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National Lutheran Commission. [page 2] September 13, 1918. Right here we find a misunderstanding to exist between the N.L.C. and our Board as to the character, manner and extent of the co-operation pr... Show Moreovided for in our agreement. Evidently the understanding of the N.L.C. is that the N.L.C. is to be the exclusive representative before both the Federal Officials and with the National War Time Committee of the Federal Council of Churches in all matters affecting the work to be done with and for the Lutheran boys under the Flag by either chaplains or camp pastors; while our understanding was and is that we were to be considered co-ordinate bodies, seeking harmonious and also joint action whenever deemed necessary and as mutually agreed, for which reason we agreed to have our representative, Pastor Brunn, sit with the N.L.C., not as a constituent member, but merely as a consultative associate. We did not, therefore, consider it a violation of our agreement either to retain Pastors Steffens and Wenchel as our Washington representatives, nor to have them take action even in reference to our camp pastors and chaplains. Nor do we now see that our Washington Committee, or Pastor Steffens individually and specifically has done aught, either in contravention of his instructions received from our Board, or the presidents of the constituent bodies of the Synodical Conference, or contrary to our conception of the relationship established between the N.L.C. and our Board by the agreement to co-operate in all matters as far as possible, though we now clearly see the difference of interpretation put on that agreement. We also beg tostate that, judging from information submitted to us, no refusal was at any time made by the Pastor Steffens or our Washington Committee to co-operate with the N.L.C. or its representatives. On the contrary, we are assured by our committee that it has on occasions, with a spirit of co-operation, cheerfully offered its service to the N.L.C. As to the point 2, we wish to say that the purpose for which the information concerning our Board was communicated directly to the U.S. Bureau of Information was none other than to forestall any possibility of suspicions being entertained or created against our Board and its work, by reason of the Federal authorities having been kept uninformed of our existence and activities. To submit this information directly, as we did, we were moved by the discovery that no mentions was made of our Board in the Report of the General Wartime Committee of the Churches presented to the Executive Committee of the Federal Council of Churches of Christ in America, published in Cincinnati, December, 1917. Our experience has proved our action to have been very wise.
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