This Week in Texas Methodist History December 5 Southwestern Christian Advocate Responds to Pearl Harbor, December 11, 1941 As we remember the attack on Pearl Harbor this week, readers will be interested in how the Methodist press reacted to the event. One should remember that the Pearl Harbor attack occurred on a Sunday, and the editors had just a few days to put out a new edition of the weekly Southwestern Christian Advocate. The Advocate was still being run by a committee. The long time editor, A. J. Weeks died in 1939. Retired bishop John M. Moore took over editorial duties for six months, but after that period the editorship was turned over to a committee consisting of Dallas-area pastors—all of whom had other responsibilities. The main committee consisted of Angie Smith (First Methodist), Harry DeVore (D. S.) and J. D. Barron. They were assisted by Walter Vernon, Dawson Bryan, Mrs. T. Herbert Minga, and Ray Nichols. J. D. Pinkston served as business manager. All the staff had other responsibilities. Fortunately the Advocate had facilities in which to operate, The Advocate had space in the Cokesbury store at 1910 Main Street in Dallas. The task of writing about the church’s response to Pearl Harbor fell to Dr. DeVore. He began his editorial entitled Black Sunday “A Sunday so near the celebration of the coming of the Prince of Peace! Yet we are at war! A war thrust upon us. Next to the liquor and narcotic traffic of the world, war is the greatest enemy of mankind. “ DeVore went on to encourage Methodists to defend their nation. He used imagery similar to that used by FDR when the President proposed the Lend Lease program, that of a fire. FDR had said Lend Lease was like loaning your neighbor a water hose when his house was on fire. DeVore called the attack on Pearl Harbor a four alarm fire. For the next four years the Advocate published numerous letters from military chaplains who had left local church pastorates to enter the chaplaincy. The editorial position of the Advocate consistently supported the patriotic defense of the US.