Golden Age

BrMklnu N.Y„ YtMiy, J<UM 4, 1924

Something about Life Insurance             '?

f pulS article is not an attack upon the life J. insurance business. Life insurance is a good thing; under present conditions it is a necessity; there are circumstandes in which.to be without it, if able to provide it, would seem to be almost a crime. But we are of those who believe that death is shortly to be swallowed up of life, by the establishment of the Lord's kingdom; and hence we take a glance at life insurance as one of the businesses which, a few years hence, will be as extinct as the Dodo. This is an obituary, written in advance, so to speak. ' "Vyhen Life has come, fear of Death will cease.

Marine insurance has been in use since before ' the time of Christ; fire insurance also reaches far back into the past; but life insurance is but three and a half centuries old, the first policy having been written in London in 1583. It was ? of slow growth for two hundred years, so much so-, in fact, that it is estimated that at the beginning of the nineteenth century there were but . about one hundred policies in force on the whole < \ American continent.

The real beginning of life insurance in America on a large scale came with the formation of the Mutual Life Insurance Company of New York in 1843. Today the total amount of insurance in force in the 260 companies doing business in the United States is twice the amount of * the national debt, and leads all other forms of business and investment.

Life insurance has been growing prodigiously of late. Within the past ten years it has doubled in volume. In 1922 the incomes of the insurance - companies were more than double the amounts paid to policyholders, so that those who are engaged in the business are not in any immediate danger of going to the poorhouse. The year 1923 was a boom year in new insurance risks; for all records for new business were shattered by an increase of seventeen percent over the previous high year of 1920.

The business is as safe as any business can-; be. Half of the population of the country are- 1 ^directly interested in it; ten percent of the assets of the companies are invested in Govern-Ufent securities; several of the companies are ? in the billion-dollar class; and their actuaries ? can tell to an almost absolute certainty, out of ; each one thousand of their policyholders, howj; many will die each year. ,                     -

The age when there is therleast chance ofj dying is from twenty-five to twenty-eight. The¹ ’ vital powers idowly increase from childhood up • to that point, and then slowly give way from. that point onwards At ninety-six, according tcj ’ insurance calculators;- the policyholder is dead anyway, no matter how long he may actually •' live after that age is. reached.                  *

■ •             ■

Some Interesting Statistics

THE experience of the companies show -that ■ out'of a thousand who continue paying in_{T ;} suraace to the end of their days:

45 will die within one year after they are injured, ■ 52 more will die before the end of the second, year*

168 more before the end of the fifth year, _; » 165 more before the end of the tenth year, 337 more before the end of the twentieth year, 232 more die after paying steadily over twenty yean. ;•

Out of 1,000 men who were healthy at twenty-five and who live lor forty years more, statistics show that:

10 become rich, -

40 become well-to-do,

50 are still self-supporting,                           *'

360 are dead,                                        '

540 are dependent upon others for subsistence, ■

The Census Bureau shows that in the decade from 1910 to 1920 the amount of insurance in _: force increased eight times faster than the population. It also reveals the interesting fact that the crowded cities of the East have lower death.

worked out, saying that "from a- study, of foreign experience, and of projects and proposals -in America today, this committee is of-the opin- ^r ion that no plan has yet been devised for efficiently and economically providing, medical attention, hospital care and other features of" health conservation, as a benefit of insurance in. conjunction with a eash insurance benefit during short sickness."

Some of the accident insurance oompanies (wa-speak from experience) contain so many exceptions as to the kind of accidents for which they pay nothing that the money sent to them is about as good to the sender as if thrown down the sewer. Such companies, apparently run not for the insured but “for revenue only ". deserve little consideration at the hands of anybody tryingto tell the truth about insurance. Principle. pays. Lack, of principle does not pay, in the long run. In the. Golden Age, the Golden Rule will be in force everywhere. . .

Life huwanct Incatigatioiu .       ;

ABOUT every twenty years there is a great ^k flareup in the insurance world, a series¹ of investigations in which ths same old things are ' brought to light; and then everything, settles ; back where it was before. Charles E. Hughes, the present Secretary of State, made his reputation in one of these investigations, in 1906. The Mutual was in the frying-pan then. <

There was another in 1921. This time it was the Prudential, Newark’s -billion-dollar com- -pany. The President was accused of putting the policyholders’ money into his own private bank and there making a large profit on it, besides the profit included in his annual salary of $75,000. It was found that the company had a self-perpetuating board of directors, the same being about as soft a thing for the directors as one could imagine. It was brought out that although a law was passed in 1906 requiring in- -surance companies to sell their bank stock; yet' in this case the law had not been obeyed up to fifteen years later, although it has been obeyed since. The lack of mutuality in a "mutual” com-, pany was brought out by the fact that in six years only one policyholder out of 15,000,000 had attended a policyholders' meeting.

Insurance companies have about twenty-five' ^percent of their, holdings invested in transportation facilities and constitute the greatest

single capitalizer of industry, besides being Targe loaners to the national, state and city . governments, by the purchase of their securities. In Halifax, Nova Scotia, the banks are accused of virtually compelling their patrons to fall in line with whatever insurance company they chance to be most interested in; this is on the complaint of R J. Wickham, President of the Canadian Federation of Insurance Agents.

One of the principal sources of profit in the* insurance business is the lapse, or canceled policy. A man. finds that he can no longer afford to carry as much insurance as he is carrying, or cannot carry any at all, and, with some exceptions, loses virtually all he has paid. In 1913 there was in New York state twice as much insurance lapsed as was paid out to the policyholders.                                     •

' New York has one company, the Postal Life, which has-no agents. The company has 27,000 policyholders, who have advertised the business

, among their own friends. The Postal is said to ’ sell insurance at seventeen and one-half percent less-than do the other insurance companies generally in the field, and to have as some of its policyholders the agents of other companies.

Grmip Insurance

EUROPEANS love to cooperate and thus to save money; but cooperation spreads slowly in America. In Britain there are nearly two and one^uarter million people in the great Rochdale cooperative societies. A penny out of every pound sterling expended for supplies goes toward the insurance of the purchaser arid, if he is married, toward the insurance of his wife as well Automatically, the more he spends the more his insurance grows. The plan works, and works well

Of late Group Insurance, which is a form of cooperation in insurance, has become remarkably developed in the United States. All the? actors, actresses, and theatre employes of at least two of the greatest theatrical organizations are included in a policy which insures them all, without cost to the insured, and without physical examination.

It frequently happens now that copartnerships carry insurance so that in case of the death of one of the partners the business may not be interrupted by the withdrawal of capital Two railroad companies, the Erie and the Dela

ware and. Hudson, have insured on the group plan all who have been with them more than two years. The Pullman Company has also effected group insurance for its 33,000 employes, men and women, without cost to the workers. The Southern Pacific Company has a policy' covering the 90,000 employes of that great system. The United States Steel Corporation has its own insurance fund; it charges itself only seventy percent of the usual premiums, has paid all its losses, and has save4 $30,000,000 besides. The total number of employes covered by group insurance at this time is said to be about 2,000,000.        _

In the city of London the newspapers have used insurance of readers as a means of increasing the circulation, with remarkable and not always happifying results; In one case a dividend of 5,000 percent was declared byjthe insurers. Millions of pounds sterling were collected from the very poor; and when the policies were declared illegal, the money was kept instead of being returned. London financiers seem to have as little principle as have New York financiers. _      -■       . . , . '..c        .

Workmen's €ompeiuatimliuunact      '

v V trial accidents in all parts of the United . States, Alaska, Hawaii, and Porto Rico. Sixteen of the states have followed the example' first set by Norway, and. have established their own accident funds; while in Ohio, where exclusively state funds are used for this purpose, it is calculated that at least $15,000,000 per year have been saved to the insuring employers. State insurance funds show an administrative expense of about seven and one-half percent as against thirty-seven and one-half percent in states where private companies operate.           *

Immediately the United States Government, ’ with all its vast resources, wanted to establish its own accident insurance fund for its own employes, the so-called United States Chamber of Commerce passed resolutions opposing the idea, on the ground that the United States had no right to engage in business of any kind, but must always hire financiers at a high price to do the business for them. Wonder if the United States Chamber of Commerce uses postage stamps, and how it gets them! Wonder if it has ever seen a mail wagon in .the streetl The

. idea that only '“financiers* have the right to do anything is rich. ’        ' ^:

In explaining the effort that has been made in^: New York state to prevent the establishment of: an exclusive state fund for workmen's compensation, Samuel Untermeyer, the great lawyer, said:

“Many false and misleading statement! have been made by representatives and officials of inaurance com-panics to. daatroy the confidence ef, the public in the State Insurance Fund. It hardly seems possible that in., this country such downright thievery as we have found could exist in the insurance business, but it does.”

The American Federation of Labor has demanded slate monopoly of workmen's compensation insurance as a national policy. One reason for this is the excessive difference in cost between private company rates and state rates. In Minnesota an attempt has been made to cause the insurance companies te disgorge part of the overcharge. It is claimed that the history of private companies shows that sixty-five percent "of the insurance money remains with the companies and that only thirty-five percent reaches the unfortunate workmen. The National Association of Credit Men has been warned in fearsome tones by one- of its lecturers that any attempt on the part of a state to engage-in the insurance business "is the most dangerous and insidious of all socialistic movements.” Growling because somebody looks at his bone. A few such' speeches will turn everybody into- Socialists.

Unemployment Insurance '       ■   ....

WE HAVE mentioned the Wisconsin unemployment insurance law. We mention it again. The Huber Bill, as it is called, provides that all employers in the state form themselves, into a state-wide mutual insurance company and- ^: pay premiums in proportion to the regularity' with which they keep their force working. The- • unemployed are entitled to benefits for six^T . weeks, at the rate of one dollar per day for mem] and fifty cents a day for boys and girls unde£ eighteen. Those on strike or locked out are nbf' included in the insurance arrangement. Wiscon-*’

sin has its own state-owned and state-managed life insurance company. Massachusetts also ha» one.            ’

Queensland, Australia, has its own state-owned and state-managed insurance company; All kinds of insurance business, fire, life, marine and accident, is transacted by the company, which is now in its seventh year. Bolivia haw enactments requiring the postal telegraph employes to deposit five percent of their earnings in savings banks, where it becomes an insurance fund against old age. Deposits may be withdrawn only in case of resignation or illness, in which latter case the consent of superior officers must be obtained.                        - -

The Supreme Court has ruled that life insurance is not interstate commerce and therefore is not subject to federal control, but both President Cleveland and President Roosevelt urged such, control. As matters now stand, the insure ance companies duplicate and multiply selling expense, some of which could surely be cor- ■ reeled. Moreover, by federal control it would -not be necessary or expedient for the insurance, companies to spend such vast sums lobbying- as . they now do. Or, at least, if they did spend it^ it would be all in one place, ready for investigation.

Easton Getting Religions

WE ALWAYS knew that some of the best people on earth Uve at Easton, Pennsylvania; but we never quite appreciated what a godly community it is until we got a program showing the deeply spiritual themes of the First Presbyterian Church for February and March. For some reason or other nothing was said about what was to be on deck March 2nd and 16th. We much fear^that bn those two occasions’ the pastor slipped back into the old habit of preaching the gospel. But maybe we arc wrong/ he may be innocent But whatever it was that he did he was ashamed to put it on the program:

February 3: Electoral—7-Instrument Orchestra and Dramatic Address, “The Great Hunger/' Allentown's Best

February 10: “Lincoln Night"—4 Reels—Address— Male Quartette—Kivanis and Rotary invited guest*.

February 17: Magnificent 6-Reel Picture—“Streams-of Life”—Prof. Davis and Orchestra—22 boys in uniform.

February 24: Lafayette College Band—40 Instrument**

March 9: 6 Reels—“Silas Marner.”

March 23: Easton City Band. ,               .       .

March 30: Lafayette College Chapel Choir—40 Men.

Digest of World News

(Broadcast from WATCHTOWER WBBB oa a waro leogtli of 273 metora, by the Bdltor)

FOB some time there has been agitation before Congress to increase the salary of postal clerks. It has been pointed out that if this bill passes it will take in the neighborhood of $130,000,000 annually, to meet the increase. The Postmaster General has stated that this . increase will have to come from the second, third, and fourth classes of mail.

iiThis statement has aroused 'publishers, who claim that the rate is already so high that the larger publications have more than half of their output sent independently of the mail; and that if there is another raise, it will compel them to organize more extensive machinery for their own distribution, taking their publications out of the. hands of the mail altogether. The pub. lishers point out that the figures of supply and demand make it necessary to pay increases to get the right kind of men, but that these same figures also show an over-supply of men; for , other avenues of employment in local eommuni-ties, do not pay so well as the postal service.

Here is a good example of the tug of war that continually goes on between those who desire - more pay and those who have to foot the bill. We do not doubt that the postal employes would be benefited by a raise in salary, and that the . efficiency of the mail service would also be in. creased. The bill calls for a horizontal raise, but the United States Chamber of Commerce has suggested that the postal employes should be allowed a temporary salary supplement on a sliding scale, adjusted to the needs of the employes in their respective localities until there - can be a readjustment of wages to meet the prevailing conditions. We would like to see some such sliding scale of wages applied to the members of Mr. Morgan’s Chamber of Commeroe itself.

THEBE seems to be no end to the Teapot Dome and other investigations of public officials. Some of the witnesses refuse to testify, and impeachment proceedings are under way. Some claim that these inquiries into the acts of prominent men are being overdone; that they are prompted by political cunning, which is trying to put both the old parties into disrepute.

But while the leaders of the major parties are 'disturbed, there seems to be no let-up in the activities. What is called by some a “political bogey” has appeared in the possibility of a third party movement Senator Shipstead refers to the political agitation as having a parallel in the days of the candidacy of Abraham Lincoln, when the Republican party came on the scene.

The Farmer-Labor party of Minnesota at a recent conference amalgamated and unified its interests for united action in the coming cam- ' paign. .The farmer, labor and other progressive forces of the State are being brought under the banner of a single standard, Since this conference the Nonpartisan League has by almost unanimous vote affiliated with the FarmerLabor party and has resolved itself out of existence. Sympathetic interests throughout the entire Northwest are expected to affiliate with this movement and to bring to a head a formidable third party movementwhich is expected to meet in convention sometime between the conventions held by the old parties.

The irregularities of the Teapot Dome lease were aired over two years ago in-progressive and independent journals like The (Natiow. But . the greatest news-gathering agency in the world, the Associated Press, aa late as last November threw a damper on the escaping steam and endeavored to lull the public to sleep by referring-lightly and humorously to the leaking information, as though it were nothing unusual and hardly worthy of notjce. Mr. Geddes has resigned as chief of the Washington staff of the Associated Press and has accepted,a position where he can serve the Sinclair oil interests more openly, as their chief publicity agent.

As a result of the recent disclosures at Washington as to where campaign funds come from, and that some individuals contribute heavily to both parties, several bills are now before Congress for the regulation of contributions. One of these restricts individual contributions in national campaigns to $500 for presidential electors and to $100 in the election of members of Congress, and limits these contributions to one party and to one candidate.                   '

More Rottenness

ANOTHER graft among the war profiteers

■ has come to light. In order to dispose of some of the surplus war stocks the Government employed auctioneers in various places to cry

the sales* One Baltimore firm, employed 113 days, was paid $230,370.72. Auctioneers in New York, employed eighteen days as ordinary auctioneers, sandbagged Uncle Sam to the tune of $50^110-08 at one time, and $167,747.18 for four days' services at another time. A Louisville firm, for one day's labor, which it is said could have been done by any derk in the war department, was paid $244-94.80. In addition to these, many ordinary auctioneers who had conscientious scruples and endeavored to be honest, received $1,000 and up a day for such services.

During the war the meat packers were contracted with by the Government to produce a specially cured bacon for the army. The packers turned out great quantities of this army bacon. When the armistice was signed and everybody knew. that the war was at an end, the meat packers, not having been officially notified by the Government that the war had ended and that no more army bacon would be needed, con’ tinned the curing of the army bacon; and of course in dne time wanted their money for the army bacon, that was made for the army after ■ the services of the army had terminated. These i _t MDs were evidently turned down.

\ Swift & Company sued the Government for $1,000,000, which suit was a test suit The Gov. ernment lost, and therefore Unde Sam must pay millions of dollars to the packing interests because of an “oversight” The decision is a precedent for similar claims which will be made by other packers.

Frank A. Vanderlip, chairman of the Citizens ' Federal Research Bureau, which he organized, declares that he will resign as director from many of the organizations in which he has financial interests. Though a big business man he is out of sympathy with big business; and because of his activity in unearthing unscrupulous practices of some of our public men, his business associates made it known that they desired his resignation.

One remark in Mr. Vanderlip's letter to his critics shows the cleavage now manifesting itself between those who are public-spirited and those who are rolling in predatory wealth. He said:

one regret in the matter is that men with whom I have long been, associated in busmeas are now » blind to thepresent situation in the Government at Washington.” ~ Soma predict that as Harlan F. Stone, of New

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BMeunr, ItZ ' «

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York, has been chosen“to succeed Harry M, / ’ Daugherty as Attorney General, the Depart. T meat of Justice will undergo, a cleaning; for it . is said that three years ago Mr. Stone went before a Senate Committee with a demand for a “thorough-going investigation of the Depart* ment of Justice.”                                     -

A boom has been launched to make New ' ' York’s governor, A. E. Smith, president of the -United States. Efforts will now be made. to-capture the Democratic nomination. It has been said that a Catholic can never be president.. This is resented; and Judge Tiernan is reported to have said: “We defy the American people to defeat him [Governor Smith] solely because of his religion.” This campaign year promises to ? be a lively one.                     .        .

. Oregon has a state law compelling all ehil-dren to attend the public schools. It was fought, in the courts, and the Federal District Court has handed down a decision that this law is . unconsitutionaL The argument for the adop- _:. tion of the law was that“a divided school can. no more succeed than a divided nation.” Those. ; who opposed it thought that it amounted to the , same as though it had been entitled “An Act to ■Prevent Parochial and Private Schools from _ '■ Teaching the Grammar Grades.” Oregon is to : appeal the recent decision to the Supreme Court; ^J

Goilizatim “'At la*’                        . ;

ORRIBLE conditions are reported as- • tabling in a convict camp in California;"

It is claimed that prisoners have been handcuffed, chained to trees, and refused food and' water for forty-eight hours; that others have been beaten into unconsciousness; that two boys were beaten with hammer handles. Most of this ,. cruel treatment administered by deputy sheriffsis done with no feeling of sympathy and with ears that are deaf to pleas for mercy.

The Bureau of Locomotive Inspection ordered a number of engines out of service of the Pennsylvania Railroad. The Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce protested to the Interstate Commerce Commission about the order. The national legislative representatives of the transportation brotherhoods then united in a- stinging rebake of the action of the Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce.

In the Brotherhoods’ letter, it is pointed out' that there is a rapid increase in the number of < faecfdents because of defective equipment, especially of locomotives. In 1922 there were 622 accidents; in 1923 there were 1,348 accidents— an increase of 117 percent. The number killed in those accidents increased about 100 percent The Pennsylvania alone had 181 accidents from defective engines in 1923; eight were killed and 197 were injured!

''Judged by the production for the month of February, it is estimated that 5,000,000 automobiles will be manufactured during the year 1924. The output in February is usually very, low; but this year it was the third highest in the history of the automobile industry, being 336,363 cars. June of last year was the peak month, with 350,410 cars.

In the United States the killing of coal miners by explosion is three times as frequent in proportion to the miners employed as in Great Britain. It is claimed that two-thirds of the fatal and serious accidents at the bituminous . mines of the United States could have been prevented by the very inexpensive sprinkling of the mines with powdered shale. Explosions in three places have already cost more than 200 lives in 1924.

JUutku

ALTHOUGH war is one of the greatest of all ■ curses that could afflict mankind, yet it stimulates invention; and in many ways those who live on- after the war are benefited by these* discoveries. One invention resulting from the World War is- the sonic depth-finder, an instrument by means of which the plains and hills . and valleys of the ocean-bed may be accurately charted.

Experience has proved that the best depth to lay a submarine cable is about two miles below the surface, where it will be subjected to a uniform temperature and be free from tidal or current movements such as otherwise would soon wear it out The United States Government is about to lay a cable from Seattle to Seward, Alaska, and has two wars laps engaged in surveying the route where the cable will be laid. The sonic depth-finder is being used in making the survey.

Canada

WINNIPEG is stirred by the death of a five-months-old infant. The parents had been farmers. In 1922 they sold their farm, and after a year or two moved into Winnipeg with $700 to show for their eighteen years’ work on the farm. However, there were seven children, the $700 were soon spent, the father could not get work in the city, and was obliged to seek work as a farm laborer at a distance. It is terribly cold in Winnipeg in the winter. The family lived in two rooms, without heat, and with scant covers for their beds. As they could not pay their electric light bill, the service was discontinued; and one utterly cold night, with not a ray of light in the room, the under-nourished mother felt her baby -grow cold. She ran to the neighbors for help. They came in and found that the baby was dead. The time to be considerate of the poor is before such things happen.

Mexico

TN THE New York Times of April 1st, Dr. J- Frank Bohn says:

‘‘There are now a half million Mexicans in the state of* Texas. Fifty-five percent of the people at San Antonio, the largest city in Texas, are Mexkoa There is one county in. Texas where three Americans vote the straight Republican ticket, and over 1,800 Mexicans are voted straight Democratic by their American boas."*

Dr. Bohn goes on to show that in 1920 there were 1,000,000 Mexicans on this side of the Bio Grande, that by now the number is probably half a million more, and that Mexican laborer* are gradually but steadily driving out all other outdoor laborer* in the Southwest He say* furthers

“Nemesis has come to judgment The despised American Indian is returning to claim, through the economic power of cheap labor, the toiler's share in 500,000 square miles of territory under the stars and stripes."

Reports from Mexico City are to the effect that 1,500,000 acres .of land in Mexico which formerly belonged to the people as a whole, and which were subsequently taken from them by the acts of crooked ecclesiastical politicians and others, have been redistributed to the people te whose ancestors they originally belonged.

Dr. Bohn points out the interesting fact that at the time Mexico City was captured by the Spanish murderer Cortez, more people assembled regularly in its market-place than then lived in any city in Europe.

It is said that 400 Mexican laborers who were imported into the Minnesota beet-sugar fields by the Minnesota sugar corporations have been supported the past winter by the charitable people of St PauL It seems too bad that these poor Mexicans were not paid enough for their work during the five months of the sugar-beet season so that they could live through the winter. We can hardly believe that it is necessary to raise the price of sugar in order to give these workers enough to live on. These poor Mexicans have gone through a hard winter housed in primitive shanties, devoid of every comfort. Do we want to raise sugar in the United States if we have to do it on such a basis as this?

The New York Times reports that a large company in Montana has made a request through the Mexican Consul for Mexican laborers, promising equal treatment with American labor. Does this mean that American labor is ultimately booked for the same experiences as came to these Mexican laborers in the sugarbeet fields of Minnesota?

Cuba

TO ALL intents and purposes the administration of the affairs of Cuba is in the hands of the National City Bank of New York and the Royal Bank of Canada. These two institutions, between them, operate eighty-six banks in Cuba and have seventy percent of the deposits in the island, as against thirty percent held by Cuban banks. These banks control the railroads of Cuba and seventy-seven percent of the sugar production. Every family in the United States is interested in the price of Cuban sugar, because Cuba is the greatest sugar producer in the world. The price the Cubans get for their crop determines what the American housewife pays.

Gofombia

THE United States of Colombia are stirred over charges .made in the United States Senate that funds paid to Colombia by the United States of America, on account of the virtual seizure of the Canal Zone during President Roosevelt’s administration, have been improperly used in connection with the world-wide fight to control the oil interests.

The Colombians indignantly deny any irregularities, although they acknowledge that Blair & Company of New York loaned Colombia $5,000,000 prior to the ratification of the treaty, and it seems that Mr. Doheny is a-partner in Blair & Company. This is the same Mr. Doheny

whose son carried $100,000 in a black satchel from New York to Washington to loan it tor v Mr. Albert Fall, Secretary of the Interior under i President Harding. ’                    .

It will be remembered that Mr. Doheny loaned this money to Mr. Fall, not to influence Mr. Fall to let the Doheny oil interests take over the United States naval reserves oil in California, . but merely because Mr. Fall was ah old friend. We do not know whether the Government: of Colombia is an old friend of Blair 8b Company or not                                       •

It is also pointed out that the Tropical Oih Company, operating in Colombia, is a subsidiary of the Standard Oil Company; and that the-pipe line now in use at Colombia was negotiated; by Mr. James W. Flanagan who, at the time the^! negotiations for the line were-made, said that* he was a friend of the American Secretary of the Interior, Mr. FalL How the Teapot Dome " family does grow! The whole world is fairly -dripping with oil

French Guiana                               ’

THE New York Times paints a horrible pic-' ¹ ture of the conditions which have prevailed . ¹ for nearly 300 years in one of the world’s worst • pest holes. French Guiana is a penal colony in l the tropics, where a white man can hardly live j at all, where practically no food that a white man can eat can be raised, where the bread quickly gets full of worms and ants, and where . the body becomes infected_with little creatures that breed so rapidly as to destroy the flesh and to render amputation necessary. It would not be possible to exaggerate the horrors of the French penal colony in French Guiana. If the half is true, it is enough to make the heart sick to think that any people supposed to be civil- ■ ized, to say nothing of being Christianized, would consent to the perpetuation of such horrors from generation to generation. Several Germans have recently been sentenced to this hell-hole.

Brazil and Venezuela '

DR Alexander H. Rice, a noted South Ameri

can explorer, ha* just set sail for a trip of _ exploration in which he hopes to traverse the northwestern part of Brazil and the southern part of Venezuela, a district which has never l yet been visited by white men. .The object ofl t

_fhe trip is to make accurate maps of the region, locating definitely the source of Venezuela's great river, the Orinoco. It is supposed that in their head waters the Orinoco and the Amazon are. connected, the water flowing in both direc-tiona.

. _• The district which will be traversed by Dr. Rice's party is believed to be the least known part of the earth. It is filled with reptiles of immense size, and a part of the route is through' a district inhabited by cannibals—not a very pleasant prospect for Dr. Bice and his courageous wife, who will accompany him on the trip. Dr. Bice goes with a splendidly equipped expedition, which includes among other things a radio broadcasting outfit, specially constructed flat-bottom boats, a sea plane, and a supply of bombs with which to argue with the cannibals if they become too obnoxious in their attentions ta the party.                        .

Chile an/i Peru '

OBTY-FIVE years ago in a war between 'Chile and Peru Chile seized the two most profitable provinces of Peru£hamely, Tacna and Arica. The reason why these provinces were-seized was that they contained rich nitrate' deposits, which since that time have yielded Chile a revenue of about $2,000,000,000. Naturally, Peru wishes these provinces returned; and naturally, Chile does not wish to give them up. The provinces have been held so long by Chile that the population has become mostly Chilean and very little Peruvian. The dispute has been referred to President Coolidge for arbitration.

Great Britain.

THE London Economist reports the volume of shipping during 1923 to be practically the same as it was before the war. The Trade Supplement of the London T<mes shows that in the season from the summer of 1922 to the summer of 1923, the vnt profits of the ten principal British shipping companies aggregated about $15,000,000. For the past three years the dividends of these concerns have averaged eleven and three-tenths percent.

It has been brought out in the British Parliament recently that British whisky exporters receive a bonne of six’ cents per gallon from the British treasury, and that about $300,000 per year is now being paid out on this account.

It is claimed that in spite 6f the great nirin-bere of persons still employed at agricultural work in England, there are now over 1,000,000» fewer men on the farms than were employed in English agriculture fifty years ago. The popo-lation of Great Britain has doubled in the last eighty years.                                 . ....

Despite all the fabulous expenses that have, been piled upon the British people because of the World War, the British Government had" within the past year, and in spite of a big cutf in taxes/a surplus of $215,000,000 over and above all expenses.

England has been .having a strike of the air-, men who carry the-British mails to the continent. A new air mail company capitalized at a» million pounds, and subsidized for ten years by the Government, undertook to cut the pay of the there to about one-fifth of what it had been; and this seemed to the fliers themselves a little hit too much of a good thing. Until now the. wages of these fliers have run to the neighborhood of $4,000 a year.                   ' ' j-

A British airplane started from. Southampton on March 25, expecting to fly around the world . The dangers of aviation are well illustrated in' * this flight by the fact that on the initial journey, across the Channel, the machine encountered a heavy fog, and only by a narrow margin escaped die diffs which suddenly appeared out' of the fog only fifty yards ahead..    ..       ., ■

Same idea of the difficulties whieh face the British Premier may be gathered from, the fact that in one day, Premier MacDonald has been required to answer 123 questions. Each of these; " questions must be answered satisfactorily to the House; and if the answer is not satisfactory, it might mean at once a vote of loss of confidence, and the end of his' ministry.

Prance                                     '

HE Minister of Labor of France reports * that alcoholism and drunkenness have de-, creased fifty percent within the last ten years. Investigations seem to show that the principal cause for this is the high cost of living, the workmen not being able to afford the cost of ■ alcoholic liquors.

The London Daily News gives details to show that the World War came near being over early in the year 1917 with the Germans as winners. This was due to-a great mutiny of about 100’ divisions, which took place in the French army early in 1917. The knowledge of this mutiny was kept from the British troops, as well as the tierman troops, until after the close of the war.

Porto Rico

POBTO RICO, which has been making its own laws since 1917, is now asking the privilege of electing its own governor, hitherto appointed by the president of the United States. Governor Towner urges that the request of the Porto Ricans be granted. He considers their laws and their judicial system above reproach. He points out that Porto Rico is self-supporting, its trade with the outside world being now about fifteen times as great as it was twenty years ago.

Bolland              ,

THE children of Holland are showing their love for their fellow children by collecting , money for the feeding of starving school children in Germany. When' the money reaches Germany, the food procured is cooked by students of domestic science, all unnecessary expense being eliminated.

Germany

BOTH Britain, and France have'been msist-' ing that German munition factories be transformed into industrial factories, and that superfluous officers who might become the framework of a great German army should be dismissed. Reports at hand indicate that these demands have been complied with, but in an ' entirely different way from what was expected.

The munition factories, some of them at least, have been moved to Russia; and some of the German officers are becoming generals of real armies in Russia, Turkey, and China. It is claimed that 2,000 airships for war service are now being built in Russia under the direction . of German engineers.

The Bishop of Zanzibar in an open letter to General Smuts, describes the cruelties which he claims were practised by.the Germans against the natives in what was, until the outbreak of-the World War, German East Africa. The floggings were administered with the condemned man lying face down on the earth, frequently as many as fifty lashes at a time. An iron hat was used. A band of iron was passed around the head and tightened by means of a vice-like

screw pressing especially on the temples. In chain gangs, each of the eight men was chained _ by the neck to one very heavy chain, and not     «

released until his sentence was finished. Among      A

other items of cruelty, a bridegroom was seized at the church door from the side of his bride.

and taken to a post of labor one hundred miles 1 away. On one occasion, 800 elderly men were assembled'; and an order was issued that hot one of them could return^to his home hntil a young man, a substitute, should be found who would take his place for work at the post. Slaves were bought and sold, but could be redeemed and could even redeem themselves for ' a small amount of money. The Bishop says that the Germans have an affable way with Africans ' to whom they are accustomed. This pamphlet * was written in 1918; we have no knowledge as to the Bishop’s truthfulness.

A despatch from Paris shows that Germany’s reparation payments up to the close of last year, were about eight and one-half billion gold marks, of which amount about two billion gold marks were in cash. Of this amount about one and one-half billion gold marks went to Bel- , gium, and about two billion gold marks to । France. Britain received of this sum about one f and one-third millions. The remainder was divided among Italy, Japan, Serbia, Greece, " Poland, Boumania, Czecho-SIovakia, and Por- , tugaL ‘

Czechoslovakia

THE latest reports are that there are only about 50,000 unemployed in the entire country of Czecho-SIovakia, and that the industrial situation in general is very. good. ..

Lithuania

LITHUANIA is under a dictatorship, not different in principle from the dictatorships which are still ruling over Spain, Italy, Hungary, and several other European countries. Freedom of speech and of the press is denied; trial by jury is practically at an end; and in general it may be said, ay is always the case under such conditions, that people who have any brains at all are afraid to make the least use of them. Without a doubt the same forces that are back of the European dictatorships would be well pleased to see all thinkers in A-marina get the same treatment as in Lithuania.

‘_; What an encouragement to know that the ’ Lord's kingdom is at hand, when there will be • no possibility for anybody to ride roughshod * over the rights of others; but on the contrary, as the Prophet declares, justice will be laid to , ‘ jthe line and righteousness to the plummet, and - .the waters of truth on all subjects will over, _Lflow the hiding-places of error and dishonor!

.Haste the happy day! ■■

Esthonia

THE New York Times contains an interesting article on the little republic of Esthonia, i population 1,200,000, which came into existence J_t with the break-up of the old Russian Govern-j. ment. Esthonia is busy re-learning the Estho-. * nian language, , the use of which was, forbidden . by the Czar while he lived. Esthonia is an agricultural country, but has a thriving cement in-

1 dustry. It also manufactures paper in consider. ,able quantity, and has a large woodworking . plant, as well as one of the largest cotton mills ; in the world.                    _z          ■

THE New York Times contains a despatch from a Moscow correspondent in which he

"After six years behind the walls of foreign indiffier-cnee, misinformation and hostility, Russian secrecy, cen' eorship and propaganda, work is being carried essentially <m Russian.lines.” “On the <me hand there is a tendency to discourage concessions to foreigners; on the '• other, an attempt to compete with native business men by a reduced-price selling campaign for State enterprises even at a net loss. This campaign has been successful, temporarily at least Prices have been reduced¹ from about fifteen to twenty-five percent” “The monetary reform, which has actually achieved the reestablish-unent of Russian currency on a parity with the dollar, • has hitherto proceeded without a serious hitch.”

Austria

THE city of Vienna showed a large surplus in the year 1923. The city runs its own streetcars, controls all the advertisements and funerals, and runs a brewery. It makes large profits from all of these enterprises.

Greece

display of blue-and-white flags in the capital^ an official dethronement of the* reigning dynasty; and on the 103rd anniversary of her independeuce Greece is again a republic. Meanwhile, the ex-king is in Bulgaria, and has, been trying to broadcast a message to the Greek people urging them to give him back his job. Fat chance of getting it J                   _

HE new Turkish Government.is very much -in earnest in its decision not to have seen- .

lar subjects and religion taught in the same schools. It has just closed French and Italian schools in Constantinople and Asia Minor. Sixty-one institutions giving instruction to about 16,000 pupils are affected by the rule just put into force. ,

. ■ ' ' ’ • ’ ; * ’ ’ - ' '

Mesopotamia         ’ ' ^:

THE British Government is.making careful studies of the Mesopotamian, valley with a view to the construction of dams which will provide water for a million and one-half’ acres . suitable for cotton and wheat culture. One of these dams, if constructed, will create a lake covering 400 square miles, submerging the present towns of Tizal and Bobafh. .

Palestine               '            ... ..   ‘

IT COMES with almost the nature of a shock' to read that in the city of Nazareth, Palestine, the early home of our Lord, an American factory will begin the manufacture, shortly, of' automobile tires. These tires will be used to supply the great number of automobiles now in Palestine, most of which are of American make.

More than 35,000 Jewish immigrants have gone to the Holy Land within the past three years. These are for the most part highly educated young men and women, many being high school and college graduates. It is .the Keren Hayesod, or Palestine Foundation Fund, made up of free contributions from Jews all over the world, that makes this immigration possible.. More than sixty percent of this fund has come from Jews in the United States. There are now about ninety Jewish agricultural settlements in Palestine.

THE crowns have been removed from the-Greek military and naval uniform caps.

There has been a national salute of 100 guns, a

One of the purchases made by the Palestine Foundation Fund was 10,000 acres comprising the Valley of Jezreel, for which it paid over a

million dollars. Today this valley, which a little while ago was a wilderness, is a scene of great activity. Boads crisscross it in every direction, the swamps have been drained, stones have been removed, fences have been built, homes have

The fund supplies the immigrants with all the necessary building materials, farming, im-i' plements, live stock and other things necessary to begin the actual work of farming. In four of the settlements the new immigrants do everything on a cooperative basis; the settlers work ‘ the land in common and dispose of their surplus for the common interest of all

The purchases of all the Jewish colonies are on a cooperative basis, which is the only sensible way for anybody to buy, when he can. It may be said that Americans in general do not believe in cooperation; for, while cooperation flourishes all over Europe, it has obtained only a scanty foothold here.

’ The education of the children of these flew immigrants is well looked after, and the adult needs in this direction are supplied by traveling lecturers and a library of 15,000 volumes.

The Zionist Movement has opened, offices throughout eastern Central Europe to assist Jewish emigrants to go to Palestine. There are such offices in Berlin, Warsaw, Vienna, Kovno, and Trieste. The new arrivals are maintained free of charge until employment is found for • them. They are mostly young people, between the ages of nineteen and thirty. At first they live in tents. The American-Palestine fund has already reached four and one-half million dollars and has 70,000 contributors, although it is only three years old.

The suburbs of Jerusalem, Jaffa, Haifa, and Tiberias, have been laid out in accordance with carefully laid plans with wide streets and everything modern and up-to-date. Many of the Hebrew women are qualifying as bricklayers, stone masons and plasterers, work which it is generally supposed can be done only by men.

Jehovah has manifested Hi a favor to the Jews who have reposed confidence in His promises; and it may be expected that He will continue to do so. Such have looked forward to a time when they should be established as a people and a nation under a just Ruler, their Messiah, who would deliver them, and through them bring blessings to others. It has been the faith of the

Jew in the promises of Jehovah that has caused him to remain a Jew and not become absorbed i by other peoples and nationalities. The day of his deliverance is at hand. The time for the fulfilment of the words of the prophets has come.'

To them the Prophet now says: “Arise, give, light, for thy light is come; and the glory of * the Lord is shining forth over thee.”—Isaiah 60:1, Leeser.                                            ■

Persia             .

PERSIA is another of the countries of the world that have been seized by a dictator.

The Shah has been overthrown; and under a military dictator, Biza Khan, order has been established over the whole country.

Persia is about one-fifth as large as the United States, with about one-tenth the population. Most of the business is still done over . fifteen caravan routes. A group of American .. ¹ capitalists is studying the situation with a view of building a railroad system that will coveij I the country.                                         I

The adviser to Persia’s dictator is an American college man by the name of Arthur C. Mills- C paugh. He takes the place of W. Morgan Shus- • i ter, now president of the Century Company, who once filled that position with great credit to himself and benefit to the Persian people.

Persia has been for some years the scene of a battle royal between the principal oil companies, for the reason that beneath the soil are the richest lakes of petroleum known in the , world. A British company controls twentyeight of the thirty-three provinces, and recently refused an offer of $100,000,000 from one of the large international companies affiliated with Standard Oil

The control of the five remaining provinces has been obtained by the Sinclair Oil Company, * of Teapot Dome fame. The terms of lease require the Sinclair Oil Company to survey and map the company in three years, to spend $800,000 in eight years in development of the properties, to sell oil in Persia at cost plus ten percent, and to give the Persian Government a royalty of twenty percent on net profits, and representation on the Board of Directors.

India

BY AN interesting turn of affairs, Mahatma Gandhi, who became the idol of the population of India in 1921-22 through preaching

the policy of passive resistance to British, rale, has become an apostle of quite a different movement. As a result of his agitations Gandhi was in prison* where hg became ill with appendicitis. A British physician rushed, him to a hospital, performed a difficult operation by the light of a hurricane lantern, and saved' his life. A strong friendship grew np between Gandhi and the doctor, and meantime Gandhi was given his • liberty.

As a result, the traditional friendship of the Hindu for the British is being restored. But the caste system, which has been the curse of India in all ages, has been dealt quite a blow; for Gandhi is one of the common people, one of the lower castes. No doubt the Lord is back of this whole circumstance, gradually lifting np the Hindu people to a point where full citizen-/ ship privileges will be given to them. .

China                          —

THE holding up of a railroad train is always an expensive job for somebody. The bills have just been presented for the hold-up of a train in China a year ago. The bills for lost baggage-, medical attention, loss of liberty, and mental anguish amount to over $350,000, all of * which must be made good by the Chinese people.

=■ Japan              ,

THE New York Telegram contains a despatch from Washington which states that the chief legal adviser to the Air Service Claims Board has been suspended by the War Department, and deprived of records which reveal overpayments to aircraft concerns totaling tons of mfl-lions of dollars. This gentleman, Air. Thomas F. Lane of Missouri, claims that Japan has _ been furnished blueprints, - specifications, and patterns embodying all that America has learned in the manufacture of airplanes.

Despatches from Tokio report having received clearly a speech made in Esperanto by James Denson Sayers, a contributor to The Golden Age, broadcast from Newark, New Jersey. The speech was broadcast from Newark at 6:15 P. M. and received at Tokio at 8:15 A. M., only a second afterward. This is one of the best long-distance broadcasting records yet made.

The number of Japanese now in the United States is set at 130,625. This is only a little

more than one-tentfr at one percent of the totalpopulation of the country.                 -

In a letter to Secretary Hughes dated April 10th, the Japanese ambassador to America called attention to the "gentlemen’s agreement" between America and Japan by which Japanese coolies are excluded from America, _and in his letter of protest made the statement that if the bill then pending in Congress providing for the absolute exclusion of the Japanese was passed it would result in “grave consequences." The.’ House of Representatives passed the bill; and the. Senate, thoroughly angered by what it re» garded as a Japanese fhreat, also passed the bill by a vote of 76 to 2.

It was pointed out in the Senate that Japan exercises the right of excluding Koreans* Chi». nese, and Hindus; and-that all nations exercise the right of controlling immigration, without ■ asking the consent or permission, of other nations. One of the Senators stated that he voted far the exclusion of the Japanese with deep regret, but felt that the Ambassador’s letter, had made it necessary. This apparently, was the feeling-of practically the whole Senate.     •

Mr. Hanihara, the Japanese Ambassador, has protested that when he used the expression -“grave consequences" he had not the remotest intention of conveying a threat, but was merely pointing out how difficult it would be for the Japanese people to understand the American attitude if the bill in question became a law.

The Federal Council of Churches has written letters to every Senator and Representative, pressing hard for the recognition in some manner of the “gentlemen’s agreement," purposely excluded from the new immigration law.

Incidentally, the same bill which excludes the Japanese altogether also limits the admissable. immigrants after July 1,1927, to 150,000 a year. Meantime, on the basis of the 1890 census, there may be admitted during the next three years two percent of the foreign-born residents of the ' United States as determined by the census of that year. This will practically exclude all immigration from Southern- and Eastern Europe.

Malaya

MALAYA is the new name for what used to be called the Straits Settlements, and which have Singapore as their metropolis.. From Singapore we get the interesting infor- •

mation that Mr. Robert Dollar, the famous shipowner of San Francisco, has started a line of * steamers which will provide passenger service around the world at fortnightly intervals. The route is from New York through the Panama Canal to Tokio, Nagasaki, Shanghai, Hongkong, Singapore, Colombo, Alexandria, Naples, Genoa, Marseilles, and thence back to New York.

Mr. Dollar is eighty years of age. Besides a great fleet of 100 ocean-going steamers, he con-itrols the water transportation in a district of China where 75,000,000 people have no communication with the outside world, except by steamers of his line.

South Africa

A TERRIBLE famine is prevailing in the central part of South Africa, due to drouth „ and the consequent entire failure of grazing - for cattle. Money-lenders in the district are reported as renewing loans at rates of interest running from 170 to 300 percent Farmers are killing their cattle to get the two dollars which they receive for the skins; and others are returning spans of oxen bought from the speculators and throwing in another span of their own, in order to pay only one-half the cost of the span originally bought and returned.

Australia

THE cotton-growing industry in Australia is making rapid strides, the value of the annual crop being now in the neighborhood of $4,000,000. During the past fqur years the acreage in cotton has increased eightfold. It is claimed that Australia has 15,000,000 acres that could, if necessary, be devoted to the production / of cotton. It is evident that from now henceforth the American cotton growers will find the Australian cotton fields an important factor with which they will have to contend.

On April 12th, just'outside of Sydney harbor with a very impressive ceremony, the battle cruiser "Australia” was sunk in accordance with the terms of the Washington treaty. When the desired spot was reached, officers and men were lined up in their white suits on the decks, the seacocks were opened, a bomb was exploded in the hold, the men were taken off, and straightway the vessel began to sink. In twenty-one minutes the ship turned turtle and disappeared. As it passed beneath the waves an aeroplane dropped a wreath on the place where it sank.

Bwoax.n, M. X.

The Scriptures say that in the age now at hand: "They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation; neither shall they learn war tfny more.’*- We are witnessing the beginning of these things now. The great Krupp works are making agricultural implements; and some, at least, of the monsters of the deep are being juried beneath the wavek Sydney is to have the largest single-arch bridge in the world. This bridge, which will cost $25,000,000 and which will take six years to construct, will have a single arch of 1,650 feet span. The Quebec Bridge over St. Lawrence river has a span of 1,800 feet, the Firth of Forth Bridge in Scotland has a span of 1,700 feet; but neither of these is a single-arch span. The Williamsburgh Bridge in New York city has a span of 1,600 feet The Sydney bridge will be 170 feet above high water and will carry four railroad tracks, besides roadways and footways. Until it is completed, the Hell Gate Bridge in New York city will continue to be ] the largest single-arch bridge.

. The same article in the New York Times that tells us about Sydney’s great bridge also tells I us of other huge bridges that are under way. ’ One is to connect Philadelphia and Camden at an expense of $13,355,000; another is to connect* New York and Jersey City, at an expense of $17,250,000; another is to cross the Detroit river at Detroit; and another the Golden Gate at San Francisco. The Golden Gate Bridge will be a combination of cantilever and suspension bridge, with a middle span of 4,000 feet, more than double the length of the greatest span yet constructed.

The ex-Prime Minister of Australia, Mr. William M. Hughes, is in America. Mr. Hughes is profoundly impressed with the conviction that America and Australia must cooperate to keep out the Japanese. Apparently he sees no solution of Japan’s own problem, except that the Japanese themselves must find some way to restrict the tremendous annual increase of their population. From what we can judge of Japanese history, it seems doubtful whether such a plan for restricting their national development can be made effective. It seems to us more likely that Japan will have recourse to armsj probably with unexpected suddenness. It might occur even this year.

NATTQNATXY and provincially, Canada is . making a dramatic attempt at houseclean-Jng. At Ottawa, after some years of peaceful plenty, the axe is presumably about to faH, either as a result of an honest desire to reduce the Government’s expenses or for political reasons. As one reviews the portentous announcements issuing from the council chamber, one cannot help wondering just how long the present government has to live or how much of the taxparing attempt is propaganda.

Naturally, the first to feel the edge of the axe are the workers, postal employes and office men especially. As far as can be ascertained, the general run of the men who will be "fired” or whose income will be reduced are even now only struggling along on low wages.

We are hopefully waiting for the announcement that Premier King has discovered that he can get along on half his" present salary, and ..that the Senators and Cabinet Ministers also feel that they would like to share in the general reductions.

It is amusing to contemplate a government system that needs double the cabinet ministers apd senators to handle the affairs of eight millions of people as our neighbors across the line need to handle the business of nearly fifteen times that number. -

In Ontario, a bright, snappy investigation is under way of the doings, deeds, and misdeeds of the members who occupied the Treasury benches in the lately defunct Fanner government Again, it is difficult to see through the. smoke and determine how much is political capital and how much honest zeal for the cause of righteousness.                   ,

The Home Bank failure, succession duty-free bond issues, and manipulation of public funds for private gain are all mixed up together. As small a nation as we are, we do not intend any Yankee Teapot Dome scandal to hold all the public attention; but we will endeavor to match that evidence of mismanagement and worse with a generous airing of our own political garbage.

Incidentally, the Ontario “wets” are in joyful hope of getting liquor back -again, if dear Brother “Fergy,” the present incumbent at Queen’s Park, sees in it good political material.

Your correspondent’s personal guess is, “Booze before Christmas.”

An interesting experiment, for it has all the earmarks of such, has been tried recently in Toronto. As reported in the Toronto Telegram, it seems that two young gentleman in holy orders undertook to tell the truth about war and a Christian’s part in it, before a committee composed of local divines.                .    .

To seasoned campaigners in the “war against war,” and especially to those who suffered bonds, imprisonment, torture, and abuse for the principle of peace, this belated attempt to stand for righteousness seems to lack spirit; but one cannot help a fellow feeling of sympathy for the attempt and a hope that it will really resplt in good fruitage. To quote:      _

' “Two young undergraduates from University College, R. V. Ferguson and W. S. McKay, came before the Toronto General Ministerial Association to expound the view* of the *No More War* group at the University. Mr. Ferguson, who is said to have spent four and* one* half yean with the Scot* Guard* in the war, declared that he had yet to meet the man who wenC intO the war for the principle of the things [Hear, hear; *o have we!] Some went in, like himself, for adventure; other* enlisted when they wen drunk, he declared. He accused the churche* and the minister* <if being recruiting station* and recruiting sergeant*. T served four and a half year*,’ said he, ‘and I’ll never be at another war. It is the most awful thing Thave ever experienced.’ He pictured the sickening stench, the men hanging in agony on the barbed wire until a friendly spit of fire swallowed them up like a fly in a’ candle. *We would sing “Onward, Christian Soldier*,” and then fill ourselves up with rum so that we could do the dirty work. Thousand* of young men. enlisted in a state of drunkenness; other* enlisted to be seen in uniform; other* were lured by propaganda. The pulpit became a recruiting station. The church became a part of the organized sin. The minister* were recruiting sergeant* and the cathedrals were hung with banners.’”          ,

Eight Christian gentlemen, including the executives, editors, and other prominent members of the International Bible Students Association, went to jail for a life sentence for saying less than that in 1918. Scores of members of the organization went to jail, were mistreated, tortured, robbed, for refusing to per* vert their consciences, to forswear themselves, and to twist and turn the-Bible teaching about war, while the war was going on. Notice the

MX                                  .

comments of some ministers present at this . Toronto gathering:

“Bev. W. B. Caswell of Simpson Avenue Methodist Church told the speaker he was unnecessarily irritating.

*1 believe in peace/ he said, "but I am not a pacifist and never will be except in times of peace. I caxft agree

that our men went into the war in drunkenness and as a result <rf flag-waving patriotism? ”            _

Mi. Caswell admitted that he was never in. the army, nor had he been able to serve overseas. We suggest a careful reading of his argument, and offer a prize of a nice book to anyone who can see the logic in it

“Rev. J. Ewing Reid, who presided, stated that he did not think it was necessary at all for the ministers to defend their attitude in the last war.”

^irRev. R. J. Campbell said: 'Our pulpits were turned into recruiting stations and our churches into I don't know what. Our own ministers vers bribed into the war and made heroes of by their congregations, their increased and the highest paid ministers in the country were given chaplain positions? ”*

More power to you, Christian (!) ministers, keep up the good work; and some day you will all tell the truth and agree with those awful Bible Studentswho have said all these things for you for a decade. .

Another interesting item comes to our attention, and that is a church announcement appearing in the Montreal Daily Star of Christ Church Cathedral, which appends a “Seats Free, No Collection” sign to its Sunday program. Perhaps the leaven is beginning to work after half a century's effort!                         .

, In recent issues of The Golden Age-facts and figures have been produced to show the. seriousness of the situation, especially in Wes£ era Canada. It is your correspondent's intention to continue to* drive home these facts, but space precludes the possibility of any'extensive review this month. However, one interesting item comes .to light in the Montreal TPifaessJ

“The Commission appointed by the Government ,of Manitoba to investigate conditions of education in tha Province is being confronted with stern facts. Scores of schools in the Province are being closed for lack <rf funds to carry on. School districts have no funds and the municipalities are unable- to help them through.*

We close with a reproduction of a parody on a^ popular hymn, culled from'the columns of The Worker, Toronto:    *               '

; Onward, Christian Nations

“Onward, Christian Nations,

Making evermore

Costly preparations

.     - :      For murdering by war.            -

* Battleships, torpedoes,

-           Armor, guns and shells—          -r. ■ .

Anything for slaying foes,

That the promoter sella.

“Newspapers for lying;

When the truth costs deaf;

'           Fools to do the dying,

Patriots to cheer.

Rulers, priests and preachers,

Hypocrites galore,              _

Praying to the Prince of Peace ’

For victory in war!” •

Radio Broadcasting’ from Watchtower WBBR

ANNOUNCEMENT is made that the Watch

• Tower Bible and Tract Society's radio broadcasting station, 'Watchtower WBBR,” located on Staten Island, New York city, which began operation February 24 last, using a 244-meter wave length, has been authorized by the Government to broadcast on a wave length of 273 meters on and after May 14. A revised time schedule became effective on the same date. Programs are now broadcast on Sunday and Thursday evenings from 9:10 to 10:30; on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday evenings from 8:00 to 9:00. The station is silent on

Tuesday and Friday evenings. Operation during the summer months is on Eastern Daylight Saving Time.

Many interesting reports have been received from all parts of the United States and Canada from those who have listened to the programs of Station WBBR. Those who have had difficulty in picking up the 244-meter wave length will, we trust, have better results with the new-' wave length. Reports of reception are appro-ciated. Kindly address Watchtower Statjoit WBBR, 124 Columbia Heights, Brooklyn, N. ¥•

The Birthrights of Mankind By W. B Corvwff (Enylend)

*TAs heaven, even the hoevens, ore the Lord’s; but the oerth hath he given to the chUdren of twa*—.

rTpBOM "My Neighbor’s Landmark** I quota the following:                             •

“No phrase could possibly be wider in its application, or more completely destructive of the claims of a land*      lord class to the monopoly of God’s earth, than the

^r       simple words ‘children of men.’ Is there any man,

woman or child who lives now, or who ever has lived, or who ever will live, who is not included among the children of men? No; all find in this sweeping generalization the charter of their ‘birthright’ in the soil The Bible will instruct the landless and the laborer in their right to the use of the land, and also their right to a living wage, in the following words: The husband. man that laboreth must be first partaker of the fruits’ (2 Timothy 2:6); ‘And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labor; it is the gift of God.’—Ecclesiastes 3:13."

, From "The Christian Socialist,” No. 3, August, 1883, 1 take the following:

“The Bight to the Use of the Earth.          *

, “Under the above heading Herbert Spencer devotes an eloquent chapter of his ‘Social Statics’ to proving . the incontrovertible equity of Socialism, in so far as it asserts the equal right of all man to the use of the earth on which they live. For assuming that ‘each of - them has freedom to do all that he wills, provided he infringes not the equal freedom of any other, then each * of them ia free to uae the earth for the satisfaction of < his wants, provided he allows all others the same liberty. And conversely, it ia manifest that no one mhy uae the *     earth in such a way as to prevent the rest from similarly

'     using it; seeing that to do this ia to asauxne greater

' freedom than the rest, and consequently to break the

This sentence very neatly puts out of court their graces the Dukes of Sutherland and Buo clench and those other seventy persons who own among them just one-half of the Scottish soil. He proceeds:

“Equity, therefore, does not permit property in land. For if one portion of the earth's surface may justly become the possession of an individual, and may be held by him for his sola use and benefit, as a thing to which he haa an exclusive right, then other portions of the - • earth’s surface may be so held, and eventually the whole of the earth’s surface may be so held; and our planet may thus lapse altogether into private hands. Observe now the dilemma to which this leads. Supposing the entire habitable globe to be so enclosed, it follows that if the landowners haVe a valid right to its surface, all who are not landowners have no right at all to its surface. Hence such can exist on the earth by sufierance only. They are all trespassers. Save by permission of the lords of the soil, they an have no room for the soles of their feet. Nay, should the others think fit to-deny them a resting place, these landless men might equitably be expelled from the earth altogether.’*

From this he has no difficulty in proving that an exclusive possession of the soil necessitates an infringement of the law of equal freedom. For men who cannot live and move and have their being without the consent of others cannot be equally free with those others.            .

Original Deeds Secured bv Conquest '

MB. SPENCEB then deals with the claims of the present possessors of land:

' "It can never be pretended that the existing titles to such property are legitimate. Should anyone think so, let him look in the chronicles of violence, fraud, the prerogative of force, the claims of superior cunning— then are the sources to which those titles may be traced. The original deeds were written with the sword rather . than the pen; not lawyers but soldiers were the conveyancers; blows were the current coin given in payment; . and for seals, blood was used in preference to wax. Could valid *1*™* be thus constituted? Hardly And if not, what becomes of the pretensions of all subsequent holders of estates so obtained? Does sale or bequest generate a right where it did not previously exist? Would the original claimants be nonsuited at the bar of reason because the thing stolen Iran them had changed hands? Certainly not And if one. act of trane-fer can give no title, can many?"No; though nothing be multiplied forever, it will not produce one. Even the law recognises this principle.**

He then proceeds to combat the arguments of those who assert that time is a great legalizer, and that immemorial possession must be taken to constitute a legitimate On grounds of pun equity he has no difficulty in proving the absurdity of this proposition, but he admits that great difficulty must attend the resumption of their rights to the soil by mankind at large. He does not advocate the leaving of the present holders, who can neither toil nor spin, to, starve. He says:

“Men having got themselves into this dilemma by disobedience to the law, must get out of it as beet they can, and with as little injury to the landed class as may be. Meanwhile, we shall do well to recollect that there are others besides the landed class to be considered. In our tender regard for the vested interests of the few, let us not forget that the rights of the many are ia

“The tenants, though perfectly submissive, were to have expected that they would be allowed a little time to coUeci their furniture and crops. Their consternation was therefore the greater when commencement was made to puH down and set fire to the houses over their • beads! The old people began to try to save their timber. But the destructors increased speed, demolishing all before them; and when they had overthrown the houses in a large part of the country, they set fire to thewreek.

“These proceedings were carried on with the most reckless cruelty. The cries of the victims, the confusion, the despair and horror painted on the face* of one party, and the exulting ftfrocity of the other, beggar all description. In these scenes Mr. Sellar was present, ordering and directing the whole. Many deaths were caused from alarm, from fatigue, and cold, the people being instantly deprived of shelter, and left to the mercy of the weather. Pregnant women were taken with premature labor, and several children did not long survive. ,

“I was. present at the pulling down and burning of I the house of William Chisholm, in which was Ijang his * wife’s mother, an old bedridden woman of near one hundred yean of age, none of the family being present | I informed the persons about to set fire to the house of ] this circumstance, and prevailed on -them to wait till Mr. Sellar came. On his arrival, I told him of thepoor _f old woman being in a condition unfit for*removaL He I replied, Tamn her, the old witch t • She has lived fob * long; let her burn!’ Fire was immediately set-to the house, and the blankets in which she was carried: were in flames before she could be got out The old woman’s daughter arrived while the house was on fire; and assisted the- neighbors in removing her mother out of the flames and smoke, presenting a picture of horror which I shall never forget,, but cannot attempt to describe.' She died within five days.

“The above are the words of an eye-witness and have never been contradicted. Mr. Sellar was put upon trial, ‘chiefly for the purpose of satisfying the public mind, and putting an end to the clamors of the country/ as his counsel observed. If this, and not the ends of justice, was the intention it was completely successful; for the criminal was acquitted. . . . Sufficient to say, the whole countryside was lighted up with the fl*™* of the burning houses, which lasted for six days.

“A tenant in 1830 sent an appeal in hie own name to the Marquis of Stafford. The result proved how weak , a just cause becomes when despotic landholders are appealed to. The man’s family was evicted, while he was at work forty miles away, in the winter time; and all the surrounding inhabitants were warned, at the peril of similar treatment, against affording them any shelter or assistance.

“Again, in 1845 similar scenes were carried out at Glencalvie and reported on by the Timm correspondent (the Timm then cost 6d). In 1853 'the massacre of the Bosses was perpetrated, because the people feebly

attempted to resist their evictors. The women stood in the way of the police. The sheriff gave the order tew attack them, and himself struck the first blow at a woman. Such, indeed, was the sad havoc made on the

' females on the banks of the Carron that pools of blood were on the ground, that the grass and earth were dyed red with it, that the dogs of the district came and licked it up; and at last, such was the state of fading of parties that came from a distance to see the field that the ground* was harrowed up in the night to hide the Hood.’

“One more instance illustrates the present system of slavery—for land is held the same now as then. In the summer of 1851 a.certain Colonel Gordon had decided

and in the' Island of Bana. He and his men adopted the low-down methods of the slave-trader. The poor people were commanded under a penalty of £2 to attend a public meeting at Loch Boisdale, where the transports lay. At this meeting the natives were seized and, in spite of their entreaties, sent on board. One stout High-, lander* Angus Johnstone, resisted so strongly that ttey handcuffed him. One morning .during the transporting, season we were suddenly awakened by the screams of a young female who had been recaptured in an adjoining house, she having escaped after her first capture. We all rushed to the door, and saw the broken-hearted mar tore with disheveled hair and swollen face, dragged away by two constables and a ground officer. But for the color of the slaves you would think you were on the slave coast of Africa.’*

Landlords may be less brutal than they were seventy years ago, yet the old tyranny and op-- pression remain. Starvation ip the preferred weapon today. It must be so as long as men , /are exposed to the temptations which the possession of unlimited wealth and absolute power engender.

I will now reproduce an open letter published on behalf of the Vatersay fishermen who were evicted, tried, and convicted, and sentenced to six weeks’ imprisonment, for returning to the island of Vatersay, from which their forefathers were evicted fifty years before:

“Sir : I wish to thank you for the slip of the tongue which reveals yourself, and your class, and many of your supporters in their true light, so that every working man can appreciate the insult which you have in an unguarded moment thrown at us, while you were defending the right of a lady to have absolute power to keep a portion of the earth’s surface a wilderness. Ten of the best of British toilers want more room and better conditions to obtain a living. Their forefathers fifty years ago were evicted from Vatersay.' Today they return with their families to obtain a living, as their fathers did before them, by spade culture and fishing; and for this sin against property and the class which you repr^ sent, these ten men an imprisoned, and while there insulted by you, and through them every working man in the United Kingdom. Who set you up to alter the decrees and commandments of the Lord God Almighty? You call them ‘parasites’ because they have doubled _s their numbers in sixty years, and say that they ought not to be on the face of the earth. God’s first commandment to Tn an was, Be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth and subdue it.

“What has Lady Gordon done to subdue Vatersay? What have you done to subdue it? Played golf on it?

You play at life! These men and women and their unknown amongst them; yet you call them pansites who ought to have no place on God’s earth to live upon.

“I once knew a working man who boasted of being a Tory and whose remedy for bad trade and want of work waa: ‘A good war with plenty of slaughter? Was this one of the reasons that war vM provoked and carried on in South Africa? Were the Highlanders slaughtered at Magersfontein to help the depopulation of the Highlands? It looks like it.

- “By what right db you and your ilk hold Jarge»tracta of land, and keep the people in a state of starvation and slavery upon it, and drive off those whom you cannot enslave? Does the land you domineer over bring forth abundantly? And what do you do towards its production? Has the earth produced its uttermost in this old country, which has been misgoverned for centuries? There is land enough to provide food in plenty to feed a population of two hundred n* ill inn—withant importation—the greater part of this landjwing idle. What right have you to reverse the commands of God, and say that it shall not be made fruitful or that man shall not multiply upon it?

“What right have you to keep the millions of landless Britons whose land is wrongfully withheld from them, from reoccupying that land and obeying the commandments of their God? And who gave you the authority to dictate how many children they should have, or to forbid those children room to obev the commandment of God in their turn ? There is more infant life sacrificed by the worshipers of the Golden Calf today in one year than the children of Israel sacrificed during the reign of Ahab! It is true that they are not taken by force from their parents’ arms, but by a more barbarous system. The parents are helpless to prevent their being starved, stunted, and killed by unhealthful surroundings —murdered that you may have gold and land to keep as a wilderness.”

“Hl fares the land

To hastening ills a prey, Where wealth accumulates,

And men decay.**

Miamfs Great Sea Monster

MTA MT'S great sea-monster was exhibited for months at Miami, Florida, on board the yacht Tamiami, at the Bay front, opposite the Royal Palm Park and Band Concerts. For anght we Know it may still be on exhibition there. Since this monster was discovered, the people whose mouths are in inverse proportion to the square of their brains have had much less to say about the impossibility of the Jonah story than

Jhey once had; for this is a true “fish story.”

We have mentioned this monster several/ times in The Golden Age, and we take delight, in bringing it up again and again; for it help? to show us how “willingly ignorant*’the dominies: are that have rejected the Bible and set them* selves up as the standard of all that is wise here and hereafter. We append the statistics which^-are published in advertising the curiosity.

Captured by Capt Chas. H. Thompson, south of Mimi.

This creature measures 45 feet in length.

It weighs 15 tons, or nearly 30,000 pounds.

Its circumference is 23 feet nine inches.

Its diameter is 8 feet and three inches.

Is mouth is 38 inches wide and 43 inches deep.

Its tongue is 40 inches long; several thousand teeth.

Its liver alone weighed 1,700 pounds, or more than ten full-grown men together.

Its tail measures 10 feet, from tip to tip.

Its pectoral fin is 5 feet long and 3 feet wide.

Its dorsal fin is 3 feet long, and 2 feet and nine inches wide.

Its gills are four feet long, and its hide is three inches thick.

It had swallowed an octopus weighing 400 pounds; a black fish weighing 1,500 pounds and 500 pounds of coral also found in its stomach. It could have swallowed forty Jonahs without the slightest pangs of indigestion.

It smashed a boat into thousands of pieces and crushed the rudder and propeller of a 31-toa yacht with a single swish of its mighty tail.

Five harpoon thrusts and 150 large calibre rifle bullets served only to increase its fury, and five days were required finally to kill it.                    '

The actual battle lasted thirty-nine hours—two days and a night—in open boat, in open sea, with the monster dragging a small boat at express train speed for hundreds of miles.                                .

Scientific authorities believe that the creature was an inhabitant of depths more than 1,500 feet below the surface, and that it was blown up by some subterranean or volcanic upheaval, which Injured its diving apparatus so that it was unable to return to its native haunts.

The thickness of its hide enabled it to withstand the most enormous water pressure, a pressure almost inconceivable to man. Its eyes, which are very small, have no lids and were never closed, indicating that it lived at a depth where eyes were of no avail.               -

The creature is not classified in natural history. The genus or species is unknown; and it is not only the most remarkable geological specimen, but the largest specimen of the fish tribe known, in history.                        .

Although the largest fish ever captured, scientists daim it was only a baby of its tribe, and if it had lived to attain full growth it would have been two and one-half times as large. *

Every undertaking establishment on the Florida 'East Coast from Jacksonville to Key West gave up its supply of formaldehyde to preserve the monster, and over nia^ teen barrels were used.

It was mounted by Prof. J. S. Wambeth, of Washington, the celebrated taxidermist, who was recommended, by the Smithsonian Institute. Wambeth was also chosen to accompany Admiral Perry on his trip to the Pola

TO CONFORM to the ways of the world is to have the spirit of the world. In the Bible it says: "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him." (1 John 2:15) Men love the world, and have its spirit in order to be "good mixers" and to be popular.

The National Humane Review is authority for the statement that Bev. Billy Sunday, who I conducted a whirlwind evangelistic campaign at Charleston, S. C., went deer hunting with some .of his party, and adds: “The famous evangelist can see nothing incompatible with preaching the gospel of divine love for all creatures and, hunting innocent deer.” It quotes from the daily, press, stating that Mr. Sunday wounded a deer, and that another member of the party finally killed it Then comes the spectacular:

“It appears to be the custom in South Carolina for a successful hunter to HaVe his face smeared with the ' blood of his first deer; and Mr. Sunday had this highly edifying rite performed for him by Bev. Dr. William Way, one of the prominent Episcopal clergymen at „ Charleston."

Billy's mint consists in fooling the pepple, and Barnum thought they liked to be fooled. Pari of Billy’s fooling process is 'his measurable conformity to the ways of others.

But our esteemed contemporary is mistaken in saying that Billy preaches the gospel of divine love for all creatures. No; that heaven has a few favorites; that everybody else is going to hell; and that Christ will render a judgment according to Sunday's theology, is Billy's thought In his prayers he instructs God and Christ as to what he wants done, and also informs us that when he.gets to heaven Ke intends to make other requests! -

If Billy really understood divine love, he would not be killing deer; much less would he allow the blood to be smeared over his face. If Billy knew what divine love is and how it operates (1 Corinthians 13) we doubt that he would shoot at a deer even if he were seriously in need of food. There are other ways of killing animals for food or for any other reason besides taking chances of wounding them with lead bullets shot from a distance.

Father Snyder’s Wail

WE HAVE before us a copy of the wail of Father Justin Snyder, O. S. B., of Stephan, Hyde Co^ North Dakota. It seems that Father Snyder is a Catholic missionary among the Indians. He realizes that the Indians are in desperate need of material comforts and makes an appeal, .not that they may have the things that they need, but something else.

Father Snyder makes an appeal, but it is not for the Indians. It is for Father Snyder. If he can receive enough financial support, he is willing to stay where he is and add to the misery and wretchedness of these poor Indians by picturing before them the agonies of a purgatory which does not exist, a flaming hell which does not exist, and the doctrine of the inherent immortality of man, which is totally unscrip-turaL But let us hear him?

“Their home is on ths wild prairies or among the big hills along the Missouri River on the Crow Creek Reservation. What they call home is often only > miserable hovel, and in some cases a tent. Being poor in the extreme they are unable to help much their priest 'who in continual financial worries is struggling to nourish and save their immortal souls for eternal life in heaven.⁰ “This appeal has the blessing and approval of our bishop, Rt Rev. Bernard J. Mahony, Bishop's House, 7th Ave. and 20th St, Sioux Falls, 3. D.^w

We have a suggestion: Let the Father and the Bishop go to work at so much per and send some real food and clothing to the Indians.

SBrey will appreciate it Moreover, if the Father will send vs the addresses of the Indians, and if they read English, we shall be glad to tell them all about God’s great plan for them, and for the Father and the Bishop; and it will npt cost any of them one cent

Father Sylvester Wants Money

WE HAVE another wail from a Roman _ Catholic priest in Marty, South Dakota, who wants some money. We quote in part from his letter:

“Our people here are the poorest of God’s poor. In rags and tatters they live in wretched hovels, suffering from hunger and exposure. Asking for money from them is like begging for bread in Vienna. Bub I have gone on with my missionary work, trusting entirely in God and the charity of good people. The tiny allowance we get from the annual Indian-Negro Collection is used up in a week.

"For six years I have been ‘making the missions’ in my ‘Ford,’ climbing the gumbo hills and roaming the Dakota prairie. Sometimes the Ford is stuck in a creek or broken down, far from human help. These axe little trials, but the greatest trial ia to find oneself without means to cany on the work of earing souls. Our children, dirty and in rags, hardly know that there is a Providence above. They have not had the chance to learn iL A echoed with Sisters has been our dream for years. Good people are willing to give to a specific case of need or distress. Here is a real one.

“My dear friend, your offering will help; and it will be appreciated. I am willing to spend my life and all my energies for this weary work. I look for no earthly reward. Will you, too, do-something for these Indians' souls? The Whites robbed them of their land and liberty. Let us, at least, make some amends by sending them the gift of our Holy Faith t”

Tell you what, Sylvester. If you really want to do something for those poor Indians, just crank up your old Liz; and while you still have the price of a tankful of gasoline left from the* last contribution, just head East and get as far away as the car will take you. The longer you stay the worse they are off; and the less of your unholy and diabolical faith about purgatory and hell fire you give them the happier they will be. Our charge for this advice is the usual fee^ "Free Seats and No Collections.”

Roman Catholic Civilization

A FAIR sample of what would happen in America if this country came under Roman Catholic control is contained in the following item published in the Vienna Arbeiter Zeitnmg, April 10, 1924. The item has reference to the experience of a group of International Bible Students who endeavored, in modern Hungary, to exercise their privilege of worshiping the Lord in accordance with the dictates of their own consciences. Moreover, these sufferers were threatened with the penalty of death in ease they should spread the news of. their ill-treatment.

In the face of this story the current claim of the Roman Catholic church in America that it is persecuted is enough to make a decent man ill with nausea. The Roman Catholic church is and has always been an association of heartless, hypocritical religious politicians, keeping the people in ignorance, devoted to war and bloodshed and every evil work. The fact that it has a religious exterior only makes its heartless conniving after wealth and power all themorw reprehensible.

“Budapest, April 7,—In the parish of Bogacs, in the county of Borsod, about forty Protestant farmers met together. These had formed an association for Biblereading, in order to read and explain the Holy Scriptures and to sing psalnu. Suddenly, without warnings the gendarmes exitend the hall, seized the hymn-books and the Bibles, threw them out into the court, dedared. the men and women under arrest, and took them all* to. the town-halt The sergeant-major on duty, Tapolcsanyi, sentenced all the prisoners to a flogging of twenty-five strokes each, and the sergeant, Szabo, immediately executed the punishment. Then they were taken to the nearby village, Moszlay, where a similar Bible-study association exists. There the gendarmes went from house • to house, and likewise seized the hymnals and the Bibles, and dealt out considerable flogging at the same tuna. * The people were held prisoners for two days, then ra- ' leased under threat that unless they desisted from their ‘ activities, dangerous to tha State, they would ail bo * interned in Zala-Egerueg.”

Preparing The Kings

(Broadcast fmm WATCHTOWER WBBR on a ware length of 273 neters, by Judge J. P. Rutherford)

• TESUS of Nazareth, after He was raised from V the dead and glorified in heaven, dictated to St John the Book of Revelation.

- At the time St. John was serving a prison term on the Isle of Patmos for the alleged violation of the Espionage Law of that time. Espionage laws have ever been used as a pretext for the persecution and the causing of suffering of those who dare tell the'truth concerning God’s plan. But the Lord always overrules what seems to be a calamity to the Christian, makes it work out to the Christian’s good and to the Lord’s glory. No man has been more highly honored than the supposed convict, St John, to receive at the hands of the Lord of glory this wonderful Revelation.

The Book of Revelation gives a brief history of the Christian Church from its beginning until now. It points out that a time would come when the evil powers would be desperately arrayed * against the Lord in a great conflict, that these would make war against the Lord, and that He would overcome them; for He is Lord of lords 'and King of kings, and they that are with Him are called, and chosen, and faithful.—Revelation 17:14.

This is proof that the Lord Jesus is the great King, and that He must come into Hi* kingdom, - and that He will have with Him others who, by His grace, will serve with Him as kings. Speaking in another part of the Book of Revelation to St. John, Jesus said concerning those that win be with Him: “They shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.” (Revelation 20:6) - This is another proof that they will be kings. Only kings reign with power and authority. The ones here referred to will occupy the most exalted positions in all of God’s universe, Jehovah alone excepted. It follows then, necessarily, that if these have such an exalted place that Jehovah would take much time and pains in preparing them. Even so it has been and is. It also necessarily follows that such must be exceptional characters.

Identification of the Kinge                  .

IS IT possible to identify those who will compose the class of kings 1 If so, by what means may we identify themf -Throughout the Scrip* tures this class is designated under different titles. St. Paul mentions them as- members of the body of Christ He sayb that Jesus is the Head of the body, the Church. (Colossians 1:1S) There has been great confusion in the minds of the people as to what constitutes the Church of Christ In the ATaTnination of this- subject we may consider the kings and the Church as synonymous terms referring to the same class.

St Peter, concerning the same riass, says: “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light: which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God; which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.”—1 Peter 2:9,10.

Necessarily it follows that whoever is a member of this class must measure up to the standard laid down by the Apostle. The Jews thought that they were the ones; for God had previously '■ promised that they should be- unto Him a pecu- -liar people and a kingdom of priests. But they came far short, and today no Jew riaims to be of that class.                         '

After our Lord had ascended on high, men organized bodies which- they, designate the church. Many Catholics have long thought that their organization is the one here mentioned by the apostle Peter. But when we come to apply the standard it can hardly be said that the Catholic church is a holy nation and. a royal priest; hood. With all due deference to Catholics; everyone informed of the facts knows that there has been much wrong done in the name of the Catholic church.

Then came upon the scene the Protestant church denominations, such as the Lutheran, Presbyterian, Baptist, Methodist, and others, each one in turn claiming to be the chosen ones of the Lord who should constitute the special associates in His kingdom. Again, when we apply the divinely given standard, we must see that none of these systems measures up to the requirements. You may ask, then: What earthly organization answers the description and meets the requirementsT I reply: There is no earthly organization; nor did God intend for any earthly organization to have this honor. '

The apostle Paul speaks of this class in these words, as "the church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven.’* (Hebrews 12:23) He does not say that their names are written oh some earthly church book, nor that they are designated as clergy or laymen or have any peculiar dress or marks visible to man. The Lord judges according to the secret intent of the heart. He knows the inmost thoughts.

How the Kings An Selected '

SINCE the ones here mentioned are to be associated with Jesus as kings and priests, we should expect to find both the qualifications required and the manner of selection set forth in the Bible. Even so it is. St Paul, in discussing this matter in his epistle to the Hebrews, states that the Lord did not lay hold upon angels of whom to make these kings, but laid hold upon the seed of Abraham. By this we understand him to mean those who possess the faith, like unto Abraham. Abraham is known as the father of the faithful, and the first essential to pleasing God is to have faith. That is to say, one must believe that God exists, and that He is the rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. (Hebrews 11:6) None others are to be considered. Faith means (1) an intellectual understanding and appreciation of the Bible as God’s Word of Truth given for the guidance of man relative to his salvation, and (2) a confident reliance upon that Word. -

Those who are selected to be kings and priests are taken from amongst men. The first thing essential is repentance, which means a change of mind. One has been following the course of worldly men. He determines in his mind that he has been taking the wrongful course, and wants to serve the Lord. That is repentance. The next step is conversion, which means a change of course of action. When he turns away from following after the world and seeks the Lord Jesus, then he is properly said to be converted. The next step is laid down by the Lord in- these words: "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me; for whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it" (Matthew 16:24,25) To deny oneself means to agree to do what another would direct. This means that the one turning away from the world and seeking the Lord is

plainly told that he must surrender himself unto the Lord, agreeing to do the Lord’s will Thisr is properly called consecration.              : -

The real desire of the one who now consecrates himself to the Lord is that he might be in full harmony with God and enjoy the blessings of life everlasting. To him Jesus says: "I am the way, and the truth, and the life: no man' cometh unto the Father but by me.” (John 14^ 6) Otherwise stated, one seeking the Lord must recognize that he was born a sinner, that Jesus provided the ransom price for him, and that the^j only way to get back into harmony with God is■ to exercise faith in this great truth of the ransom sacrifice.                     ■                 •

The next step is justification, which means ■ being made right with God. The Apostle says :' "By faith are we justified"; and again, "By the '• blood of Jesus are we justified”; and again, "It is God who justifies.” Thus we see that there are three steps: (1) Our faith in the Lord and in His provisions for us; (2) the application of the merit of Christ, designated as His life-blood; and (3) the judicial determination by Jehovah that we are right; and this is justification. Otherwise stated, when one presents himself in full consecration, Jehovah says to him, in substance: 'Because of your faith in-the blood of my beloved Son, because that blood has been applied for you, I therefore determine that through His merit you are right with me* I justify you.’

Now, says the apostle Paul: "Being justified by faith, we have peace with God.” (Romans 5:1) To have this peace with God means to be in harmony with Him. He who is justified has the right to live as a human being.. There is but one reason why God has justified any one during the Gospel Age, and that is that such might become a member of the sacrificial body of our Lord. Jesus was actually perfect when He was offered as a sacrifice. Those who will compose the body members of Christ are counted by Jehovah as perfect human beings when accepted; and this perfection is counted to them by reason of the merit of His beloved Son, Christ Jesus.

The next step is the begetting, which means the beginning of the new creature in Christ. St James says that God, by His Word, exercising His own will, does this begetting. (James 1:18) St Peter states that these are begotten to ahope oflife, to an inheritance incorruptible reserved in heaven for those who are faithful, unto the end. Such a one who is thus begotten, is -properly said to be in Christ Jesur. Now adds the Apostle: “If any man be in Christ he is a new- creature.” From that time forward God counts him a new creature, because his hopes and prospects for-life everlasting are heavenly and not earthly..^

The next step is the anointing. Jehovah does the anointing through Christ Jesus. St. John, speaking to these, says: “Ye have an unction [an anointing] through the Holy One, and ye all know it.” The Prophet puts the words into the mouth of the Christian thus: "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto / the meek: he hath sent me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and. the opening of the prison to them that are "bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the ' Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn.” (Isaiah 61:1,2) Is he who has now become a, Christian ready for heaven? I answer: No.                   • ■ »•

Tint,’ says one, T have always understood that if I repented and was converted and baptized in water I was ready for heaven if I died instantly.’ This is what we have been taught; but it is not what the Bible teaches. '

It must appeal to the reasonable mind thus: Thai if God is to select from amongst fallen men those whom He will exalt to the highest places in the universe, they must go through a course of training; and that He would not beget such to the divine nature and take them immediately to heaven without first giving them a chance to demonstrate loyalty to God. Jesus said concerning the Christian: "Narrow is the way, and few there be that find it.” We can now understand why the way is narrow. It is not an easy matter to be a Christian, but it is the greatest privilege ever granted to any creature in the universe. It is the invariable rule that he who receives a great and lasting-reward must receive it after strenuous and tremendous effort.

The Training of These Kings

MILLIONS have been deceived into the thought that they would go to heaven and be forever with the Lord; yet Jesus plainly

states that only a little flock will be of that class. (Lake 12: 32) There are far more people , on Manhattan Island alone than will ever be of the heavenly kingdom class,                .

Millions of "people have been deceived by the. teachings- of men to the effect that a Christian ' ' can actively engage in the politics of this world and resort to all the other means employed by the world in fraudulent schemes, and still be the chosen ones of the Lord. St. Paul plainly says: “Be not conformed .to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.” (Bomans 12:2) The word world here means the order of" society: Otherwise stated, St Paul says: Do not fashion-yourself after the habits of the world, saying, I must do thus and so because somebody else does, because it is the fashion- of my community, I must do what they do.' •     .            /'

Whoever will be a king and priest unto God . must follow the way pointed out by the Lord. not a way pointed, out by man. To be trana--formed means to be made over. It means to ga. contrary to the downward tendency of human kind. It means to follow-in the footsteps of Jesus. No man- can with one foot follow after the world, and with the other foot try to follow" ■ the Lord., He may succeed in deceiving the. people, but he cannot for a moment deceive, the Lord. .

The apostle Peter says to the Christian, who has once started: “For even hereunto were ya called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps.” (1 Peter 2:21) This scripture proves conclusively that the Christian must follow in the Master's footsteps, that he must copy the Master’s example:.and to do so will entail upon ' him suffering at the hands of others, even those who claim to be Christians.

From time immemorial three elements have composed the ruling factors of the earth; namely, commercial, political, and ecclesiastical organizations, combined together. These are called in the Scriptures the world, the ruling power. These advocate war, and make temporary peace. They sanctify war, and urge others to go to the battlefield and take their fellow creatures' lives. To the Christian the Lord says: “Thau shalt not IqlL” If the worjdwishx. to kill each other, that is their business. The commission of the Christian is to do something else.

The Lord Jesus was misunderstood and misrepresented by the scribes and the Pharisees and others of the clergy of his time. They eaused Him to be accused of practically every crime known to the criminal calendar; yet He was holy, harmless, and without sin. It has. ever been thus throughout the Gospel Age. Any pinn, or class of men and women, who dares to represent the Lord exclusively, has suffered persecution at the hands of others. Many of the world, not understanding this, have looked upon Christians as the offscourings of the earth. It is even so today. And why is it T

Jesus answered that question in these words: “If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen, you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. But all these things will they do unto' you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me." —John 15:19-21.

Suffering Necatary to Prove Loyalty     -

TTTTC Lord makes it a condition precedent that he who will enter the courts of glory as a king must do so by way of the path of suffering. The adverse conditions afford an opportunity of proving his loyalty to the Lord. Fidelity, faithfulness, loyalty, is that which is pleasing to the Lord. The true Christian has never regretted that he was called upon to suffer. On the contrary he has been comforted by the Lord's example and His Word.

For instance, as St. Peter says: "Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: but rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified." (1 Peter 4:12-14)

What a fraud has been practised upon men to induce them to join some church and then to . tell them: ‘Now if you die you are certain to ' * go to heaven,' ignoring entirely the require- j. meats to be a real associate of the Lord! -

The apostle Paul plainly says that he who is, ‘ a Christian must be an ambassador of Christ. ; An ambassador is the visible representative < *• an absent king. Every true Christian then upon the earth, since the 'day our Lord ascended on high, has been, and is, an ambassador of Christ It becomes the duty of an ambassador to represent the great King of kings and Lord of lords. His specialty, his vocation, is faithfully and loyally to represent his King. To do so, of course, will mean that he will suffer at the hands of the god of this world, Satan, and of his representatives. '

As a further evidence that suffering with . Christ is an essential thing, the Apostle says: : "If we suffer, we shall reign with him; if we' deny him, he also will deny us.* (2 Timothy 2:12) To deny the Lord would mean to repo-diate His Word, His kingdom, and His plan of salvation. To be His faithful and loyal ambas- , sador and to proclaim the message of the Lords I kingdom would entail suffering upon the one . who does these things. The Apostle makes it . ■ dear that the latter course is a condition precedent to becoming a king.

The Lord Jesus emphasizes this fact when He says to the one who has begun to follow id His footsteps: "Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.* (Revelation 2: 10) The crown of life is the highest element of life, the divine nature. Our Lord's statement * means that such will be associated with our Lord; for to such He says: “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.”—Revelation 3:2L

Present Identification'^ Impoaible

CAN we tell now just who will be of that class, who will be with the Lord, and who will not! I answer: We cannot It is not for us to Hotp-rmino But we may follow this as a general rule: That he who advocates and supports the unrighteous principles and systems of this present order and denies the Lord and His plan of. salvation will never be of that class.

_o . .The Apostle says that God has set the mem. _t hers in the body as it pleaseth Him. He knows what they must do, and He-judges them according to the secret intent of their heart in-doing as best they can what their hands find to do. Ve may approximate who'some of them are by the course that 'they persistently follow. As an .. ambassador of Christ, each one is commissioned t® do certain things; namely, to proclaim the

message of Christ's kingdom* to declare His plan of salvation, to bind up the broken-hearted, to comfort those that mourn. Anyone who is ■ honestly and ^earnestly striving to- do this be_; cause of his l<5ve for the Lord and for the Lord’s cause we can reasonably expect is pleasing to , the Lord. But he who advocates war and urges young men to go to the battlefield, himself pos-. ing as a Christian, and at the same time tells ’ young men that if they die upon the battlefield they will go straight to heaven, certainly could not be of that class. Such have not the spirit of •• Christ Jesus. St Paul says: “If any man have ' not the spirit of Christ, he is none of his.”— ' Bomans 8:9.

Honored of the Lord ' .

THE Lord permits His true followers to be -misunderstood, misrepresented, persecuted, imprisoned, and even killed for truth and right. eousness* sake. He permits them to be despised amongst men, misrepresented by the public press and the ruling powers.- These agencies : blind tho.people to the true arrangement of the Lord. But in God's own due time He will make - known to the people who constitute this class , of- kings and priests. Concerning them His prophet wrote: “And of Zion it shall be said, This and that man was born in her; and the Highest himself shall establish her. The Lord shall count, when he writeth up the people, that this man was born there.”—Psalm 87: 5,6.

Future Office One of Ruling

THOSE who will compose the kings with Christ Jesus are otherwise designated in the Scriptures as the new creation. The\ Lord has employed many centuries in preparing them. This of itself is an argument of the importance attached to their, selection and qualifications. Now remember the promise that God made to Abraham when He said: “In thy seed shall all -families of the earth be blessed.” Then call

to mind St Paul’s definition of the seed: "As many of you as-are baptized into Christ, have put on Christ . . . And if ye be Christ's, the* are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” (Galatians 3:27,29) Thus definitely is fixed the purpose for which these kings are prepared. .    -              ■            ■

Many an honest person has wandered whether or not he would go to,heaven. He has no evidence that he is rn-nning for the heavenly prize; he is wondering what the future holds. Many have said: If only a few will be in heaven, what' will become of the millions of others T

My answer is, These will have an opportunity of receiving earthly blessings. These blessings will be administered to them by the kings and priests of God and of Christ, the seed,of Abraham according to the promise. Millions of people now on earth will soon have the opportunity of coming to a full knowledge of the truth, and of understanding God’s provision and mitering'., into the blessings that He promised; namely, life, liberty, and happiness. Concerning this th* prophets foretold the coming times of restoration of man to the condition of perfection ofi body and mind. St. Peter, at Pentecost, declared: “He [God] shall send; Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: whom th* heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since-the world began.”—Acts 3:20,21.

Jesus said to His disciples, and through them to all other Christians who are faithful: “Ye which have followed me, in the regeneration, . when the Son of man shall ait in the throne, of his glory, ye shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (Matthew 19:. 28) This means that they, with Christ Jesus,, will be judging the families of the earth for the purpose of blessing man. The apostle Paul corroborated this when he said: "Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world F—1 Corinthians 6:2.

The Time for the Kingdom

TIME is an important element of the Lord’s plan. He does everything in due time and exactly on time. We may know that the time of the completion of the kings, the time of their exaltation, and the beginning of their reign, will be just in the Lord’s due time. Jesus, when H*

was on earth, said to His followers: “I go to prepare a place for you. . . I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” (John 14:2,3) Based upon this, Christians have been, throughout the Gospel Age, waiting and hoping for the time of the coming of the Lord and the setting up of His kingdom. The apostle Paul pointed out that the Lord Jesus would have a special blessing for everyone who would love His second coming.                              .

You may be able to answer the question for yourself as to whether or not you are in line for this special blessing. Do you love the second . coming of the Lord? Are you anxious to know

. *

about that? The Scriptures show that the sec- I ond coming of the Lord, the setting up of His ' kingdom, and the blessing of mankind closely ^; synchronize with the time of the end of the . world. Therefore the end of the world is a most important factor in the divine plan, both with reference to the Christian and with reference to the world in general From the Scriptural proof submitted you see that the kings are Jesus and those of Hi* followers who are faithful unto death and who shall participate in the first resurrection and be associated with Him in heaven. Thbse shall be united with Him for.

• the performance of the duties of kings at the end of the world.

Could Presumption Go Further By-Joseph Knight (Bermuda)

TT AVING been a subscriber to your magazine , -tA for quite a long time, and reading therein occasionally the doings of present-day ministers and some of their "flock," I am sending you a clipping from an English paper which might interest you, if you have not already seen one; It just shows to what length these so-called , * "shepherds* will go, to gather their flock into the fold, I think the Bishop of Ripon, along with the other clergymen, had better'chuck up their jobs, if they can't respect the Creator better than they do. What do you say!

The clipping which is from a Leeds, England, paper, follows:

“ The Creator, resplendent in robes of shining gold, and wearing a gorgeous crown, was personified in the Church of St Edward, Holbeck, tonight, in the first performance in England of Hofmannsthal's mystery passion play, "The Great World Theatre.'

“The play was produced in this suburban church by Edith Craig, the daughter-in-law of Ellen Terry, under the auspices of the Leeds Art Theatre, and with the consent of the Bishop of Ripon. Lord Halifax was a member of the audience, which was composed largely of clergymen.

“The play opened in darkness, the only sound being the voices of an invisible choir heard faintly to an organ accompaniment.

“Suddenly there was the odor of incensa • and then gradually the church was suffused with a dim blue light, mealing prelates and sibyls, ghostly figures in vestments, moving quickly and silently up ths side aisles to

the chancel, which had been converted to a stage heavily draped with multicolored curtains.                   ' ,

“While they stood expectantly outside ths Master’s . door, a magnificent, arrogant figure in purple robes Mise Kathleen Ellis—representing the World, swept down the main aisle, followed by her minions, Curiosity -and Death.

“Faintly, almost imperceptibly, a light appeared in- -side the altar screen, and then suddenly tbs man who was God—in the play—was revealed bathed in golden radiance. He commanded the World to prepare a play, and appointed Death to be stage manager.. ■

“There was darkness again, then the stage was taken by characters in shrouds of greenish hua^ represmting disembodied souls, from whom the acton were chosen.

“The angel representing the world gave knightly armor to the Sing, sumptuous gowns to the rich man. an axe to the peasant, costly fabrics for beauty, nuns' robes for wisdom, and rags for the beggar; but whan the soul of the beggar saw his part, which meant misery after misery, he rebelled. '                     ’ *

“Then followed the great climax of the play. The beggar was about to kill the angel when seraphic figures appeared aloft singing with angelic voices, while the organ bunt forth with joyous melody, and the stage was flooded with light. He accepted his part, and fell on his knees in prayer.

“After a brief pause the stage waadarkened, and there was a grotesque dance by Death, an eerie figure, before he dismissed the souls.

“The Creator appeared again in the final scene to bless the acton, now ghosts, for the parts they had played, with the exception of the rich man, who lay prostrate on the edge of the stage, ignored by the souls that had been saved."                 .

STUDIES IN THE “HARP OF GOLT C^SFSS?¹’’’) rri    With 1mm Numbar 00 wa Mean ruoalnt Judea RutharfortTa ‘naw book. CTl

W5    **^rh“ Harp of God*, with acconpanyine quarfoua, UUng the piece of both * Hf

j*;               Idnocid and Juvenile Bible StndlM which have baan hlthartu pubUahe<

r^When Jesus was on earth He taught the people in parables or dark sayings. His disci- . pie? came to Him and asked: “Why speakest thou unto them in parables 1 He answered and saiil unto them, Because it is given- unto you. to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.” (Matthew 13:10, 11) It will be observed that He did not say, fYou now know the mysteries of God*; but that it was given them to know those mysteries. Not even His disciples understood Him in many things when they were with Him. On the last night before His crucifixion He was instructing them in various things that would be helpful to them in the days to come. On that occasion He said: “When he, the spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; hut whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things-to-come.” (John 16:13) The spirit of truth here mentioned is the holy spirit, the spirit of God, the invisible power operating upon the minds of those who are in covenant relationship .with God. Jesus here used the masculine pronoun in speaking of the holy spirit. -

““The holy spirit was given, to the disciples at Pentecost, that is to say, fifty days after the .resurrection of Jesus? “And when the day of ₍Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues, like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the holy spirit, and began to speak with other tongues, as the spirit gave them utterance.” (Acts 2:1-4) The King James Version of our Bibles translates the word here holy "ghost,” but there is no warrant for such a translation. It comes 'from the word which means spirit.

•“It was at Pentecost that for the first time God’s great mystery began to be understood by the disciples. The mystery of God has been a stumbling block to both Jews and Christians so-called; but in God’s due time He will make known to all the secret of His mystery; and then.all rightly .exercised by.this will rejoice with exceeding joy.

•"The mystery is the Christ,-the great one through whom redemption, deliverance and. blessing will ultimately .come to -all mankind who receive Christ and obey Him. God foreshadowed His mystery for ages by the use of various men, yet all that time kept it secret.

•“Death has been and is the great enemy of man. Death is the very opposite of life. The greatest desirO of man is and always has been to have life everlasting in happiness. From the time of his expulsion from Eden man has been looking for something upon which to fasten a. hope for life and happiness. Satan was the cause of death; and when God pronounced the sentence in Eden He said that the seed of the woman should bruise the serpent’s heath This statement was in the nature of a promise,, but it could not then be understood, Shoe Pento-eost some have understood the meaning of these-words to be an assurance that in God’s due timd the seed of promise, the seed of the woman, will destroy* Satan, who has the power of death.. Nearly two thousand years rolled by after this. before anything further was promised.

QUESTIONS ON “THE HARP OF GOI7*

Whet Jesus was on earth, why did’He teach by parable.? ft 299.

Did the disciples always understand His mining? ft 299. Did He instruct the disciples as to how they would be taught after His departure? and if so, how? ft299.

What is meant by the spirit of truth? ft 299.

When was the holy spirit given to the disciples? Give the Scriptural proof, ft 300.

What is the meaning at the term “holy ghost”? ft 300. ' When did God’s mystery begin to be understood by th* disciples ? ft 301.

What effect has the mystery had on Jews and so-called Christians? ft 301.

Define the mystery of God. ft 302.

How did God foreshadow the mystery ? ft 302.

What is man’s great enemy? ft 302;

Who was the cause of death ? ft 303.                  ___

At the time when God pronounced the sentence in Eden, was the statement, ‘The seed of the woman shall. bruise the serpent's head,' understood ? ft 303...

When, did it begin .to he undemtood? ft 303. i. ... ,_u..

Significance of Modem Inventions

ONE of the most amazing things about our times, fraught as they are with troubles jshd perplexities, is the multiplication ^:of their marvelous inventions. * . The future seems to present a field for endless exploration in this respect -

The amvenience that inventions provide^ ,the£r facilities far uniting distant parts, • their malting possible a more uniwrsal understanding—-all point to

inventions in the Divine Plan for man's future on earth.

The extensive irrigation projects and farm implements of our day were prophesied ■ . by Isaiah about 732 B. C. Nahum, about lOO years thereafter, foretold the railroad s - *

M hrin^rfng manlrind into dn— anrinaeHan-         '

Daniel,. about 500 B. said that this “running to and fro* would be accompanied •: by bn increase of knowledge. Job, about 2045*3. Q., used a phrase that no one could . possibly comprehend until he actually saw and heard the radios                . .

Man's future ar forecast in the Bible is one of gnat activity.. With universal cooper- ■ - ^s . . ation and the consequent reduction of labor necessary to provide the comforts of -- life, what wonderful vistas for his happiness and occupation open to view I            ¹

on earth than the "cloud and harp* theology once crammed into our unwilling .

mindaJ •            .          .                                                 *

The Hio Bmj Study Course and the Studies nr sms Sonznusns dearly trace _. the Creator’s designs for man's future.

• A future guaranteed by such irrefutable proof as the fulfilled prophecies is assured. .

-                                                                                       •                      ^r - ji

With topical index you may keep pace with that which marks the steps dt progress • .

in Jehovah’s program.

The Hamp Bible Study Course consists of weekly reading assignments allotting ‘ an hour's reading weekly. Self-quia cards point out the important items for which to watch. The Hamp op God is the textbook, which together with the Studxbb nr ran Scbiptubxs, all bound in doth, gold stamped, and printed on dull finished paper, cost 82.85 delivered.                                '                                     , •

IirrmunoMAi Bina Stukrts Amociatiok, Brooklyn, New York

GeetteNMM.* The enclosed $235 Ie for the Hamp Bibu Study Course and the Seven Volumes of Studibs rw tbs Scbxftvbbs. Forward to