Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-02-02
East German Reds
Can't Curb Religion,
Lutheran Declares
By Cospor Names
Star Stoff Correspondent

ATLANTIC CITY, N. j., Feb.
IA prominent Lutheran
church leader today declared the
Communists in East Germany
cannot ignore the desire Of peo-
pie there "for spiritual express
sion"
There seems to be a recogni-
zion on the part of the Com
muniSt government in Germany's
East Zone that 1t cannot COM
pletely ignore the innate yearn-
fngs of their constituencies for
spiritual expression" DR.. Oscar
A. Benson of Minneapolis told
the opening session of the Ma
tional Lutheran Council here.
THAT yearning never fails to
kindle also the hope for political
freedom" DR.. Benson. president
of the council, added.
Glasses in religious inStruc-
ton are now permitted here and
there in East Germany" he
pointed out. There can be no
doubt that the material aid
given by the Western churches
and the persistent witnessing by
fearless pastors is bearing fruit"
Eight Groups in Council.
Eight Lutheran church bodies,
having AS million members. are
members of the council, which
was organized in 1919 and serves
as common agency for Luther
an churches in America. Those
affiliated with the council are
the United Lutheran Church in
America. 2,088.000 members;
Evangelical Lutheran Church.
100000; American Lutheran
Church. 791 900: Augustana Lu-
theran Church. 485.000: Luther
an Free Church. $4,000; United
Evangelical Lutheran Church,
$4,000; Finnish Evangelical Lu-
theran Church, $1,000, and
American Evangelical Lutheran
Church. 10000.
DR.. Benson will be nominated
and almost certainly reelected
for second one-year term as
council president. He also is
president of the AuguStana Lu-
theran Church.
In his speech today DR.. Ben
son observed. 1T German leaders
regard the church as having the
only platform where today East
and West Germany can stand
together. is it not probable that
the church alone. under God.
can bring the whole world to-
gether?
The church, having no politi-
cal or economic 'islns' inherent
in its philosophy, has the capac-
ity to unite humanity in way
that no man-made organization,
however exalted its motives, can
ever hope to achieve"
Hits Features of Relief Act.
DR.. Benson also voiced opposi-
ton to some of the objection
able features of the 1853 Refugee
Relief Act"
THE legislation enacted has
been most unsatisfactory" he
said. Efforts to ease the re-
quirements for individual as
eurances, financial guarantees
and security Recommendation, and
to eliminate the national origins
quota system have met with little
success so far
Under the old displaced per-
sons act. the council helped
nearly $1,000 displaced persons
and refugees to settle in the
United States. The Refugee
Relief Act of 1853 calls for the
admission of 214.00O refugees in
q three-year period. A large
percentage of them are expected
to be Lutherans. Any program
undertaken by the council will
be carried out by its recently
established service to immi-
grants in the division of welfare.
The councils executive COM
mittee today approved submits
sion to the delegates for their
consideration a Lutheran World
Action budget of $2.6 million
for 1854. Lutheran World Ac-
ton serves as the councils
agency to help needy Lutherans
at home and overseas. Since
1910 nearly $37 million has been
raised by 10000 American con-
gregations for this agency. DR..
Paul c. Empie, executive direc-
tor of the council is also direc-
tor of Lutheran World Action.