"
Speaking further on the dis
elimination question, Mr.. John
son. who heads one of the Ma
tion's leading universities for
Negroes. reported progress in the
last four years.
Mrs. Sanders stressed the need
for carrying on brotherhood work
in the home with children the