Awake!, October 22, 1954
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CHRISTIANS FIGHT FOR FREEDOM
A long-fought battle. What do you know about it?
A Modern Look at Furniture
The effect of the 'new look* upon your home
The Concept of Psychoanalysis
Some facts about the mind
Can God Make a Book?
The Bible is from God, not from man
OCTOBER 22, 1954 semimonthly
THE MISSION OF THIS JOURNAL
Niewi source* that are able to keep you awake to the vital lemies our times must be Unfettered by censorship and selfish Interests, kwakel” has no fetters. It recognizes factst faces facts, Is free to uhllsh facts. It is not bound by political ambitions or obligations; it is unhampered by advertisers whose toes must not be trodden on; It Is unprejudiced by traditional creeds. This Journal keeps itself free that it may speak freely to you. But it does not abuse its freedom. It maintains integrity to truth.
“Awake!” uses the regular news channels, but is not dependent on them. Its own correspondents are on all continents, in scores of nations. From the four comers of the earth their uncensored, on-the-scenes reports come to you through these columns. This Journal's viewpoint is not narrow, but is International, It is read in many nations, in many languages, by persons of all ages. Through its pages many fields of knowledge pass in review—government, commerce, religion, history, geography, science, social conditions, natural wonders—why, its coverage is as Broad as the earth and as high as the heavens.
“Awake!” pledges itself to righteous principles, to exposing hidden foes and subtle dangers, to championing freedom for all, to comforting mourners and strengthening those disheartened by the failures of a delinquent world, reflecting sure hope for the establishment of a righteous New World.
Get acquainted with “Awake!” Keep awake by reading “Awake!”
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CONTENTS
Is Man's Pugnacity Inherent?
The Concept of Psychoanalysis
Christians Fight for Freedom
Both Good and Bad
The Jay—Planter of Oak Forests
Chimpanzees Make Monkeys
They Say It with Beads
out of Psychologists
Japan’s Reaction to America and Russia
“Your Word Is Truth”
The Moon Does More than Shine
Can God Make'a Book?
Picturesque Luxembourg
Jehovah’s Witnesses Preach in All
A Modern Look at Furniture
the Earth—Honduras
Another Nation for the
Do You Know?
British Commonwealth? .
Watching the World
"Now it is high time to awoke/' —'B»nan« 13:11
Volume XXXV
Brooklyn, N. Y., October 22, 1954
Number 20
T IERE is an old dogma in psychology that says that in animal nature there is an ineradicable instinct of pugnacity that makes fighting or wars inevitable. This theory has been the source of much thoughtless chatter, such as, 'It is natural for man to want to fight’; or, ’Wars are necessary’; or another phrase heard quite frequently is, ‘There always were wars and there always will be wars.’ So when Bible references are made regarding the peaceful conditions that will exist upon the earth among men and animals under God’s kingdom arrangement, these same people cry out against such promises as fantastic, mere fantasy, a wish, words for dreamers. Others will salve their consciences by saying, ‘Those conditions will never come in pur time.’
By claiming that man’s pugnacious attitude is inherent or natural, these thereby excuse their own misconduct, their quarrelsome dispositions, their fights and wars, and place the blame on God, who, they say, created them with this belligerent attitude. In support of their theory they point to the lower animal creations as proof, declaring that these, like man, possess similar instinctive, warlike tendencies.
Recently a Chinese scientist, Dr. Loh Seng Tsai, professor of psychology at Tulane University, in New Orleans, Louisiana, debunked this theory of instinctive pugnacity. Experimenting with rat-killing cats, Dr. Tsai told the fourteenth International Congress of Psychology that he had “demonstrated for the first time in the history of science with crucial experiments that cats and rats, the so-called natural enemies, can and do cooperate,” and that his discovery “throws overboard the traditional dogma in psychology that in animal nature there is an ineradicable instinct of pugnacity which makes fighting or wars inevitable.” “My experimental results give the death blow to any such fighting instinct theory.” He continued: “Since we have failed to find any such instinct, even among supposed natural enemies, many think that our research has laid the cornerstone as a basic biological foundation for the theoretical possibility of world peace.”
Dr. Tsai at first experimented with cats and rats that were placed together shortly after birth. These lived peacefully and cooperatively. More recently Dr. Tsai used in his experiments “a very ferocious cat" that had achieved “a long and glorious record of rat-killing.” To remove all doubt that the cat was a killer, she demonstrated her disposition and ability by disposing of five ratfe in short order. Her rat-killing behavior is not inferred, but actually demonstrated and confirmed repeatedly.
Dr. Tsai’s problem was to teach this ferocious, rat-killing cat to live peacefully with a rat. By training the animals that the two of them must co-operate in order to survive, Dr, Tsai managed to educate a vicious cat to live peacefully with a rat It took only twenty-eight days, distributed over three and one-half months, to do the trick. After that the cat and the rat ate face to face out of the same dish. This was accomplished without punishment. Dr. Tsai explained that his demonstrations show the “immense possibility and almost unlimited power of education.’’ “The world today,” he concluded, “is in need of a new philosophy of life.”—New York Times, Jun^ 1954.
Education, as Dr. Tsai pointed out, has immense possibilities and almost unlimited power. However, in order for education to bring peace and co-operation it must be of the right quality, stem from the proper source and be dedicated to the right end. Here is where the Scriptures excel. They are of the proper source, right quality and, if properly applied, will bring satisfactory results. Long before Dr. Tsai’s revelation about education the Bible made it plain that man’s present pugnacity is not inherent and that accurate knowledge will sprout peace. However, what God teaches through his Word and what man teaches through his schools of higher learning are two different things. One results in peace, the other in strife and war.
Note the Bible on this point: “Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show out of his right conduct his works with a meekness that belongs to wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and contentiousness in your hearts, do not be bragging and lying against the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is the earthly, animal, demonic. For where jealousy and contentiousness are, there disorder and every vile thing are, But the wisdom from above is first of all chaste, then peaceable, reasonable, ready to obey, full of mercy and good fruits, not making partial distinctions, not hypocritical. Moreover, the fruit of righteousness has its seed sown under peaceful conditions for those who are making peace.”—James 3:13-18, New World Trans.
The contentiousness, strife, bitter jealousies and lying, revolutions and wars in thi^ world prove beyond doubt that its educational system is not of God. Instead, it is, as James declared, “earthly, animal, demonic.” But the wisdom from above, from God and of God, 'is first of all chaste, then peaceable, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, not hypocritical.’ Before attaining to, thjs wisdom humankind must first be taught of Jehovah, as the prophet Isaiah stated: “And all thy children shall be taught of Jehovah; and great shall be the peace of thy children.” And again through the prophet Micah this need is emphasized: “And many nations shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of Jehovah,... and he will.teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths.... and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.” Truth about Jehovah does away with war, strife and contentiousness. It is peaceable, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits.—Isaiah 54:13; Micah 4:2-5, Am. Stan. Ver.
Jehovah’s witnesses have applied this way of life in the New World society and it has worked. Even though they are from many lands it has united them as one people, With them wars have ceased. All political, religious and racial divisions have been done away with. Instead of this world’s searching for a new way of life it need only apply the old one laid down by Jesus—the love of God and the love of one’s neighbor as one’s self. This principle will uproot all the pugnacity there is in mankind.
Christians Fight ™ Freedom
Not all freedom* have been wort by wan with carnal weapon! on firing line*. A real fight for freedom hat been going on incmantly for age& It it to your eternal weKaro to know how figk* hot been waged and by whom. To this end the following article should be of great help.
FREEDOM has inspired men of all nationalities, of all nations, in all ages. “Let freedom ring!” shouted those who formed the new republic in North America. Freedom was sweeter than life itself! "Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid, Almighty God'. I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death.” These sentiments of Patrick Henry were similar to those of Cicero, who centuries before cried out: "Liberty the sweetest of all blessings.”
But vain have been the efforts of men to secure real freedom for themselves and their children. Much wealth and blood have been sacrificed on worldly altars of freedom. Their many causes and wars fought in the name of freedom have ended either in retaining the same old shackles or in coming under still greater bonds of restraint, As recently as*1940 Christendom’s politicians admitted that men were not free, that World War n was being fought to establish Four Freedoms everywhere, enumerating these as freedom of worship, freedom of speech, freedom from fear and freedom from want After the end of World War n these freedoms were not made sure. Tn 1950 there was the Freedom Crusade in Western countries to secure these fast-fading freedoms. The fight for freedom continues as war wages against communism.
Of all freedoms the most vital are those of the worship of God and of speech. Let these two freedoms exist even without the freedom from want and from fear of aggression, and the people will still have something to live and fight for. Yet, in the face of the declared aims of the democratic .world, it is in these very fields of worship and of free speech concerning the truth that the people’s freedom is being undermined by hypocritical champions of freedom.
Christians have the truth of God’s Word committed to them. The very power of this truth is for freedom. Said Jesus: "If you remain in my word, you are really my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. Therefore if the Son sets you free, you will be actually free.” It is the truth concerning the kingdom of Jehovah God by his Son Christ Jesus that makes men free. If any people would be free and enjoy liberty they must leam the truth about God’s established kingdom and hold fast to it. This truth the people of the earth are entitled to, and no man or group of men has the right or the authority to censor, withhold or to dedare it illegal. The truth Is the means whereby people may approach God and worship him. For ihis reason Jehovah has sent forth his truth to free the people from the bonds of ignorance, superstition and fear, and that they might walk in the path of light and life.—John 8:31, 32, 36, New World Trans.
The greater freedom from sin and death comes also by knowing the truth about God and his provision through Christ to redeem all mankind. Exercising faith in this provision opens a way to the greatest amount of freedom possible for humans to attain. “For such freedom Christ set us free. Therefore stand fast, and do not let yourselves be confined again in a yoke of slavery.” Christian freedom is a license, not for moral badness, but for honoring God. As Peter admonished: “Be as free people, and yet holding your freedom, not as a blind for moral badness, but as slaves of God.”—Galatians 5:1; 1 Peter 2:16, New World Trans.
Early Fighters for Freedom
To maintain the right to worship God freely according to the dictates of one’s conscience and to speak the truth has been a struggle through all ages. As far back as Abel’s day true worship was opposed. Abel paid with his life for maintaining- that right. Enoch and Noah both fought for freedoms. And because of their valiant fight the purposes of Jehovah were declared to a world that then existed.
To Moses God gave commandments revealing the boundaries of human freedom in regard to man’s relationship to his Creator. Also this law made manifest Jehovah’s purpose to grant freedom to all mankind in due time. To Moses God said: “Speak to the sons of Israel, arid you must say to them, ‘... sanctify the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty in the land to all its inhabitants. It will become a Jubilee for you, and you must return each one to his possession and you should return each man to his family? ” The Jubilee with its proclamation of freedom throughout all the land was an event that foreshadowed a free world under God’s kingdom by Christ Jesus. That government will fill the earth with boundless prosperity and freedom. It will decree and maintain endless freedom from all economic want for all the obedient inhabitants of the earth. For this Rule Jesus Christ taught his followers to pray to God, saying: “Let your kingdom come. Let your will come to pass, as in heaven, also upon earth.”—Leviticus 25:1, 2, 10; Matthew 6:10, New World Trans.
Had Israel championed Jehovah’s law by keeping it faithfully, the nation would have enjoyed freedom from want in a “land flowing with milk and honey,” with no fear of aggression or of ever losing its liberties. But Israel failed to keep God’s law. They failed to keep the jubilees, to proclaim freedom to the poor and the oppressed. They lost their freedom when they forsook Jehovah the God of truth and freedom. God permitted unfaithful Israel to be destroyed by the Babylonian armies.
However, during the history of this faithless nation there were those who championed freedom. Paul names a few of these, saying: “And what more shall I say? For the time will fail me if I go on to relate about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David as well as Samuel and the other prophets, who through faith defeated kingdoms in conflict, effected righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, stayed the force of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from a weak state were made powerful, became valiant in war, routed the armies of foreigners. ... Yes, others received their trial by Blockings and scourgings, indeed, more than that, by bonds and prisons. They were stoned, they were tried, they were sawn asunder, they died by slaughter with the sword, they went about in sheep skins, in goat skins, while they were In want, In tribulation, under ill-treatment; and the world was not worthy of them.” Faithful men of old paid a great price to exercise their freedom to worship God.—Hebrews 11:32-38, New World Trans.
Fight During First Century After Christ
This struggle for freedom that the prophets endured continued on down into the Christian era. Jesus told his followers that it would be so. Said he; “Look! I am sending you forth as sheep amidst wolves; therefore prove yourselves cautious as serpents and yet innocent as doves. 'Be on your guard against men; for they will deliver you up to local courts and they will scourge you in their synagogues. Why, you will be haled before governors and kings for my sake for the purpose of a witness to them and the nations.” Jesus himself felt the wicked lash of this opposition. Insisting on remaining free to preach and teach the truth about God’s kingdom, Jesus was cruelly betrayed, arrested, persecuted, beaten and finally murdered, But in his death he became freedom’s Champion, the Liberator of humankind. And it is because of him that freedom will ring for all time to all the inhabitants of the earth!—Matthew 10:16-18, New World Trans.
Peter and John, who closely followed in Jesus’ footsteps, were also victims of like treatment. On several occasions they were denied freedom of worship, because the doctrine of Jesus was offensive to some people. But these championed freedom’s cause with these words: “Whether it is righteous in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, make your decision. But as for us, we cannot stop speaking about the things we have seen and heard.” Mischievous laws restricting freedom were not honored by Christians. They maintained these rights inalienable. Therefore the Record reads: “And every day In the temple and from house to house they continued without letup teaching and declaring the good news about the Christ, Jesus?’ The reason for their persistency: “We must obey God as ruler rather than men.” Freedoms to worship, to speak, to assemble for worship, to publish truth, are inalienable rights; they are from God and no man or government has the authority to take them away.—Acts 4:19, 20; 5:42, New World Trans.
The early fathers of the United States of America understood and appreciated this fact and endeavored to cement these rights in the Constitution of these United States beyond the reach of men. What these rights were Thomas Jefferson made plain: “Equal and exact justice to all men, . . . freedom of religion; freedom of the press; freedom of persons under the protection of habeas corpus; and trial by juries impartially selected.” An even broader definition is given by John Stuart Mill, who wrote: “The appropriate region of human liberty ... comprises, first, the inward domain of consciousness; demanding liberty of conscience . . . liberty of thought and feeling; absolute freedom of opinion and sentiment on all subjects, practical or speculative, scientific, moral, or theological. The liberty of expressing and publishing opinions . . . being almost of as much importance as the liberty of thought... No society in which these liberties are not, on the whole, respected, is free, whatever may be jts form of government.”
Fight for Freedom Today
Christian witnesses of Jehovah God today as well as God-fearing men down through the ages have fought to establish these freedoms. But these rights are far from secure. The danger to freedom to preach and teach the truth about God’s kingdom today is real and disturbing. It is high time that lovers of freedom rally to the defense of these precious rights. Jehovah’s witnesses for years now have been championing these rights in the courts of nations throughout the world. Regarding this battle for religious freedom, the late Supreme Court Justice of the United States, Murphy, wrote:
“No chapter in human history has been so largely written in terms of persecution and intolerance as the one dealing with religious freedom. From ancient times to the present day, the ingenuity of man has known no limits in its ability to forge weapons of oppression for use against those who dare to express or practice unorthodox religious beliefs. And the Jehovah’s Witnesses are living proof of the fact that even in this nation, conceived as it was in the ideals of freedom, the right to practice religion in unconventional ways is still far from secure.... They have suffered brutal beatings; their property has been destroyed; they have been harassed at every turn by the resurrection and enforcement of little used ordinances and statutes. See Mulder and Comisky, 'Jehovah's Witnesses Mold Constitutional Law,’ 2 Bill of Rights Review, No. 4, p. 262. To them, along with other present-day religious minorities, befalls the burden of testing our devotion to the ideals and constitutional guarantees of religious freedom. We should therefore hesitate before approving the application of a statute that might be used as another instrument of oppression. Religious freedom is too sacred a right to be restricted or prohibited in any degree without convincing proof that a legitimate interest of the state is in grave danger.”
Jehovah’s witnesses continue to battle for these freedoms not only in America but throughout the world. And the freedoms that they have won are for all people. No other group has ever put up such a legal fight in behalf of freedom. Since 1937, in the interest of freedom, they have pressed forty-seven cases to the Supreme Court of the United States, of these winning thirty-five. This has cost them no small expense in money and inconvenience. But Jehovah’s witnesses, like their Master Jesus Christ, are fighters for freedom. They are interested in hearing freedom ring. That is why the fight for freedom to worship and serve God will go on with greater intensity and courage.
Regardless of what nation may determine to outlaw these freedoms, God’s work of declaring this good news of his established’ kingdom will be accomplished. It cannot be stopped. His work will continue irresistibly to final victory and to his vindication and praise. However, God warns those who presumptuously fight against him by trying to restrict his people from worshiping him as he instructs. “Now consider this, ye that forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there bfe none to deliver.” (Psalm 50:22) Sure destruction will come tn “the battle of that great day of God Almighty,” to all opposers of God and his freedom-loving witnesses. Wise counsel therefore comes from a teacher of law, Gamaliel, set down at Acts 5:38, 39 (New World Trans.): “And so, regarding the present matters, I say to you, Do not meddle with these men, but let them alone; (because, if this scheme and this work is from men, it will be overthrown; but if it is from God, you will not be able to overthrow them;) otherwise, you may perhaps be found fighters actually against God.”
Heed the advice of God’s Word. Do not deny any man his God-given freedom. Defend his right by using your freedom to hear, accept and follow the great Champion of freedom, Christ Jesus. So doing, you may enjoy the glorious freedom of the childrep of God in the righteous new world of God’s promise.
"JAY
Planter of Oak Forests
BIRDS are like people: they become more interesting the better you know them. How true this is with that colorful personality in birdland, the jay! Here is a bird that some people know only as a rascal, a robber or a noisemaker. But those wjio are better acquainted with the jay know him to be a clown, a wit, a tease, an insect exterminator, a mimic, a ventriloquist, a practical joker and a thrilling adventure in wild beauty. Besides all this the jay is as shrewd as a rat, as alert as a winged weasel, as curious as a cat, as mischievous as a small boy and as deft at hiding as a squirrel. If the jay docs make more than his share of noise, he also carries more than his share of beauty in the bird realm. And if the jay is a rascal, he is certainly an amusing one. Actually, we could ill spare the jay. His service to mankind is invaluable: he is a planter of oak forests.
But before we learn what a skilled forester the jay is we should get better acquainted with the jay family. Observing
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OCTOBER ge,
the jay in action, we find that he is a creature seemingly built of springs, all jerks and jumps. On the ground he never walks, just hops about in a somewhat clownish manner. In the tree his movements are light and active. In the air he displays a short, dashing, flickering flight. Well known and widespread, the jay family has representatives In almost all parts of the world. There are jays In Siberia with a fine fluffy plumage, jays in Brazil that are a harmonious riot of purple, blue' and creamy yellow, jays in Canada that are gray, white and black, jays in Mexico that are a brilliant green and jays in America In which the predominant tone is a lovely blue. America’s best-known jay is the blue jay, a masterpiece of coloring. To the human eye a visit from this bird is like a bit of blue sky suddenly dropping down from above.
But it is not his brilliant coloring or his conspicuously crested head that makes the blue jay a personality in birdland. It is because the blue jay seems to be the "gabbiest” bird in birddom; he just likes to talk. In fact, he seldom seems to be bo well pleased as when he is making a hair-raisinf din and a lot of fuss and excitement about nothing. He may be trying to convince all the rest of the birds that he is boss in 'birdland. At any rate, he is never shy when it comes to talking; he quickly lets the neighborhood know that he is around. Though this boisterous bird is known for his harsh cry of “Thief! Thief!” he does have some musical ability. “A blue jay musical? Nonsense!” some may say. Yet the blue jay can sing a Dutcllke tone. He sometimes hides in a thicket of evergreens and pours forth a solo of faint whistles and low, sweet notes, some in phrasing and pitch suggesting a robin’s song. He also has considerable skill as a ventriloquist, and, like many other jays, is highly skilled as a mimic.
Birds with a Sense of Humor
A naturalist once told about a bird that successively imitated the. voices of the magpie, the shrike, the thrush and the starling. On searching the branches to obtain a sight of such a versatile vocalist, he discovered that all these various sounds were produced by a jay. Jaya are such marvelous mimics that they must take keen delight in imitating another bird. Why, they can even imitate the buzz of a saw, or, If they feel like it, the human voice. Thus a mischievous jay once caused’ a terrible hubbub on a farm: the jay “sicked” the dog on the cow!
Blue jays excel in mimicry. Outstanding is their frequent and almost perfect imitation of the whistled scream of the redshouldered hawk. So near perfection is this mimic cry that it often deceives the bird student. Why does the jay like to be a mimic? Many insist that it isr a deliberate attempt to terrify the other birds in the neighborhood. Whatever the reason, it is perfectly in keeping with the jay’s love of a practical joke and its sense of humor.
No little part of a jay's enjoyment in life comes from teasing and badgering other animals. It likes to tease cats; some even like to peck their tails. It likes to scare snakes. Indeed, the Arizona jay gets a keen thrill from following and berating a rattlesnake; and sometimes it lights near the snake and struts in a ludicrous manner, with the head and body held stiffly upright and about a third of the tail dragging. Of course a jay has to be cautious when it badgers big birds, such as hawks and owls. But the jay is not beyond giving them a piece of its mind. From a safe thicket of vines blue jays boldly hurl bitter epithets at a hawk, which must make it feel rather ridiculous if it understands blue jay language. But the blue jay's peak performance comes when a napping owl is discovered. Shrill screams call together all the jays of the neighborhood. With flashings of blue and white feathers dozens of jays zoom zestfully into the fray. Amid a tremendous uproar, abuse is poured on the bleary-eyed owl, who desires nothing so much as to be left akme. Yet the jays wax bolder. They approach within a few feet of their traditional enemy and shriek anathemas at it, using the most outlandish bird language. This fuss and din may last for half an hour before the sleepy owl is driven away.
Their Eating Habits
It is likely that the jay’s mischievous qualities have been overemphasized. One of the reasons jays are considered rascals is that they sometimes rob other birds’ nests. But an examination of a large number of jays' stomachs reveals that the nestrobbing habit is not as universal as has been supposed. For example, the blue jays’ stomachs averaged 76 per cent fruit and vegetable matter, such as chestnuts and acorns. About 20 per cent was Insects. Another 3 per cent was made up of predacious beetles. This leaves 1 per cent for birds’ eggs. No doubt some jays greatly exceed this 1 per cent mark, but it should be remembered that scattered clusters of jay feathers here and there in the woods testify to the success of some hawk in finding himself a dinner.
Jays are such curious creatures. They are intrigued by bright-colored objects or anything that glitters. The Canada jay will abscond with almost anything that he can lift off the ground. Called “camp robber,” the Canada jay is remarkably tame and bold. It will swoop down on a camper and pick up such objects that may be lying about, such as a box of matches, a bar of soap or a scrap of food. Even while frying the bacon the camper must keep an eagle eye, for papa jay likes to “bring home the bacon” to Mrs. Jay. But the man who does not enjoy being robbed by these bold bundles of jay feathers had better stay at home and sit in the parlor.
One of the gorgeous tropical jays is the green jay of Mexico and south Texas. It likes to live in thick patches of scrub. Despite living in such dense tangles the green jay is not difficult to observe, for, like most jays, it is bold and intensely inquisitive. Being highly gregarious, the green jay goes about in small flocks of eight to fifteen individuals. Just let a man approach their haunts, and the green jays are certain to come out in the open to inspect the stranger. Using a great variety of screaming notes, varied with a medley of caws, toots and whistles, the jays hover noisily about the intruder for a few minutes and then melt silently away into the bush.
How the Jay Serves Man
Because the jay has such a fondness for acorns, hiding them in so many places without retrieving them, he has become known as a ‘'planter of oak forests.” But the jay does even more. An eater of wild fruits, he sows their seeds; and he carries cones about, distributing the evergreens. Visitors to Sequoia National Pant are often so spellbound by the big trees that they fail to realize that the giants depend upon a community of wildlife for their existence. The jay is one of nature’s skilled foresters. His skill, in fact, amazes the best foresters among men.
Now acorns and chestnuts, lying under the crowns of their respective parents, do not grow well in the shade of their own species. So the jay comes to the rescue. Let us note the words of Dr. August Bier, as quoted in the book The Triumph of the Tree (pages 157, 158): “In untouched Nature these trees would have but a limited dissemination were it not for a very ingenious bird who steps in and cares for their spread in a wonderful fashion. This bird is the jay. He carries away the acorns and beechnuts, one in his beak, the rest in his crop, and sticks them into the soil, or far more often into the covering over it, especially into pine needle carpets. And he seems to do this in a much better way even than the forester. He reforests evenly over the whole area, never puts several acorns together, but always at correct planting distances, so that a correct and useful stand of trees results. Here and there he also sows in rows, again keeping the correct planting distances.”
Now that we have become better acquainted with the jay, we find him interesting indeed. What a lot of interest there is packed into one bundle of splendid feathers! Its amusing antics, its imitation birdcalls, its love for teasing, its fondness for a practical joke, its intense curiosity'and its planting of forests all make the jay a source of enjoyment to man and praise to the Creator. “Praise Jehovah from the earth, . . . fruitful trees and all cedars; ... creeping things and flying birds.”—Psalm 148:7, 9, 10, Am. Stan. Ver.
They Say It with
By CQrKipMwitnt
in South Africa
■ HROUGHOUT ■■ the ages man has Bl used signs and symbols to convey his thoughts to oth* era. Besides drawing on clay tablets and engraving on stone, man has knotted messages into string, sent up smoke signals and communicated by beating on drums. Not the least of the messages conveyed by symbols concerned love. Today the Western world says it with flowers, a bunch of red roses, for example, though to the modern Miss an expensive corsage may seem more a proof of a healthy bank balance than a sign of deep devotion. In South Africa, however, the Zulus take romance very seriously. The Zulu word fcr “I love you” is ngiyakutanda. It seems tc be a bit of a tongue twister, but that never worries the Zulus—they say It with beads.
■jj In all the large towns and cities it is usual to see the Zulus, and men of other tribes, too, wearing a large array of bead necklaces. Some wear as many as twenty ingeniously woven strings of beads. These sometimes cover the entire chest from the neck down to the waist. Each necklace worn by the Zulu will be in itself a complete love letter. It consists of thousands of beads woven into a rope the thickness of a man's thumb and from twelve to twenty inches long. In the center hangs the “letter," a woven square about one and a half inches wide by two and a half inches Jong.
White is the basic color for these letters. It shows up well on a dark skin. Red pictures blood. But that color is rarely used. When it is woven into a letter it indicates that the writer is under great emotional stress, from either anger or excitement. Or the red beads might say: “My eyes are red from weeping and from looking for your return," Blue pictures the sea or sky, the former Indicating restlessness and anxiety and the paler sky blue indicating a dove, a symbol of love. Pink
3.
usually suggests poverty, particularly when included in a loiter written by a member of the Swazi tribe. Black is used to express a worried mind or it can shew that trouble is brewing. It can also suggest marriage.
According to Zulu custom, the young man gives Ids girl a black skin skirt as a token of their engagement. Black in a letter can often refer to this skirt- The writer may be saying: “You went to work in the skyscrapers of Johannesburg and I promised to wait for you. Bow I have been longing fcr you to send my biack skirt!" In plain English the lady is saying: “Just when are you going to pop the quest ion?” Should the young man fail to take the hint the letters will become more frequent and more heated. Ret!, blue and black will be used and yellow added to black will indr care disgust.
'i! Now if a girl is really determined, she might send her young man the unfinished necklace. He will know that that particular maid Is not going to waste any more of her evenings beading messages to him. Maybe he will come to his senses and catch the nex: train home. But if he feels that the young lady is no loss, he will give the letters to his sister or put them away. Never, though, will they te returned to the sender. They are considered as precious as the more conventional box of love letters, and a Zulu will rarely part with them to a tourist.
*3? Gradually the African is becoming more adept at using the white man’s writing materials. The art of beadwork is diminishing Already many recipients of love “letters" have to take them to an Interpreter. A picturesque feature of South African life will vanish when these letters go out of use. As it is, some of the young men returning to :hcfr huts from the cities are taking back to their wives sewing machines. Perhaps in the not-too-dls-tant future a young man returning to his village will carry back to his bride, not the cherished hag of brightly colored beads, but a typewriter!
REACTION TO AMERICA AND RUSSIA
By “Awuhel” con«pandtfl* bi Joptn
QUITE recently she was the conquered nation, convicted of war crimes and an outcast from the society of nations. However, Miss Japan now finds herself courted by two far-f ram-unimportant suitors. On the one hand is Mr, United States of America, expressing his affection by many gifts and favors. On the other is Mr. Soviet Russia, who for the present is “on the outer,” and having to content himself with casting amorous glances and loudly expressing laments over Japan’s “colonization by the imperialists.” Let us now, therefore, look at the heart of this young lady, as she reclines among the cherry blossoms, and see which of the two aspirants seems likely of success.
The general attitude of the Japanese people toward America and Americans, as expressed by them in their conversations and in the letters and editorials in the press, seems to be one of censure or scam, rather than any rabidly anti-American sentiment. Now the vast majority are unquestionably grateful for the leniency and restraint shown by the Americans in the role of conquerors, and recognize that Japan has been greatly aided in regaining her national equilibrium through American aid. However, there are a few factors that are engendering the already-mentioned feeling of censure. Among them is America’s insistence on Japanese rearmament.
This is a request by the Americans that strikes the Japanese mind as somewhat anomalous, so that the average Japanese reacts something like this: “I have thus far borne you no hard feelings for the atom-bombing of our two cities. Rather, I place the blame primarily on our wartime leaders. Yet your insistence that we rearm and fight alongside you reminds us that you first caused the A-bomb to be dropped. Through the A-bomb thousands of our citizens, mostly women and children, died a most disgusting, lingering death. It also comes to our minds that you wholeheartedly approved our renunciation of all war, and encouraged us to include such a clause in our Constitution. We owe you many debts. We admire your high principles. We wish to imitate your free system of government, but we And it difficult to forget our tortured babies at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and ally ourselves with you unreservedly for all time.”
A young shopkeeper with whom the writer conversed recently expressed himself this way: “General To jo was executed as a war criminal. He was a war criminal. The sentence was just. It was right that he should die.” He paused, looked up from his work, and said: "I have yet to hear of the trial taking place of the sponsors of the atom-bombing of Japan.” This reminds, too, of a popular joke that has been going the rounds since the H-bomb test in
March: “American Security Forces give us security from Russian aggression, but who is to give us security from Security Force tests?”
Another matter that is irksome to Japan in her present economic state is the large amount of land taken up by American military installations, which it is claimed deprives Japan of valuable farm land, “Be-hdld this year, how well grow our military barracks,” say the ironical Japanese,
McCarthyism is pointed to as evidence that America has abandoned her tradition of liberty; and the type of comic, novel and movie imported from America, as proof that Americans have no culture and are uncouth and materialistic. The Japanese are also amused to note that the morals of so-called “Christian” foreigners in this country are certainly no better, and sometimes much worse, than those of the "heathen” Japanese. Say they: “Under the occupation you urged us that as a democracy we must abolish prostitution, yet the form of that vice which now flourishes illegally you patronize with all your might. Please teach us more clearly how your democracy works, for our simple, untrained Oriental minds are detecting something hard to reconcile here. Maybe we are not fully democratized yet.”
Communism
The Japanese people are far from being attracted by the vodka of Soviet propaganda. It is certain too that the average Japanese has no love for communism as it erates in Russia and China. These two countries are the traditional enemies of Japan in any case, whether their governments are Communist or fascist. For this reason the common people prefer to remain within the Western orbit.
The violent demonstrations in Tokyo on May 1, 1952, were held by many as evidence of strong Communist tendencies in Japan. The New York Times interpreted it that way by reporting that ‘300,000 Reds Riot in Tokyo.’ However, according to United States Ambassador Murphy, then in Tokyo, the number of those who actually took part in the violence was not more than 8,000, and of those almost half were Koreans. Press photographs too showed that a high percentage of the demonstrators were wearing the uniforms of university students. Hardly a representation of responsible working-class opinion!
Until 1950 Japan’s Communists had been strictly a Japanese party appealing to the masses of the Japanese people and seeking their favor by using constitutional means to oppose the government. However, in 1950 the Japanese Communists received scathing criticism from the Cominform because of this policy, and so set about demonstrating their zeal for the ‘cause* in order to placate their more extreme foreign comrades. The Tokyo riots of May Day, 1952, were among the first evidences of this change of policy.
However, this and other measures far from enhanced the popularity of the Communist party. Punitive measures have, according to the Japan Digest of December, 1953, “so crippled the party that its scope of activities has been narrowed down appreciably.” Moreover, the call for "a popular revolt . . . and frenzied training in guerrilla tactics ... merely served to alien-
ate the public, and to reduce the parop- ty’s effective strength for several years.”
Whether resentment toward America caused by the recent H-bomb tests and the injury done to Japanese fishermen has created a vacuum that will be filled by better feeling for the Communists is yet to be seen. The Labor Day demonstrations for 1954 were orderly and quiet, but several large posters with drawings of tuna fish were a conspicuous part of the processions.
Official Position
The official position, and certainly the attitude of the majority of the people, is well expressed by the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Japanese House of Representatives, Tsukasa Uyet-suka: “It is common knowledge that the keynote of Japan’s foreign policy is to cooperate with the free nations in checking communist expansion and contributing thereby to the cause of world peace. I have no hesitation whatsoever in declaring that my country is fully , mindful of the importance of co-operation with the United States ... in striving towards this end.” —Nippon Times, April 19, 1954.
From all the foregoing facts' we can see that Miss Japan leans strongly toward Mr. America. Nevertheless, our fair young lady does not intend to give her heart unequivocally to Mr. America either. She is mindful though of the ’importance at cooperation? So for the present she says, ‘Let’s just be good friends?
Thus far we have looked at the political picture, but many Japanese today are coming to realize that true salvation to life and prosperity lies within the power of neither the Eastern nor the Western powers. They have come to see that “salvation belongeth unto Jehovah” and only through his kingdom has the time come when men of good will of all nations “beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks; nation [does] not lift up sword against nation, neither [do] they learn war any more.” These sincere people are dedicating their whole hearts to the service of the supreme Sovereign of the universe, the Almighty God, “whose name alone is JEHOVAH.”—Psalm 3:8; Isaiah 2:4, Amer. Stan. Ver.; Psalm 83:18.
The Moon Does More than Shine
aWTHENIconsider thy heavens, the work of thy Angers, the moon and the stars, which thou, hast ordained; what is man, that thou art mindful of him?” These words of the psalmist David no doubt were inspired by his intense love for the beauty of God’s creation. He knew the moon as a huge luminary shining down upon the earth during the night. But today we know that the moon does more than just shine. Its effect upon the physical state of the earth is indisputable. For example, it governs the tides. It is also a known fact that just as the moon raises tides in the oceans, so it produces "tides” in the atmosphere, which affect radio broadcasts. Also, the gravitational attraction of the moon as it travels across the sky actually distorts the solid ground, raising a bulge in the surface. According to Science Digest for November, 1951, "this bulge is not stationary but travels across the earth, so as to be always under the moon.” The amazing thing is "that this earth tide actually changes the longitudes of Washington and Greenwich enough so that at times they are closer together by 63 feet than at other times.” Professor Harlan T. Stetson of the Cosmic Terrestrial Research Laboratories of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology “has demonstrated that some earthquakes may be 'triggered* by the moon's pull on the earth's crust” Tills same authority says that Professor Stetson in his cosmic research “has also ventured that the moori might reflect special rays from the sun (since the moon has fio atmosphere) which otherwise could not penetrate our atmosphere directly from the sun*” To what extent the moon influences the electrical fields in man is not fully known as yet. But Dr. Leonard J. Ravitz of Duke University’s School of Medicine says: “If these external forces can influence the earth's physical, vegetable and animal forms, they might also influence the electrical fields in man, resulting in significant changes in biological organization.” When we consider even so briefly the works of the “fingers of God” it is enough to make insignificant man well up inside with adora-tion and praise and say, even as David did: “What is man, that thou art mindful of him?” —Pslam 8:3, 4.
picturesque
Ay ^AwaH!" corretpondent in Belgium
■mRESH and foamy beer, ice-cold dry wine, !■ blast furnaces spitting fire, feudal ruins U covered with moss and surrounded by brambles and legends, the last reigning grand duchess of Europe and the only surviving state of any importance of the feudal system that covered Europe during the Middle Ages: these pictures, among others, compose the legend of Luxembourg, “Lilliput of NATO and vineyard of Benelux?1
<£ The grand duchy of Luxembourg is merely a little spot on the surface of Europe, just a small triangle traced on the map by the French, German and Belgian borders* Here nestled In the Ardennes Mountains in this Franco-German crossroads lives a little people whose national unity and conscience have been developed down through the centuries to the rhythm of invasions and changing dynasties* It would be difficult to define the French race or the German race and much more so the Luxembourg race* Situated as it is at the junction point of two ethnical and political groups, to the west the Roman and to the east the Germanic, Luxembourg has been greatly influenced by both.
Beer and wine, national drinks respectively of Germany and France, enjoy equal rights here, bearing eloquent witness to the double visage of the country. Here French is the official language, always accompanied by a Ger-man translation. Most of the inhabitants speak a German dialect that they consider the Luxembourg language, but since it has no standard alphabet it is not written except in poems, songs and some folk tales* In the primary schools high German is the principal language, but French also must be studied* So the great majority of the people read German and also understand some French* As is to be expected the Luxembourg press is a veritable cocktail of languages. The most widely read newspapers are edited in high German with an article or two in French* <L In the southeast of Luxembourg the Moselle River, flowing upward from the Vosges Mountains, is like a blue vein running through the prairies and vineyards, and for a brief space it becomes the frontier between Luxembourg and Germany* The Moselle is blue, the cliffs are of limestone, the villages are full of flowers, the houses are stuccoed in pastel
^Luxembourg
shades and the gentle hills are terraced and staked with grapevines.
North of the. city of Luxembourg, near the market town of Mersch* we enter the valley of the Alzette. This is a country of meadows washed by limpid streams, of hills wooded with beech and flr, of little mill pools, where the trout rise, and of rocky heights crowned with the crumbling walls of ancient castles* Yes, here in Luxembourg there are said to be 130 old castles. To the northeast of Mersch is situated a little section of country called “Little Switzerland,” an idyllic terrain of woodland, hill and stream* ^Luxembourg, the capital of the grand duchy, is one of the most beautiful cities of Europe* Perched high upon its rock, it has । some startling vistas* Its flanks are sundered by a dizzy abyss; a great single-arched bridge and a many-arched viaduct leap this deep ravine hung tapestrylike with gardens, and at the bottom flows the narrow P^trusse* On the eastern side, in the suburbs of Grund, Clausen and Pfaffenthal, the river Alzette describes a double hairpin bend* Along the southern border we find the “red lands,” so called because of the color of the soil, and the steel mills* Here is the source of the riches and prosperity of Luxembourg, one of the most prosperous countries of Europe* C Here in this tiny land one sqes many of the beauties of God's creation, and the reverential person is moved by these beauties to praise the great and loving God, whose name is Jehovah. However, many in this land do not feel so inclined* In spite of the prosperity of this country the people have suffered much from war, sickness and all the other ills that afflict the sinful, imperfect human race* Their religious leaders have taught them that all these sufferings are the will of God and consequently many say, “It is God who brings all the sufferings upon us; so why should we praise him?”
C However, some Luxembourgers are praising Jehovah and their hearts are overflowing with Joy, because they have learned that his way is love, and that it is the false god Satan and ^elfish men who are responsible for the suffering* These happy persons have learned that Jehovah's purpose is to make the whole earth a beautiful park, where obedient men vill live forever in righteousness and peace*
afl/jode/m looK
TIE modem trend is on! From building architecture tq the automotive industry, from fiction storybooks to household furniture, almost everything is going modem. But what is “modem”? Is it that which has been constructed in the last twenty years or that which is being built today? Is it “fashion”? Or is it the style or design that determines whether a piece of furniture is modem? “In the last two years,” says Betty Pepis, “it has been increasingly apparent that the word ‘modem,’ with its implications of simplicity and functionalism, could no longer be applied to most of the furniture designed today, even where it is ‘new’ and does not reproduce the past” (New York Times magazine, July 11, 1954) Then what shall we call today’s furniture? Some authorities suggest the new style might be called “Twentieth-Century American,” or “English,” or “French,” but not modern. The term is too vague, meaningless, indefinite.
Perhaps no other word, in connection with furniture, has been more uneasily used than the word “modem.” House Beautiful (May, 1954) reports that “manufacturers have exhausted Roget’s Thesaurus looking for substitutes: contemporary,
casual, informal, modern provincial, modem traditional, country classical, ultra-modem and ultra-ultra-modern. . . . Mod-
uXiiihvte em can be everything that is made today or what museums call 'modern,' that is, things made in the 20th century or thereabout. Modem might be termed as the distinctive yet often-changing, label-defying work of some of the gifted designers of today.” 'So new furniture is not necessarily modem, nor modem furniture new. As a frustrated furniture salesman exclaimed: “Modem is modem! So, let’s forget
it!” We shall take his advice and let it go at that.
A New Look in Furniture
Furniture today is designed to add freshness, harmony and delight to the living room. Its purpose is to please the eye and contribute maximum comfort. 'Every design is styled to fit in with present ways of living. For the open-plan house there is the two-faced, semitransparent room divider in all its many guises. Dining in the living room has inspired storage pieces that look at home in the living room, but have insides designed for silver, linens, etc. Demands for seating comfort have brought the living room chaise on which you can rest your feet and recline, as well as its counterpart, the bed, on which you can sit as comfortably as you can sleep.
‘Because we like having whatever we want, where we want it, when we want it, we have new types of furniture designed so that everything is within arm’s reach —the low, broad “clutter” table, the working magazine rack, the storage headboard. And our new customs of eating and entertaining have ushered in mobile servers, sets of individual tables and expandable buffets.’ (House Beautiful, October, 1953) There are tables designed with holes in them in which to deposit magazines, the morning paper, plants, and even with built-in ash trays. Some are created with simpler and unornamented tops of transparent glass, with a special-design interest which is heightened by oddly irregular shapes and by intricate and decorative'bases.
The chair, too, is undergoing a revolutionizing effect. So much so that many of today's chairs could not even be said to fulfill Webster’s definition of one: “A seat, usually movable, for one person. It usually has four legs and a back, and may have arms.” Some modern chairs are probably far more mobile than those Webster knew. Others are so constructed to provide comfort for more than one person. Many chairs have no legs at all, and one type of chair composed of three cushions could be said to have neither arms nor a back nor even a seat Seats and backs of chairs are being made more comfortable with foam latex. Chairs are better constructed and designed so that they are easy to care for, “More creative effort has been expended in the past twenty-five years toward engineering truly comfortable chairs than in any comparable period in the world’s history,” said Alfred Auerback, a home furnishings consultant. Perhaps that is one of the reasons why the chair is one of the most popular pieces of furniture in the home.
Times Influence Trends
Time and space are at a premium today. Houses are smaller in size and rooms have grown smaller. Space is precious. The need for lighter, more graceful furniture has increased. As a result cherry furniture which is scaled to make rooms seem larger is becoming popular. The furniture itself blends beautifully with the materials of ultramodern homes, and it wears like iron.
Speaking of iron, it is becoming a best seller in modern furniture. Pieces of iron furniture that were once found on the porch or lawn are moving inside. Designers are making iron furniture look light and airy. The furniture reduces clutter in small rooms. It is clean and easy to keep clean. It is strong and there are no repair bills. What is more, it is ideal for families in small rooms and who give furniture hard usage. Its spare lines add breathing space in cramped places. Fitted with mesh or foam rubber, it is eminently comfortable too.
There is a growing impression that the new look in furniture is that it is getting softer, fussier and fancier and for that reason it can be more successfully blended with traditional styles. During the first half of the twentieth century designers tried so hard to be non-Victorian, that is, to be nondecorative, npnflamboyant, that furniture was reduced to starvation. It lost all its beauty, its softness, its warmth and emotion. Simplicity was the goal, but simplicity was not enough. It, at most, served as a temporary diet for the overweight. The trend now is toward fancier furniture. No longer are there sharply angled, cool, machined forms, but the flowing lines of flowers, here and there a soft, gentle curve, and curves too that are gay and even flamboyant, with a controlled flamboyance, however. The warmth and gentleness of forms are sometimes directly inspired by one of God’s creations, the organic beauty of a lily, a tulip or a rose.
Surface decoration is a fast-developing trend. Table tops are being decorated with geometric forms in contrasting color. Chests are taking on a new appearance with various designs. Even the legs of furniture have not escaped the mass onslaught of decoration. “Almost all are finished in ferrules—a trim of a different material. There are brass tips on black iron, leather tips on walnut, walnut tips on cherry, to name a few,” to quote an authority. There is carving on chair backs and chest fronts; more colorful grained woods; heavy metallic hardware of sliver and brass; patterns painted on or Inlaid into table tops with wood, brass and even sterling silver are all being used as part of a new technique to dress up the furniture.
There is even a new luxurious look about upholstered pieces. Bulky down pillows, variety of tuftings, fringed edgings are all a part of the fanciness of modem trends. A newly developed velvet that is said to be both water and spot resistant and various pastel suedes are sounding a new note. Popular in fabrics are the silky, shiny, soft textiles. Betty Pepis aptly describes the trend, that is, the fanciness, fussiness, of the new styles in furniture as “an appeal primarily feminine.” And she adds, “certainly, one can only conclude that the furniture manufacturers of America are not guilty of underestimating the influence of women.”
Making Old New
Before shopping for furniture, arm your-self with a little imagination and a handsaw, plus a few sheets of plastic veneer, then haul that monstrosity of yesterday down from the attic and make it serve again in this modem era. By simply taking the curve out of the legs and eliminating the overhanging top of a Hepplewhite chest of drawers, a piece of eighteenth century English furniture can be adopted to modem needs.
What are the things to look for and the pitfalls when shopping for furniture? Improvement in design, not just “fashion,” is the chief factor behind producing more new furniture or textiles for the home. So look for design, not fashion. Guard against new products. Wait until they are properly tested. Many man-made fibers are being rushed on the market today with claims that in practical service (color stability, resistawe to abrasion, etc.) do not stand the consumer test
…