Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1960-10-17
By CASPAR NAMES
Star StaH Writer

ia resolution calling on the
United States and other major
powers to outlaw nuclear tests
in the interests Of global peace
will be presented today to the
United Lutheran Church in
America convention.
At the same time, the motion
asserts our country has an obi
cation to defend itself by main
tanning adequate military power,
The statement, result Of a
years study by the Department
of Social Action, Board of So
cial Missions, calls upon "the
governments of the Unite d
States and other nuclear powers
to persist in the efforts to arrive
at effective multilateral agree
ments on the cessation of all
kinds Of nuclear weapons test
ing.
I'm the meantime, In view of
the health hazards from radio
active fallout and the dangers
inherent in further accelerating
the weapons buildup through
nuclear experimentation, we
urge that the present mora
forum on testing be continued.
The resolution will be pre-
sented to the 700 clerical and
lay delegates as the nearly 2.5
million-member Lutheran group
continues its one-week biennial
convention. The sessions, at
Convention Hall here, will end
Thursday.
Must Match Power"
Noting that while peace is
most desirable, the resolution
points out: Certainly there
would be little hope for diplom-
acy If the Western world were
not strong. Hence. in spite Of
the terrible danger in the pos
session of these weapons, we
have presently no responsible
alternative but to match power
with power in order to deter
Communist expansion by force
and encourage the settlement
of differences by diplomacy"
Four steps were suggested by
the report as means whereby
the United States and Canada
could forward the cause Of
peace. They are assisting the
economically underprivileged
nations of the world to attain
higher standards of living; con-
solidating and extending their
ties with the free world: en-
gaging in such forms of peace
full cooperation and compete
tive co-existence with the Com
munist world as will not further
the totalitarian concept of con-
troll, and supporting the United
Nations and its agencies, with
more serious consideration
being given to the formation Of
a permanent international Sc
curity force"
Death Penalty Hit
The Board of Social Missions
report also calls for the abol-
ishment of capital punishment
as Ineffective in preventing
crime and making "a miscar-
riage of justice irrevocable."
Admitting the state has a
legal right to take human life
in order to protect its citizens,
the resolution urged that it not
exercise this right.
I'VE believe the state remains
free under God to decide
whether it will practice capital
punishment or relinquish the
exercise Of this right" the
statement says. AS an added
argument inducing the state
to give up this right, the board
asserted capital punishment is
not an equitable instrument OF
justice because 1T tends to fall
Extraordinarily upon those
least able to defend them
selves"
The answer to the problem
would be improved admins
tration Of courts and sentenc-
ing practices; more adequate
probation and parole facilities
:. intensified study of delin-
quency and crime, and the
further development of pro-
grams Of prevention"
Atheism Growth Feared
DR.. Donald L. Houser of New
York. executive secretary OF
the denominations Board of
American Missions, warned to-
day that a million persons are