Lyons, Apr. 27.
The Assembly of the Reformed Churches in France today realized the union of all French protestants in the fusion of the four groups previously existing.
These four were the Union of Free Evangelical Churches, the Union of Reformed Evangelical Churches, the Union of the Reformed Churches of France and the Methodist Churches of France. The second-named was the strongest of the four in number of followers, At its plenary session, the Consti-tent Assembly of the "United Reformed Church of France" was occupied today in arranging its financial organization. It adopted the principle of financial responsibility for the various parishes. This scheme was made complete by the decision to have financial solidarity among the churches in each region and among the various parishes themselves.
The union of protestants in France recalls the fact that followers of this religion were united until the beginning of the nineteenth century when divergences' became apparent over the principle of the church's independence of the" state. Personal beliefs of the people also aided im the formation of the Methodist Church. Later, towards the end of the cer tury, the other two groups were developed—Havas.
She was released only after Mr. Herbert Phillips, H.M. Consul-General and Commander R. A. B. Edwards, Senior British -Naval Officer in Shanghai, had paid personal calls on Mr. S. Hidaka, Japanese Consul-General, and Admiral Hasegawa, urging the immediate release of the British ship. Meanwhile, the British gunboat, H.MLS. Cricket, was ordered to stand by, ready to proceed to the scene and investigate should the Tungwo still be detained, but her presence was rendered unnecessary due to the fact that the Tungwo was released soon after the strong representations were made.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.