Methodists Deplore

"We are now in the sixth year of the so-called depression, and the 25 months of strenuous effort under the New Deal to reform the system has only proved that it is beyond reform. . . . The conviction grows, therefore, that Capitalism must be discarded and a planned Christian economy be established."

That paragraph, seemingly clear enough, seemed to be the key-paragraph in the social service report presented last week to the New York East Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church--a body representing all the Methodists eastward of Third Avenue in New York, on Long Island and in Connecticut as far as New Haven. Without much argument the Conference adopted the report. This seemed to mark the Conference as forthright, courageous. It seemed to demonstrate that the New York East Methodists had thoughtfully examined Capitalism, had totally and finally rejected it and were ready to lead their people on toward something better. But were they?

Two years ago a New York East Conference voted a resolution which hesitantly questioned whether Capitalism should be replaced "with something more in conformity with our religion'' (TIME, May 29, 1933). Since then many an individual Methodist and a few conferences have continued to move leftward, without exhibiting anything more substantial than warm, pious discontent. Typical of the viewpoint of "Christian economy" was last week's report which critically covered everything conceivable from sharecroppers and Section 7a to William Randolph Hearst, and only became specific in recommending that pastors study the 90-year-old Rochdale consumers' co-operative movement. Typical also was the amiable alacrity with which, when they came to the question of Japan, the Methodists followed the lead of their presiding officer, Bishop Titus Lowe of Oregon. The report expressed friendship toward Japan. Chided Bishop Lowe: ''When you condemn American imperialism in the Far East and in the next breath compliment Japan after her recent record in Shanghai and Manchukuo, I fear your social service brains are not working. One of the rankest bits of imperialism in the world is Japan."

So the Conference altered its opinion to: "While we deplore the militarism and imperialism of Japan, we desire to record our friendship. . . ."

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