Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-08-12
Anglican Bishop Hits
Subsistence Level Of
Vast World Areas
By Casper Nonnes
Sfor Sioff Correspondent

12.-DelegateS to the Anglican
Congress will discuss the Angli-
can communion's work in the
present world after hearing one
of its bishops declare that three
fifths Of the human race "are
living below the level of normal
subsistence standards"
The Right Rev. Bravid w.
Harris, Bishop Of Liberia, yes
terday told the 670 delegates
from IA Anglican communions
here that to call the condition
of most people "underprivileged"
is a serious understatement."
THE common fact about Asia
Is its unspeakable misery, its
poverty, famines, disease and IL
literacy," Bishop Harris asserted.
I'm the Middle East the basic
situation is the same except that
the presence Of oil opens up new
possibilities, and in many re-
spects the depressed conditions
OF the masses is quite unneces-
sary.
Africa south of the Sahara
presents a picture where its raw
materials are foreign-controlled.
low wage scales predominant and
where the production of basic
foods is still on primitive basis.
While South America shows
many advances. yet the masses
OF people still belong to the army
OF the 'have-nots.'"
Sees Great Weakness.
The prelate charged that one
OF the Christian church's great
weaknesses is its failure Ito DEM
onstrate the relevance of the
Gospel OF Christ to the basic
economic problems confronting
the great masses of Gods chill
dren in the underdeveloped areas
in the world"
Charles P. Taft of Cincinnati.
brother Of the late Senator Rob-
ert A. Taft Of Ohio, told the
gathering last night that even
though we cannot claim our sys-
TEN OF economics or government
the only Christian one, we NAV
still express honest enthusiastic
credit" concerning it and resist
being forced into a position "of
whining dissatisfaction with
everything that is"
The speaker asserted that al
though 80 per cent of the Ameri-
can population regard them
selves as members Of a religion"
most Of them do not go to
church.
One reason is that the lead
ers Of the church don't know
enough about the areas of life
where people work." Mr.. Taft
commended. "A second reason is
that the preachers and the
theologians behind them along
with church workers with
then-have often little idea
how completely unintelligible
what is said in the pulpit is to
large Observation-Disclosures in
that it makes no effective con-
tact with their experience.
Canterbury Speaks.
The Most Rev, Geoffrev
Francis Fisher, Archbishop Of
Canterbury. declared at a lunch
con yesterday that freedom ais
always in danger among our
own societies."
Archbishop Fisher observed
there are some states on this
side OF the Iron Curtain that paw
lip service to freedom of person.
conscience and religion, but "who
don't yet know how to apply
it,"
Citing the recent imprisonment
OF Bishop Arsenic of Montene-
gro as an example, the English
prelate said the charge against
the Serbian Orthodox Church
bishop was Opposition to the
government"
"A bishop arrested, sentenced
on no objective evidence and i'm
prisoned in order to intimidate
the church and keep it in COM
plete subservience to the state
that Is not the behavior of a
civilized state and does q great
disservice to freedom" the speak
er declared.
Archbishop Fisher also re-
peated statement made earlier
this week that despite some
minor differences England and
the United States form a firmly
established partnership. one of
the great bulwarks of freedom
of the world"
The congress, which opened
August 4, will close tomorrow.