An Open Letter to Sincere Catholics

PAGE a

A Visit to a Space-Satellite Tracking Station

Three Men for a Diamond

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MARCH 8, 1969

THE REASON FOR THIS MAGAZINE

News sources that are able to keep you awake to the vital issues of our times must be unfettered by censorship and selfish interests. "Awake!” has no fetters. It recognizes facts, faces facts, is free to publish facts. It is not bound by political ties; it is unhampered by traditional creeds. This magazine keeps itself free, that it may speak freely to you. But it does not abuse its freedom. It maintains integrity to truth.

The viewpoint of "Awake!" is not narrow, but is international. "Awake!" has its own correspondents in scores of nations. Its articles are read in many lands, in many languages, by millions of persons.

In every issue "Awake!" presents vital topics on which you should be informed. It features penetrating articles on social conditions and offers sound counsel for meeting the problems of everyday life. Current news from every continent passes In quick review. Attention is focused on activities in the fields of government and commerce about which you should know. Straightforward discussions of religious Issues alert you to matters of vital concern. Customs and people in many lands, the marvels of creation, practical sciences and points of human interest are all embraced in its coverage. "Awake!” provides wholesome, instructive reading for every member of the family.

"Awake!” pledges itself to righteous principles, to exposing hidden foes and subtle dangers, to championing freedom for all, to comforting mourners and strengthening those disheartened by the failures of a delinquent world, reflecting sure hope for the establishment of God's righteous new order in this generation.

Get acquainted with "Awake!” Keep awake by reading "Awake!"

Published Simultaneously in the United States by the WATCHTOWER BIBLE AND TRACT SOCIETY OF NEW YORK. INC. 117 Adams Street                        Brooklyn, N.Y. 11201 „ U.S.A.

and in England by watch tower bible and tract society

Watch Tower House, The Ridgeway London N.W. 7, England N. H. Knorr,                                   Grant Suiter, fiacraiarj/

The Bible translation rmlarly vied In ’'Awake!” Is the N«W World Translation Of ths Holy Scriptures, 1961 edition. When otliBr translations arg ased, this Is clearly marked-

CONTENTS

Listening to the Wisdom of Mother

An Open Letter to Sincere Catholics

Micronesia—Islands in Trust

The Smallest Bird

A Visit to a Space-Satellite

Tracking Station

A Preaching Chain Reaction

Three Men for a Diamond

Energy Expended

Wresting a Living from the Sea

"Your Word Is Truth” Are You Under the Law of Moses? 27

Watching the World

Volume L                 London, Enol*nd, Wlarch B, 1969                             ej umber 5

E WERE real friends, mother and I.

We would go shopping together, try on clothes and at times wish we had the money to buy more of them. But usually we were happy that we did not have that kind of money, because we doubted very much if our enjoyment would have been as great. After all, we had what we really needed. I was fourteen and a little tall for my age. Mother was thirty-five and about my size. Salesgirls often would ask if we were sisters. When that happened, mother would literally beam!

Mother had a calm, kind face. When father died, she took full charge of the house. My younger brother Phil and I enjoyed talking to mother about the deeper things of life and what we hoped to be when we grew up.

My dreams were mainly of a big, beautiful house by the ocean on the coast of California, so that I could watch the sea roll in and at the same time not be far from the mountains. I was never sure which I loved more, the mountains or the sea. Mother knew of our dreams. At a party one day she asked a group of girls

said they wanted to get married and have children. Mother then asked if they thought they were ready to shoulder the responsibilities of becoming wives and mothers. The reaction was mixed. But that night I went to bed wondering the same about myself. I wrote in my diary: “Don’t think I qualify as a wife or a mother. Feel unsure, inadequate. Must pay more attention to mother."

About a week later, my brother Phil and I clashed. He would not listen to me when I told him to pick up his clothes, so I got cross. Phil yelled back: “You talk too much!" Before I could say anything, mother stepped in. "Leave him alone,” she said in a firm but kind voice. Phil picked up his clothes without a fuss and disappeared. This puzzled me. Why did he do it? She then took hold of my hand and said: "No man ever told a woman she talked too much when she was telling him how wonderful he is. You catch more flies with sugar, my dear, than with vinegar.

When you differ with a man, even your younger brother, do it gently, not with fire in your eyes.” I have never forgotten those words of wisdom.

Because of my quick temper, mother stressed self-control, reminding me, “If you are patient in one moment of anger, you will escape a hundred days of sor-

. row.”

And, later on, when she was talking to Phil I overheard her say that if he wanted a woman simply to be voiceless and stare up at him in awe, then he should seek the company of a cocker spaniel, not a woman, but that if he would consider the sensitivities of women, he would find them good company. Phil and I were amazed at mother’s wisdom. Father had been gentle beneath his firmness, but mother was firm beneath her gentleness.

Advice About Strong Drink

As young as Phil was, he always urged mother to let him have some wine. One day mother talked to both of us about the dangers of alcoholic beverages. The counsel that Lemuel’s mother gave him in correction was given to us to consider. Mother asked us to read Proverbs 31:4-7, which says: “It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine or for high officials to say; ‘Where is intoxicating liquor?’ that one may not drink and forget what is decreed and pervert the cause of any of the sons of affliction. Give intoxicating liquor, you people, to the one about to perish and wine to those who are bitter of soul. Let one drink and forget one’s poverty, and let one remember one’s own trouble no more.”

Mother was frank and firm. “An intemperate man,” she said, “is unfit to hold the reins of government or any job for that matter. Intoxicating liquor may give some momentary pleasure, but it has so many unpleasant consequences that only folly would make a man persist in its excessive use. The Bible speaks disapprovingly of overindulgence, and drunkenness is severely denounced—a sin worthy of disfellowshiping one from God’s Christian congregation.”—! Cor. 6:10.

Still mother was balanced in her view, saying that such beverages have their proper use. “Wine makes the heart rejoice,” she said, paraphrasing the Bible. (Ps. 104:15) “And the Christian apostle Paul recommended that Timothy use a little wine for the sake of his stomach and his frequent cases of sickness. (1 Tim. 5:23) So alcoholic beverages have their proper place and purpose, but overindulgence is not one of them.”

Thus we learned from mother to become keenly aware of the dangers that lurk in strong drink, that excessive drinking brings poverty, and disgrace on the family, the Christian congregation and God. Thereafter, anytime drinks were passed, mother’s words would ring in our ears forewarning us of the dangers, for which we were grateful.

What Men Like Most in Women

Since I can remember, I have always tried to please my brother, but never quite seemed capable of it. I remember telling mother that I would “never understand men, even if I lived to be twenty.” She laughed and added, “Perhaps even if you live to be thirty or forty or a hundred you’ll not understand them.” Then I asked what she thought men liked most in women. Her reply to that was that they liked the very things the Bible says a woman should be. So out came the family Bible. It seemed to fall open to the right spot from use. Mother’s skill at finding scriptures was to be admired. She read from Ephesians 5:21-24: “Let wives be in subjection to their husbands as to the Lord . . . In fact, as the congregation is in subjection to the Christ, so let wives also be to their husbands in everything.”

Personally, I thought that was a big order, but mother did not think so. “Submission,” she said, “makes for peace and harmony in the marital arrangement. When a wife is submissive, a man can better exercise his headship. The wife’s submissiveness motivates him lovingly to provide for her. True love finds in this quality a channel through which it can express itself.”

Being about sixteen and quite independent in viewpoint at the time, my initial reaction was rather adverse. “Me, be in subjection to a man as to the Lord in everything? That will be the day.” The very idea frightened me. So I pursued the matter. “Suppose a woman doesn’t feel that she wants to be in subjection so completely to a man, what then?”

Mother’s answer was equally as pointed: “If a woman doesn’t feel that she can live up to this Scriptural requirement, then she should not marry. She should remember that in marriage the husband becomes her head, that there must be a blending of two lives, ‘the two will become one flesh.’ (Eph. 5:31; 1 Cor. 11:3) If there is disagreement on this basic principle, then there will be friction and clashing, perhaps even a crack-up in the marital arrangement.”

We continued our discussion with the reading of Ephesians 5:25-33, which sets out the husband’s responsibilities, that he should love his wife as his own body, which he feeds and cherishes. The chapter concludes by saying: “Let each one of you [husbands] individually so love his wife as he does himself; on the other hand, the wife should have deep respect for her husband.” Mother then said: “A man becomes a loving provider for the wife, and she in turn deeply respects him for his loving care. Submissiveness and deep respect are qualities in women that are cherished by principled men.”

What Women Want in Men

So I asked mother what she thought a woman liked most in a man. She asked me to reply to that. I told her that I thought “loving tenderness” would rate high with me. I wanted my man to be courteous, to show me at least as much consideration as he would a complete stranger, A good companion would be my next requirement, one who would do more than eat and plop himself before a television set. I would want an understanding man, too, one who would anticipate my needs. I would also want a fair man, a loyal and an honest man.

Mother reacted in her usual manner with deep insight. “Do you think that a man who is by nature unjust, disloyal, or unreliable and dishonest could in any real and sustained way be tender, companionable and understanding toward his wife?” she asked. I did not think so; in fact, I thought it inconceivable. She agreed.

“Think of this when you consider the matter of selecting a mate,” she said. “You clearly responded emotionally to your own question. You thought first of your own needs and then realized that only a certain kind of man would be able to meet those needs. So when choosing a husband, first concern yourself with the man himself, his integrity and personality, his love and devotion to God and man. In such a man you will be more likely to find a man who knows how to express tender love and the other qualities you have mentioned.”

“The Secret Person of the Heart”

When in high school, I told mother: “Experts keep telling us that we women should raise our voices and stop being the slaves of men. They say we are insulting our education and squandering our potentials. They urge us to take off our aprons, put our children in day nurseries and go out and fulfill ourselves.” Mother listened patiently as I rambled on, and. then in her quiet way she said:

“The experts who ignore the Bible are wrong, dear. This constant harping on me, me, me; what am I? what do I want? is the kind of self-preoccupation that leads to failure. We have noticed in recent years some female voices have become shriller, but are these vocal women happier for it?”

She reached for her Bible and opened it to 1 Peter 3:1-4, and said, “Listen to this, honey, and you will know where true happiness lies.” She read: “In like manner, you wives, be in subjection to your own husbands, in order that . . . they may be won without a word through the conduct of their wives, because of having been eyewitnesses of your chaste conduct together with deep respect. And do not let your adornment be that of the external braiding of the hair and of the putting on of gold ornaments or the wearing of outer garments, but let it be the secret person of the heart in the incorruptible apparel of the quiet and mild spirit, which is of great value in the eyes of God.”

Mother then added: “Submissiveness, deep respect, chaste conduct, the quiet and mild spirit—these are the things that make a woman loved by a man, his children and God. This is happiness, my dear.”

What Value Charm and Beauty?

When young, however, all of this instruction seems so idealistic. "What young man looks for these qualities in a woman?” I asked mother. “Today, men look for shapely, beautiful women.”

“That may be true,” she said, “but not necessarily so when they are in search of a wife. And the number of divorces shows that neither men nor women can boast of making wise choices. Let me read to you what the Bible has to say about charm and beauty: ‘Charm may be false, and prettiness may be vain; but the woman that fears Jehovah is the one that procures praise for herself. Give her of the fruitage of her hands, and let her works praise her even in the gates.* (Prov. 31: 30, 31) Charm may be false, because it can be put on, assumed for certain unworthy purposes. It doesn’t necessarily represent the person.”

“Prettiness may be vain,” mother continued, “because sickness can and does impair the body; aging affects it and death completely destroys physical beauty. Prettiness is superficial; it is not this that brings God’s approval. But a woman that fears Jehovah is a woman who practices true religion. Her charm harmonizes with her personality. Her worship governs all her moods; and that ornament of beauty, a mild and quiet spirit, is of great value in the sight of God and man. A woman that fears Jehovah ‘procures praise for herself,’ says the Bible. This is the lasting charm, the unfading beauty of a woman.”

The Value of a Capable Wife

After listening to mother over the years, I began to formulate in my mind’s eye a picture of what a capable woman should be. It was far different from my schoolgirl dreams. I also realized what a wonderful guide the Bible can be in a woman’s life. It was listening to mother and observing her that made me appreciate what a beautiful role women play in life, and I wondered if I were capable of meeting it and if men really appreciated the value of a woman.

One day I came across an article entitled “The Worth of a Wife,” which, by the way, was written by a man. Mother and I read it with interest. It was a humorous piece that spoke of a wife as a baby-sitter, a secretary, a laundress, a lawyer, a doctor, a psychiatrist, among other things, and the author pointed out that a good wife is thus worth a great deal to a man, or should be.

However, it pleased me to learn that the Bible, too, places a high value on a capable wife. Mother showed me that at Proverbs 31:10-31 a capable wife is described as a virtuous woman—a woman of power and strength, of full mental ability. “Her value is far more than that of corals”; in other words, no quantity of precious stones can be equal to her worth. And the Bible is the authority for that.

The writer of the Proverbs, in chapter thirty-one, summons the whole Hebrew alphabet to expound the virtues of a capable woman. She is described as a virtuous woman. She has her husband’s happiness constantly in view. For kind words she returns kind deeds. She is industrious. She is no burden on her husband. She economizes on time, waking up early and working late. She takes care of her own health and strength. She is skillful, watchful, compassionate and loving. Her appearance is decent. Her husband is respected, not only because she cares for the neatness and cleanliness of his dress, but because he is the husband of a woman who is justly held in high esteem. The husband and the children appreciate her excellence and encourage her in her work by the praise they bestow.

Techniques of Living Together

“Even when a woman is most capable, there are still techniques of living together that she must learn,” mother said. “For example, a woman must know today what not to say and when to speak even about proper matters. She may want to buy something. If she asks her husband after he has had a bad day at work, he might think her extravagant. On the other hand, when things go right with him at work, he may say, ‘It’s about time you bought yourself a fur coat.’ Knowing when to speak can be rewarding.”

“Another thing,” said mother, “don’t keep nagging a man about doing some small thing, or try to press him into doing it by saying, ‘Never mind, I’ll do it myself.’ Of course, if it is his responsibility, if it is important, you may call it to his attention, but don’t become a ‘whiner’ or a ‘nagger.’ ” Those were some things I learned from listening to mother.

As mother explained, there are some qualities in a woman that make her an unworthy wife. A contentious, bossy, nagging woman is frowned upon. “Better is it to dwell upon a comer of a roof than with a contentious wife.” “Better is it to dwell in a wilderness land than with a contentious wife along with vexation.” (Prov. 21:9, 19) And a woman who is pretty but lacking in good sense is no real joy to a man. “As a gold nose ring in the snout of a pig, so is a woman that is pretty but that is turning away from sensibleness,” she quoted from the Bible. —Prov. 11:22.

A good wife is to be admired as well as loved. The man who cannot respect his wife because of her manner of life is without one of the ingredients of a truly happy home. “A capable wife is a crown to her owner, but as rottenness in his bones is she that acts shamefully.” (Prov. 12:4) A capable woman does not need someone constantly to speak words of praise on her behalf. Her own works praise her. When I told that to a school friend of mine one time, she said, “You sound just like your mother.” At last I felt that I was succeeding as a woman. I considered her words a compliment, because I would want nothing better in life than to be like mother.

AN OPEN LETTER

YOU will surely agree that the situation is serious. The pope himself is aware of this. During his visit to South America last August, he spoke in Bogota cathedral to some two hundred cardinals, archbishops and bishops. To these prelates, Paul VI voiced his anxiety by means of a metaphor, saying: "Here atop the mystic ship of the Church, we can feel the storm that is surrounding and assailing us.”

For centuries, the ship of the Roman Catholic Church has been afloat. At present, not only is it having to weather the storm of communism, atheism and nationalism, but from within its creaking hull there are ominous sounds of mutiny among the crew. In fact, a few high-ranking officers, not to speak of many subordinates and passengers, have already jumped overboard.

Up on the bridge, the captain is plainly worried. Referring to the pope, Catholic writer Jacques Duquesne, author of the recent book Domain, une Eglise sans pretres (Tomorrow, a Church Without Priests), writes: "Today his anxiety has given way to anguish. He finds himself faced with the challenge of uniting the conservative bishops of Brazil and the guerrilla priests of Colombia, the angry English priests and the American bishops, whose main worry is good financial management, the revolutionary Dutch [Catholic] church and the embryonic African [Catholic] churches, the pious guardians of ritual and the ‘leftists,’ who are always ready to adopt the latest theological or liturgical innovation.”

You may have read the article "Catholics Greatly Confused,” published last October in Paris-Mat ch, the most prominent Frenchlanguage news picture magazine. It began by quoting a Roman Jesuit theologian, Se

bastien Tromp, as saying: "The crisis the Church is going through is more serious than the modernist crisis [over Higher Criticism], or even than the Protestant Reformation.” The article added: “Yes, everybody in the Church recognizes that the two-thousand-year-old ship upon which the whole of Western civilization is founded, is today being shaken by a storm.”

The Religious Situation in France

How is this tempest affecting the French section of the boat? In its issue dated August 12-18, 1968, the Paris weekly news magazine L'Express published a long report on the subject "God and the French.” It stated: “One out of every two Frenchmen think half of the population do not believe in God. They are convinced that belief in God has fared badly under the repeated assaults of nationalism, Marxism, science and the consumer society.”

It would seem, however, that the faith of the French has fared better than people thought under these secular attacks. The above-mentioned report gave the results of a poll carried out by the French Institute of Public Opinion (F.I.P.O.). It showed that 74 percent of the people in France consider the existence of God as "certain” or "probable”; a quarter of them go to church regularly; 45 percent think the need to believe in God will not change as time goes on, and 32 percent even feel that this need will increase.

It reflects great credit to the good sense of the French people that three quarters of them have not allowed secular theories to shake their faith in God. But how are they weathering the religious "storm” of which Pope Paul spoke? Is their faith in the ship of the Roman Catholic Church holding up as well as their belief in God? Apparently not!

The above-quoted article in the October 12, 1968, issue of Paris-Match shows that the pope’s encyclical on “Human Life” in general, and birth control in particular, is meeting up with widespread dissent among French Catholics. It quotes figures based on a recent poll revealing that 83.2 percent of French men and 78.7 percent of French women have decided not to follow the pope’s instructions in this matter.

Thus, while 74 percent of the French still believe in God, about 80 percent of them refuse to submit to the head of the Roman Church on a question as vital as marital relations and family planning. These figures are significant. They show that, for millions of people in France, it is possible to have faith in God without submitting to an ecclesiastical hierarchy.

This conclusion is borne out by additional facts brought to light by the F.I.P.O. poll. It revealed that 58 percent of the French Catholics interviewed subscribe to the statement: “I need no intermediary between God and myself.” In harmony with this amazing figure Is the further fact that 50 percent of those who are only “seasonal” churchgoers pray to God “often,” and even 37 percent of nonpracticing Catholics stated that they often pray. “Frequency of churchgoing does not therefore give an accurate picture of the relations existing between the French and God.” Such was the comment on these statistics made by L’Express, which published them.

As to the practicing Catholics, according to Paris priest Jean-Claude Barreau, author of the widely read book La foi (Pun paten {The Faith of a Pagan), “at least half of the churchgoers have faith, not in Jesus Christ, but in a bourgeois religion, in a Christianity without Christ, a moralistic deism that cannot hold its own amidst the world’s confusion.”

Cracks in the Hull, and Mutiny on Board

In view of the foregoing facts and figures drawn from the French scene, but typical of the situation world wide, it will not be premature to put the vital question: Will the ship of the Roman Catholic Church survive the storm? Is its organic structure, the very hull of the vessel, a watertight construction capable of withstanding the onslaughts of the elements?

Henri Fesquet, who handles religious and particularly Catholic news in the Paris daily, Le Monde, refers in one of his articles to the “overheated atmosphere within a Church whose unity is gravely endangered, if it is still possible to speak of unity at all.” In another article he speaks of “the serious divisions that are appearing within the episcopate [the collective body of bishops]—Le Monde, August 23 and 27, 1968.

These cracks in the hull of the Church of Rome would be enough to worry the ship’s captain, Paul VI. But to make matters worse, the crew is beginning to mutiny. There is open rebellion against the man at the wheel up on the bridge. Le Monde, dated November 29, 1968, stated: “Ecclesiastical discipline has slackened off, and the number of priests more or less willing to disobey is continually increasing.’’ In November, some four hundred French priests sent a collective letter to their bishops expressing dissatisfaction with the traditional activities of the paid priesthood, and announcing the “decision” some of them had made to carry on their ministry while doing part-time secular work. They said they would do this even “without authorization” by their hierarchical superiors. They also expressed their desire to “seriously consider ... the possibility” of priests’ marrying.

These priests, although disgruntled, at least intend to carry on their ministry. They wish to stick to their posts on board the ship of the Roman Catholic Church, if their superior officers will let them. Others, however, have resigned as crew members, staying on merely as passengers. According to the French edition of Reader’s Digest, dated October 1968, “many priests, seminarists and nuns are deciding to change their status. The figures most generally published show that between 4,000 and 5,000 priests have left their ministry in France.”

But this is not all. The afore-cited article in Paris-Match revealed that many members of the crew have come to the conclusion that the time has come to abandon ship. It says: “Giving up all hope of ever gaining a hearing ear, many priests have preferred to leave the Church.” When the crew starts jumping overboard, what are the passengers to do?

Sincere Catholics Are Perplexed

With the carcass of the vessel cracking and groaning, mutiny afoot, many of the crew either leaving their posts or abandoning ship altogether, not to speak of the navigators or theologians advising the captain to steer in entirely different directions, the poor passengers are nonplussed. The average Catholic thought he was aboard an unsinkable ship. He now realizes for the first time that he is sailing on a possible “Titanic.” As Paris-Match put it, the “conservative” Catholics are shouting to the “progressive” Catholics: “You are trying to capsize Peter’s ship, and you run the risk of driving to despair many people who have put their faith in her.” As recently as December 7, 1968, Paul VI himself stated in Rome before a group of seminary students and priests: “The Church is going through a time of anxiety, of self-criticism, one might even say of self-destruction.”—Le Figaro, December 9, 1968.

Indicative of the despair felt by many Catholics is a long letter sent recently to the pope by over seven hundred French Catholic workers, technicians, teachers and some priests. The following are a few excerpts;

“We are writing to you following the dictates of our conscience, because although the scandals in the Church’s past caused us great pain, the present situation is intolerable. Today the Christian needs to live in a ‘true’ Church; . . . Therefore all that is false, contrary to the Gospel and scandalous within the Church today wounds the Christian. . . .

“The Church’s teaching methods show no respect for man. The Church has not renounced temporal power. The Church refuses to obey Christ’s call to poverty. . . . A head of state—such you are, and such is the way you are treated. When you travel, you are not received as a priest, but as a sovereign to whom soldiers present ‘arms’; your nuncios hold the rank of ambassadors, as representatives of a ‘foreign power,’ and they are sent to confer with ‘foreign ministers.’ Try, for a moment, to emerge from the atmosphere you live in, and ask yourself: 'Is this what Jesus meant by his kingdom, which is not of this world?’ (John 18, 36) . . . In spite of the genius shown by Bra-mante and Michelangelo, the St, Peter’s basilica in Rome is the symbol of ecclesiastical pride. It reminds us of the shameful sale of indulgences and how the popes concerned themselves about building monuments while the members of the Church were tearing each other to pieces. We do not know when that temple will be destroyed, but however beautiful it may be, we will shed no tears, for it has brought us too much pain.”—Le Monde, December 6, 1968.

Commenting on this letter in Le Figaro, Catholic priest Rene Laurentin, while regretting the disrespectful tone used, conceded that it is a sign of a church-wide malaise that is causing what he called “a silent hemorrhage.” “Rightist and leftist Christians,” he admitted, “are leaving [the Church] on tiptoe.”

This same expression was used by L’Express, which wrote: “Even if the present storm abates, it is possible that many couples, particularly among the young, will leave the Church on tiptoe and go to swell the numbers of what might be called an underground, marginal church, being formed for some years now by small groups of convinced Christians who are disappointed with the official Church.” “Fringe groups are forming,” said a later issue of the same magazine, "and they make up a veritable underground church. They worship together, ignoring the rules. They reserve the right not to accept all the dogmas and teachings of the official Church.”

Referring to the same “small groups” forming an “underground church,” Paris-Match stated: “Their ideal is to rediscover the intimacy of brotherly prayer in the warmth of friendship, like that which existed in the upper-room meetings of the Christians at the time of the early Church.”

An Appeal to Sincere Catholics

Sincere Catholics, why stay on a sinking ship? Why not heed the voice that is crying out from heaven: “Go out from her [all false religions], my people; that you be not partakers of her sins and that you receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven: and the Lord hath remembered her iniquities”? (Apoc. 18:4, 5, Dy) Why stay on, going from disappointment to disillusionment, from perplexity to bitterness, until you finally reject, not only the church systems, but also God?

In the nearest Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses, and even in a neighborhood Bible study group held near your home, you will find the “intimacy of brotherly prayer,” the “warmth of friendship, like that which existed in the upperroom meetings” of the early Christians. Above all, you will find the truth that leads to eternal life. The words printed in italics are the title of a new, concise Biblestudy aid, specially designed to provide material for a series of Bible discussions. We shall be happy to talk things over with you, free of charge, in your own home. This invitation is made out of love for all of you who desire to worship God “in spirit and in truth.”—John 4:24, Dy.

Yours sincerely,

JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES

TWENTY-FOUR years have passed since the beautiful beaches of Micronesia were littered with the thousands of dead and dying men fighting for their possession. Do the names Saipan, Truk, Guam, Koror or Kwajalein mean anything to you? These and many other islands in the southwestern Pacific make up what is known as Micronesia, which means “little islands.” With the exception of Guam, which is a United States possession, Micronesia is also known as the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. But tb those over the age of thirty-five the above-mentioned names bring back memories of World War n battles fought on these coconut-fringed islands.

Since 1945 the United States has had trusteeship over the 2,100 small islands and atolls stretching over an area of three million square miles in the western Pacific Ocean. Combined into a single land mass, they would total less than 700 square miles. Since most of them are too small to sustain life, only 98 of them are inhabited.

The Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands is broken down into three major island groups: the Marshalls, the Carolines and the Marianas. For expediency in administration, the territory is divided into six districts: Yap, Palau, Ponape, Truk, Marshall Islands and the Mariana Islands. Headquarters are in Saipan, in the Marianas.

The people are mixed racially. The natives in the extreme southwest of the Carolines are the most Negroid, and the western islanders of the Palaus, though showing much Negroid, are more Mongoloid than any islanders to the east. The

—Islands in Trust

"Awake!"correspondent in Hawaii

present-day Chamorros of the Marianas indicate much intermarriage with the Spanish, Filipino, Chinese, Mexican and later European immigrants.

The nine major dialects or languages belonging to the Malayo-Polynesian family that are spoken in the territory testify to their diversified origins. So it is well appreciated that an interpreter will be needed when one travels through the territory, though younger persons speak some English.

Beauty of great variety meets the eye of the visitor. In size the islands range from large volcanic islands, ascending to over 3,000 feet, to atolls, with an elevation of as little as six feet above sea level. Coconut and breadfruit are common to all the islands, but on the high volcanic islands one will also find citrus trees, papayas, mangoes, bananas, taro (arrowroot), sugarcane, tapioca, com and hard-and softwood trees.

The only animal indigenous to Micronesia is the bat. Deer were brought in through the Germans; horses, cattle, goats and cats in the post-European period, and the water buffalo from the Philippines.

The traveler sees an abundance of marine and shore birds. In the Palau district, which is just 600 miles from the Philippines, monitor lizards, sea crocodiles up to twenty-four feet in length and certain species of poisonous sea snakes are seen.

Fishing is one of the lifelines of the Micronesian, and as long as bonitas, tuna, sea bass, eels and octopuses, crustaceans and mollusks abound he will never hunger.

The Micronesian lives intimately with the sea. He is an expert navigator, with an awe-inspiring technique involving detailed knowledge of ocean currents, temperatures of the ocean, tides, stars and planets. He can take trips covering hundreds of miles of open ocean to another island in his canoe. And he does this without any modern instruments of navigation!

Micronesia has a tropical, rainy climate with little seasonal change; the northern islands and atolls of the Marshall group being the exception. Their season is generally dry. Island temperatures range between 75° and 92° with high humidity. Storms are frequent between August and December, with typhoons being common in some areas. The island of Truk was declared a disaster area due to destruction by a typhoon in 1967. And Saipan has suffered almost complete destruction twice in six years; first in 1963 and again in April of 1968. In the last storm, typhoon “Jean,” packing 200-mile-an-hour winds, destroyed an estimated 90 percent of Saipan’s buildings.

Few people in the world are in the position of the Micronesian when it comes to government. All Micronesians have been dominated by some foreign power. They usually refer to their four most recent phases of domination as the Spanish Period, the German Period, the Japanese Period and the American Period.

The Spanish Period

Following Magellan’s landing at Guam in 1521, Spain moved in on what is now known as the Marianas, naming them in honor of their Queen Maria Anna, wife of Phillip IV. The Caroline Islands they named for Charles II, Phillip’s son. The Spanish were noted for their forcible evangelistic methods, the missionaries often being accompanied by soldiers. They established missions on Rota, Tinian, Saipan, and on other islands to the north.

Conflict grew between Germany and Spain over the lucrative copra trade that developed, and at one point Pope Leo XIII was called in to arbitrate matters. Spain was pacified, retaining all her claims, but Germany was given certain privileges.

During the Spanish-American War in 1898 the United States acquired Guam, and the following year Spain withdrew from the Pacific, selling all her remaining Micronesian possessions to Germany for 84,500,000.

The German Period

This period highlighted the development of trade and production of copra. Copra, the dried meat of the coconut, is used for making margarine, cooking oil, soap, cosmetics and animal feed. It was in 1864 that a German chemist introduced copra-making in the Marshalls, and it has become the basic product of a whole chain of industries. Coconut is one of the mainstays of the islander, furnishing food and water, material for mats and thatch.

World War I ended the rule of the Germans and placed Micronesia in the hands of the Japanese, who were mandated guardianship by the League of Nations.

The Japanese Period

The Japanese were no strangers to Micronesia, as their first trader had gone to the island of Truk in 1891. An intensive program to exploit the economic resources of Micronesia began with the Japanese control. Of all the foreign powers to rule, Japan is the only one that seriously undertook to colonize the area.

Japan withdrew from the League of Nations in 1935; and while the mandate had instructed them to refrain from establishing any military or naval bases, the facts show that during the twenty-five years Japan had control she kept out visitors to protect the secrecy of fortifications she was building in preparation for World War II.

In the meantime the colonizing of the islands was going 'full speed ahead.’ When World War n began, there were 50,000 Micronesians and 70,000 Okinawans and Koreans that had been brought in as laborers. By 1940 the city of Koror was a thriving Oriental metropolis with 30,000 people, and factories, large restaurants, geisha houses, drugstores, and so forth. Palauans had never seen anything like it before or since. This island still has the strongest Japanese influence of any island in Micronesia.

Some of the fiercest battles of World War II were fought on the islands of Guam, Saipan, Ulithi, Peleliu, Truk, Koror and Kwajalein. Historians show that over 40,000 persons died in just the battles of Saipan and Guam, plus the thousands of wounded. In 1944 the United States forces took possession of the Marianas and the Paiaus.

The scars of war still remain in Micronesia, although tropical foliage covers many of them, such as the deteriorating vehicle skeletons. Many unexploded bombs and other death-dealing live ammunition are still found in Micronesia.

Even though they were noncombatants, hundreds of Micronesians died when their islands were invaded. One of the first postwar requests that the Trukese made of their new administering authority was that if there had to be a third world war, would the United States please hold it somewhere else.

The American Period

After the war the United Nations mandated Micronesia to the United States. On Kwajalein, the biggest atoll in the world, is the United States test site for Nike missiles. The same secrecy surrounds Kwajalein today as under the Japanese occupation. Only United States military personnel are allowed to live there, and even natives working at the site are not allowed to live there. They are ferried back and forth to the nearby island of Ebeye. The island of Kwajalein has a very high salary rate, and even the Catholic priest hired by an American company that handled logistics of the Islands gets $10,000 per year. Wages are extremely low in the rest of Micronesia among the native population.

Bikini and Eniwetok atolls are famous as the site of the atom bomb tests begun in 1946. The former inhabitants were moved to other islands. Because the shellfish and reef fish in the lagoon and much of the vegetation are still radioactive, these atolls are uninhabited.

Copra still remains the main agricultural product. Two-thirds of the productive land is under coconut cultivation. In 1967 over 12,000 tons were exported to Japan. The islanders take great pride in their beautiful handicrafts and export them through private retail stores in Kwajalein, Koror and Guam.

Distance from the United States mainland and between the islands causes many transportation and communication problems. But in the past year two flights a week from Hawaii and weekly flights between the islands have solved many of these problems.

Local Customs

Because of the diverse races, languages and conditions of Micronesia, the customs and laws are also varied. The Micronesian, who goes in for a big family, views his land differently from persons in other lands who think of land in terms of trade and money. Take the Marshallese, for example. To him the land means life. It means trees, animals for food and a place to build his home. His land is not for sale; it is only inherited. Every Marshallese has rights to some piece of land on his home island.

In Yap a caste system based on land ownership exists. The right to possess land is held by individuals, not families. The Micronesian woman acquires no interest in her husband’s land, nor he in hers, except that it is shared during the marriage. With the exception of Yap, the Chamorros of the Marianas and parts of Ponape, land is inherited in almost every instance through the mother.

Because certain chores are performed only by women, daughters are prized. It has become a custom in Palau for the women to support the men. So as one man said: “A man with many daughters and sisters and a wife is a rich man. So every man gets married as soon as he can and then prays for daughters.”

It is written in the Territory Code Bill of Rights; “Due recognition shall be given to local customs in providing a system of law.” But then the problems start. Sometimes it is difficult to know just what local customs are and whether they conflict with some local law. In the Ponape district a male landowner must share his property with his landless male relatives and all his husbandless female ones. In Yap it is considered improper to mention the name of a dead person. It is considered bad manners in Palau to ask a young person, “How is your father or mother?” One must ask about them by their given names. From the age of six or seven the child begins to use the personal names of his parents and grandparents. In Truk it is considered bad manners to pat a child on its head.

Native religion originally was primarily ancestor worship, but the famous stone ruins of Kusaie, Ponape and Yap testify to a highly religious past of inhabitants unknown to the oldest native.

Catholicism, Protestantism, Buddhism and Shintoism have left their marks on Micronesia, but a new voice is now being heard.

Those in Guam were the first to hear the message of God’s kingdom, in 1951, when a group of Filipino witnesses of Jehovah working there began having a group Bible study and later began preaching to others. Saipan first heard the good news in 1962, with the arrival of missionaries. The Marshalls received the message first in 1964. The following year missionaries were sent to the Marshalls and Ponape from Hawaii, while other missionaries were sent from the United States mainland to Truk. The year 1968 marked the beginning of regular Kingdom preaching in Yap and Palau by missionaries sent from Hawaii.

Today there is great respect shown for the Bible in Micronesia, and one who is preaching from door to door finds practically every door open to him.

Those putting their trust in Jehovah and his Son Jesus Christ will soon see these beautiful coral islands become part of God’s earth-wide paradise. Along with other islands, Micronesia will help fulfill the psalmist’s prophecy: “Jehovah himself has become king! Let the earth be joyful. Let the many islands rejoice.” —Ps. 97:1.

A visit to a

Station

J. HE two giant movable antennae and the control station

loom into view as we drive westward from Port Stanley, Falkland Islands. We are approaching one of the many spacesatellite tracking stations located around the earth.

When we arrive, we first visit the control room of the tracking station. On entering the door we see an information board showing the times that the ESRO-II satellite is due to pass over today. Since the next scheduled pass will be in about fifteen minutes we have time to look around the control room.

Our guide, one of the technicians, assures us that the project is completely nonmilitary and that it is only concerned with studying earth’s environment. The tracking equipment is not radar, and can make contact only with active artificial spacecraft. The ground equipment consists of a powerful radio transmitter and receiver designed to keep in touch with a, certain satellite. This craft is specially equipped to gather certain specific data on its orbital travels, and then to transmit the data to the tracking station when it passes overhead. The satellite can also receive commands from the ground station to make it perform certain duties.

One of the two huge antennae is used to transmit commands to the passing satellite, while the other one receives information. Being directional, the antennae must be aimed at the fastmoving space object and follow its path across the sky. These move automatically, but can be moved manually if desired.

This tracking station is operated by Britain’s Science Research Council on behalf of the European Space Research Organization, which consists of ten European countries. Three other stations track this same ESRO-II satellite. Other networks have their own satellites that they track for similar reasons.

Our guide now shows us an elaborate array of electronic equipment, desks with panels, many rows of knobs, buttons, dials, meters and monitor tubes. He patiently explains how they work and what they mean. However, before we can track a satellite we must have one to track. Of what does a satellite consist? What does it do?

The Satellite

Various institutions are invited to take a part in drawing up plans for the construction of a scientific satellite. The ESRO-II craft, which the Falkland Islands station tracks, is shared by seven organizations, mostly universities; five British, one French and one Dutch. Each was assigned a limited portion in the craft, and then built the equipment to be used for their particular part in the program,

ESRO-II was put in orbit on May 17, 1968, by a four-stage rocket from California. It was the forty-first satellite launching since January 1,1968. The craft is a twelve-sided polygon, containing a maximum number of solar cells to provide sufficient electric power to operate all the equipment on board. When passing through sunlight it accumulates enough current to charge its solar batteries and keep all equipment operating while it passes through earth’s shadow.

Satellites may be almost any size, weight or shape, depending upon their purpose. ESRO-II is only 35.5 inches long and 27.9 inches wide and weighs 166 pounds. The highest point of its orbit, or apogee, is 650 miles above the earth, while its lowest point, or perigee, is about 200 miles high. It makes one complete orbit around the earth every ninety-nine minutes at a speed of about 15,000 miles per hour.

Our technician guide now notes that it is time for ESRO-II to appear. So he asks to be excused to attend to his duties during the pass. Let us watch.

The Pass

Tension mounts as each man takes his post. We watch the men quickly check over their complicated electronic equipment, Outside, the huge antennae swing toward the northern horizon. “Ah, there it is!” someone exclaims.

Suddenly the control room is humming with activity. Although the satellite is too small and too high to be seen with the naked eye, yet the giant sensitive antennae follow its course across the sky. Meanwhile, it is sending down a vast amount of valuable information for scientific use. Tape recorders spin. Needles hustle back and forth across moving graph paper. Lights and numbers flash off and on. Everyone is busy.

While an above-the-horizon pass may take twenty minutes, the craft’s orbit can be at almost any angle or direction, and its time above the horizon can vary greatly. Sometimes it barely loops over the edge of the horizon and quickly disappears. However, it makes about six useful passes each day.

Transmitting the Data

After the pass is completed the technicians teletype the accumulated data to the European Space Research Organization control center in Germany. The recorded tapes are also shipped to this center. From there the information is sifted out and forwarded to specific departments for scientific processing. The work of the tracking station personnel is to keep all equipment functioning so that the data is gathered properly and reaches its destination.

The satellite carries a tape recorder capable of recording all the data it accumulates on a complete orbit When the spacecraft comes within range of a tracking station it can be commanded to play back the entire tape in just four minutes, and this is rerecorded by the ground station. After the playback, the satellite then continues recording on the next orbit. Included in the information gathered by the satellite is that concerning solar and cosmic radiations, X rays, solar and Van Allen belt protons, alpha particles, high-energy particles and electromagnetic radiation emitted by the sun.

After the rush is over, there is some free time before the next pass, so our guide returns to tell us more about artificial spacecraft. He explains; “There are four basic uses for nonmilitary satellites in scientific study. One is to prepare the way for manned flights into space. A second is to improve weather forecasts. Another is to improve communications. And a fourth is to learn more about our earth’s environment and the universe.”

Useful Services Provided

Studies by artificial satellites opened the way for man to venture outside his spacecraft while orbiting high above earth. It was learned that an astronaut would not be killed by solar rays, and that the danger of being battered by meteorites is not as great as was originally thought.

Another example of the usefulness of satellites is in the field of weather forecasting. Weather satellites transmit pictures of storm formations and can tell the strength and direction of the wind. They are really flying weather stations, and they are especially useful when orbiting over isolated areas where no other weather stations exist Recently a satellite picture of Antarctica provided valuable information that enabled the rescue ship “John Biscoe” to plot a safe course through dangerous pack ice.

But no doubt the greatest practical service that satellites have served is in the field of communication. On April 6, 1965, the world’s first successful commercial communications satellite, called Early Bird, was lifted into earth orbit. It became an active commercial transporter of radio, television, telephone and other types of communications. It now has been joined by a number of other satellites that have increased the capacity of communications, as well as the area over which communications can be transmitted.

These satellites are positioned about 22,300 miles above earth so that their orbital speed is synchronized with the speed of the earth’s rotation. Thus, in effect, they hover in one spot in space. Early Bird was positioned over the Atlantic Ocean between Brazil and Africa. In January 1967 another communications satellite was positioned near the international date line, providing commercial service between the United States, Hawaii, Japan, Australia, Thailand and the Philippines. In April another one was positioned over the Atlantic Ocean, and in September 1967 yet another was placed over the Pacific.

On December 18, 1968, the first in a new series of communications satellites was launched to join those already mentioned. It is called Intelsat-A, and it is the most advanced of civil communications satellites. Intelsat-A is expected to double the world’s previous capacity to relay telephone and television transmissions through space. Intelsat 3-B, Intelsat 3-C and Intelsat 3-D are all scheduled for launching in 1969, and these will make worldwide communications coverage complete, except for the polar areas.

End of an Interesting Pisit

Before we leave the tracking station here in the Falkland Islands, we ask our guide: “How long will a satellite stay in orbit?”

“Well, that depends on many factors,” he answers. “Even though it may be far above our atmosphere, a spacecraft is affected slightly by free atoms, meteorites and a noticeable drag from various magnetic fields, solar forces and gravity. Therefore, no man-made satellite will remain in orbit indefinitely.”

As we thank our courteous guide for his kind attention and leave, we appreciate man's advances in technology and his discoveries in science. However, we are also moved to recall some of the excellent qualities of the Creator’s perfect satellites, the moon and planets, which remain in orbit and are never in danger of falling to their destruction.—Ps. 89:37,

A Preaching Chain Reaction

NE can never foresee the results of the preaching of the good news of God’s __ kingdom. A presiding minister of Jehovah's witnesses in Maine relates this delightful experience:

"In 1965, my wife called on a young woman named Sherrill who seemed mildly interested. Since we called on those who seemed more interested, it was a month or two before we revisited her. She was repeatedly on our mind and something kept urging us to call back on her. When we did, she told us that she was interested in the Mormons, for she felt their religion was strong. We discussed the immortality of the soul, which is a basic Mormon doctrine. When we showed her that the Bible did not teach this she started to study the Bible with us that afternoon.

"Later we asked her if her husband would like to study too. She thought not. However, one day her husband, Will, was home, and we explained to him what we were teaching his wife. We invited him to study and, on learning it was only an hour a week, he accepted. After some time, Will’s brother, Jeff, visited him, and Will explained to him the pagan origin of Christmas. Jeff became keenly interested and immediately spoke to his wife, Marlene. Both agreed to join Will and Sherrill in their Bible study. Soon Jeff and Marlene requested their own study.

“At this time, Jeff’s close friend, Dick, from Washington, D.C., was visiting him, and Jeff spoke to him too. Dick asked that the Witnesses in Washington study with him. Jeff now wrote to his relatives and aroused the interest of his older brother, Mitchell. In the meantime, Will and Sherrill had two sisters, Cathy and Alana, sitting in on their Bible study.

“When Linda came home from the Peace Corps, Will and Sherrill spoke to her about God’s truth. They brought her to visit us so that we could answer her many questions. Yes, she too joined Will and Sherrill in studying the Bible, even attending Jeff’s study too. In fact, her enthusiasm moved Cathy to sit in on Jeff’s study too. When Linda went to Washington she stayed with Dick and his wife. Her preaching moved them to put off studying the Bible no longer, as they had been doing.

"They now all went to visit Mitchell, Linda’s older brother, and told him the Kingdom good news. He, too, took action in regard to studying, for he looked up the Kingdom Hall and arranged for a Bible study in his home. On Sunday, he and his family attended the public talk and the Watchtower study. About this time we decided to hold a study with Linda and Cathy, and this prompted Alana to start studying with us. Jeff now came to the Kingdom Hall to attend a meeting. This moved Marlene, Will, Sherrill and their children to start attending the meetings, which they have done ever since. Today Will, Sherrill, Jeff, Linda, Cathy and Alana are all enrolled in the Theocratic Ministry School and they have given excellent talks.

"Jeff and Marlene talked with a couple in their neighborhood and they too became interested and began to study the Bible. When friends of this couple visited them, they were given an explanation of the Bible. They became so interested that I had to go to the home where they were visiting and answer their many questions. They requested our literature and asked for a study to be arranged for them in Philadelphia, where they live. They are studying now.

"One night Jeff and Marlene were at their place of work. During the thunderstorm, the owner cried out to Jeff, ‘It sounds like Armageddon is coming!’ Bob, the local policeman standing by, asked Jeff, ‘Arma-what?’ That was all Jeff needed, and Bob was given an explanation. You guessed it; he became interested, and the next day we were studying the Bible with him and his wife. Bob then got a neighborhood couple interested, and we are studying with them also. Bob and his family began attending meetings, and Bob is enrolled in the Theocratic Ministry School.

"Jeff has since then talked to an older sister named Virgie. Today she is having a study in her hometown with the wife of the presiding minister there.

“The 1967 district assembly added fuel to their enthusiasm. They returned determined to apply themselves to the work of preaching,”

Three Men for a

Glittering gems of beauty and brilliance, quest of princes, prize of queens, admired by all, outliving empires and dynasties! Yes, diamonds—not only the hardest naturally occurring substance known to man, but rated one of the most valuable. Doubt

they do look quite dull, lacking in luster. Probably if you saw those same stones lying on the sidewalk you would take them to be bits of broken glass and kick them aside. But what a costly mistake that could be! You are, in fact, holding several hundred dollars’ worth of po

less you too have marveled at the luster of the diamond and wondered about the secret of its fiery splendor. Diamonds surely have a sparkle all their own.

When first found, the diamond may be just a pretty pebble. Often it does not even have a shine, being covered with a dull, grayish film. In fact, only the expert is likely to detect a precious diamond in its primitive state. The real value and the brilliance of diamonds on a royal crown or a costly ring have been produced by patient craftsmen—mon who spend many months or even years sawing, cutting and polishing.

Only about one out of four “rough diamonds,” as they are called when in the natural state, will be suitable for gemmaking. The rest will be channeled into industrial uses. Of the world’s total of rough diamonds, 90 percent are distributed in London through the Diamond Trading Company. Here they are sorted as to purity, color and size, and sold to diamond factories in small packages called “sights.”

Imagine handling them at this stage— perhaps just a little white packet of them. You can feel the hard, small stones inside. Now open the container and take a look at them. A little disappointed? Well, tential beauty.

The wise thing to do with these rough diamonds is to take them to the three experts in the diamond factory and see what they can do with them. These three men can do miracles with your “bits of glass." They can produce something superbly beautiful. Come! The first one is waiting for us! Here he is—the sawyer.

The Sawyer at His Job

First, he is going to check the stone for purity. As he peers through his magnifying glass, scrutinizing the stone from every angle, you realize you are in the presence of a professional. If there is a flaw, he will detect it. But he is also interested in color. The very faint tint of the diamond is noted only by keen eyes. The tint may be whitish, pale yellow or a blue-white, for instance. A slight discoloration at any vital location could greatly reduce the value of the stone.

Sometimes diamond miners chance upon one that is a lovely shade of green. Another color not too frequently encountered is pink. And very occasionally one may come across that real rarity—a deep ruby-red diamond. That kind of stone might be worth a fortune. But now, back to the

final shape the stone ^Bnllant Emerald is to have. The

shape of the diamond "in the rough,” of course, is a determining factor. There are five basic shapes, illustrated here in case you have not encountered some of them.

Of these five the ‘brilliant’ is the most popular cut, though the ‘marquise’ is currently staging a comeback. And each shape has its own characteristic pattern of facets, as we shall see presently. Meantime, the sawyer is ready to start work. But have you wondered what he is going to use to cut through the hardest natural substance known to man? Let’s go and see one of his saws in operation.

The saw is just a metal disc, positioned somewhat like the turntable of a phonograph, paper-thin, and revolving at a speed of some 5,000 r.p.m. The diamond is clamped in such a way that it rests against the edge of the disc. But how can this thin metal disc cut through the hardest mineral in the world? Surely it is more likely that the diamond will cut into the relatively soft metal! No, because there is that smear of gray paste on the edge of the metal disc—a diamond paste, a mixture of diamond dust and olive oil. So it is really the diamond dust that is cutting the crystal—truly a case of ‘diamond cut diamond,’

Before the advent of the diamond saw, rough diamonds had to be shaped by grinding. The result was that only one jewel could be fashioned out of each rough stone; and most of the stone was ground away

Baguette Pear-drop be made Out of each crystal. And, though it still takes many hours to saw through a stone, it is as nothing when compared to the time formerly required.

The diamond sawyer has his problems, too. Often one diamond stone will have another smaller one inside it, known to the trade as a naat. Its grain will run different from the grain of the larger diamond that encloses it, and so corresponds to the knot in a piece of lumber. Since these naats are too difficult to saw through, the operator will saw the outside stone as far as the naat_} then turn the diamond around and saw it through from the other side. He will then tap the two halves away from each other.

Sometimes, too, a diamond will have a bubble of highly compressed gas inside it —probably formed when the diamond was in process of formation deep in the earth. The bubble may be quite invisible. If the saw just touches it, however, the entire diamond may explode into small fragments. There are other problems, too, but it is time to give attention to the second man whose services are vital in the production of beautiful gems.

The Cutter at Work

Once the sawyer has done his job, that is, sawn through the rough diamond, somewhere near its middle, what shape will the flat base of the resulting stone have? Square. But what shape must the finished brilliant-cut diamond have ?

Round. So, the cutter’s job is to cut the corners. But how?

He fixes the diamond in an eccentric lathe and, as it spins, he lightly touches its corners with another diamond held in a stick. The same principle again—diamond cut diamond! Only this time it is one stone against another, instead of the diamond-dust paste used by the sawyer. And how delicate the cutter’s job! His touch must be light and accurate, for many a stone can have a flaw that is quite invisible on its edge. Should the touch of the cutter be too heavy, the flaw could shoot through the entire stone and spoil it.

Even when the cutter has completed his operation, the stone is far from displaying the beauty and sparkle of the finished product. There is one more vital stage—the polishing.

Finishing Touches by the Polisher

It would be a mistake to think of this painstaking artisan as one who wields a polishing rag and some powerful cleaning agent. No, for in this factory the polishing is actually grinding off one surface at a time to produce a number of facets or small flat faces on the outside surface of the stone. Indeed, the glory of the diamond is in the number of facets expertly ground—facets that catch and throw off light in such an enchanting manner.

The polisher also has a revolving metal plate, spinning around at 3,000 r.p.m. It, too, is smeared with diamond-dust paste or boort. As the plate spins, the polisher, having placed the diamond in a clamp, presses the stone onto the plate and gradually grinds on one facet after another. This is no easy job, as you will realize if you examine closely a real diamond. For example, consider this view from above of the ‘brilliant’ and the ‘emerald’ cuts.

On every round stone, that is, the brilliant-cut diamond, there are ten basic facets: Four slope from the ‘table’ to the ‘girdle,’ and four from the ‘culet’ to the ‘girdle.’ Each facet is formed at a precise angle, ideally 34 degrees for those above the ‘girdle,’ and 41 degrees for those below. Each is measured with a gauge. However, next come 48 additional facets, regardless of how small the diamond, all of them dependent for their accuracy on the polisher’s expert eye. Thus every ‘brilliant’ diamond has a total of 58 facets. But, you may interject, only 56 have been mentioned thus far. Ah, yes, but do not forget the tiny facet at the peak of the stone and the ‘table’ or flat surface formed by the sawyer when he cut the original crystal in two.

The Glory of the Diamond

Now that the three artisans have combined their efforts to produce the finished gem, there is one last step. It must be cleaned. And, strangely, that is done by boiling in a mixture of nitric acid and sulphuric acid—surely an evidence of the diamond’s defiant permanence!

But is it not wonderful how the stone seems to burn with a fiery brilliance? Look at the cascades of color that shoot out as if from the heart of the stone! You see, a perfectly polished stone traps light entering it from above. Then the captured light, as it enters at an angle, is refracted or bent; and as it bends into the jewel it is broken up into all hues of the rainbow. These marvelous colors are then reflected from facet to facet inside the gem and finally shoot out again through one of the facets above the ‘girdle.’

Another amazing thing above the diamond is that the more meticulously the craftsmen work with the nature of the stone itself, the more brilliant and valuable the resulting gem. A stone that is not accurately cut, or is somehow disproportioned, will lack the brilliance that would mark it as a perfect, flawless jewel. Thus long experience is necessary to perfect the art of these three men.

Diamond History

History has known some outstanding diamonds. One large specimen, the Orloff diamond, a Russian crown jewel, is said to have been stolen from the eye of a Hindu idol. India, you see, in former times was the major supply source for diamonds. This particular jewel resembles in shape the half of a pigeon’s egg, with a fiat face below and the rounded upper side cut in rose form.

The famous Koh-i-noor gem was surrendered and presented to Queen Victoria on the occasion of the British annexation of the Punjab in 1849. It, too, was originally the shape of half an egg, but had been reduced in size by an unskilled stonecutter. Since coming into possession of British royalty it has again been recut in the popular rose form.

The largest known diamond, called the Cullinan, was dug up in South Africa in 1905. It weighed 3,106 carats, or about one and one-third pounds. It was purchased by the Transvaal Government and presented to England’s King Edward VII. Later this stone was cut into nine large stones and ninety-six smaller ones, but even at that the largest of these is, in fact, the largest cut diamond in the world.

Seldom are these world-renowned gems worn by monarchs or dignitaries in this twentieth century. Usually they repose in vaults or museums under maximum security, to be publicly displayed from time to time. Smaller diamonds, on the other hand, are now quite common. In some Western lands many marriage engagements are marked by a gift to the brideto-be of a diamond ring.

When you stand in front of a jeweler’s store, then, and marvel at the scintillations of the diamond display, just recall that it took three artisans of the highest caliber to produce the gems upon which you are feasting your eyes.

* In the book The Body, part of Life Science Library, there is a chart that compares the energy spent by women and men when doing the same thing: Measuring in calories the energy spent per minute, the chart showed that women lying at rest use .98 calorie, but men, 1.19. In washing dishes women expend 1.53 calories, and men, 3.3. In making beds, it is women 5.4 and men 7, Doing office work, women ranged from 1,31 to 1.72, while men registered 1.6. The final comparison in the chart was skiing on level hard snow. For women it took 10.8 calories but 9.9 for men.

WRESTING. A LIVING : from the

THE heat of the day has spent itself. A breeze stirs the palm branches and activity begins in a small fishing village on the coast of Togo. A sinewy old fisherman, clad only in a pair of tattered shorts, busies himself checking for holes in a large net that has been stretched out to dry. Younger men inspect their boats. The women are preparing fish and palm-nut soup for the evening meal.

Yes, fish from the sea is the “daily bread” of the Togolese along Africa’s west coast. Almost every meal from morning to evening contains fish. But plentiful as fish seem to be, they are not obtained without hard work and courage on the part of the men who brave the surf to wrest their living from the sea.

Organization and Equipment

Without cooperation this type of fishing would not be possible, so small companies are organized. The company consists of a manager, a secretary and cashier, some fishermen and helpers; in all, about fifteen persons. One man or a family group may own

they gather their equipment, predictions are made as to the type of fish they will catch. The net, a sail, a charcoal pot for cooking and all other equipment must be securely fastened in the boat so that if it is overturned, which occasionally happens, these things will not be lost in the sea. The breakers are rolling onto the beach in rhythmic succession. They are truly beautiful, but their tops are about nine feet high! These have to be crossed.

Everything ready, the crew pulls the boat into the water. They wade until the water is about waist-deep, holding their paddles overhead. Then, at a signal, they jump into the boat and in unison paddle for all they are worth. A breaker is on them, and the boat is reared almost vertical. The fishermen grip the canoe compulsively. The wave passes; the boat crashes down and is quiet. The crew bear down on their paddles instantly. The captain urges them on with a whistle. The second breaker arrives, and the boat again ascends over it. More swift paddling, and another breaker. Six or more times the breakers are conquered until finally the boat is in the calm sea.

But it does not always go so smoothly. The boat may be swamped or overturned, and then the men must swim. At times three or four starts are made before the surf is crossed. Watching the skill and strength of these hardy fishermen fills one with admiration.

Fishing in the Deep

Those who stay in the deep for the whole night go far out, usually in company with several other boats. The net is generally a gill net and is laid in a very large semicircle. This accomplished, attention is turned to the charcoal pot, to cook some food and to warm themselves. At the same time a wary eye is kept on the net.

On fortunate nights so many fish are caught that the canoe cannot contain them all. In this case a horn made of bamboo will be blown to attract the attention of fellow fishermen in the area. Flags or paddles are hoisted, one if one boat is needed, two if two are needed, and so on. Other fishermen come and lend a hand by loading some of the fish into their boat.

One is reminded of the scene when Jesus Christ told the fisherman Peter and his companions, "Let down your nets for a catch.” The Bible says: “Well, when they . did this, they enclosed a great multitude of fish. In fact, their nets began ripping apart. So they motioned to their partners in the other boat to come and assist them; and they did come, and they filled both boats, so that these began to sink.”—Luke 5:4-7.

A surviving fisherman tells the story of the night his crew caught an unusually large number of fish. No other boats were in the vicinity, so the men decided to take a chance and loaded them all into their canoe. But, alas, the boat sank from under them leaving the exhausted men cold, hungry and fearful of sharks, with only their paddles for rafts. One by one the crew succumbed. When they did not return to the village at the expected time, a search party was organized. The lone survivor saw them approaching and with his remaining strength shouted and waved until he caught their attention, and he was rescued.

Closer-to-the-Shore Fishing

A dragnet is used for fishing closer to the shore. The middle of this net forms a long sack. Attached to either side of the sack are net panels to guide the fish inside. Long lengths of rope are attached to the panels to form the pulling lines.

The net is taken in a boat beyond the breakers. Then one man is sent back to shore towing one of these ropes, which he securely ties to a peg driven into the sand or to a nearby palm tree. The boat then makes a largo semicircle, bringing in the other end of the rope. On shore, the men now form two groups, each pulling a rope and thus drawing the net back to land. This operation is accompanied by a lot of commotion, every man a self-appointed adviser.

Above the general chatter and hubbub the chant can be heard to mark the rhythm of the pulling. At first the lines are far apart, but as the net is pulled toward shore, gradually they are brought together to close the mouth of the net. Several men are now sent into the water to see that the fish are staying in, and to pull the side panels down to make a one-way road for the fish into the sack. Everybody is shouting instructions. Smaller children hang onto the rope, imagining that they are really helping. Gulls flying overhead join the raucous chorus and dip down occasionally to steal a meal.

Now the whole village except the sick and the very old seem to be present. Women and children with big metal pans or baskets hurry along the beach, all headed for the fish. As the net is dragged to shore the din reaches its crescendo. “What has the net brought us today?” everyone wants to know. In the seething mass of flopping, wriggling, squirming creatures a variety of herring, sole, pike, sunfish, dogfish, skate or a hammerhead shark may have been harvested. The fish are loaded into pans which the women carry on their heads to a depot, usually an old canoe in a shady spot.

Here they are sorted according to size and kind. All are eaten, down to the tiniest two-incher; all, that is, except the ones that are taboo, which every village seems to have. Of course, starfish and jellyfish are not used. The price varies according to the day, the kind of fish and the availability of money. Eventually all are sold, and the women go off home or to a nearby market carrying their loads on their heads. Each fisherman and those who helped carry the fish will get what he needs for the evening meal.

Superstitions and Modernization

If the net catches nothing, fortunetellers are consulted. The fortune-teller, using his oracle, asks the net, “How is it that you catch no fish?” The answer may be that the net is hungry, or somebody has transgressed its regulations. It is then asked what it wants to eat. The net is said to answer that it wants salmon, or perhaps red carp. If the net is said to be hungry, humans eat with it, but if its regulations have been transgressed, nobody is allowed to eat with it. Fresh or dried salmon is baked in flour and palm oil, cut into strips and put before the net. Or a libation mixed with palm oil is poured over the net.

In recent years modern equipment has been introduced into the fishing business along Africa’s west coast, including modern trawlers, outboard motors, nylon nets and plastic floats. From West Germany a fishing company has come to Lome, the Togo capital, to improve fishing methods. However, many Togolese villagers remain unaffected by the changes. They continue in the same pattern, daily depending on the fish wrested from the sea by the surf fishermen.

AS A person who wants God’s favor, it is certainly your desire to be obedient to him. But what laws does God require that you obey? Must you keep what the Bible refers to as “the law of Moses,” which consists of more than 600 decrees, including the Ten Commandments?—1 Ki. 2:3.

¹ Actually this marvelous law was given by Jehovah God, and Moses was merely its mediator. Therefore it is also called the “law of Jehovah,” or just “the Law.” —1 Chron. 16:40; 1 Tim. 1:8.

• ³ To whom was this Law given? The Bible shows that Jehovah God made a covenant with the descendants of Jacob, the nation of Israel, and that it was they who agreed to keep this code of laws. (Ex. 24:3, 4; Deut. 5:1-3) Jehovah did not give these laws to any other people. To check this for yourself, why not turn in your own Bible to Psalm 147:19, 20. If yours is the King James Version you will note that it reads: “He sheweth his word unto Jacob, his statutes and his judgments unto Israel. He hath not dealt so with any nation: and as for his judgments, they have not known them.”

• ⁴ “But,” someone may ask, “was there not a change when Jesus Christ came on the earthly scene? Are not his followers now under obligation to obey the Mosaic law?” No, for nowhere do we read in the Bible of this obligation as being placed upon them. To the contrary, this law code was removed as an obligation upon even the Jews. The Bible explains: “By means of his flesh he abolished the hatred, the Law of commandments consisting in decrees, that he might create the two peoples in union with himself into one new man and make peace; and that he might fully reconcile both peoples [Jews and non-Jews] in one body to God through the torture stake.”—Eph. 2:15, 16.

• ⁵ Yes, by abolishing the Law of commandments a union between both Jews and non-Jews was made possible, something that could not exist when the law of Moses served to separate the two peoples. Therefore, the Bible makes unmistakably clear that Christians are not under the law of Moses. It says: “You are not under law but under undeserved kindness.”—Rom. 6:14; 10:4.

• ⁶ However, someone may object, saying: “Only part of the Mosaic law was abolished by Christ. The Ten Commandments were retained.” Is this what the Bible teaches?

■ No, it is not. For the Bible lumps the Ten Commandments and the rest of the Law covenant into one inseparable whole, and it reveals that this entire Law was terminated. Note how the apostle Paul shows this: “Now we have been discharged from the Law, because we have died to that by which we were being held fast . . . Really I would not have come to know sin if it had not been for the Law; and, for example, I would not have known covetousness if the Law had not said: ‘You must not covet.’” (Rom. 7: 6, 7) This law on covetousness is the tenth of the Ten Commandments. And the Bible here shows that it is included in the Law from which servants of God are discharged.

^a That the Ten Commandments were included in the Law that was abolished through Jesus’ death is also shown at Colossians 2:13-16, which says: God “kindly forgave us all our trespasses and blotted out the handwritten document against us, . . . and He has taken it out of the way by nailing it to the torture stake. . . . Therefore let no man judge you in eating and drinking or in respect of a festival or of an observance of the new moon or of a sabbath.” Since the Bible says sabbath observance (the fourth of the Ten Commandments) is no longer obligatory, the Ten Commandments obviously are included in the Law that was abolished.

® But why was the law of Moses abolished? What was God’s purpose in giving the Law to the Jews? The apostle Paul discussed these matters, saying: “Why, then, the Law? It was added to make transgressions manifest, until the seed [Christ] should arrive to whom the promise had been made . . . Consequently the Law has become our tutor leading to Christ, that we might be declared righteous due to faith. But now that the faith has arrived, we are no longer under a tutor.” (Gal. 3:19, 24, 25) So the Law served the particular purpose of reminding the Jews that they were sinners and pointed them to their coming redeemer.

• ¹⁰ Although the law of Moses provided for the offering of animal sacrifices, these could not cancel sins of imperfect people, and imperfection prevented the Jews from being shown to be righteous as a result of perfectly keeping the Law. (Heb. 10: 1-4) So the Mosaic law was ineffective in bringing humans to perfection, as the Bible explains: “There occurs a setting aside of the preceding commandment on account of its weakness and ineffectiveness. For the Law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in besides of a better hope did.” (Heb. 7:18, 19) A perfect human sacrifice was needed to cancel sins, and this eventually was provided by the new covenant. God sent his Son to earth to offer his life as a perfect, sin-atoning sacrifice. When this was accomplished, the Law covenant, having served its purpose, passed away and was replaced by the new covenant.—Heb. 8:7-13.

• ¹¹ Christians are now under this new covenant, and they are obligated to obey the laws and commands connected with it. Many of these correspond with those of the law of Moses, and prohibit for Christians idolatry, murder, adultery, lying, stealing, and so forth. (1 Cor. 10:14; 1 John 3:10-12; Heb. 13:4; Eph. 4:25, 28) But rather than emphasizing things not to do, Jesus said: “I am giving you a new commandment, that you love one another; just as I have loved you.” (John 13:34) This command is called “the law of the Christ.” (Gal. 6:2) Obedience to it will motivate a Christian at all times, not only to refrain from wrongdoing, but also to do that which is pleasing to God and upbuilding to his neighbor.—Rom. 6:15-18.

Can you answer these questions? For answers, read the article above.

(1) Of what laws does “the law of Moses" consist? (2J Who is the Originator of the law of Moses, and so what else is it called? (3) To whom was the law of Moses given? (4) By what action was a close union between Jews and non-Jews made possible? (5) What further Scriptural testimony is there that Christians are not under the law of Moses? (6) What objection do some persons raise? (7) What Scriptural evidence is there that the Ten Commandments are included in the law of Moses that was abolished? (8) That sabbath observance is included in the laws that were abolished shows what? (9) For what purpose was the law of Moses given to the Jews? (10) In what way was the Law ineffective? What superior provision was made by the new covenant? (11) To what laws are Christians now subject, and to what course of life will obedience to “the law of the Christ" motivate a person?

Meteors from Heaven

<$> About 40,000 tons of meteors enter the earth’s atmosphere each day, according to Science Digest. But the chance of one hitting a person or even a house is small indeed. The heat of atmospheric entry reduces most of them to nothing or to dust or pebbles. Even to see a meteorite (a meteor when it hits the earth’s surface) the size of a pebble in one’s lifetime is considered rare. There is only one case on record of anyone ever being hit by a meteor. It was a woman in Sylacauga, Alabama, on November 30, 1954.

Conscientious Objectors

<$> West Germany reportedly now has the highest rate of conscientious objection of any nation in the world. While only one out of every 750 men called for military duty in the United States claim conscientious objector status and one out of 50 in Denmark, the figure for Germany is one out of 20. Last year alone, 11,789 youths sought conscientious objector status, including 3,456 who were already in uniform.

STth President

Richard M. Nixon became the 37th president of the United States on January 21. in his seventeen-minute Inaugural Address he said: “I have taken an oath today in the presence of God and my countrymen, to uphold and to defend the Constitution of the United States, To that oath, I now add this sacred commitment: I shall consecrate my office, my energies and all the wisdom I can summon to the cause of peace.” Mrs. Nixon held the two family Bibles on which her husband's left hand rested as he took the oath of office. They were opened to the second chapter and fourth verse of Isaiah. This verse was also chosen by Mr. Nixon when he took the vice-presidential oath in 1953 and 1957.

Protest In Vatican City

A group of Roman Catholic youths held a prayer meeting inside St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City on the first day of January. The group called for an end to the authoritarianism of the church. While the group prayed and read excerpts from the Bible near the main altar in St. Peter’s, Pope Paid made a special plea for peace from his apartment window overlooking St Peter’s Square. The leaflets being passed out by the youths said: "On this day that the pope wanted dedicated to peace we see that no peace is yet possible in relations inside the church because authoritarian methods are often preferred to real dialogue.”

Daughter Arrested

<$> A teen-age daughter was turned over to the police by her millionaire parents because she possessed and used marijuana. “We have to live within the law,” said Mrs. Jean Pitcairn. "It is the only thing to do.” Their daughter, Fawn Pitcairn, eighteen years old, was arrested just before New Year’s Eve after a boyfriend delivered a belated Christmas gift containing marijuana. The girl was placed on eighteen months’ probation and ordered to earn her $300 fine.

"Purely Political”

<$> The only Negro pastor in the Roman Catholic diocese of Chicago has threatened to resign unless another Negro priest is elevated to pastor in another parish. Rollins Lambert, Roman Catholic priest of St. Dorothy Church, made his position known to John Cardinal Cody, whom he called an "unconscious racist.” Lambert also said that his appointment as pastor was “purely political.” He added that there were no valid reasons for his selection for the post.

Cash Protestants Gave

<$> The National Council of Churches stated that members of 73 United States Protestant denominations gave their churches a total of $3,612,671,-698 in fiscal 1967. Five Canadian communions reported a total income of $136,559,317.

“Restore Law and Order”

The cry to restore law and order in the streets of America is very similar to the one that was echoed a few years ago in another land. The San Diego County Independent published the following quotation: “The streets of our country are in turmoil. The universities are filled with students rebelling and rioting. Communists are seeking to destroy our country. Russia is threatening us with her might, and the republic is in danger. Yes, danger from within and from without. We need law and order! Yes, without law and order our nation cannot survive . . . Elect us and we shall restore law and order. We shall by law and order be respected among the nations of the world, without law and order our republic shall fall.” (Excerpt from a campaign speech made in Hamburg, Germany, in 1932 by Adolf Hitler.)

Student Burglars

<$> For some seven months the Ohio police have tried to solve a rash of burglaries and larcenies. On January 17 the case was solved with the arrest of eighteen high-school and junior-high students and one adult. The authorities e s 11 -mated that three quarters of the 850 students at the high school had been aware of their classmates' activities but had not reported them.

Ecumenical Service Disrupted

<$> Wild scenes erupted in St. Paul’s Cathedral in London on January 22 when Roman Catholic John Cardinal Heenan addressed a crowd at a prayer service for Christian unity. For nearly ten minutes the scarlet-robed Roman Catholic archbishop of Westminster stood waiting to speak while crowds waved Bibles aloft and shouted abuses. There were counter-demonstrations outside the cathedral. Ian Paisley of Northern Ireland, a Protestant leader, was pelted with eggs and tomatoes. He shouted: “You see what kind of things papists do." Shouts echoed: “No popery here!” The service was part of a week of prayer for Christian unity during which hundreds of clergymen have exchanged pulpits.

On the same day that Roman Catholic Heenan was pleading for unity, the pope of Rome warned of ‘‘perilous and damaging phenomena in this sudden enthusiasm of reconciliation between Catholics and separated Christians."

Marijuana Penalties Stand

■$> A proposal to reduce the penalties for the possession, sale or supply of marijuana was rejected by the British government on January 23. James Callaghan, the Home Secretary, said such a move would lead to the mistaken assumption that the government takes "a less than serious view of the effects of drugtaking.” Callaghan added: "Because we have a number of social evils in this country at the present time, it would be sheer masochism to add to our difficulties by legislating to make it easier for people to introduce yet another one.”

Deaf Use Telephone

The deaf are beginning to make long-distance telephone calls. They use the Picture-phone, a device that transmits both sound and a television picture. Deaf persons recently used sign language, finger spelling, speechreading and lip-reading to communicate with each other.

Deodorant Vapors Kill

<§> A fit teen-year-old boy died of suffocation shortly after he inhaled vapors from a popular spray deodorant "for kicks.” A police spokesman said inhaling deodorants has become "a new kick, and it's supposed to give the boys a high feeling.” But such vapors can and do kill.

“Nun” a Man

<$> The prophet Jeremiah <2: 34) stated that in ‘the skirts of false religion have been found the blood marks of the souls of the innocent poor ones.’ But not many also expected to find a man in nun’s skirts. However, a published Reuters report from S&o Paulo, Brazil, said that a twenty-five-year-old man, a former bookseller, arrested in a convent on January 22, “had posed as a nun for three years.” Strange discoveries are made in false religion in this hour of her decline.

Health Resort

<$> The air of the South Polar plateau appears to be so healthy and free of germs that the body’s defense mechanisms take a holiday there. Dr. A. B. Blackburn came to this conclusion after studying white blood cell levels at a tiny isolated station about 700 miles north of the South Pole. Dr. Blackbum records a drop in white blood cell counts from a normal average of 7,350 cells in a cubic centimeter of blood to only 3,660 cells—fewer than half. On return to sea level the count jumped up again, to an average of 7,630.

Racial Violence

<$> Growing racial tensions in Britain burst into violence in mid-January when Enoch Powell, a Conservative member of Parliament, called for a halt in the immigration of nonwhites to Britain. Some 5,000 demonstrators marched to central London on January 12 to protest charges of racial discrimination against nonwhite immigrants. Fights broke out, bottles were thrown at the police and windows were smashed.

Also Kenya, Uganda and Zambia, three East African nations, are in the process of expelling at least 50,000 Asians who already hold, or can qualify for, British passports. But Britain’s tight immigration quotas will make it impossible to admit them.

Population. Growth

During 1967 world population grew at the rate of 180,000 a day, or 65,000,000 a year, to a grand total of 3,420,000,000 by midyear. If the present rate of annual growth were to continue, the total would double in 38 years. Three-fourths of mankind live in developing regions, more than half of the total in Asia. More than half the population of North America lives in cities of at least 100,000 people. The world’s four largest cities today are Tokyo, with 8,907,000 people; New York, 7,969,000; Shanghai, 6,900,000; Moscow, 6,422,000. Female life expectancy exceeds that of men in all but six of 125 countries. In Sweden men can hope to live longer, an average of 71.6 years. In all parts of the world, married men and women have lower death rates than single, widowed or divorced persons, according to the latest edition of the United Nations Demographic Book.

The population of the United States rose slightly more than 2,000,000 during 1967, to an estimated total of 201,750,000, as of October 1, 1968.

Youthful Drug-Taking

> When youths are dissatisfied with their lot In life today, there is no telling what they might do. The Royal Bank of Canada in its Monthly Letter said: “There is a general belief that much of the venture into drug-taking among young people stems from unsatisfying life.” The youth lacks assurance that he belongs in society. Discipline and understanding at home may have been lacking. Perhaps no family program of spiritual instruction, no appreciation for life and its purpose was forthcoming. A family with a purpose in life will give no foothold to the ugliness of drug addiction.

Air Pollution

<$> The automobile and belching smokestacks are not the only causes of air pollution. Says Prevention magazine for January: “Cigarettes have a higher concentration of carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide than the exhaust of autos. The cigarette has an additional toxic agent, hydrogen cyanide. All of these chemicals in a poorly ventilated room contribute to the pollution of the air others must breathe."

Know Your Cleaners

♦ Some people have died and others have become sick from gas released from mixing cleaners. Housewives have thought by mixing cleaners they would get better results. What happens is that when the widely used household chlorine bleach is combined with an acid or acid-producing agent such as bathroom cleaner or vinegar, there is a sudden release of chlorine gas. If the gas is inhaled, it can cause serious injury and possible death. Use chemical cleaners only as the manufacturers direct on the labels.

Do you feel sometimes that modem society is resting on quicksand? that it is steadily and surely being engulfed in its own sinking standards of permissiveness? Do you long for something solid and stable on which to build your own life or your family life? Turn to The Watchtower. It is founded firmly on the everlasting principles of God’s own Word, the Bible. It will enable you to stand on solid rock and build an enduring future. Send now. One year, 9/- (for Australia, $1; for South Africa, 70c)

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... an accent on earth’s origin?

When the American astronauts concluded their final telecast from the Apollo 8 on their historic flight around the moon, they read from the Bible account of earth’s creation recorded in the book of Genesis. Whatever prompted the reading, it brought mixed reactions. To many TV viewers it seemed most fitting, but one clergyman, in commenting on the act, discredited the Bible record as “a myth in the true sense,” and added: “No modem Bible scholar accepts Genesis as a scientific treatise on creation. It is not meant to tell how it happened, but why.” Is this observation according to fact? Have you always viewed the Genesis account as a myth without considering the scientific evidences in support of it? perhaps without ever realizing that there are sound, factual reasons for accepting it? Now you need be misled no longer. You can decide for yourself on the basis of the facts. Read

Did Man Get Here by Evolution or by Creation?

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32                                              AWAKE!