New-York tribune. [volume], January 04, 1920, Page 4, Image 70

About New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924

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Business Men
Criticisms Directed at Religious
Denominations Are Answered
by Fred B. Smith
By Fred B. Smith
Assistant to President, Johns-Man
ville Company; Chairman Com?
mission on Interehurch Federa?
tions of Federal Council of
Churches; Vice-Chairman Inter
church World Movement.
RECENTLY at the close of a
day which had been spent
in a railway train, giving
ample time to read the rec?
ord of current events, political, so?
cial and economic, it being the day
after the Senate's final vote upon
the peace treaty, the writer sat be?
wildered by the turmoil of Con?
gressional ideas, the bitterness of
class commercial strife, the wide
chasm of racial issues, the distrust
and jealousies of nations', and a
hundred other kindred differences
of opinion, led by men and peoples
sa metallic in their conclusions as
to give little hope of compromises
which would at all promise perma?
nent peace in any realm. Thought
naturally turned to some source
f rpm which could emanate a note of
humanity, of brotherhood, of good
will, high enough to overcome the
apparent abyss which now divides
these contending elements. ?
Where Hope Lie?
I found some hope, but not too
much, in courts, leagues of nations,
peace conferences and parliaments.
Good as they haverbeeh and may be
in helping, they all seemed to just
lack a something deep enough to
reach the real, vital, enduring qual?
ity, Then there came with fresh,
commanding power a conviction of
many years that, after all, the con
summation so devoutly desired can
only be fully realized as the Chris?
tian Church, "with its central mes?
sage of the "Sermon on the Mount,"
of "good will to men," of common
brotherhood and absolute justice to
every man, woman and child in all
the world, is made strong and ef?
ficient in leavening the spirit of all
the warring factions.
* I was reminded that the Chris?
tian Church stands alone and
unique in the world with a spiritual
interpretation of life, its doctrine
being that men and nations are in
existence not always to insist upon
their legal rights, but rather to
render service to the common good
of all humanity, even if "rights"
have to be postponed a little.
Must Renew Leade-qpiip
I was also led to remember thai
the Christian Church has the widesl
platform and hearing of any insti
tution on earth, there being in th<
United States alone more than 200,
000 ministers speaking two anc
three times every week to more peo
pie than any political party can eye:
hope to muster, and also that 91
per cent of them are absolutely free
with no bias of class prejudice or pre
conceived political limitations. Com
mon sense therefore prompted thi
thought that, not to the neglect o:
anything else which may promis
help, the task of supreme irnpor
tance to all those who7sincerely seel
a permanent solution of the presen
strife among groups, classes, .partie
and nations is *y?at of reasserting th
leadership of the Christian Churcl
In the train* of this thought
Bargains
- <
FOR SALE?A lot of used
crowns, in good condition; scep
\ers, orbs and swords of state to
match. Item, a few thrones,
slightly shattered.
ONE would not be particu?
larly surprised these days
to find an advertisement
like the above in a Euro?
pean newspaper. For the number
of royal crowns out of a job has in?
creased enormously during the last
three years. The first Russian revo?
lution of March, 1917, started ar
avalanche of regalia which culmi
nated in November, 1918, with tin
collapse of the Central Powers.
The number of unemployec
crowns in central and eastern Eu
' rope to-day may roughly be put a
forty. ?With the accompanying in
signia of sovereign power?seep
lei-s, crosses, swords, robes, etc.?
they represent an enormous treas
ure even if only the actual value o:
?.-old and precious stones is consid
ered. Some of them are exquisit
pieces of craftsmanship. Wha
with the historic reminiscences an?
sentimental associations attachin
to them, their aggregate value i
practically beyond computation.
'The foregoing estimate of tb
number of crowns once engaged i
making uneasy the heads that woi
them may seem large, seeing the
monarchies were overturned only i
four countries?Russia, German;
Austria and Hungary. To this nun
ber, however, must be added that ?t
th kings, grand dukes, dukes an
princes ousted by the revolution i
the German federal states. Th
I brings the total up to about twent;
8-even.
The discrepancy between th
twenty-seven and the forty befoi
referred to is explained by the fa
that the word "crown" is common
?employed ?as covering two distin
conception?, one abstract, one co
crete.
It is the custom to speak i
the "British ?crown," "Hungarii
crown," "Russian crown," in wbi?
case "crown' i? synonymous wt
'he abstract idea of sovereii
power. In this sense each mona
<-by has but ?one crown. But tl
word also denotes the concrete o
\"jdl defined by the New Standet
Dictionary as "a decorative clrcl
r,r covering-for the head to be wor
turned or displayed as the sign <
mark of ?sovereign power/' end ?
?his (which in, naturally, the orig
nal) sense a kingdom or smpii
may have several Ce?trn*.
Tim legal signmcance of tl
?- e symbol of power Tarh
1
in Secor
greatly in the different European
countries. Strangely enough, the
two extreme interpretations could
be found within the Hapsburg em?
pire. In the Austrian empire proper
the imperial crown was nothing but
a piece of ornament, an elaborate
specimen of jewelry, of almost con?
temporary origin and of n? higher
status than any other valuable item
of the imperial treasury. On the
other hand, in the kingdom of
Hungary the crown of St. Stephen,
officially called the Holy Hungarian
Crown, developed in the course of
centuries into the object of a veri?
table legal and sentimental idolatry
unequaled in any other country.
The crown (which in this case was
actually identical with the jeweled
headgear worn by the king at the
coronation) was the source and de?
pository of all power in the realm,
and the supreme symbol of laj*. and
constitution.
According to the Hungarian con?
ception an uncrowned king was no
king at all; his decrees had no legal
force and resistance to them was
constitutional. And, in fact, dur?
ing the last three hundred years
there was only one ruler who defied
the ancient Magyar traditions cen?
tering around the crown of St.
Stephen?Joseph II, the enlightened
but arbitrary son of Maria Theresa.
With the sole exception of the so
called Iron Crown of Lombardy, this
Hungarian crown is by far the oldest
of all existing regalia in Europe.
Legend traces back its origin to the
year 1000. It is certain that it ex?
isted in the first years of the
thirteenth century, and a section of
it is probably much older than that.
Offered for Sale
It is a strange fate which has
picked just this, the most ancient
and revered crown in all Europe, for
a possible object of a commercial
transaction. And yet this is what
happened when, in August last, the
rumor circulated in the European
press that the Hungarian Soviet
government had offered the crown
for sale to an Amsterdam jeweler.
The sum of 100,000 Swiss francs
normally about $19,000?was named
as the price. In the mean time Bela
Kun was ousted, and the succeeding
government of Mr. Friedrich seems
to have decided to keep the crown at
Budapest for an emergency. And if
the dreams of the monarchist group
now rampant in Hungary should
materialize according to schedule,
this particular crown will soon have
a job again.
Kot only doea-^or did?the Hun
r?:
found myself that night in a crowded
small room, with about ten typical
passengers in heated discussion of
the theme which had occupied my
mind. They indicted, the peace con?
ference, the proposed league of na?
tions, the Democratic party, the Re?
publican party, the Senate and the
Cabinet- Somebody was there who
charged each and every one of these
with being the cause of the whole
trouble.
Church Denounced
"In a lull in the debate I brought
forward the possibility of the Chris?
tian Church as ? factor in the com?
plicated situation, with, no hint of
my personal views. Answers came
fast and furious. One said, "Noth?
ing doing; they are too busy quar?
reling among themselves." Another,
"They have to spend all their time
and money building up their sects;
they are out of it." Another, "They
are too much set on heaVfen to mix
in this muddle." Anothelr, whc
proved to be an ex-Mayor of a great
city, said, "If they could get to?
gether on this thing, they would dc
more than all the rest of us com
bined in settling? the world dis
orders."
Summarizing the impressions o:
those travelers, who may be re
garded as representing the com
mon- thought of the- average man
they had reached these conclusions
First?Little hope of courts,
leagues, congresses, etc., being of
themselves, unsupported by something
deeper, able to bring about normal
local, state, national and interna?
tional relations. ?
Second?The Christian Church has
the message that is positively neces?
sary for right adjustments of every
aggravated question of commercial,
social and political discontent
Third?The Christian Church is so
divided upon denominational lines
that she is unable to bring any uni
id Hand
-1-;?r
stitutional position among the crowns
of Europe; it is also distinguished by
a most romantic career. According
to the Hungarian textbooks the
crown was sent in the year 1000 by
Pope Sylvester II to Stephen, Duke
of Hungary, who had just then
finished the good-sized task of con?
verting the fierce Magyar horse?
men to Christianity. According to
this version, hardly more than a leg?
end, Pope Sylvester had the crown
made for the Polish Prince Boleslav
and was just about dispatching it bs
a courier when one night an ange
appeared to him in a dream and en
joined him to give the crown t_
Stephen. Awakening, the Pope gav<
the crown to the Abbot Asztrik (Ot
trik), with the words:
"Tell th? duke of the Hungarian
that whilst I am merely a successo
of the apostles, he is a real apostl
himself."
Thereupon Asztrik delivered th
crown to Stephen, who soon aftei
ward was crowned first king of Hun
gary at Alba Regia. Ever after th
rulers of Hungary bore the titl
"Apostolic King," just as the ep
thet "Most Christian" was bestowe
by the Popes on the kings of Franc
and the attribute "Most Catholic
on the kings of Spain.
In contrast to the long historio
past and great sentimental an
legal significance of the crown <
St. Stephen, the position of the in
perial crown of Austria was almo
negligible. This crown, like tl
Austrian empire itself, was a pure
artificial creation, made to orde
without a root in history and wit
out an emotional background.
was kept under glass in the imperi
treasury at Vienna. Nobody exce
curious foreign tourists ever look?
at it, although it was quite a pr?t
object, in fact one of the prettie
and most graceful of all crowi
with its dainty design emphasiz
by pearls and sapphires and
ruby colored velvet lining. T
Austrian emperor was/not crown
at all. The heir-apparent aui
matically became emperor in t
moment his predecessor expir<
But it was customary for emper?
to have crowns; so when Austr
till 1804 a mere archduchy, v
raised to the rank of empire
Francis II (who had to resign
title as Roman emperor owing
Napoleon's ascendancy) a cro
had to be provided, too.
The real historic treasure of 1
Vienna court was the ancient cro
of the Holy Roman Empire, usun
.ailed the crown of Charlemagne,
though it had nothing-Co do with 1
Prankish ruler, being of a mt
later period. This crown was
**********
Center, Fred B. Smith, *
* chairman of the Com- *
mission on ?nterchurch *
Federations of Federal
Council of Churches;
* top, the Rev. Charles S.
* Macfarland, general sec- *
* retary of the Federal *
Council of Churches;
bottom, Dr. S. Earl Tay
* lar, general secretary of ?
? tike ?nterchurch Move
* ment.
**********
fled impact to bear, and therefore
will lose this opportunity.
The crux of the whole thing, there?
fore, centered around the conviction
Crowns
unique design. Unlike other royal
crowns, it was not covered with
arches or hoops, but was open on the
top, coronet-like, except for a single
arch queeriy extending betweeh the
front and the back plaques. The
cross was mounted, not on the top of
the arch, but at its foot, above the
front plaque. After the armistice
of November, 1918, the demand was
launched in the Italian press that
this crown, being that of the Roman
Empire, should be "restored" to
Italy. The claim, however, had no
historic or legal foundation, as the
Holy Roman Empire of the Middle
Ages was a German and not an Ital?
ian creation.
Germany's Crown Was New
The crown of the German Empire
is of quite recent manufacture. It
was made in 1871 for Wilhelm I, the
grandfather o? the friend of Gott,
when he was acclaimed German Em?
peror in the Hall of Mirrors in Ver?
sailles. It was modeled on the pat?
tern of the Charlemagne crown, with
alternating plaques, eight in num?
ber, bearing either a cross or the
imperial eagle, inlaid in pearls and
diamonds. The crown of the Em?
press and the coronet of the Crown
Prince were similar, only smaller.
These pieces, together with the
rest of the German imperial and
Prussian royal crown jewels, are?
said to be "in safety" on Dutch soil,
where they were conveyed after the
revolution.
The Russian regalia contained, in
the first place, a number of crowns,
most valuable of which was the one
made by the Geneva jeweler Pauzie
for Catherine H in 1762 and used
since at the coronation. It has the
shape of a Byzantine miter or
bishop's headgear, symbolizing the
ecclesiastic supremacy of the Rus?
sian monarch. It was topped by a
colossal ruby, which held a cross
composed of five large brilliants.
The two hoops holding the ruby
were inlaid with 38 large pearls
each. The two sections of the miter
were of ornamental silverwork, all
studded with diamonds; the circlet
had 28 largo diamonds. The lining
was of purple velvet. The Czarina's
crown was similar, but smaller, and
contained more than 100 large bril?
liants.
Besides this crown there was the
so-called diamond cap, or the tiara
of Peter the Great, also studded
with diamonds; the crowns of Kazan
and Astrachan, the first bestowed by
Ivan the Terrible on the Tatar
King of Kazan in 1553; the other
acquired by the Czar Michael Feo
dorovitch on the conquest of Aatra
chan in the seventeenth century.
-__?1
cf these men, who I believe to be
a fair interpretation of the so-called
rank and file, that Christianity is so
divided in its organized life in the
Church that it cannot be accepted
very seriously, as a great force in
this vexed hour of the human race,
when this assistance is most needed.
That this view is superficial, un?
fair and unwarranted can be estab?
lished beyond doubt by an actual
consideration of the facts, and there
does not seem to be anything more
important than that men everywhere
should have their minds disabused
of this exaggerated idea of the di?
visions of organized Christianity.
Weaknesses Admitted
In going forward to caHl attention
briefly to some of the elements which
are making for unity in Christianity,
and therefore for a prophecy that
the Church will not wholly fail, in
its duty and privilege as a world
power in the new world order, it is
fair to admit freely that there are
divisions, more than there ought to
be; that here and there sectarian
competition manifests itself more
than it should, and that rivalries and
jealousies do still spring into view
over incidental theological questions,
But the suggestion is venturec
that the Christian Church as a whol?
throughout the world is more unitec
to-day than the Republican party o]
the Democratic party of the Unitec
States. It is more united upon essen
tial questions than oi-ganized capita
or organized labor. To understan?
this striking statement demands wid*
horizoned views, among which som<
of the following are worthy of se
rious consideration:
First?Christianity, by every name
known throughout the world, is set
against war and riot as a method of
settling grievances. This is equally
characteriatic of Roman Catholic,
Greek Catholic, Nonconformist and
Protestant Christianity. All of these
in their highest courts of expression
are crying out ngainst mob violence,
rioting and resort to arms in peri?d?
of misunderstanding among group?
of mon or nations. It is firmly be?
lieved that should the ?cones of Ju?<
and July, 1014, bo ru?nnctcd ther?
could bo promptly convened the mosf
powerful characters of Christendqn
of every nahio to enter solemn pro
test against guns, dynamite and got
a? the method of Solution; This i
-.-i
t
t a unity so vast and significant as to
make the* petty differences "-among
the petty people of Podunk pale into
a place where only petty men would
talk about them.
Second?An organized expression
of Christian unity is being made
rapidly possible through the World
Alliance of the Churches for Inter?
national Friendship. Quietly but
fervently this organization is send?
ing its representatives from nation
to nation, bringing Christians of
every kind into permanent organi?
sation for the purpose of advancing
Christian friendliness and coopera?
tion upon those vast moral issues
common to all the world. North
America, Europe and the Near East
are already vitally bound together in
this alliance, which is an earnest of
great hope for unified spiritual lead?
ership in the new internationalism
which is being born. The tourists
of that railway train and the men
of the street who glibly talk of
church divisions probably have not
h.eard of this great unified movement
ri. *_?
of Christianity upon world dimen?
sions.
Third?A striking challenge to uni?
ty has been made through the Com?
mission Upon Faith and Order, set
in motion a few years ago by the
Protestant Episcopal Church and
quickly concurred in by many other
leading denominations, the purpose
being to convene at an early date
official representatives of the Chris?
tian bodies to study methods of
unity in faith and order of pro?
cedure.' There remain strong differ?
ences upon many points in the pro?
posal of this commission, but it is
quite certain that all Christians will
be enheartened by the discoveries to
be made, of how many are the things,
of common faith to all who bear the
name. The cause of vital unity is
sure to be set forward, even though
much of detail may not be possible.
Here again is a token of a unified
Christianity so Immense that the man
on the^strcet cannot fully grasp its
possibilities.
Fourth?The power of a unified
Christian Church is being exemplified
?now every day through the inter
church and interdenominational so?
cieties and movements of the Prot?
estant churches.
Church Unions
The critics are wont to point mo?
frequently to the denominations oi
the Protestan? faith than to an.
other to justify this disbelief ir
the Church as a potent factor ir
? <? __________________________________
e
Brotherhood and Justice OnKj
Possible Through Application
of Christian Principles
world affairs. Admission already
has been made of the bitter fact that
there are all too many of them," and
it may be added that some of them
are existing without sense, reason or
program, but after this due allow?
ance it must be noted that those uni?
fying movements among the Protes?
tant churches are so much more
powerful than these divisive ones
that the latter need only be observed
with passing pity. While these are
small and trivial, the former are
dignified and worthy. Among many
the following ought to be widely
known:
1. The Interdenominational and
World Embracing Organizations for
? special tasks, such as :
(a) The Young Men's Christian
Association.
(b) The Young Women's Christian7
Association.
(c) The World Sunday School As?
sociation.
(d) The International Y?ung Peo- ?
pie's Movement.
(e) The Anti-Saloon League.
Not one of these would come justly
under the criticism of the men- I
met on that train that night, or of
the common criticism most frequent?
ly expressed of the Church. They
are not overlapping each other. They
are not jealous of each ether. They
are vast united expressions of the
Christian Church upon its most
salient tasks.
2. The Federal Council of Churches
of Christ in America.
Here is an organization of ten
years' standing, officially represent?
ing the thirty-one most important
religious bodies of thfe United States.
A staff of officers, backed by a liberal
budget appropriated in part by the
Church constituents for the spe?
cific purpose of carrying out the com?
mon united programs /of these de?
nominations. Through this council
the united evangelistic plans are
administered, the united temperance
ideals are promoted, the united
social responsibilities are met, the
united demand fo? state and local
federations is carried outf
The Protestant Christian forces of
the states and the major cities are
rapidly being brought into these
federations for the purposes of
solidarity in seirvice. The Christian
churches of such cities as Boston,
New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore,
Rochester, Albany. Cleveland, Cin?
cinnati, Pittsburgh, Columbus, Ak?
ron, Toledo, Indianapolis, Louisville,
St. Louis, Atlanta, Kansas- City, St.
Paul, Portland, Seattle, 'San Francis?
co, Los Angeles are not "divided,"
"competing," "quarreling rocts,"
but are unified through federations
or councils for the welfare of the
Kingdom of God, without regard to
denominational preferment. A casual
investigation of the achievements
of this Federal Council of Churches
leaves no room for sweeping censure
of the churches as though they were
each "going on their own," but
rather gives tremendous encourage?
ment to believe that there is a grow?
ing sentiment of unity among them.
' 3. The ?nterchurch World Move?
ment of North America.
Immediately following the signing
of the armistice, in anticipation of
world demanda upon the Christian
churches far beyond anything hither?
to known, groups of leaders of all
Protestant churches began meeting
to make adequate plans. Some of
these met in various parts of the
country, and some under the aus?
pices of various ??octettes.
He most conspicuous of these mat
in New York in December, l?n
They represented what may be claaii!
fied as the great money raising and .
spending boards, Missionary, Educa-i*
' tional and Medical. They very ?tn- i
erously invited other groups to joia a
them and evolved what is now known
as the Interchurch World Movement
of North America.
The plan proposed is the most
sweeping, far-reaching, unified pro.
gram ,ever brought forward in th?
history of the Christian religion. In
leaders freely say that they art
buildihg upon the foundations laid
by movements and organizations *..,
ready noted in this article, but the?
dare go away beyond anything ever
before hoped for in the realm of co?
operative Church effort, and gite'
final answer to the man who stand.,
aloof and talks of trivial difference!
among trivial ecclesiastics.
Five Movements
They propose five distinct worM?
wide, unified undertakings among a
hundred lesser tasks:
"' (a) A world survey of th-_aet_al
moral needs, of every city,, town, vit.
l?ge and people . everywhere. He?,
In two of the most significant vol.'
urdes ever printed, will appear, in t
few weeks, what the actual situation
is, what areas.of numerical popula,
tion as well as elements in society
have yet to be evangelized to the
program of God. More than seventy, i
five churches, boards and organisa,
tions have gladly joined this com?
mon task of learning what the world
needs at the hands of religion, if it
is to be set right.
(b) In view of these facts, when
ascertained, to undertake to allocate
upon a basis of scientific efficiency
the responsibilities necessary to meet
the demands fully. If at some point
there is more than the community j
really need? it will earnestly advise
a new alignment. Where there il
neglect to any, quickly to place .e
sponsibility upon some one fof that
occupation, the whole not in de?
nominational rivalry, as some would
believe, but in common, unified co
operation.
(c) A campaign to enlist enough
men and women to adequately meet
the needs of life service as nude
known by the world survey. H ?i
becoming more a*nd more evident
that the break-down which hii
marked some campaigns of the put
has been the. lack of strong person?
alities in sufficient numbers to carry
out the proposals. The Interchurch
World Movement is making early
ample plans to cover this neces_ity.
When it is known how many more
ministers, missionaries, teacher?,
doctors and social workers are re?
quired a drive is to be made to tn?
list the whole number in exactly the
same manner that a financial appeal
is made for a fixed goal.
(d) A simultaneous financial can?
vass. When the experts shall haw
tabulated their facts and mad- known
what will be needed in dollars for all
these churches, schools, colleges ani
hospitals on the basis of five year?'
work, it is proposed that at a gives
time in 1920 a demand upon the bud?
gets of these great religious bodiei
shall be made without waiting foi
conformity of organizations ?l
modes of services or doctrines.
"(e) The constant pervading worl
of various departments upon special
phases and types of people invoice,
in every church policy. The molt"
ment, while diligently engaged ir. I
vast prophetic survey, the enlilt
ment of personnel, the securing1 4
funds, is not less intense in its us*
fied effort to make immediate con?
tribution to the stronger work ?
every church,and organization in!?
individual life, as well as to me*
the particular problems of spec??
groups of people.
Here once more, in the outline ?
purposes, plans and programs of ti
Interchurch World Movement, il
suggestion of how tremendously ti
Christian forces of all names, tJP
and denominations are seeking ubi
through the channel of coop?r?t?
and is evidence that any msa ??
where who superficially speaks *
"warring sects," "divided counie?
qr "unrelated denominations" is ?
in possession of the real facts.
Big Advance Sure
I do not think any one anywh
would expect that the Interchul
World Movement would within ?
years accomplish all it hopes, but
is firmly believed by all those *
have carefully looked into HjSJi
program that it will set forward
many, many years the great unn
purposes of Christianity.
What the Church needs most ?
is hearty, thorough and genuin?
operation upon the part of
strongest leaders of economic. Vo*
cal and Bocial life. Tho clem?
making for unity throughout Chi
tendom are a thousand times ?
powerful and significant than
elements which make for divw
and, therefore, those who since?
seek the h?ore just and speedy '
tlement of disorders of any ch?
ter, ?ocal, state, national or ?
national, may have confidence *
this unified Christian force will
be an indifferent factor in brh|
??^*2__?2________?__L____________J