The Presbyterian of the South : [combining the] Southwestern Presbyterian, Central Presbyterian, Southern Presbyterian. [volume], October 23, 1918, Page 13, Image 13

About The Presbyterian of the South : [combining the] Southwestern Presbyterian, Central Presbyterian, Southern Presbyterian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1909-1931

Image provided by: Library of Virginia; Richmond, VA

                
The Salvation Army.
From both officers and soldiers,
hearty and glowing expressions came
for the workers of the Salvation
army, their unselfishness, bravery and
modest, quiet efficiency, especially at
critical moments under fire. In this
connection, it is gratifying to note
that some of the warmest expressions
I heard from commanding generals
were their appreciation of the work
of the Salvation army.
The Army Chaplains.
Those who may have feared that in
the number and extent of organiza
tions and movements for the moral
care of the army the chaplain would
lose something of his prestige and op
portunity, need do so no longer. Our
chaplains are finding their place, are
doing us credit and stand infinitely
higher in the army than ever before.
Their influence is constantly increas
ing.
Doubtless this is due to several
causes: the deep interest, the fine
vision and the high appreciation of
General Pershing; the effective organi
zation of the Headquarters Board of
Chaplains; the attitude of Secretary
Carter of the Y. M. C. A.; but still
more to the general quality of the men
who have volunteered for this high
service.
Relations With the Y. M. C. A.
At the headquarters of the Y. M.
C. A. the npirit seems to be all that
could be asked, and the same is true
at the chaplain headquarters. The
orders issued by Mr. Carter appear to
have accorded every appropriate
primacy to the chaplains.
On the whole, the chaplains and Y.
M. C. A. workers are working in
hearty co-operation, the extent and
effectiveness of which is largely deter
mined by the personalities of those
concerned. Many ministers of the Y.
M. C. A. are performing the duties
of chaplains where none have yet
been assigned.
Especial Needs of the Chaplain.
The first of these is adequate equip
ment. The second is that of trans
/ portation facilities. Very often the
unit to which the chaplain is assigned
is widely dispersed, part at the front
and part towards the rear, and oc
casionally his unit is divided more
widely by being billeted In different
places. At other times his men may
be in the field hospitals at a consider
able distance. Not only the chaplains
themselves, but their generals, urge
strongly the need of cars for the chap
lains. They are now obliged to walk
many miles, losing much time, unless
they can borrow transportation. This
difficulty will, of course, be lessened
somewhat when the full number of
chaplains are available.
Inadequack of Number.
This is a serious difficulty. Many
regiments are without adequate ser
vice, many localized units are entirely
without chaplains and many hospitals
unsupplled. Many soldiers have hard
ly seen or heard of a chaplain.
Organization.
The organization at general head
quarters is in fine order, with three
unusually strong men in Chaplains
Brent, Doherty and Moody. Nearly
every division now has its divisional
chaplain In charge. A school is in
operation at headquarters.
Insignia and Rank.
There Is division of preference and
judgment in the use of insignia. Some
chaplains still wjear the insignia of
rank and others have adopted, either
by preference or in compliance, the
simple use of the cross. I Judge that
the majority of the chaplains prefer
both insignia.
There Is, however, no division of ?
opinion as to the proposed measure
for a chaplain's corps with standing
as to rank and pay on an equality
with the medical corps. On this the
interested generals and chaplains,
both at headquarters and in the field,
are practically unanimous and posi
tive.
Chaplain Brent prepared and re
quested me to convey the following:
"To the War Time Commission of the
Churches:
"The opportunity of the chaplain
in the American Expeditionary Forces
is unprecedented in military history.
The best manhood of America is his to
guide, inspire and mould. It has
been a common complaint in parochial
life that men do not form a promi
nent element in the average congre
gation. No such complaint can be
made in the army. Again our sol
diers are in a temper of mind to wel
come greedily the truth of God from
the hearts of true men. They are
at the most receptive moment of their
lives. They are quick to detect and
spurn unreality and sham. They are
in search of and responsive to what
is real.
"The religious to-morrow of
America lies latent in the soldiers of
to-day, and it is the responsibility of
the chaplain to shape it so that the
kingdom of God will enter into
American life with power. Already
there is springing up among the chap
lains a Bongo or brotherhood result
ing from personal fellowship. It does
not mean the breaking down of per
sonal convictions but rather the giving
of due respect to the honest con
victions of others. Mutual underv
standing is the first step towards
unity.
"The chaplain comes with two com
missions ? that of the Church which
provides him with power from on
high; that from tho nation which in
dicates his sphere of duty. He is
simply a minister of God working in
military conditions. He is always and
everywhere the spiritual general of
the army and his insignia perpetually
proclaims it.
"If the chaplain of the American
Expeditionary Forces works In the up
lands of opportunity, he also works in
a furnace of temptations and difficul
ties. The strain will be constant and,
in both front line and back areas,
terrific. Facilities for movement will
be restricted owing to the insufficient
transportation of the army. Problems
of moral and spiritual character will
thicken dally. Endurance will be
tested to the limit. Only strong men
reinforced by an Almighty God can
meet the demands of the emergency.
"We, upon whom has fallen the
responsibility of organizing and direct
ing the religious leaders of the
American Expeditionary Forces, are
wholly dependent on the churches of
America for the character and the
number of those who come to us. We
beg of you to think only of one thing
? the choicest manhood of our nation
is in France or headed towards France
under the domination of the spirit of
self-sacrifice. The strongest and best
men in the ministry are not too good
to serve them. It would be a crime
to send weaklings or Incompetents to
so sublime and so difficult a task. Give
us your best and give them properly.
"(Signed) C. H. Brent,
"Senior Chaplain G. H. Q.,
"A. E. F."
19 August, 1918.
As I left general headquarters Gen
eral Pershing handed me an appre
ciative and stirring message to the
American churches, which set forth
the splendid ideals which he holds up
before the American army in France,
and I left him with a feeling of confi
dence and hope.
OPENING OF A Y. M. O. A. HUT FOR AMERICAN TROOPS
IN FRANCE.
More than six hundred buildings in
France are now in use by the Ameri
can Y. M. C. A. secretaries in their
work of ministry to American sol
diers and sailors. These buildings in
clude cafes, hotels, dug-outs, tents
and ruins, as well as the hundreds
of buildings especially constructed for
this work. The buildings are crowd
ed, frequently almost to suffocation,
by the American troops whenever
their official duties permit their at
tendance. Mr. Francis B. Sayre, son
in-law of President Wilson, who for
a number of months was one of the
overseas Red Triangle secretaries,
gives this description of one of these
huts: "The hut usually contains a
'oanteen-room,' a large lecture hall,
and a number of smaller rooms for
classes and group meetings. The can
teen-room, a large lounging place, fit
ted up with board benches and tables,
decorated with gay bunting or bright
pictures of home life, or possibly with
wall-paintings done by some soldier
decorator, is usually thronged with
troops at every hour of the day when
soldiers can be found off duty; for
it is generally the only place in camp
where soldiers can gather for recrea
tional or social purposes. At one end,
by the canteen counter, lined up to
get their hot coffee, their buns, crack
ers, sweet chocolate, sandwiches, or
the like, are crowds of soldiers;
others are sitting at the tables, writ
ing letters home on the stationery fur
nished them; still others are at the
other end of the room, gathered
around the piano or victrola, playing
the tunes they used to play at home,
many are reading the home newspa
pers and magazines which are given
out at the counter, or selecting books
from the library, or matching their
wits in friendly games of checkers.
In another part of the hut is a large
lecture-room with a stage at one end;
here are given in the evenings educa
tional lectures, soldier minstrel shows,
musical entertainments, cinema shows,
patriotic addresses and religious
talks; and here, too, are generally
held the Sunday religious services and
meetings. Scarcely an evening goes
by that does not see these halls
packed to the doors. I have seen
them so crowded, on the occasion of
some stirring religious talk, that af
ter the benches were all filled and
the standing-room taken, soldiers
kept crowding in through tlio win
dows to sit on the floor of the plat
form, and others remained standing
outside to listen to the speaker
through the windows. Surging in and
out of the thirty huts in one of these
base camps there pass daily actually
sixty thousand men of every race and
creed; every night between ten and
fifteen thousand men are listening to
educational lectures and entertain
ments; on two nights every week a
like number are crowding to hear re
ligious talks."
Boys and Girls
Earn valuable premiums working a
few minutes after school. No fake
? send name and address, but no
money.
DAVIS & CO.,
P. O. Box 1776 Richmond, Va.
"GOD'S SERVICE STAR"
Is the title of a beautiful, helpful, vocatlona 1 service to be used at Christmas
or other time in the Church and Sunday School
It is based on the beautiful little story by Mildred Welch.
It appeals for the enlistment of life in God's service.
It will be furnished in sufficient quantities for use in any of the churches or
Sunday Schools of the Presbyterian Church in the United States, free of cost.
Order a sample outfit now. Free.
The General Assembly said (at Birmingham) "That the Sabbath nearest to
Christmas of each year be set apart to be observed by our Sunday Schools in the in
terest of Christian Education and Ministerial Relief." (At Durant): "That so far
as practicable our Committee's arrangement of the Christmas program be used in
our Sabbath Schools."
122 South Fourth Avenue,
HENRY H. SWEETS, Secretary
Louisville, Ky.