ington was a significant illustration of the exercise of its representative capacity. This meeting issued a message for the hour, prepared a common programme for works of mercy, for the moral and religious welfare of the army and navy, for the development of the work of the chaplains and for the conservation of the social, moral and spiritual forces of the nation. This function of the council is illustrated by its comprehensive campaign for the conservation of human life which includes both the spiritual and the social factors necessary to such a movement. From time to time, new movements are projected such as the occasion may demand.

3. National and international undertakings.

The various fields of service are covered by commissions. These are constituted, first by the appointment of members representing the constituent denominations, to which are added men and women who are regarded as experts in their respective fields.

The commission on evangelism endeavors to stimulate the evangelistic spirit, to secure the organization of denominational commissions on evangelism, to coördinate the work of these commissions and thus to bring about a nation-wide spirit and movement of evangelism.

The commission on the church and social service has formulated a statement of social objectives which has become almost a classic in the world of social endeavor. Denominational commissions have been organized and have been brought into coöperative action. This commission has formed a connecting link between the churches and the various social movements, thus increasing the social spirit among the churches and infusing the social movements with the Christian spirit.

The commission on temperance has brought its work

into coöperation with the historical National Temperance Society and the two bodies now think and act as one. The immediate programme now in operation includes the agitation for prohibition during the war, a movement for the abolition of the use of liquor at college and university commencements, a workingman's fellowship among labor organizations, an advertising campaign in the labor papers, a movement among sociėty women for the discontinuance of the use of liquor at social functions, and other similar movements. The 'commission publishes five monthly temperance periodicals including one for workingmen and two for young people.

The commission on international justice and goodwill was instrumental in securing the endowment by Mr. Carnegie of the Church Peace Union and the organization of the World Alliance for Promoting International Friendship through the Churches. It has published hand-books, lesson courses and similar material for educating and organizing the sentiment of the churches.

The commission on Christian education faces a complex task because of the multitude of interdenominational bodies working in this department and it is endeavoring at the present moment to bring them into effective coöperation. Among the special matters with which the commission is now dealing is that of the relation between religious instruction and the public school system. The commission has published two series of lessons on international peace with a hand-book for the use of pastors and teachers.

In the realm of home missions, the Home Missions Council is a coöperating body with the Federal Coun

cil. The Home Missions Council is made up of repre

sentatives of the denominational home mission boards in the interests of effective distribution and the adequate care of home mission interests.

The commission on the church and country life has up to the present time occupied itself mainly with surveys of rural church conditions, the last one being in the state of Ohio bringing to light facts which are so startling that some improvement will surely issue as the result of survey.

The committee on foreign missions coöperates with the Conference of Foreign Mission Boards of North America. Its recent report to the Quadrennial meeting of 1916 records a remarkable progress during the last decade in foreign fields which the churches at home might well take as an example. If we were to go out into this realm, however, with the story of the Edinburgh Conference and the Panama Congress, we should have a book instead of an article.

The Federal Council, from time to time, according to the call of the occasion, appoints special commissions, such as the commission on relations with Japan whose work has been so noteworthy. This commission has been enlarged to a commission on relations with the Orient. Other committees operating with perhaps less effectiveness up to the present time are those on ministerial relief and sustenation, on family life and religious rest day and a recent committee appointed by the Executive Committee to care especially for the interests of the Negro churches and people.

From time to time, organizations are perfected to meet the needs of the hour, such as the committee on the celebration of the Protestant Reformation, the committee on various interests related to the war, the commit

tee on Christian work in the Canal Zone, and various committees for the relief of Protestant churches and missions in Europe and the committee on war relief and the work of the Red Cross.

4. Local Federation.

The work of the present commission on Inter-Church Federations grew largely out of the men and religion. movement, and has as its chairman and executive secretary the men who occupied the same positions in that movement. The so-called district system did not meet with adequate success because the various communities differ widely in their readiness for federation. The commission is now approaching communities where the circumstances give promise of effective procedure. The ground is prepared in advance by adequate investigation and consultation. Federations in cities and towns of substantial size are not advised unless the churches are ready to take the matter seriously to establish an office for the federation, to raise a budget and employ a secretary. At the present time there are about twentyfive or thirty really effective federations. In the smaller towns where it is not possible to have administrative machinery, the commission demands that the pastors and laymen shall give the federation the earnest and serious attention and service which it demands. Local correspondents are now being secured for every city and town in the country.

In October a representative congress will be held at Pittsburgh for which long and careful preparation has been made in the effort to at least approach the standardization of the work and functions of local federations. In justice to the principle of ecclesiastical economy, it should be noted that all of these operations are

carried on under one administration and at an expense which would be multiplied many times were this work being done by thirty bodies instead of by one.

At the special meeting of the council at Washington, President Henry Churchill King expressed the belief that the Council had been born for just such a National hour as this. Previous to this time, the chaplains in the army and navy have been appointed rather indiscriminately often through political channels, and without very much concern on the part of the churches.

Now, the secretaries of War and the Navy have at their hand in Washington a body representing all the churches with which they can deal. When the missionaries in Japan have occasion to plead their cause before the American churches, they have a body to whom they can come. When the Red Cross needs the service of Christian people the organization turns instinctively to the Federal Council. The Protestant churches of warstricken Europe find an open door to American Christainity. The persecuted Jews can here seek consideration for their wrongs; the religious census department finds it necessary to keep in constant communication with the Washington office of the Council; the social workers, the officers of the organizations for war relief and similar toilers in the world's work are our daily visitors.

Progress, to be sure, is not necessarily indicated by statistics, and yet, perhaps they indicate something. Four years ago, the quadrennial reports constituted one moderate volume; the reports of the quadrennium just closed constitute six rather voluminous books. Especially since the beginning of the war, the relationships between the churches of America and Europe have deepened and it is interesting to note that invitations have