Golden Age, April 23, 1924
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TRUTH
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i’VORLD ' DYING
PSYCHOLOGY VS. MIND AND IMMORTALITY
A GLIMPSE OF i WORLD NEWS I BROADCAST
WHY MAN GROWS SICK AND DIES
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VoLV Bi-Weekly No. ISO * f April 23, 1924
a Journal of fact hope and, courage'
RIGHTEOUSNESS
NE"V;
VORLD BEGINNING
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Golden Age
Y«Ium ▼ Brooklyn, N.Y., Wedaf iiayt April 23, 1924 Naber 129
A Glimpse at the News of the World
(Broadcast March 3 and 10 from Watchtower WBBB on a ware length of 244 metera, by the Editor)'
IN TH# First Baptist church of Minneapolis, Miss Christabel Pankhurst, daughter of Mrs. Emmeline Pankhurst, famous woman suffrage leader in England, made the declaration that “the world is going to pieces.” She does not profess to know how soon Christ is to come and establish His government upon the earth, but she thinks that He had better come right soon; for she cannot see how the present order of things can hold out much longer.
The World War, the Japanese earthquake, the Jews migrating to Palestine, and the huge preparations for the coming worst war ever known, are, according to Miss Pankhurst, distinct signs of the kingdom of peace under Christ. “The Bok peace plan,” she says, “will never prevent war; there is no human way to do it.” Her thought is that silly- women and foolish men, in seeking truth in fancy religions, which have not the Bible for their foundation, are dancing the dance of death—playing with death, as it were. -
In speaking of the morals of the day, Miss Pankhurst said: “It is hard to be a boy or a girl now; for they have a slippery slope to travel The candle of Gentile civilization is burning down; there will be the last dare-up, and then shall come the end of the age.” -
l%e New Reformation .
MB. Gnsjrw Fham-k, editor of The Century Magazine, recently before the Methodist Ministers’ Association of New York, told that august body that the world needed a new reformation, that it was ripe for a new Martin Luther. He thought that Modernism had been an intellectual movement of negative criticism, but that it should become a positive movement and nail its theses to the doors of our churches as a challenge to the new reformation. In reading over Mr. Frank's “fourteen points” we are sure these would not bring the relief desired.
Our day has produced its Martin Luther in the person of Charles T. Bussell; and not only the ninety-five theses, but the nine hundred and ninety-five theses have been distributed broadcast, into almost every home in the United States and into thousands of homes in nearly all other countries the world over.
The reformation of Martin Luther’s day was designed to break the power of the Boman Church, and resulted in the springing up of many protesting denominations. The reformation then started, long ago lost its protest. The new reformation is not an appeal to Modernism but a “back to the Bible” movement, back to the teachings of Jesus and the apostles and prophets of the Bible, the very thing which Mr. Frank calls for in the third of his “fourteen points.”
Because of the general apostasy, unbelief, and confusion in religious circles the Scriptures seem to point out that it would be impossible to renovate the systems. So nauseating have they become that Mr. Frank cries out against them, in his first “point,” saying, “The substitution of the religion of Jesus, for Christianity.”
What he should rather have said is: ‘Away with all make-believe Christianity! Let us get down to the bedrock of true Christianity.* The vision of some men discerns only Churehianity, not Christianity. Churehianity, which so many wish to save from Annihilation, is in the throes of death pains; she is dying the death.
The Lord’s kingdom is at the door, disrupting the present order preparatory to taking full possession of the affairs of the world. When it shall have fully dawned, true Christianity will have its first chance to rule in the hearts of men.
Mr. Frank’s ninth “point” is: “The knowledge of God as the mind and the heart of the universe rather than its judge.” Does he fail to discern that God is a being, recognizing Him
only to be mind, omnipresent! God is a person. No other conception of God can be right
God is a spirit being, having a divine organism, immeasurably higher, greater, grander, and more sublime than man can conceive; but a person just the same. The cardinal attributes of God are wisdom, justice, love, and power; and these eeSrdinate and harmonize within the being of a glorious character.
. God must sit as a judge. The hum an family have violated His laws. But God's love provided redemption; His wisdom formulated the plan by which it could operate toward man and at the same time satisfy His justice; and His power is causing aU things to work together for the accomplishment of His will
Jesus is not Jehovah, never was, never will be; and Jesus, as God's vice-gerent, is carrying out His Father’s plan to completion. When the various features of the redemptive plan are ’ accomplished, God will receive the human family back into harmony with Himself; the race win then be received into covenant relationship, as Adam was before sin and rebellion came into the world. -
These truths the churches are not teaching.
CMpfate Flairs Ifodern World
EvmBEND A. S. Kennedy, chaplain to King George of England and veteran of
the World War, gave two talks recently in Holy Trinity church, Philadelphia, which provoked quite a little comment, for both their quaintness and near-truthfulnesa. "AH of us/* he said, "have two or three selves; and the purpose of the ehurch is to save men from the conflict of these selves and to make them one."
Here we get the idea that man is fighting himself; that the good part, the bad part, and the indifferent part are waging a warfare to the death. It would seem, therefore, that when we pay our debts, and are kind and gentle to our families, and smile at the world, the good part is working.
If we ask two prices for a suit of clothes, raise the rent of our tenants, or tap the oil reserves of Uncle Sam, the bad part is working. If we allow our children to do as they please, go where they please, say what they please, without taking any interest in their welfare or that of their associates, the indifferent part ia working. If the church is to save us from that condition, and if the present is s criterion of its progress, it would seem that we | are fast sinking into the mire.
Rev. Mr. Kennedy claims that the world ia a bad piece of patchwork, a sort of crazy quilt; that the world generally ia dishonest; that America has St Vitus' dance; and that the English have it too, but not so violently. St Vitus' dance seems to be caused by irreligion;. for the advice is given that religion should teach us to stop and think. He further said:
“I am told not to talk about unemployment in England. The men and the women stand on the oornsre, and in their desperation refuse to believe in the church -rsr in God. They tell us, Tour talk ia all fake and bank and we do not wish to hear you preachers any mare.’ Yet I am supposed to be silent about unemployment. It's all cant, rotten cant. We cannot save sooia in that condition. We are rotten at it. The church ia rotten st it. The duty of the church ia to create an army of man who have conquered in the conflict of selves, who will , save the world. That’s the job of the church, and it is ’ not being done.”
An honest confession is surely good for ths : soul. This man courageously takes his part of the blame, and we think that he is placing the blame where it belongs. We suggest that it would be wisdom on the part of the preachers to try keeping still for ten years and letting the common people have a chance to work out their own salvation; and the results, we feel sure, would be quite gratifying. .
Complaint in Restraint of Trudo
FIS alleged by the Federal Trade Commission that the big dealers in manufactured farming implements—such as the International Harvester Company, Moline Plow Company, j and others, which operate in the Middle West— and the retail dealers affiliated with the Eastern Federation Farm Dealers Association, are in a conspiracy in restraint of trade against cooperative enterprises that are backed by farmers.
It is said that this combine has fixed the prices of their products and the margin of profit in the sale of the implements, and are said to have “continuously assisted retail dealers' associations in carrying out their purposes, and to have contributed money for this purpose.”
The farmers’ cooperative stores are organized to supply farming implements at greatly reduced prices The object of the combine^
which is accused of this restraint of trade, is said to be "maintaining a system of espionage." This endeavor is claimed to have been made over the entire industry to cut off the supply of implements not only from cooperative associations but* from "irregular" dealers who would not maintain the price and profit levels of the organized members. Today this is done in every line of business. Retail prices are two to three •times what they need be if real cooperation could be put into effect by purchasers.
Death Rate Low in 1923
STATISTICAL bulletin of the MetropoH-tan Life Insurance Company for January
shows some interesting figures in the decrease of the mortality rate. The figures cover 15,000,000 Metropolitan policyholders, most of whom live in thickly populated districts. According to the statistics the death rate for 1923 was 8.9 per thousand; the 1922 figures ard 8.8; and. 1921, said to be the record year, 6.7.
These are said to be the best three years in the history of the United States and Canada as : compared with the three years previous, which run from 10.6 to 12.5 per thousand inhabitants. The epidemic of influenza in the early months of 1923 prevented it from being the banner year in health statistics.
The death rate for the last six months of 1923 , was the lowest ever recorded for this period in any year. The death rate amongst the Negro policyholders was a little higher than that of the White policyholders.
Preacher Has Scheme for Peace
EFERRING to the Teapot Dome scandal, Rev. Henry Clay Risner of Hoboken, N. J.,
thinks that it is about time for the common people to get in command; for, he says, “they are the best on earth and are crucified on the altar of politics.” So far as the news item disclosed Rev. Risner did not appeal to the people to accept Jesus as the Prince of Peace, but thought that great strides could be made towards the desired peace by the United States' remitting its indebtedness to every nation that would agree not to make war for one hundred years.
With few notable exceptions, when one of the common people is elevated to rulership he loses very little time in becoming “uncommon." And, as “you never can tell" where to repose your confidence, it is best to follow the Bible admonition : “Put not your trust in man.” This should be taken to mean that we are not to expect too much. Of course, we need rulers, servants of the people; but we should be praying for and expecting the real Ruler who will bring justice, truth, happiness, and life to the poor groaning creation:
Bev. Risner thinks that Bolshevism in Russia • has accomplished some good. He says that “It brought purification in the church by taking away the riches that had been accumulated; . these riches never symbolized anything, but were-partly used as propaganda in foreign lands." ' .
We can see that the common people are being elevated, timing into their own; and that as a . result the time is rapidly coming in which there will be no “uncommon” people—anywhere. The Lord will be King over all the earth in that day.
Exposures in High Places
ONE of the greatest scandals that has ever struck the American people is the Teapot
Dome Oil steal, which has blown the lid off the teapot with such force that the sound has filled the circumambient air, and our ears as. well; with the din of denials, cross charges, and wailings of those who have thus been brought into the limelight ’
As a result of the exposure, Senator Walsh of Montana is being boomed by his friends aa presidential timber. We hope that Mr. Walsh will continue his good work in this investigation, running down all the clues and assisting . in bringing to justice every one who is guilty.
There seems to be also a revelation that the Department of the Interior had arranged to do with the naval coal reserves exactly what was done to the oil reserves. The Alaska coal reserves were taken from the Navy and transferred to the Interior Department to be peddled out to private individuals for their enrichment, depriving the country of the coal fields set aside for the use of the Pacific fleet and for emergency.
In order to make this transfer plausible to the suffering American citizens and to chloroform their senses to the enormity of the trans-. action, it was said that the Alaska coal was not good enough for our navy. Of course, none of us would want our ships to burn inferior coal; and therefore the transfer was thought to be the height of wisdom. However, the Alaska coal is now said to be of a higher grade than the navy is actually using'.
The press report from which we get our information makes the effort to minimize this wholesale thievery by telling us that there is nothing very serious for us to worry about.
• Pointing to the financiers who were personally interested in this graft, it refers to them as “little fools,” implying that it is an easy matter to dispose of them on short notice.
And then in another effort to dull our senses it tells us that these “little fools" will soon lose their money anyhow, and that a little grafting on their part might be tolerated by us, for “it does not matter much when they los»it.”
We are informed of the fact that property stolen from the Government can always be taken hack, and that the wealth of the country is so great that a few billion dollars would not make any difference, for the reason that our national' debt is but a little more than $300 per inhabitant. When our national wealth is fully developed, it is estimated that each inhabitant would be worth more than one million dollars.
We think that this is a very cheap and deliberately-planned method of making excuses for the ultra rich, who are setting bad examples for young Americans to emulate. It is such looseness of morals that is fast wrecking^ our civilisation. We suppose that many of these thieves are ordinarily graded as 100 percent American; but a thief who steals from the Government is just as bad as any pickpocket that ever walked the streets.
Tobacco Deal in Mexican Loan
THE British-American Tobacco Company is said to have purchased the largest Mexican cigarette factory, and the second largest cigar- . ette factory will pass into the hands of an American company. The price paid for the first factory was $7,500,000.
In order for the Mexican Government to pacify the minds of the Mexican people regarding this deal, it is arranged that they will obtain a loan of $25,000,000 from the tobacco interests of this country and Great Britain. Senator J. Hamilton Lewis is said to represent the tobacco interests.
It is said that this deal has been developing -for four years; that the negotiations, which were far advanced, were cut short by the death of Carranza.
Magnifies Heart Beats
T THE Medical congress of internal medicine in session at St Louis during Febru
ary, there was demonstrated a device perfected by Prof. B. B. Abbott of Purdue University. ' The instrument is called a microphone stethoscope. It is somewhat similar to the ordinary stethoscope, but has an amplifier attachment. Dr. Abbott, in his demonstration, attached the instrument to his person; and the beats of his heart were plainly heard at a distance of fifty feet. -•
Western Union Pays Bonus
MPLOYES of the Western Union Telegraph ' Company recently were benefited by the distribution of excess earnings for the last six months of 1923. This excess will amount to about twenty-three percent of one month’s sal- . ary for the majority of the employes. Messen- -f ger boys who have been in the employ of the company for a certain length of time also shared in this to the extent of $11.50 each.
Great Britain *
THE former British ambassador to the
United States, Sir Auckland Geddes, in a ringing speech in London, has declared that Britain must change, her habit of jeering at American prohibition as ridiculous and of denouncing it as a pernicious attack upon liberty. He maintains that the only actual effect of the maintenance of the rum fleet off the coasts of . New Jersey is to anger respectable American opinion against England.
A British judge has decided that when a Brit- . ish whisky concern and a British sea captain enter into an agreement to ship a cargo of whisky to rum row, the owner of the whisky cannot sue the captain for an accounting of what was done with the whisky. This just decision will cause many Americans to smile broadly.
The Central-Eastern portion of England has been subjected to an earthquake, which shook up the furniture of houses considerably and frightened many people, but which seems not to have done any damage.
Anglo-French Relations
REFLECTION of the strained relations between Britain and France is seen in the
fact that the British naval maneuvers this Spring will take place on the sea route between France and her African possessions* Moreover, the fleets which will gather for these naval maneuvers are the largest that have been .^brought together at any time within the last four years*
Premier MacDonald has written a letter to Premier PoincarS of France in which he says:
“It has come about that people in this country regard with anxiety what appears to them to be the determination of France to ruin Germany and to dominate the continent without consideration of our inter
ests and of the future consequences to a European settlement; that they feel zpprehenaive of the large military and aerial establishments maintained not only in eastern but also in western France; that they an disturbed by tile interest shown by your Government in the military organization of the new States in Central Europe; and, ’finally, that they question why all these activities should be financed by the French Government in disregard of the fact that the British taxpayer has to find upwards of £30,000,000 a year as interest upon loans raised in America, and that our taxpayers have also to find large ' tw to pay interest on the debt of France to us, to meet which France has herself as yet neither made nor propounded, so far as they can see, any sacrifice equiva-’ lent to their own.”
In a speech in the House of Commons, Ex-Premier Lloyd George has eaid:
“The war cost us more than any other country—at least in cash* Our devastation was not so great as the devastation of France, but it cost ua hundreds of millions of pounds; and the ruin to our business has been greater than that suffered by any other country. There* * fore, I protest against the new spirit, which seems to proceed from the assumption that England is to pay, but when it comes to receiving, it must be some other country. Great Britain pays America; she is to receive nothing from France or from Italy. The Chancellor of the Exchequer says Germany is in such a position that ■he cannot possibly pay No, she cannot pay ua, but she is to pay France in full She is to reimburse everything that is going to France, Italy and Belgium; but, forsooth, she can do nothing for Great Britain, We were equal in sacrifice; I think it is about time that Great Britain should stand up for her rights in this matter?*
Among military men there is now the positive conviction that annihilation awaits any people attacked by the modern airplane. The military airplanes of today have engines as strong as four European locomotives. Military men speak of the air raids of six or seven years ago as “Lilliputian raids.19 It is estimated that in case of a war between France and Britain, France can put into use fifteen times as many of these terrible engines of death as can Great Britain* Just now there is a race on in which France and Britain are vying with each other in multiplying air armament, with France far in the lead.
Within the next year Britain will increase the personnel of her air fleet from 33,000 to 35,000 men, and expects by next April to have 200 airplanes available for home defense.
Laborites and Royalty
WITH the enjoyment of as full power in the control of the British Government aa either of the two old British parties could enjoy in the same position, there are situations constantly developing which are amusing* Labor officials do not move in what may be called the highest-priced society. For instance, the Minister of Health and the Under-Secretary for Scotland were recently entertained at a home where circumstances made it necessary for . them to help wash and wipe the dishes.
We do not know that this hurt them in any way. We know of no particular reason why any man should expect his wife to start working two hours before he does in the morning, and to continue working two hours after he finishes at night, without his doing something to give her a lift Maybe she would enjoy a little rest as much as he would.
Another good joke is on the royalty They have been accustomed to passing titles around among those who for the time being happened to be in power. Now they have just made three of the Labor leaders into barons. This is the good old American idea. The royalty over here is composed of office men, stenographers, brick layers, carpenters, stevedores, coal heavers, railroad men, firemen, machinists, and other classes of royalty too numerous to mention. But in America they are more than baronets; they are lords of the realm.
The Labor Government of Britain is considering the abolition of the death penalty. Prominent officials in the Government have expressed the common sense opinion that the Treaty of
Versailles ought to be revised. The new government manifests sympathy for the poor. In one of the boroughs, the local officials expended $500,000 for the relief of the poor without any authority having been granted to them to do so. The previous government had decided to hold these officials responsible for this large sum of money, but the new government canceled the obligation, thus Showing a real concern for starving men, women, and children, suffering because of unemployment
The Labor Government has abandoned the effort to collect partial reparations from Germany which have hitherto been sought by a twenty-six percent tax on imports from that country. This tax has been reduced to five percent The change shows how thoroughly the policy of free trade is imbedded in the minds of British workers.
Hothouse strawberries are said to be on observation in London at three shillings; that is to say, about seventy cents an ounc& These berries are hired out as table decorations, they are not supposed to be eaten. In New York, Florida berries have been on sale for two months, with the prices ranging very high-fifty cents to a dollar a box. '
Matd
ELAND continues to be the isle of sorrows.
Conditions in the west of Ireland are said to be worse at present than at any other period since the great famine of seventy-five years ago. This is not, however, because of any failure of crops, but wholly because of restricted trade with England, due to conditions in England itself.
We are coming more and more to see how dependent the people of one country are upon the people of another. It helps us to realize the force of the Apostle's statement that no man liveth unto himself nor dieth unto himself. It appears that every act of our life has its influence upon others, even as the acts of others influence our own careers.
Many of the most prominent, wealthy and influential citizens of Ampri^ are of Irish ancestry, and always feel a keen interest in anything affecting the Emerald Isle. In view of the fact that Ireland has no coal deposits, and seemingly can therefore never become a great industrial community; and in view of the fact
that it abounds with beautiful scenery, delightful people, and an ideal climate, projects are under way to make the Killarney Lake district a playground for British and Amarir^ tourists. It seems to us that this is a good idea. There are multitudes of wealthy Americans who would enjoy spending a vacation on the old sod if they could be sure of the luxuries to which they are accustomed on this side of the water. .
The Hebrides
OB one whole year the people of the Hebrides Islands, off the west coast of
Scotland, have had only two or three clear days. This has made the raising of crops impossible; and as the fishing has been unusually poor, the 30,000 inhabitants of the islands have been brought to the border-land of starvation. Moreover, everything in the islands, including the peat beds, is water-soaked, so that the usual source of fuel is unavailable. Crime is virtually unknown among the natives of the Hebrides. The people are all poor together, and show a sympathetic, friendly interest in each other's welfare that is TafTpahing-
Belgium . .
THE Belgian Government has been undergoing a crisis. The party which has been in power, and which favored the French policies in the Ruhr, has been compelled to resign. The change in public opinion in Belgium, which caused the majority of the deputies to express a vote of no confidence in the government, was brought about by conditions in the city of Ant* werp. In that city there has been a long period of trade stagnation with gradually increasing discontent
Europe is being stirred by its miseries to realize a great truth: It is slowly coming to discern that in the United States the twenty-five European nationalities live together and work together under almost ideal conditions. Thoughtful people in Europe are asking why it is that the twenty-five European nationalities can get along together in America, but cannot get along together on their native soiL
All can see that what is needed in Europe is a class of statesmen with large enough hearts and wise enough heads to plan for the welfare of the people of Europe as a whole instead of for the selfish interests of sone one little community.
Franc*
THE franc continues to fall, and the French people are becoming more and more panicky ■ as they see the same conditions overtaking them as have overtaken Germany. The franc is now worth only one-fourth of what it was before ' the war.
At the close of the month of February the French Government was obliged to add in one week a billion francs of paper money in order to pay bills due on March 1st Experience everywhere has proven that this method of finance will not work except for a limited period; and it may be truthfully said that after debts have been paid by such a method, the condition of the one who thus pays is worse than before the debt was paid at all
M. Briand, former premier of the French Government, has called attention to the fact that every time the French Government indicates a willingness to negotiate for an agree. ^ ment with Germany along the lines of the ' experts' proposals, the downward rush of the franc ceases. When the expressions of the Government are less favorable, the fall of the franc ' is resumed. He thinks that the financial situation of France is such that war is no longer possible.
The French people are disturbed because British statesmanship seems to have nearly or fully gained control of all Moslem countries through the nomination of the King of Hedjaz (Mesopotamia) to be the Caliph, or spiritual ruler of the Mohammedan Church. King Hussein is a British appointee, and receives an f annual grant of $2,000,000 from the British Government for holding Mesopotamia open to the development of British oil companies.
No doubt Mr. Hussein is worth at least $2,000,000 per year to the British oil interests, and will be worth still more to them if he can deliver to the British Government the loyalty of the Moslem peoples scattered in the form of a letter “X” all the way from Austria to Ceylon, and from the West African coast to the back door of China.
' The French colonies are practically all among Moslem peoples. The French choice for the Caliphate, Abdul Medjid, is supposed to have been expelled from his former position largely through the influence of British statesmen. Just at this time he is enroute to France, but is stopping over in Switzerland, where he is nona too welcome because he has with him two mors wives than the Swiss Government approves.
Germany '
THE British and French Governments seem to have thought that there are large supplies of arms and munitions in existence in Germany of which the German Government is unwilling to make any accounting. It would not surprise us if this statement is true.
The shocking figures have been made public that in the sections of Germany controlled by the French, there are now behind French ban 2,335 German prisoners who are guilty of no personal act of wrong-doing. These men are political prisoners in the strictest sense of the word. .
The Kaiser has been heard from again. Ho was heard from directly in his memoin whea he denied personal responsibility for sending the famous cablegram to Paul Kruger, head of the South African Republic, at the time of the capture of Dr. Jameson and his raiders.
Now he has been heard from again through the former head of the press department of the German Foreign Office, who comes forward with the declaration that Wilhelm has been fibbing; and that not only was he responsible for the despatch actually sent to Mr. Kruger, but he originally drafted a much more violent one, which would have stirred the British people still more than they were stirred by the one which he did send.
The trial of General Ludendorff for treason at Munich is said to have revealed from Ludendorff’s own lips the fact that the only books he ever read were military books, and that except from the military point of view, he is lacking in the common sense of a moderately well-balanced youth. We can hardly wonder at this What show of wisdom could we expect from any mind which rises no higher than that of how best to apply brute force to his fellow man?
Reparation Poesibilitiea
THE tense situation which has existed for some time between the Central German Government and Bavaria is said to have been greatly lessened; business is picking up, and there is a more hopeful feeling generally. In part this is evidently due to the determination of the British leaders to give the Germans a chance by letting their goods into England at only five percent duty, instead of twenty-six percent as heretofore.
Despatches indicate that the German Communist Party is steadily increasing both in size and in the mildness of its position. The Germans seem to have discovered that nothing is to be gained by violence or bloodshed. What is to be gained will be won by the representatives of the people in open congress.
In the plan'for payment of the German reparations, effort is centering largely upon plans to take away from the German people the pubtic ownership and operation of the railroads. The German railroad system has been decided by experts to be the best in the world, and it is the only railroad system without a debt, the fall of the mark having wiped out all its obligations.
A writer in the New York American sees such a menace to the German people in this seizure of Germany's railways that he says: “If Barn-say MacDonald and the British Labor leaders now in charge of the British Government permit the railroads to be taken away from the German people, then we shall cease to have faith in any men in public life.”
The figures of the League of Nations' transportations exports show that by taking the control of the railroads away from the German people and boosting the tariffs as high as pos-Bible, an annual net profit of 800,000,000 gold marks can be obtained.
In an address in Berlin, Chancellor Marx has called attention to the fact that the future of Germany depends largely upon the intellectuals, and that neither German labor nor ferman capital is at this time rendering to these hard-pressed classes the assistance which they are able to render and which they ought to render.
Evidence? of Stability
FTEB all that Germany has been through, it is claimed that she still has the most efficient industrial organization in the world, the smallest debt, and the lightest taxes. On the other side of the question, the fiscal situation is in chaos. The taxes are not properly distributed.
Hundreds of new factories have been erected in all parts of Germany during the last four years. In spite of all handicaps Germany has also made great progress in rebuilding a merchant marine. The bill for reparations constitutes Germany's only debt, on account of the fall of the mark The German overseas trade measured in gold is now estimated at fifty-seven percent of what it was before the war.
Germany and England are again planning' to compete desperately with each other for the trade of the world. England is making ready a . great fair project which is to be many times greater and much more expensive than the San Francisco exposition; while Germany has already inaugurated at Leipsio a great fair in which 14,000 firms have their wares on exhibition. I
This is nearly double the number of exhib- > itors at the same fair five years ago. Enormous buildings have been put up to house the exhib- ■ its. Among the nations represented at the fair are Russia, Czecho-Slovakia, Austria, Hungary, Boumania, and Switzerland. American buyers at the fair are said to have found the prices j much higher than they had expected. x '
Hungary
TAESPATCH MS from Hungary show that the . U present Hungarian Government is unable to shake off the control over it exercised by a body of men styled the Awakening Magyars. These men were used to overthrow the Hungarian Communist Government in 1919, and since then have distinguished themselves on at least two occasions by killing with bombs Liberals and Jews who were guilty of entertaining opinions different from their own. The despatches show that it is next to impossible to punish any ' of these men adequately, and therefore it is difficult to have a good government of the country. More than half of Hungary is owned by the 1,500 nobility and the eight bishop
Of late there has been quite a feverish condition prevailing in the stock exchange at Budapest, occasioned by the rapid depreciation of the Hungarian crown. The Government undertook to stabilize the currency by announcing that it was its intention to adopt the foreign quotation of the crown to the lower figure at which the crown circulated at home.
Speculators took advantage of this aimounce-
ment by smuggling enormous quantities of inland crowns across the frontiers and throwing them on the markets of the adjacent countries, thereby wrecking foreign confidence in the Hungarian currency. The Finance Minister resigned in consequence.
Hungary is seeking an international loan; and the currency situation is not apt to be stabilized until after a sufficient amount has been received in order to conduct the business of Uie country properly, if it does even then.
In the recent panicky storms of Hungary there were not large fortunes made or lost, as is often the case in other European countries and in America. Starvation resulting in deaths was a frequent occurrence, and the' distress among some classes was so great that many people were unable to afford one warm meal daily.
Sorry as we are for the difficulties which Hungary-faces, we shall be still more sorry for her if the representatives of the international bankers appointed by the League of Nations to manage her fiscal affairs, do not manage those affairs better than they did the American Federal Reserve Board when they brought on the farmers’ panic of 1921.
Czechoslovakia ~
/"'I ZE CHO-SLOVAKIA has a Teapot Oil Dome of its own. It seems that about a year ago, the Standard Oil Company arranged to take over the production and distribution of oil and gasoline throughout Czecho-Slovakia. Not only is everything involved that looks like a gallon of oil or gasoline, but even wood alcohol as well.
It seems that in the excitement somebody passed out a certain amount of graft, although it appears that there was not enough to go around; and when the matter came to a showdown before the Parliament, one worthy representative of the people so far forgot himself as to throw a bottle of gasoline at the head of the Premier.
The Premier dodged the bottle and, referring to our Teapot Dome statesmen, declared that Czecho-Slovakia is not the only country from wliich all honesty and justice have disappeared since the war. The President of the Czechoslovakian Senate and several senators, deputies. and cabinet ministers are involved in the scandal
It must be gratifying to those who regard America as a part of Christ’s kingdom to sea how aptly the people of Europe imitate us in all things. ... ‘
Spain , .
SPAIN continues the war in Morocco which it
has been waging for a decade. The Spaniards seem never to be able to get anywhere in this war. As soon as the tribesmen have been dispersed at one point they concentrate at another, in apparently undiminished, numbers. Just now Morocco is having a series of extremely severe storms, making military operations difficult. So vigilant are the Moorish tribesmen that after dusk it is always dangerous for a Spanish soldier to shift his position even by a few yards. The tribesmen are commanded by a man, Raid Ali Benamor, who lived for some years in America.
The Dictator of Spain, General Primo Rivera, has forbidden criticism of the Government by college professors, and has declared that he will close any institution which violates this rule.
Italy .
TODAY’S papers say that the Pope admires
America. It is no doubt true that more real -money comes from America for the maintenance of the Papal establishment than from all, the rest of the world put together.
The press report says that he has blessed the whole of America. This need not necessarily alarm anybody. It is true that in 1898 the Pope who was then in power blessed the fleet of Spain, shortly before it was sent to the bottom of the ocean. We are not sure that the blessing of the fleet had anything to do with its speedy destruction. It does not necessarily follow, therefore, that the blessing of America by the-present Pope would bring us any immediate bad luck.
Mussolini retains his iron grip upon Italy. ’ He is actually the Dictator; but nominally he is only Prime Minister, Minister of the Interior, Minister of National Defense, President of the Council, Chief of the Commission on Aviation, and Chairman of the Fascisti Party. He is largely admired throughout Italy, in spite of the fact that Premier Nitti and other lovers of liberty accuse him of remaining in power by violence and intimidation, and denounce him for abolishing liberty.
Students of politics see a possible union of Italy, Spain, and Portugal, owing to their general community of interests as supporters of the Papal system.
The financiers of Italy are congratulating themselves that the lira appears to be almost the only European currency that has been able to hold its own with so powerful a nation as England. The credit for this stability of currency is given to the present policy of the Gov-emnent under the Fascist! leader, who has brought about an iron rule of "economic discipline."
But the Fascist! Party is by no means having things its own way. About 138 parties will figure in the campaign of the coming election, April 6th; and 1,354 candidates will compete for 535 seats in parliament. The press reports state that the great number of parties in the field constitutes a serious danger for the Fascist!; the leaders of the minority parties may engage in political combinations which will make the coming election hazardous for the element now in power.
Poland
THAT some one is particularly interested in the Fascist! movement is evident. Leading ■military men, supported by many "spiritual" leaders of the Roman hierarchy, are desirous of having it spread abroad and encompass the world. The Polish Government has arrested a number of priests who are reported to have been in a conspiracy to fasten the Facisti on the Polish people. This movement has been active for more than a year, and was under the patronage of a number of highly-placed Polish 100 percenters.
Russia
THE Russian Government established a chain of communist schools-shortly after the overthrow of the Czar’s regime. Millions of dollars have been expended by Catholics to establish and maintain schools which are opposing the communist schools. Sometime ago the Soviet Government issued an edict abolishing the Catholic parochial schools.
Several items concerning the arresting of Roman Catholic priests for treason have filtered through the daily press, but there is a tendency to cover up and hide such news. We believe that we are doing a service for the world in publishing such news, when we have reason to beHeve it is authentic. We regard Roman Catholicism as organized, systematized anarchy.
A new tribe of people inhabiting a region along a Siberian river within the arctic circle; has been discovered. According to the Petrograd scientist, Gorodkov, these strange people live near the Pacific Ocean, speak a distinct language, live in the most primitive communities, and have never heard of the Russian Revo- _ lution or of the World War.
While th<fre was a tendency in Russia under the rulership of Lenin to follow peaceful pursuits and trust to the leadership of the Dictator, since his death the political waters are beginning to boiL It is reported that there are secret ’ treaties between France and Russia, a prospective war between England and Russia over the Afghanistan situation, and a row in the Communist party in Russia. This latter, so the papers say, centers about Trotsky’s ambition to become Lenin's successor.
It is hardly likely that Russia has settled down to universal peace; and we may expect there, as in other countries, more or less dis- / satisfaction and turmoil amongst the laboring ' ■ classes. Possibly the death of Lenin was the ; turning point in her tranquility.
Russian financiers have had a medium of exchange which is termed "solid money"; but it now has a tendency to follow its predecessor into the abyss of uncertainty. Only recently silver coinage was issued for the first time under the Soviet Government, with the hope that it would materially stabilize money conditions.
The Department of Internal Trade has ordered a prominent display of price lists in all stores, Government and private; and the Council of Labor Defense has announced that prices throughout the country shall be expressly stated in line with the limitations which the council has put upon commodities, endeavoring thereby to maintain an equilibrium of business.
The silver money first made its appearance in Moscow, and of course will gradually find its way into the rest of Russia’s vast domain. About $50,000,000 in silver and copper coinage are being put into circulation. In order to keep the peasants from hoarding the silver, the denominational pieces are for much greater value than the intrinsic worth of the metal The old czarist silver is being rapidly withdrawn from circulation.
'Greece
AST week the Republican deputies in the Geeek Parliament withdrew in a body as a protest against the Government's refusal to pass the resolution abolishing the ruling dynasty. Considerable excitement prevailed for * time, and fears were expressed that it might be the signal for difficulties which would imperil the domestic peace of the country. A measure was introduced implying that the people have ceased to believe in the divine right of kings, and that there is no foreign obstacle to the establishment of a republic.
Turkey
SINCE the adoption of a constitution in 1918, woman suffrage has been the burning question; and the social problem is one of prominence as well as the political question. Social forces are manifesting themselves in the present national regeneration of Turkey, and one of the most far-reaching of the movements is that in connection with the emancipation of the Turkish women. Several hundred represent**' tive women of the nation recently held a co*-vention in Constantinople.
Recently there was introduced into the Turkish National Assembly a bill to compel young Turks to marry more than one wife. As showing the liberal leanings of the Turkish Parliament, the measure was defeated. Gradually foe the last twenty years, polygamy has been coming into disrepute, and the Bible idea of no more than one wife is taking its place. It in claimed that the practice of polygamy antedates Mohammedanism, and was condoned only because of custom and tradition.
We are glad that our day is freighted with an increase of knowledge and is pulsating with justice, not only for the emancipation of woman, but for the emancipation of all mankind. Th* reign of Messiah's kingdom now being intro-* duced, will bring liberty, happiness, and lift privileges to all the families of the earth.
$ Fruit-Growing in Okanagan Valley, B.C. By Fruit Grower
tt AlfD they shall plant vineyards, and eat XX. the fruit of them.” (Isaiah 65:21) The fulfilment of this prophecy of Isaiah would bring peace and happiness to thousands of homes in the beautiful, fertile, fruit-growing _ Okanagan Valley.
For years others have been eating the fruit. Transportation companies, brokers, wholesalers, packing and shipping houses, etc., absorb . most of the fruit,_and the growers themselves get what is left. The troubles of the fruit grower are not production troubles but distrib-' uting troubles.
Numerous experiments have been made for the better marketing of the fruit, trying to devise some system whereby the grower will receive a fair return for his labor and his investment.
The work of the fruit grower is never done. In early Spring, while the mercury is still registering frost, he gets out with his knife and saw to prune the trees. This work, to be rightly done, requires years of experience.
The work of grafting is another art with which the grower must always keep in touch; for fashion* in fruit are like ladies' dress fashion*—they change from time to time. Um farmer must keep cutting out "the discarded grades and graft on the new selections. Spraying is another tedious job; for pests and the -blight are numerous and have to be carefully ' guarded against.
Plowing, cultivating, irrigating, eta, are soma of the many jobs that keep the grower going from early morning till late at night.
After the fruit is formed and has taken good shape—such as apples, peaches, apricots—it must be thinned out to various distances, according to the class of fruit. This is a long, tedious job; but it is very necessary to insure average crops each year.
Picking season starts at the end of June. Cherries are the first to ripen. From then till the last apple is off, this being at the end of October and sometimes into November, there is never a let-up.
The Fruit Graven’ Retd Problem,
0 FAB the grower has done his best to insure a crop of No. 1 fruit; but what confronts him now is really the beginning of his troubles.
In 1914 there was organized what was called the "Okanagan Fruit-Growers Union.” This organization claimed to have over fifty percent of the growers on its membership roll Through this medium the fruit grown by its members was to be packed and shipped to various marketable points.
Other growers shipped through private packing and shipping companies, or sold direct to jobbing houses, or retailers.
The returns received by the grower, after all charges were deducted, were next to nothing. Only in the peak-price years of the war did the grower get a fair return for his labor and goods.
The years 1921-1923 were three disastrous ones for the fruit grower.
In 1922 the "Okanagan Fruit-Growers Union" went bankrupt; and in its place there was formed a product of the famous cooperative organizer, Aaron Sapiro, which received the name of "The Cooperative Fruit-Growers of B. C." This organization claims to have eighty percent of the fruit tonnage signed up to pass through its packing houses. The other twenty ' percent are shipping, as before, to private houses, or selling direct to retailers, etc. -The returns for the 1923 crop finally came; and it is now seen that "the last state of that . man is worse than the first.” The cooperative returns, so far, do not even pay for picking.
The private houses are giving a Better price, but not enough to clear all production costs.
The grower who has a round of retail stores to which he can ship gets the best prices. As it will be readily seen, in the latter method the fruit goes through fewer .ands, which means fewer to get a profit out of the grower's labor and produce.
It had been the hope of all the people here that the new Cooperative would solve the marketing problems; but conditions are worse than ever before. Land and water taxes have to go -unpaid; and in many cases it is hard for the ' fruit grower and his family to get the bare necessities of life.
The fruit grower like other producers is in the grip of a colossal economic monster that is disheartening—a Satanic system which enriches one class at the expense of the other, wherein the large concerns in control live well oft the produce of the land and the labor of the farmer, and give as little as possible in return.
The only remedy is the setting up of Christ's kingdom, "wherein dwelleth righteousness.” Then "they shall not plant, and another eat. . . . They shall not labor in vain, nor bring forth for trouble.”—Isaiah 65:22,23. '
It will be a glorious day when, under Christ’s *' reign of equity and justice, the fruit grower will dress and keep the trees as did our father Adam six thousand years ago in the Garden of Eden. (Genesis 2:15) Until that time, we who have named the name of Christ do well to exercise ourselves in patience and manifest the spirit of our Master, that we may not add to the troubles of an already burdened people.
Good Eyesight at 106
MB. V. A Wilson of Red Oak, Iowa, was 106 years of age, March 15th, 1924, according to the court records. He is a subscriber to The Goldkit Acs, and reads it without the aid of glasses. He takes care of a horse, some chickens, and does general work on a five-acre truck farm for Grandma. Woolsey, who herself is past her eighty-fifth year. One peculiar thing is: He cares for chickens, lives on a farm and therefore knows some of the good things to eat, but has never tasted fowl meat May he live forever, and never have to wear spectacles I
Martin Luther Said
“The Church, however, kept the right faith for more than twelve centuries, nor did the holy Fathers ever or anywhere make mention of this transubstantiation (a portentous word and dream indeed), until the counterfeit Aristotelian philosophy began to make its inroads on the Church within these last three hundred years, during which many other erroneous conclusions have also been arrived at, such as:—that the Divine essence is neither generated nor generates; that the soul is the substantial form of the human body; and other like assertions, which are made absolutely without reason or cause, as the Cardinal of Cambray himself conf eases.*
Reports from Foreign Correspondents
FROM CANADA
IF ANT sane creature in this fair Dominion can find comfort in events as they occur, and particularly as they have occurred in this country during the past month, he is, forsooth, living in a fool’s paradise.
Tour correspondent will be regarded as a pessimist by the unthinking, unobserving reader; but I desire to assure him that if it were - not for our dear Lord’s promise to the poor groaning creation I would long ago have given up all hope. True it is that looking through blue goggles one sees only gloom in prospect; our eyes, however, see also behind the gloom the silver lining which is hid to none who is honest with himself and with his fellow men.
Canada, we are told by those who fain would whistle to keep up their courage, is a land of golden opportunity. I do not deny the assertion. Truly God has blessed Canada with opportunities, with an endowment such as no ' other country can boast of today; but they are misspent opportunities; it is a squandered endowment.
, Look where one may, from east to west, from the rock-bound fishing coasts of Louisburg to the lumber-laden shores of Vancouver, the month of February has not placed before one’s view a glimpse of what one may call hope. And if the events of February, in Canada, be any criterion, if they be portends for 1924, if they be shadows cast before coming events, then we may feel certain that the fulfilment of God’s . promise to His people, that after a total collapse the blessings will come, is not in the far-distant future.
Politically, financially, industrially, ecclesiastically, Canada is a seething melting pot; and Satan must grin with malignant satisfaction as he proceeds to stir up the stew. .
An Orgy of Extravagance
THE outstanding event in Canada during
February was the expose by Maclean's Magazine of the orgy of extravagance at Ottawa. To the watcher on Mount Zion the wonder is not that these things have been brought to light, for this squander mania is not of today, it has been going on for years; but there is a great deal of significance in the fact that it remained for our day to see these damnable outrages exposed.
Canada, with some semblance of an excuse during the war, had in 1917 a debt of $1,382,-003,268. Since the close of the war the debt haul increased and increased out of all proportion, until today the gross public debt has reached no less than $3,219,183,550, or $366 for every man woman and child in Canada.
To meet this debt the Government has added tax upon tax, until now Canadians are burdened at the rate of $1,000,000 a day, or more than $40,000 every hour that we breathe. Space at my disposal' precludes my going into this matter-in detail; suffice it to say that from February 28, 1922, until the same date this year, the net debt has increased by $54,000,000.
This money is squandered with the profligacy of the proverbial drunken sailor, and with as little regard for the future. The salaries paid civil servants prior to the war amounted to ten million dollars; at the close of the war the civil servants were bleeding the country to the extent of fifteen millions—this increase of five millions being due, presumably, to the extra staffs required to win the war.
But the war having ceased, and the dove of peace having returned to Parliament Frill, we look up statistics to find how far the civil service costs have been reduced; and we are astounded to find that this country is now paying its servants fifty millions of dollars a year, or five times the amount expended prior to the <■ war, and an increase of thirty-five millions since the armistice was signed.
Trebling the Expenditure*
AGAIN, the population of this country is less than nine millions • that of the United States, 108 millions. The United States employs nine Cabinet ministers to run the affairs of 108 millions at a cost of $108,000, or at the rate of one dollar for every 1,000 citizens. Canada, to govern nine millions, has sixteen Cabinet ministers, who receive indemnities amounting to $229,000, or one dollar for every thirty-nine persons living in this country.
Financially, Canada is doomed; there can be no come back. It would require 1,000 years of human effort, by the best-intentioned Finance Minister, to put Canada on her feet financially. The same is true of the provinces. Taken as a whole, expenditures of Provincial Governments have trebled in the last fifteen years.
Ordinary expenditures were $21,169,868 in 1906, or $3.43 per head. In ten years ordinary expenditures had risen to $53,826,219, or $6.71 per head. In 1921 this had grown to $102,569,-317, or $11.69 per head, an increase of 100 percent in Ave years, between 1916 and 1921, while the population increased by less than ten percent
But by 1922 the total expenditures had increased to the staggering figure of $133,000,000; the increase alone in this one year from 1921 to 1922 being fifty percent'greater than the total expenditures in 1906.
A Carnival of Graft
TO GO into this more intimately let us look at financial conditions in Quebec. Here we find that in 1918 the net debt was $43,000,000. In five years, up to 1923, the debt increased to $87,000,000, or more than doubled. Even the booze business is used to save Quebec; and the booze business is her only salvation. Money is spent as fast as received, and more money is borrowed to enable the bar-room keepers to carry on.
Another avenue of escape for millions of her citizens' money was the gift made by the Quebec Government to the Banque d'Hochelaga. The Banque Nationale, a Catholic institution, finding itself in the same predicament as that other Catholic affair, the now defunct Home Bank, appealed to the Hoehelaga Bank, which agreed to take over the National's assets, provided the Government would come across with $15,000,000.
The Premier of Quebec, Barkis-like, was “willin'.” The depositors comprised a long list of Catholic bishops, priests, and church corporations. The bonds of the province representing fifteen millions were handed over to the Hoche-laga Bank; and the poor, suffering taxpayer is left, without pity, without sentiment, to pay the piper. These are mere samples of the methods employed by politicians from one end of Canada to the other.
At present a former British Columbia Premier is facing a charge of having received $50,000 of graft. The Toronto Government has unearthed thefts in certain departments. Tax collectors, and other officials in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, have been sent to jail, or are now under arrest, for having stolen public funds. These things have been going on for years. Only today are they coming to light A Cabinet minister at Ottawa has taken advantage of his official position. Having learned that the Home Bank was to go under, he withdrew his deposits. He saved his own neck, while he left the masses to drown. The same minister is a professed labor leader! Is it any wonder that there are "Reds”? The wonder is, that the masses are not more restless.
Capitalism Hao “Elind Staggers’*
rpHAT conditions have not improved is shown -L by the persistent rumors in financial circles that three prominent banks are to amalgamate. This move requires Government sanction; but to get that will not be a difficult undertaking.
Capitalists are working day and night to oust those now in power and to establish a dictatorship in Canada. An Ottawa Senator, addressing a business men’s club, advised them to take the reins of power, and to ignore the masses, who were not competent to govern.
The Premier of Ontario was invited to Montreal by these people. Whether he will be the dictator or not is a question; but he has shown that he has the desire as well as the ability to establish an autocracy.
He has repudiated the second largest group in the House of Parliament (the Progressive Party), refused to recognize them as a party; and when charged with high-handedness he replied: "It is true. What are you going to do about it?" Again, when queried in the House as to what was being done about the thefts in Government departments he replied; in effect: “It is none of your business.”
The Pit Just Ahead
DUSTRIALISTS are crying aloud for immigrants, and are blaming the high taxes for loss of trade. On the other hand here is a glimpse of actual conditions in Canada.
The total yearly consumption of cement is seven million barrels. The plants are able to turn out fourteen million barrels.
Railway building plants are capable of turning out twice as many cars as can be used. Some of these plants are idle, while the plant of the Canadian Car and Foundry Company, at Fort William, which represents an investment of many hundreds of thousands of dollars, has scarcely been used since it was built.
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