"Unholy Alliance"

Of late, the editor of The Christian Century has been swamped with letters--furious, enthusiastic and otherwise--passing comment on his magazine's editorial of Nov. 20, entitled, "Get the Churches Out of the Chaplaincy Business!"

Said an enthusiast: "I must write you about your editorial on the chaplaincy. You see, I was one, in the Navy, and it was terrible!"

Said one infuriated: "Having received warning of your true character from Colonel John T. Axton, Chief of Chaplains, U. S. A., I wish to have nothing whatever to do with your publication."

Wrote Rev. Paul D. Moody, President of Middlebury College (Middlebury, Vt.) : 'The editorial . . . struck me as a curious example of scrambled misunderstandings."

Wrote a West Virginia Baptist: "I pray God that your fine courage may continue to inspire your pen on these vital subjects."

The gist of what The Christian Century editorial had said was this: The obvious place for organized religion to begin warring on war is at the point where the churches and the war system come together, i. e. the institution of the military chaplaincy. Instead of this warring, however, the Federal Council of Churches of Christ in America had a bill introduced in Con- gress last February, the effect of which was to increase the number of chaplains from one for every 1,200 officers and men to one for every 800. Generals Hines, Pershing and Martin endorsed this bill, citing the chaplains' "usefulness" in maintaining morale. Also, the Federal Council has sought to open the way for higher promotion of chaplains in military rank*. The effect of such activity is "simply to tie the church to the chariot of Mars." It has been interpreted as an effort to "vindicate" the churches of pacifism, and the institution of chaplaincy has been used by the war system as a weapon to fight the churches' pacifism. "If the Federal Council meant its own words when it declared that war was the world's chief collective sin, it cannot find any apologetic for continuing the unholy alliance."

*In the Army, a chaplain may rise as high as a lieutenant-colonelcy. Doctors, dentists, veterinaries can become colonels.