For Peace

Through narrow streets of Riga one day last fortnight rushed excited Latvians to see what was going on at the old Cathedral of St. Mary. There a man half stood, half dangled, his left hand spiked to the Cathedral's heavy oak door. Brandishing a hammer in his free hand, the man was shouting: "I want to save the world from a new world war by this crucifixion!" Police pried the nail out with the hammer, took the man to a hospital.

No U. S. peace lover attempted public auto-crucifixion last week, but in Manhattan the biggest, most active anti-war machine of its kind, the Emergency Peace Campaign, received from abroad its livest spark plug. Now almost a year old (TIME, March 16 et seq.), the E. P. C. announced that during January and February some 300 speakers, laymen and clergymen will talk for peace in 1,000 U. S. cities. At their head will be a lame British spinster of 60 whom many a religionist considers the greatest preacher of her sex in the world -- Dr. A. (for Agnes) Maude Royden. She arrived in Manhattan last week, proceeded to Baltimore for the first speech of a tour which will take her to San Fran cisco and back.

For two decades Maude Royden has preached vigorous sermons in and out of a church where precedent does not allow women the right to preach. An Anglican, she first sermonized under the auspices of a rector who evaded the precedent by announcing : "The service is at an end. Miss Royden will now talk." A pioneer suffragist, Socialist sister of Shipping Tycoon Sir Thomas Royden, she was launched as an active pulpiteer by Dr. Joseph Fort Newton, who in 1917 made her his assistant at London's City Temple, "Cathedral of British Nonconformity." With Canon Percy Dearmer she founded fellowship services at Kensington Town Hall, then set up as an independent minister at Guild-house in London's Eccleston Square. Possessor of an intellect vastly superior to any Aimee Semple McPherson (see below), Preacher Royden nevertheless employed a modicum of showmanship in uniforming her attendants and herself in berets, trim dark gowns. Plain, somewhat masculine in manner, far from robust since she was born with both hips dislocated, Dr. Royden worked hard putting her intensely personal messages across, retired completely exhausted after every sermon.

Maude Royden gave up her Guildhouse pulpit for good last month, planning to devote all her time in future to preaching Peace. She is no stranger to the U. S. Upon her second arrival, in 1927, many a non-religious person went to hear her talk largely because bluenoses had cackled that she smokes an occasional cigaret. Last week ship newshawks did not bother to ask her about smoking. Said she:

"It is true that women have failed in their peace efforts, and it has been a great disappointment to me. Women have not counted for much in the way of peace accomplishments. The trouble is that, although women's organizations have done their best, the mass of women are not interested in politics. You see, they do not realize that questions of war and peace go much deeper than mere politics. . . . There is no question but that the rearmament program of England is in striking contrast to the desire of our people for peace. But I would rather go clown with flags flying than join in the race for armaments. Some one must call a halt, and I think it is our business to do it."

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