Consolation, December 27, 1939

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Contents

And Now Finland—and Why 3

Spain and Portugal 4

New Government

Who Are the False Prophets? 5

Modern "Kultur" 6

No Power Can Suppress This Truth 8

Whittling Down the National Debt 10

Surgery 11

Under the Totalitarian Flag

The Cloister-God 12

The Jewish Review 14

What the Hierarchy Thinks of the Bible 15

Hierarchical Trade-Mark 16

Counsel by J. F. Rutherford

Rules 17

U. S. A. State, War and Navy Departments 18

Pasting the Guttersnipes 18

The Drift Toward War 19

British Comment

"Blind Leaders of the Blind" 20

Blind Followers of the Blind 20

Judgment of the Nations 21

New Words 22

Roman Catholic Ireland 22

Evacuation Hospital 23

Published every other Wednesday by

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Appetizers

Paying on Installments

A Canadian farmer, in reply to a request for payment of installments due on his land, wrote:

"Dear Sir, I got your letter about what I owe you. Now be pachent. I ain't forgot you. Please wait. When I have the money, I pay you. If this was Judgement Day, and you was no more prepared to meet your Maker than I am to meet your account, you sure would have to go to Hell. Trusting you will agree to do this, I am, yours truly."

Optical Illusions

A drunk tried several times to navigate a revolving door, but finally gave up the attempt in disgust and leaned despondently against a lamp-post.

A man came along the street and walked into the door. As it revolved, the other side revealed a pretty girl stepping from it. The drunk looked intently at her and remarked:

"It's a good trick, but I still don't shee wha' that guy did with his clothes."—Labor.

Couldn't Be Done

Judge Gruff: Speeding, eh? How many times have you been before me?

Speedmore: Never, your honor. I've tried a number of times to pass you on the avenue, but my old car won't go over 50 miles an hour and your new limousine does 80.—Pathfinder.

Harvesting the Crops

A farmer was asked whether he had had a good year. "Yes," he exclaimed. "I had four cows and three hogs killed by railway trains, and two dogs and eleven chickens killed by motorcars. I cleared a pile of money!"—Kellygram.

All Here?

The railway car was crowded as the young man opened the door and asked in a sarcastic voice, "Is this Noah's ark?"

"Yes," was the reply. "We're all here, except the ass. Come in."

Dictatorship Defined

A dictatorship is a system of government where everything that isn't forbidden is obligatory.—Manchester Guardian.

CONSOLATION

"And in His name shall the nations hope."—Matthew 12:21, A. R. V.

Volume XXI Brooklyn, N. Y., Wednesday, December 27, 1939 Number 529

And Now Finland—and Why

EVERY reader of this magazine and every reader of The Watchtower and of the many books and booklets written by Judge Rutherford is well aware that the Philistines of old represented the Roman Catholic Hierarchy, who admit and who have admitted for centuries that they seek world control and who admit and who have admitted for centuries that they would not in the least hesitate to commit murder on any scale, large or small, to gain their ends. The foe that the Roman Catholic Hierarchy most dreads is the Truth about THE THEOCRACY, and that Truth today is the exclusive possession of Jehovah’s witnesses.

Finland is a Protestant country, almost solidly Lutheran. It has been a good place to proclaim Jehovah’s Kingdom because the Lutherans have claimed to look to the Bible alone as their source of instruction. The destruction of the Finnish government will be well-pleasing to the Roman Catholic Hierarchy and to its father, the Devil, because the Vatican is clever enough to see that if the Finnish people get the Truth about THE THEOCRACY the power of the pope can never rise in the Baltic states as the pope hopes.

The Modern Philistines

The modern Philistines are not only the Roman Catholic Hierarchy, but they include every other government that aims at world-wide dominion and every other government that constitutes a part of the dominion of the earth which the Devil promised to Jesus if He would fall down and worship him.

From this point of view the so-called “Communist” government of Russia, which hopes to overrun the world, is as much a part of antitypical Philistia as is the Reich under Hitler, which also, according to its own statements, has plans and expectations for the complete domination of mankind.

From this point of view Stalin is as much a representative of and a spokesman for Philistia as is the mikado of Japan, who also, in the textbooks used in the public schools of Japan, is claimed to be the rightful ruler of the entire world and is doing what he can to make that claim come true. The mikado claims to be descended from the gods; which is old stuff. Caesar claimed to be descendant of the gods. You probably heard about that bird. Alexander was another that had no sense of humor. Nebuchadnezzar was another grass-cater with the same idea. The Kaiser was another born sucker; he lives at Doorn. Mussolini lives in Rome. Haile Selassie, “Lion of the Tribe of Judah,” used to live at Addis Ababa, but now lives in London.

From this point of view the Soviet of Russia is as truly subservient to the will of the pope and of the Devil, who is the pope’s father, as was Chamberlain when he knelt in the presence of the pope, or as was Franklin Delano Roosevelt when he sent Jos. P. Kennedy, America’s Roman Catholic ambassador to Britain, to Vatican City to attend the four-hour exhibition of foolishness when the “triple crown of heaven, earth and hell” was placed on the “manly brow” of Eugene Pacelli, the alleged vicar of Jesus Christ.

None of the stupendous events which are taking place in the world today can be understood or their significance properly assessed unless it be clearly seen that the Devil’s pressing objective in all the world is to stop at once the work of Jehovah’s witnesses as it has been stopped by present totalitarian monstrosity methods in Ethiopia, Spain, Austria, Czechoslovakia, Danzig, Albania, and Poland.

France is even closer to the pope than the seventh world-power (Britain and America), and the work of Jehovah’s witnesses has been officially stopped in France.

Spain and Portugal

Only a Handful Escaped

When the final collapse of the Spanish Republic took place only a relatively few escaped. Twenty-one airplanes carried fleeing Republican leaders to French Algeria and three French merchant ships evacuated about 2,000 more during Valencia's last night. The balance will most certainly be murdered by Franco's Nationalist Auditoria (military police). Two million Republicans have been listed as subjects for "examination"; and if past practices count for anything, not less than 200,000 of these will be murdered by The Butcher.

The pope blessed Franco and lauded him as a true son of the Church. What could be more natural? Both of them are children of the Devil and of the Devil's own church.

Salute or Else—

◆ The Catalans are not particularly fond of their Fascist conquerors. So when a parade is staged they salute in their own fashion, hiding the thumb and spreading the fingers, thereby representing by common consent the four bars of the proscribed Catalan flag. The Falangist authorities of Barcelona have decreed penalties for this form of salute. The Catalans must give the Fascist salute and give it right, or else—.

Spanish Prisoners Starved

◆ Four British gunners, who deserted to join the Spanish Republican Army, and afterwards were imprisoned by Franco's troops, escaped to Gibraltar, where they were court-martialed for their desertion. They were glad to get back to British territory, even to be court-martialed. They testified that in Spanish prisons the inmates receive but one meager meal and a little water daily.

Spanish Business in German Hands

◆ In a lengthy letter in the New York Times, Ramon de la Sota, secretary of the Basque Delegation in the United States, shows that Spain in general and the Basque country in particular are now under the economic control of Germany. Mills, mines, commerce, and other industries are all coming into German hands.

"Friends" Abandon Relief Work in Spain

◆ According to the testimony of Alfred Cope, of the American Friends Service Committee, when the troops of Franco occupied the city of Ciudad Real, they crowded 20,000 soldiers of the Spanish Republic into the bull ring and kept them there 20 days, with almost no food at all, and very little water, and so tightly packed that most of them could not lie down. Mr. Cope and his fellow workers had to give up their work of caring for the Spanish children because six or seven shiploads of food intended for starving children were seized by Franco and given to his soldiers. And further, though the food intended for the children was taken before it could get to them, yet the official orders were that they could not even eat the remnants of the food available until they sang Franco songs.

British to Blame

◆ Louis Fischer, author, blames Britain for the destruction of Spanish democracy; saying,

The central blame for the defeat of Spanish democracy rests upon the British Government. The British sold nothing to the loyalists, and helped to dissuade the French and the United States from selling anything to them. The consequent death of the Spanish republic has already reacted and is sure to react further to the detriment of the British Empire. . . . History records undeniably that throughout the eight years of appeasement the democracies did not help a single victim of aggression. They did help the aggressors.

14 Killed in a Mock Fire

◆ At Coimbra, Portugal, a four-story wooden building was sprayed with oil, a number of youths were installed as tenants, and these were to be rescued by firemen after the building had been set on fire. The mock fire turned out to be a real one, and 14 of the boys were killed by jumping from windows or were burned to death. The occasion was the Holy Queen festival. The boys were to receive 45 cents each for their part in the show.

Portuguese Casualties 50 Percent

◆ It is now disclosed that 18,000 Portuguese were engaged, besides Moors, Italians, Germans and a few Spaniards, in the destruction of the Spanish Republic. Half of these Portuguese adventurers were either slain or wounded.

RIGHTEOUS RULER

THE NEW GOVERNMENT

Who Are the False Prophets?

◆ A back-call was arranged to play the lecture "Face the Facts" in a certain home. The man of the house was good enough to invite two friends of his, all of whom listened very attentively. At the conclusion of the speech one of them said that in the last days many false prophets would arise, and wanted to know how to differentiate between the true and the false prophets. After quoting Deuteronomy 18: 21, 22, and Matthew 7: 16, the witness went on to explain in this manner.

Approaching the time of the end the Lord began preparation to select and bring together a remnant, a people for His name, as He had foretold He would do. (Joel 3: 1, 2; Jeremiah 23: 1-8; Isaiah 52: 1-15; Isaiah chapter 54) Hence we find at and from the year 1870 a number of Christians belonging to different denominations began to gather together and devote themselves to Bible study, particularly in connection with the Lord's second coming. It was not long before Jehovah revealed to them that 1914 would mark the time of the end. Thereafter, these sincere Bible students went about preaching to the world what would come to pass about 1914. Among other things a world war was foretold. In contradiction, the clergy at that time said, "We are now civilized; there can be no more wars"; and, "The Bible does not contain such message." Notwithstanding, the year 1914 proved the clergy to be false prophets. Not only that, but, being part of the world, the clergy were forced to identify themselves as servants of the Devil by using their pulpits to preach young men to wholesale slaughter in the name of God hypocritically and against God's commandment. Therefore they are guilty of wholesale murder.

While the great war was in process the people were told that that war would end all war and would establish democracy in the earth; but has it?

Immediately the war was over The League of Nations was conceived and brought forth and everybody pinned their hopes onto it for peace and security, more so because the clergy hailed it as the "political expression of Christ's kingdom on earth". Jehovah's witnesses told the world that the League would certainly fail in its purpose, because the end of this wicked world is here and the kingdom of Christ must replace it, according to the prophecies of the Bible. For such a declaration Jehovah's witnesses were severely criticized. Today, however, it must be admitted that their words have come true.

Then Communism, Fascism, Nazism, have been prophesied in their respective order as being THE means of establishing the peace and security of the nations. Consequently such movements have been put to the test and are found wanting. Conditions obtaining in countries under such systems indicate the futility of such schemes. In fact, such dictator nations are becoming a menace to world peace.

Around the year 1930 world conferences were held and there was much talk about disarming. Jehovah's witnesses refused to side with such movements; to the contrary, they said in words of the prophet: 'Associate, ye rulers; have counsel together, and it shall come to nought; speak the word and it shall not stand.' Even so, the modern false prophets spoke the word of disarming; but it did not stand. Conversely, they are now arming to the teeth.

Next the pope blew his "holy" trumpet and in pious and profound tones he proclaimed 1933 as a "holy year", expecting that during his "holy year" ways and means would be devised to establish peace and prosperity. This afforded Jehovah's witnesses one more opportunity to warn the people; that the end of the "holy year" would find them in greater distress; that the present conditions must continue to get worse till the climax is reached, and that Armageddon cannot be averted!

We are now nearing the year 1940, and yet the nations are far from being at peace and safety. In fact, they are having an armament race. As a final resort all liberty is being removed and the people are put in fear and are regimented according to the wishes or whims of some dictator. Peace of mind, happiness and comfort are almost extinguished from the earth. Meanwhile the clergy and other false comforters preach a new prophecy, yea, a new savior, "MORAL REARMAMENT"! But it is too late now for any worldly movement to prosper. Jehovah foresaw and foretold that which would happen in the last days, and His prophecy MUST be fulfilled.

The only movement that will prosper from now on is the establishment of Christ's kingdom on earth; and it is to the best interests of the Christian to side with that kingdom and to keep far from worldly schemes and systems, all of which will go down shortly.

Let the facts above cited and the Scriptures prove WHO are the true and who the false prophets.

The next question asked at the above meeting was this: Unless God's commandments are strictly adhered to, one is liable to be destroyed. Cannot God be termed a dictator for such action? The answer was: A dictator compels the people to obey his will in order to attain his own selfish ends, while the people being so subjected reap oppression, unhappiness and death. On the other hand, the Lord invites people to obey His will voluntarily; and whosoever does so enjoys health, prosperity, and life in happiness. Jehovah gains nothing by such an arrangement. Our 'host' was quite satisfied and happy to see the difference between a dictator and the Great Theocrat, Jehovah. It is hoped what has been said hereinbefore will prove of interest to Consolation readers.—F. X. Tsatos, Burma.

Modern "Kultur"

It rarely happens that a Jew becomes a Christian. By that is meant a true Christian, one who faithfully discharges his obligation as a witness of the Most High. A case, however, has occurred in Germany, that country where of late years such a bitterly hostile spirit to true Christianity has been rife.

In utter disregard of the Scriptural statement that among Christians "there is neither Jew nor Greek, but all are one in Christ Jesus", the Nazis deliberately encourage racial hatred. The following letter recently received from a woman correspondent demonstrates this. She writes:

"After a life of distress and trouble I have the great privilege of realizing from God's Word that my Jewish birth gave me no assurance of salvation. Without further delay I left the organization of nominal Jews, and became an active worker in the ranks of God's true people. This was in 1933. In 1936 I was arrested in Berlin by the Secret State Police and was imprisoned for fifteen days. In 1937 I was condemned to six months' imprisonment. Now, as you know, the anti-Jewish persecutions have been raging in Germany since November 10 last. Early one morning my furniture was smashed to fragments. I have been ordered to sign a paper leaving my house and possessions to the Aryans. The German government is granting me a respite till January 1939 to make a decision."

What a sad case! No one could accuse this woman of having left the Jewish Community as far back as 1933 to escape the Nazi persecutions, seeing that she openly allied herself with Jehovah's witnesses, who have been cruelly treated in Germany from the beginning of Hitler's assumption of power.

The Nazis tolerate such nominal Christians as Catholic archbishops, etc., but true Christians they wickedly torture. They would have spared none of the early apostles, doubly criminal in their eyes as Jews and disciples of Christ. If the Savior returned to Nazi Germany today, as the man Christ Jesus, He would be decapitated by the executioner's axe. But, praise be to Jehovah, it is as God's great Executive Officer that Christ returns, and it is He who at Armageddon will wield the Executioner's sword against His enemies.—Translated from French Consolation by F. R. Freer.

Education of Chilliwack, B.C.

◆ The police had interfered with and stopped the street corner witness work in Chilliwack, and stated that if we came to do this again or hold any information marches we would be arrested. Upon advice from the Society to go ahead regardless of what they said or did, in spite of their by-law enacted against us, we organized a united information march for Saturday, July 8, and invited all the witnesses from the Greater Vancouver company to cooperate in making this a success. The witnesses realized this as an issue and rallied 200 strong. We met several miles outside of the city and organized for action. Each group as they were told off were placed in charge of a captain who walked beside the marchers and kept them properly spaced, also to act as a witness in case of trouble.

Chilliwack is laid out in the form of a wheel, with all principal streets meeting in the center. We made the "attack" from five outside points at once and all met at the hub at the same time. It was a wonderful opportunity, the witnesses were delighted, and Chilliwack was taken by storm. A witness placed in the center of the hub to prevent confusion reports that both police and populace were literally confounded as this barrage of locusts swarmed into the city, made a neat hairpin turn, and returned along the same street—only to repeat the operation again and again.

All had been serene when a policeman first saw the march. He partly ran across the street, but as he turned he saw another group coming his way, and still another and another. He stopped in confusion, scratched his head, and what he said to himself would appear to be nobody's business! A small bunch could be dealt with, but this was too big a hornets' nest to stir up; so he did nothing. Later on he was heard to say to the chief of police, "We've got to change the by-law"; to which the chief replied, "By-law, nothing! Look at them, they're all over the place." The marchers continued for an hour or more and Jw's returned in triumph.

Jehovah’s Kingdom publishers, at Bombay, India

Sunday morning 111 publishers put into the field and combed the entire district from end to end in a house-to-house witness, inviting all to attend a public meeting in the Masonic Hall and hear "Fascism or Freedom". For five of those that came the lecture got too hot and they left before the finish, but the witnesses were overjoyed with the victory Jehovah had given. Many and varied were the expressions of appreciation heard as the publishers recounted their experiences. One witness remarked, "I wouldn't have missed this for a thousand dollars." All the witnesses performed with remarkable precision; there was no irregularity, no halting, no discussion; they obeyed instructions. This was noticed by the police, who remarked, "These people are organized! We received no tip of their coming and here they are from everywhere."

Some of the goats overheard during the march remarked, "These fellows ought to be run out of town"; others, "They should be shot." The Salvation Army became so confused that their band stopped, their singing halted, and the leader had to start over several times because of the mistakes he made; then he called attention to our "disorderly" conduct, which made everybody turn around and look in our direction.

But there was also the opposite to be heard when one chap in the crowd read "Religion is a snare and a racket", and remarked, "By Jove! There are some good people in town yet." Another, "You're d—— right! I believe that myself." A policeman watched one of the leaders make a perfect right-about turn at the corner and said, "That's fine, Buddy; keep it up." A woman grabbed a publisher by the arm and exclaimed, "Is that Judge Rutherford? I have lots of his books and like them fine."—F. J. Franske, zone servant.

No Power Can Suppress This Truth

◆ Having already sent in some letters giving to the public an explanation and a view and understanding of the wonderful moving pictures of the book of Esther so eminently proper, so vitally important at this time, for the people of good will to consider, understand and appreciate to their lasting benefit and preservation, I was endeavoring to proceed on through to the development of the final climax pictures, therein showing just where we are on the stream of Biblical time, the preparation being made by Jehovah for the safety and lives of His "other sheep", the people of good will, the great multitude who only are to be left after Armageddon upon the earth to fill it with a race of righteous people carrying out Jehovah's mandate given to Adam to multiply and fill the earth. None of these babies will ever die. But when my letters are censored and curtailed, when enlightening and truth-giving pictures are stricken from the frame or record, when the picture of one of the leading characters of the drama, the villain of the play, Haman, and its meaning, is obliterated, stricken out, how am I to show the meaning of the book of Esther and its drama?

Sign going up, towed by airplane, Portland, Oregon

Oklahoma conventioners painted 50 cars white

And why suppress this picture? Why not let this man Haman, who built a scaffold for another and was hanged on it himself, be antitypically identified? It can be done if you will identify and locate the moving cause and spirit, the men who caused the arrest of God's people in Griffin and the putting of them on the chain gang at La Grange at hard labor. Truth, truth, it's God's truth, and you can't suppress it, Mr. Editor. It is coming out in the full fair open, because a power greater than man or devil is behind it. It is Jehovah God's "strange work" and very shortly it will be His "strange act". And no power will stop that either. What does it mean? Why, it means the taking possession of men and women, and the earth, by God's government of absolute justice and righteousness under Jesus Christ, His Executive Officer, and the obliteration, destruction and death of the Devil's government and rule, the Devil himself and his religious and other representatives. Sir, how am I to proceed in truthful or Biblical presentation? How can the real truth, the facts, come to mind or sight or proper and prosperous understanding? And how can life-giving conclusions be reached or acted upon, when the picture is so marred by censorship, or clipped, smeared or wounded by typographical error, seemingly so vitally aimed? I say to you in all candor, in words of absolute soberness, we are now in the very beginning of a world-wide cleansing process, a cleaning out, a deadly destruction of "this present evil world", especially those who "hold the truth in unrighteousness", and no press or people, no process of man, can stop it or prevent its publication or preaching. Sir, as Biblically expressed, "This gospel (good news) of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a testimony unto all the nations, and then shall the end come." And the preaching is almost finished. Why, sir, it goes on to say, "when therefore ye see the abomination of desolation which was spoken of by Daniel, the prophet, standing in the holy place." What does this mean? Why, Jehovah God's kingdom is here, ruling amidst its enemies. The totalitarian government system, backed by Hitler, Mussolini and the ruling richest religious organization of earth are standing in the holy place, are taking and will take charge of the earth, endeavoring and thinking to get rid of the "nation not desired". And then when they do get possession, as they will, in hilarity, in wicked lawlessness, exclaim "Peace and safety", then, according to God's Bible, "sudden destruction cometh upon them," administered, if you please, by "this nation not desired", this glorious government of Jehovah under Christ His Executive Officer. And no wicked man shall be permitted to live upon the earth. Such are the things I would publish forth in your letter column, as I draw the curtain and throw the light upon the glorious moving pictures of the book of Esther. If you and yours are in truth and practice it, be true to that grand shibboleth that heads that column. Will the great masses of the people hear and heed? No, only the people of good will, the "other sheep", the millions now living that will never die, hear and live. The great masses go down in death as at the time of the flood. It is time to give the people notice that they are called upon to give attention to and to investigate the facts relating to this warning of Jehovah God. The moving pictures of the book of Esther are for their enlightenment.

And there was a load of information signs within the cart as well—London

Weeks family (Texas) pioneers; the fine lad next his mother was killed when he accidentally touched a fence charged with electricity, and his sister was also similarly killed when she went to his aid.

This preparation for preserving the good and utterly destroying the wicked, these mighty things, Mr. Editor, are not being done in a corner, but are being heralded from the house tops. This righteous destruction and judgment are impending and trembling to start. Whether an editor is in sympathy with letters written, or approves sentiments or beliefs therein expressed, should not have any weight in determining their publication, or else I have not, and also the public has not understood the method, the practice and purpose of the Telegraph in giving opportunity for letter writing for publication in the Telegraph. In the interest of clarification I ask the publication of this letter and comment and advice upon it of your own.—Lamar Clay, in the Macon (Ga.) Telegraph.

Who Is Loony Now?

◆ In Fresno, California, a religionist called on a barber, asking, "Do you go to church?" "No," replied the barber, "but I do believe in God and in Christ." Said the religionist, "You are crazy." And the barber replied, "I could say that of you, but I will not."

(To be continued) Whittling Down the National Debt

WHEN the propagandists and the presidential aspirants and the statesmen of the Republican party attempt to frighten the American people with the national debt, under the head of a name that some high-priced commercial publicity agent supplied for them, “National Debt Week,” common honesty demands that they tell the American people the truth. The truth is that the national debt is forty billion dollars. The truth also is that twenty of those billions of dollars existed as the national debt when Franklin D. Roosevelt took office in March, 1933. The truth further is that a Republican president, Herbert Hoover, created four billion dollars of that national debt with little to show for it except breadlines by the hundreds in the greatest and richest nation in the world. The truth further is that had not Andrew Mellon, under the permission and the patronage of do-nothing Calvin Coolidge, given as far as he could the fruits of American prosperity in the late twenties to the big business interests of this country, had he not taken off their backs the just tax burden they should have borne during those days, there would have been no national debt when the depression began and the whole credit facilities of this country would have been available for an intelligent leadership and statesmanship to have made effective war upon this, the greatest enemy that has ever landed upon America’s shores.

So, twenty billion from forty billion leaves twenty billion dollars, that our administration has added to the national debt. The truth also is that two billion dollars of that debt went to pay the bonus, a part of the debt that the American people owed to the veterans of the World War. The truth also is that Franklin D. Roosevelt vetoed the bonus, and the Congress, with the evident approval of the American people and with the congressional support of the Republican party, passed it over his veto. The truth also is that if Herbert Hoover’s Republican administration had had a fair appreciation of the country’s obligation to her veterans of the World War, he, in the day of American prosperity, instead of taking the taxes off the back of the very rich in this country so they could use those savings for speculative purposes, would have paid this bonus and been through with it instead of driving America’s war heroes out of the city of Washington at the point of the bullet and the bayonet under the personal direction of the chief of staff of the United States Army, acting under the personal command of the president of the United States.

Two billion from twenty billion leaves eighteen billion, then. There are more than three billion in the Treasury unspent. That is cash on hand. Three billion from eighteen billion, then, leaves fifteen billion. The truth further is that there are two billion in the stabilization fund. That, too, is cash on hand. That leaves thirteen billion. The truth further is that there are four billion dollars of recoverable assets. That is to say, securities actually on hand which will yield that amount, securities which would be worth that in any bank’s portfolio, the kind of securities the banks, insurance companies, and other financial institutions do have in their portfolios. That leaves nine billion dollars. The truth further is that the people of the United States, and therefore the Government of the United States, has something definitely to show for that nine billion dollars, because it went primarily into the greatest public construction program this country has ever seen.

That includes every structure of every kind that the PWA and the WPA have helped to build, all that has been done in the CCC program, all the aid that’s been given to agriculture, a great deal of the expenditures we made upon the national defense, all that’s been done in the development of the country’s natural resources in soil conservation, reforestation, the development of power resources, the TVA, the Boulder Dam, the Coulee Dam, the Bonneville Dam, the Reclamation program of the West, the flood control of the Mississippi, the Missouri, the Ohio, the greatly enlarged road building program, the dust bowl improvement program, the public parks, playgrounds and other recreational facilities of the country which every day are making, through the children of this country, a healthier and a happier America. These are valuable and lasting assets. Something to show for what has been spent as well as something to give a job to a man or a woman who otherwise faced starvation or the humiliation of the breadlines.

United States Senator Claude Pepper, of Florida, in The American Forum of the Air.

Surgery

Need a New Stomach?

Do you need a new stomach? Maybe your set of aluminum utensils was too expensive and is too pretty to throw away, and so you have a stomach ulcer or a cancer. Anyway, it seems that there is still a chance to live if as much as one-fifth of the stomach remains intact. Dr. Hans Finsterer, of Vienna, takes the offending exit side of the stomach (made so by people sleeping on their right sides instead of on their left, as they should), removes it, and, to give the patient a new stomach, lays alongside it one of the canals of the upper intestine, the jejunum. He fastens it to the stomach with a long slit opening between them. After a few months the jejunum balloons out and the patient is almost as good as new. Ninety-five percent of the cases recover.

Blood Clot Removed

◆ For the first time on record a blood clot which closed the pulmonary artery (the great vessel connecting heart and lungs) was removed from a patient in the North Middlesex County Hospital, and the patient lived. It was necessary for the surgeon to cut away three ribs, open the bag surrounding the heart, open the artery, drag out the blood clot, sew up the artery, massage the heart back into action (after it had been inactive six minutes) and close the bag about it. The patient was kept in oxygen for nine days, but made a complete recovery.

Remolding of a Burned Body

◆ A twelve-year-old girl near Marion, Arkansas, was terribly burned when a can of hot tar exploded as she stood beside it. Legs, hands and face were almost burned away, but after five months of skin-grafting from her back her face has been remade and has not even a scar and by the time she is discharged from the hospital, it is hoped and believed, she will be normal in every way.

Legless Girl Learning to Dance

◆ The British Medical Journal describes the case of an orphan girl, born without legs, who at eighteen years of age was fitted with artificial limbs and is now learning to dance. The fitting was done by an expert military limb-fitting surgeon.

Odd Thing to Swallow

◆ At Baltimore, Harry Du Chaine, 44 years of age, had removed from his lungs a five-ounce lead fishing-line sinker which had been a part of his anatomy so long that it had become enveloped with tissue. The odd thing about it is that Mr. Du Chaine had no recollection of ever swallowing this thing that was almost big enough to choke an ox. How would you go about it to explain that?

Here is a guess as to how it happened. Du Chaine was a boy of good size, say twelve years of age. He was on the bank of the Patapsco river, or on a wharf jutting into it, watching a fisherman. The fisherman jerked a big fish out of the water, the line snapped and fish and sinker went in the air together. Both the boy and the fisherman were watching the fish and neither one saw the sinker. The boy's mouth was open as the fish went through the air. By an odd freak of nature the sinker went down his open throat and lodged in one of his bronchial tubes, knocking him unconscious as it did so. When he came to himself, he had no recollection of what occurred. The fisherman was busy recovering his fish and did not know that the lad had been rendered unconscious, his recovery was so quick.

Now He Can Open His Eyes

◆ Donald Scott, Catford, London, England, born with ptosis of the eyelids, which made it impossible to see except by looking down, now has eyelids as good as the other boys. They were made for him out of the flesh of the left hip. And is he glad? He said, "Why, when I look at the floor I can see the ceiling." Now the savage young brainless animals that mocked him don't tease him any more. He can see as well as they.

At the Royal Waterloo Hospital, England, a surgeon removed bits of muscle from his leg and grafted them into his eyelids. The operation was a complete success, and after five years in which the little fellow had been unable to open his eyes because the muscles of his eyelids remained undeveloped, he can now open and close his eyes voluntarily, and see all about him the wonderful things the Creator has made for the blessing of all.

What a miracle is sight! What a terrible thing it is not to have it! And what a loss to those who lose it!

UNDER THE TOTALITARIAN FLAG

The Cloister-God

As a seventeen-year-old girl I entered the Cloister Zams (Tyrol) with the intention there to serve the only true God in the midst of a host of angel-like nuns. With me, about 80 such girls, from every cardinal point of the world, also entered. But this number dwindled rapidly, only a fraction thereof becoming nuns. In the cloister the important thing was to learn to do homage to the cloister-god. After three or four days we were expected to do as we had seen the older cloister-maidens do. These went daily in rotation one, two and three times to the novice-mistress, kneeled before her, spoke something to her, kissed her hand and crucifix, some even kissing the ground before her. I was amazed at these doings of idol worship, and it never entered my mind to imitate them. They made me shudder. One day I was beckoned to: I too must learn to do these acts of homage. This novice-mistress explained that she functioned in God's stead: was His representative: I therefore must do exactly as the others and kneel before her. Not thinking of God's commandment, tremblingly I bowed the right then the left knee. But bowing the knees was not enough; my legs, now almost stiff from horror, I must bend cringingly, I must kneel completely before this god and say, ask, petition, or confess something. The commandment of God says: 'I am the Lord thy God . . . Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them.' (Exodus 20: 1, 3, 5) I was summoned daily; and not giving any thought to God's commandment I slowly, automatically, learned this ritual—but the true God I worshiped in spirit and in truth. Other girls, more sensible than I, who did not learn these ceremonies in a few weeks, but, heeding God's commandment, rebelled against giving a nun the devotion and worship due God only, were dismissed as unfit for the cloister. But the young God-defamers received the candidates' garb: a white neck-scarf and a black juvenile hood.

Later, a much more serious defamation of God was instilled. Fridays, nine o'clock in the evening, after the nocturnal prayer, we had to proceed in great silence to the chapel-hall. Along the walls were benches upon which we could sit. In the middle (on the wall) there was a large crucifix; to the front of the hall, the throne-seat of the novice-mistress. She read to us several man-made doctrines, but nothing from the alone true Word of God. Upon a nod from her the oldest candidate, with folded hands, knelt in the middle of the hall and loudly confessed her sins (the innocent child had no real sins) as follows:

'Sister Novice-Mistress Epiphania, I beg for forgiveness! I lost a sewing needle—I was not sparing with the thread—I dropped the scissors to the floor—I looked out of the window—I passed hurriedly over the stairs—I was tardy in coming—I allowed my hand to hang—once I coughed loudly—once I laughed—twice I spoke a bit loud—I slumbered in the choir—I sipped the soup. God recompense me for my slumber and the hot soup; I beseech thee again.' Then she arose and with hanging head and folded hands strode to the throne of the cloister-god, knelt, again in a whisper besought forgiveness, which this deity granted with a nod, for which the hand of the novice-mistress, her crucifix and the ground before her feet had to be kissed.

Thus in rotation, one after the other, all defamed God. Several new entrants and I also cried over all this, partly in silence and partly audibly. Suddenly a horror-stricken entrant arose, emitted a cry of rage, slammed the door thunderously, and proceeded cursing to the sleeping quarters. Shortly thereafter another entrant began to cry inconsolably, left the chapel-hall, and wept all night. The novice-mistress, seeking to quiet us, said softly: "This is caused only by the Devil." Upon this several other entrants began to weep and become alarmed. Thereupon this cloister-god ended the farce. All had to kneel before the novice-mistress and to say to her in unison: "Because of these and many other faults we humbly implore forgiveness from the dear Lord and pray for a penance." Then kneeling, the penance Psalm, 51, was read to them, all kissed the floor and retired to sleep, if indeed after such experience they could go to sleep.

The brave maidens who mutinied against such defamation of God appeared no more among us. They went home again after a few days, because they preferred to worship God instead of man. In order to retain us in the cloister the novice-mistress related the following little story :

“The reverend mother general-superioress, sister Borgias, once saw in the night the Devil in person sitting over the cloister gate upon the housetop. He enticed the entrants so that they stay not in the cloister — ”

In reality, the probable reason, at most, why he sat upon the Cloister was, because it was his possession.

What did this Devil ritual net several of my deceived colleagues — these young girls? Did not Jesus say that the Devil was a murderer from the beginning? Our first novice-mistress was seriously tubercular — the tubercle fever-flush was upon her cheeks, she had a pointed blue nose, blue lips, blue finger-nails, coughed incessantly, always had a handkerchief for her sputum in her right hand. In the other hand she held her crucifix, which, according to cloister-custom, as her idol, she kissed often, thus infecting it. So also the second novice-mistress, sister Joo. Both nuns had on their hands millions of tubercle bacilli, and transmitted these to others. They began to ail and cough. Within a few years they died of tuberculosis. I could mention names.

The crucifixes, rosaries and garbs, kissed and fondled by these tubercular sisters, were in turn inherited by new young sisters; they also inherited that death. In the cloister, therefore, is not the Devil a murderer of humans?

Imprudent ailing schoolsisters also often offer to school children their carved Lord God idols, besmeared with tubercle bacilli, to kiss; and why wonder when apparently inexplicably some of these school children must die of incurable tuberculosis?

Just how much more do we need, Mr. President?

After one or two years, when the idol-worship has permeated the flesh and blood of the candidates, they may become novices. They are given another name. Their hair is shaved off clean and they are clad in hypocrites’ garb. These all are Biblical marks of rejection. (Jeremiah 7 : 29) The novices must learn the regulations of the Order and acclimate their mode of living to these commandments of men. They never see a Bible, because in the eyes of the cloister-god it is a book that can lead to ruin. And yet, God’s holy will is disclosed to us only in the Bible.

After the period of probation the novices take a vow to live according to these commandments of men; further, as if to mock God, there is put into their hands, in place of the Bible, the Order’s regulations containing only man’s commandments, at their side a carved image as their Lord God in defiance of Jehovah, and, adding to this, the greatest defamation of Jehovah, namely, that of recognizing the superioresses as deities. What Jesus said to the Jewish clergy, that He says today to the nuns and clergy: “ . . . Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. . . . But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” — Matthew 15 : 6-9.

After the death of Jesus and the apostles doctrines of men were substituted for the true Word of God. An Italian from Imola also rendered a decision in such belief dispute: “Rome has spoken and the question at issue is settled.” By this he rejected the Word of God, the Bible, and established Roman doctrines, and was rewarded by the pope with the title of honor “Church instructor” and the God-defaming name “Chrysologos”, which means Golden Word. He was also declared holy by the pope and his portrait was placed upon the altars to worship. Unfortunately I had to blindly carry the name of this monster for 24 long years.

In that time of early Christian history, true Christians in every place were no longer permitted to read what the prophets, Jesus and the apostles had taught, but must believe what the Italians in Rome taught. Later when some of our great-grandparents did read the Bible, they were fastened to torture machines, their joints horribly torn apart; some punctured upon a bayonet-machine, others tortured with the garrote, roasted upon a red-hot grate, beheaded by the guillotine, etc. Even today in the Vienna Museum the torture chamber with the various instruments of torture may be seen. All this happened to our ancestors through instigation of popes of that time, if they disbelieved the man-made doctrines of the Roman popes which are at variance with the Word of God. Some of our great-grandparents died as true saints of God under these tortures; but, of course, are not acclaimed as holy by Rome. Fear of the tortures caused many to profess the “faith” of the Catholic church. It is from such, held in mortal fright and fear of man, that the Roman Catholic “faith” came down to us through tradition and by inheritance. One after the other we became captive unwittingly of the Roman Catholic church. The doctrines of men originating in Rome are examined in the booklet Uncovered by the light of the Bible, thus enabling one to easily recognize them as lies.

One will recall the rapid decline in money value and rise in commodity prices after the war. Availing themselves of this the Cloister Zams enriched itself at the expense of the village inhabitants by cunning purchases of real estate. The sellers were thus robbed of their possessions and grew poor. This happened to the impoverished as a result of their pastors’ advice, who as church deputies had insight in the happenings of the day.

My former pupil in training, at that time instructress at Vandans Montafon—originally a country girl from Tyrol, purchased very cheaply a cow at this time for the cloister. But because she had not previously paid knee-tribute in Zams, the mother-house, she was ordered by telegraph to appear there in her defense. There, among other things, she told the general-superioress that she was not the Lord God; and for this the nuns’ veil was taken from the sister. The sister became angry and resisted, for which she was clothed in a straitjacket and then removed to the small insane asylum in Reid. There her nun’s garb was restored to her later, and she was sent back to the cloister. The general-superioress greeted her with new charges and threats. The poor sister reproached the generaless for injustice suffered, and repeated that she considered her not Lord God. For this the veil was again torn from her head and she was told she was no nun. This enraged the sister. Again they put her in a straitjacket and locked her, as demented, in a cellar-like cell in the Zams’ hospital. The general-superioress later had the poor sister sent to the insane asylum, Hall (Tyrol). Once, as this intensely grieved sister, now perhaps having become sick after all, overwhelmed with soul-misery and physical pain, cried and moaned inconsolably, the warden fetched her and threw her into a cold-water tank to calm her nerves, where she died of heart-stroke. Then as a calmed corpse she was drawn forth. She had to die because she recognized the superioress as not a deity. Who, in fact, now proved to be the fool?—Translated from Trost, the German Consolation.

“The Jewish Review”

Enclosed is a Jewish paper, The Jewish Review, issue of July 6. On pages 3 and 9 are articles catering to the Catholic Church. They are intended to show the Jewish readers that the Roman Catholic Church is really a friend of democracy and the Jews; that the church, like the Jews, is a minority group, and that the Coughlins do not represent the church.

The heads of the Catholic Church will be pleased when they read this paper. They will know that their propaganda has not been in vain. The Catholic Church a friend of the Jews and of democracy! The editors of The Jewish Review ought to take a course in history and current events.

Individual Catholics have been friendly to the Jews, but the church itself has for hundreds of years been an enemy of Israel. Just open a history book! The Catholic Church is behind the anti-Semitism of the Polish and Slovakian governments. The record of that church in other countries is only too well known. In their Papal bulls the popes have criticized the liberalism of non-Catholic countries and have denounced democracy and liberalism in no uncertain language; the late pope and the leaders of the church have endorsed the Corporate state, another name for Fascism.

We find the Catholic Church keeping a double mental bookkeeping. Most of the leaders in the United States and Britain claim that they are for democracy. In the United States a few "Father Coughlins" are openly Fascistic --- they are feeling the way for what is to come in a few years. However, in Europe and Latin America the church is OPENLY Fascistic. In the Catholic circles the people are fed anti-democratic propaganda. Just investigate. I have attended Catholic meetings and at times have thought that I was in Portugal or Italy. Just have a real talk with a devout Catholic or a priest, and the chances are nine out of ten that he is Fascistic and anti-Semitic. Of course, they will try to fool the Jews, but tell them that you are a "nationalist" and a "Christian" and they will be frank with you.

May I point out a mistake in Consolation for July 12, page 7. You refer to "Father" Volosin, the former premier of Ruthenia, as a Jesuit. Traitor Volosin is not a Roman Catholic, but a Greek Catholic. However, the two churches now work together.—Morton Perry.

What the Hierarchy Thinks of the Bible

Infallibility is claimed for the pope and the papal regime. That means the pope cannot [officially] fail or fall into error, in fact, do anything wrong at all. The Roman Catholic Hierarchy of Jurisdiction, in all its ramifications, proceeds on this assumption, comports itself in accordance therewith, and almost, but not quite, gets away with the biggest bluff of the centuries.

Almost simultaneously throughout the earth there appeared in the Hierarchy press last year a series of articles purporting to show how its system of religion, 'while in harmony with the Bible, was yet superior to it in all respects.' It is obvious that this campaign was undertaken with the sole purpose of combating the great wealth of literature concerning the truths revealed in the Bible, particularly those concerning the incoming theocratic government of Jehovah God, and released throughout the earth by the WATCHTOWER BIBLE AND TRACT SOCIETY. Scripturally condemned, the ecclesiastical systems, headed by the Roman Catholic Hierarchy, are now bending every effort to withstand the onward march of truth, the enlightenment of the people of good will, and the proclamation against religion and religionists. The propaganda is subtle, widespread and convincing. It is futile, however, against the overwhelming flood of truth sweeping now throughout the earth, fully explaining present-day events and pointing to the proximity of Armageddon, which will destroy the religious, commercial and political systems organized by the Devil.

Presumptuous Claims

According to the claims of the Hierarchy, compiled from various sources, this is how the Bible stands in relation to the Roman Catholic religious system:

The Catholic Church existed before the Bible. It is possible for the Catholic Church to exist without the Bible, for the Catholic Church is altogether independent of the Bible.

Even if the Bible should suddenly perish from the earth, through some great calamity, it would not affect one single doctrine of the Catholic Church, nor imperil its existence.

How is that for backing up the claim to infallibility? Here's another:

But the Bible is not the whole Word of God. The Bible does not give any systematic, complete, and exhaustive treatment of the doctrines of Christ. In many respects it is like a stenographer's notebook, partial and fragmentary, to be supplemented later on in more elaborate detail by other agencies.

And this next statement must surprise anyone who has even moderate knowledge of the purpose of Jehovah God's Word in the earth.

The Bible was written, not for the purpose of establishing new Churches, not for doing pioneer missionary work among infidel nations, but it was written for use in Churches already in existence and in a flourishing state.

Spurious Excuses

Some excuses are necessary, of course, to bolster up, by implication at least, certain cases made out by the Hierarchy in respect to its erroneous doctrines. This is an example:

Christ never wrote a word of the Bible. One might naturally expect Him to have set an example by writing at least some portion of the Bible if He intended His followers to take their entire religion from it.

Christ never ordered His Apostles and disciples to circulate the Old Testament. It is not reasonable to suppose that Christ would have done this, had He wished His followers to make the circulation of the Bible the only means of knowing His doctrine.

It is hard to believe that a thing like that could get into print, but it did. You can read it in the Catholic Leader, published in Brisbane on January 28, 1938. The Hierarchical doctrines flourish in direct ratio to the ignorance and illiteracy of national populations. Hence there was every reason to say this:

Christ could not have intended that the world should take its religion from the Bible since so many millions of the human race today, to say nothing of past ages, cannot read or write.

Nor could Christ have intended His religion to be derived exclusively from a book, when even learned men dispute about its important passages.

But a grain of truth slipped in here:

Learning and erudition and holiness are no guarantee of a proper interpretation of the Bible.

That is exactly what a great many earnest Christian people today have known for some years. In any case the Bible states emphatically that no man, not even a pope, is empowered by Jehovah God to interpret His Holy Word. And Jesus refused to have anything to do with religion.

Hierarchical Trade-Mark

Priestcraft, with its Jesuitical atmosphere of lies and deceit, is plainly seen in the foregoing excerpts. The following is typical of the brazen attitude to be expected in Hierarchy propaganda of this nature:

The Catholic Church has always stood by the Bible. It is the only institution in the world that believes the Bible and the whole Bible to be the inspired Word of God.

History is full to overflowing with information showing how the Hierarchy, through the centuries, has set its face against the people’s having free access to the Word of God. It is still of the same mind, but more subtle methods are necessary today, consequent upon the flood of truth now pouring out upon the world of mankind. And here is the final august pronouncement of the Hierarchy. It bears the true imprint of arrogance and presumption, the Papal trade-mark:

The Bible is the Word of God only when it is interpreted as God means it interpreted. To give a different meaning to the words other than God intended they should have is to make it cease to be God’s Word at all. For this reason the Catholic Church, which produced the Bible, is the only genuinely authorized interpreter of God’s Word.

No such claim is made by those who serve Jehovah God humbly and obediently in His organization. For them the words of the apostle Paul in his second letter to Timothy are more than sufficient. Thus they are “throughly furnished” to do His theocratic will.—Contributed. (Australian Consolation)

Protestants in Spain

The New Republic draws attention to the fact that when Franco took over Barcelona he closed all Protestant churches and denied them permission to reopen. In another Catalan town a Protestant chapel was turned directly over to a Catholic Action group. The New Republic continues:

General Franco has destroyed education, as we know it: “A large majority of the university professors and schoolmasters were adherents of the Republican cause, and are now either in exile or jail.” Thus education is again a virtual Catholic monopoly in Spain, which may be regarded by some as a victory for the church (under the monarchy it had control of education and was responsible for the unenviable fact that Spain had by far the worst illiteracy rate in Europe—52 percent of the population as late as 1931).

“The Cause of God”

◆ Pope Pius XII addressed 3,200 Spanish soldiers in their native tongue, telling them that they had offered themselves as heroes to defend the cause of god and religion and had covered themselves with glory. The god whose cause they had espoused was and is the god of this world, the Devil; and as he is the author of religion, the address contained a truth after all. It should be added that it was the heathen Moors that were first and bravest fighters in this war for the pope’s god and for his religion. He said:

Welcome, leaders, officers and soldiers of Catholic Spain, my most beloved sons, who bring to the heart of your father an immense consolation because you have been the defenders of the faith and civilization of your Fatherland for which you have given so much.—Universe (London).

“Murder Brigades”

◆ A copyrighted dispatch from Paris, published by the New York World-Telegram and the Chicago Daily News, contained the following paragraph, which speaks for itself as to the spirit that animates everything that comes from Vatican City:

Even the French friends of Generalissimo Francisco Franco of Spain swallowed hard when they read today of His Holiness blessing several hundred Spanish Fascists, members of troop units who were known among international newspapermen in Spain as “murder brigades”, and his telling them that they had done “the Lord’s work”.

…