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Show Neutrality Debate at a Low Ebb PPONENTS of neutrality act revision are either growing desperate In an apparently losing battle or else they are running out of sound arguments and talking just to pass the time away. The latest argument ef the Isolationists, attempting at-tempting to portray President Roosevelt a puppet of Great Britain, la petty. Senators Clark and Nye Monday assailed President, Rooaevelt for being present at a service in St. James Episcopal church at Hyde Park at which the pastor prayed that God grant King George strength "to vanquish nd overcome all hla enemies." . Just to keep the record straight there are several facts which the senators chose to Ignore In their criticism which minimize the Incident and rob it of any significance In the neutrality debate. rtrstv President Roosevelt had no way of knowing what was to take place at the church service end certainly la not compelled simply by being present to subscribe to any and all sentiments expressed by the pastor. Second, the church service had special slg-. slg-. niflcance affecting King George. It featured the dedication of a fine Bible sent to the church a a memento ef the British monarch's visit there last June with the queen, the president and Mrs. Roosevelt It was not unnatural that In tribute te the donor, a prayer should be said for him. The prayer was not written by the pastor as a special plea for King George and Britain in the present war crisis: It waa taken from the Canadian Church of England prayer book and la simply a customary prayer for spiritual blessing and protection for the head ef a state. Third, the Episcopal church, although a distinct dis-tinct American church, la an offshoot of the Church of England and atlH closely affiliated with tt.' King George, as British monarch.. Is head of the Church of England and there la, therefore, an unusual bond between the Episcopal Epis-copal church and the British king entirely divorced from his position as head of the British empire. Granted tt might have been a little unwise for the pastor of St James church to risk embarrassing em-barrassing the president by Including such a prayer In the service, still there la actually no more reason why the president should be tip-braided tip-braided for sitting In the congregation while the pastor read the prayer than there would be lor criticising him for reading a newspaper containing aa editorial urging British victory, or listening to a radio speaker or banquet orator defend the British cause. It was a petty charge of which Senators Clark and Nye ought to he ashamed. |