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Show The Churches and the League. (From the Deseret News.) Matters have come to a pretty pass in this free United States oC ourd if the churches of the country may not be allowed, al-lowed, without incurring the criticism of partisan newspapers or politicians, 10 use their utmost influence and endeavor to procure the ratification of the league of nations. The purpose sought to be attained at-tained by the league is what the church for- ages has been working and praying for. .Regardless of sett, ius belief is that the proposed covenant is on the whole the greatest step ever taken by mankind toward a Christian international order. This much even the enemies of the league will not attempt to dispute. It is also universally admitted that the people of I the world are soul sick of war, and on 1 the whole wish, for the adoption of the 1 league as the only possible chance In eight for relief from its recurrence. Throughout this and other lands church commUtees have been appointed for the specific purpose of laying before the people peo-ple the proposition of the league of nations, na-tions, explaining its provisions and soliciting so-liciting their support for it. Thousands of such meetings have been held in churches, chapels and other places of religious re-ligious worship; and at hundreds of conferences con-ferences ministers and preachers have been specially instructed by local or visiting visit-ing authorities who have given thorough study to the subject so that to the various vari-ous congregations might be Imparted the sure word of counsel as to the duty of the Christian and the p.-i Iriot in this golden hour of opportunity to usher In a better day. In addition, the printed word to tho same effect hag been distributed dis-tributed by hundreds of thousands by and among the churches, one notable instance in-stance being Che transmission of a set of six lessons on the league, emphasizing especially its moral Implications, to no less than 150,000 pastors of the country, with the earnest request that they prepare pre-pare sermons from this lesson course, but above all that they have them studied in the churches. These pamphlets have been widely used and what is more to the point each one of them contained at the end a resolution to be sent the senators at Washington, signed by those interested. inter-ested. So far as remembered, every im- portant religious conclave, assembly, alliance, al-liance, council or convention held in the United States in many months past has passed forceful resolutions on the subject, sub-ject, not only with unanimity, but with acclaim and enthusiasm, and in numerous cases attaching a strong resolution calling upon the senate to ratify the covenant. &o far from being debarred from mentioning men-tioning the league in their services, or from indorsing it, or even from demanding demand-ing that the senators ratify it, it is the clear and solemn duty of all the churches of this country and of the world to get solidly, earnestly and militantly behind it. To withhold their influence and moral suasion nay, even their power -in this supreme crisis in world affairs would brand them with hypocrisy and cowardice, and prove them not merely unworthy shepherds of the human flock, but false followers of the Prince of Peace, for whose millennial reign this proposed covenant, imperfect though it is, may be viewed as preparatory and preliminary. . , .. |
