Awake!, August 8, 1959
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Peaceful Assembly in Troubled Africa
PAGE 12
Take a Chance?
PAGE 16
AUGUST 8. 1959
THE MISSION OF THIS JOURNAL
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CONTENTS
Ib It Safe to Be Guided by Impulse? 3
What Requirements for the Ministry? 5 'The Worst Disaster in Uruguayan
History’
A Peaceful Assembly in Troubled Africa 12
Why Take a Chance?
The Kangaroo—Broadjump Champion
A Date with Tunisia
The Snail’s Way
"Your Word Is Truth” . The Giving That Counts Watching the World
Is it safe to be guided by IMPULSE
WHEN a child feels the urge to do something he usually responds to the urge with no thought as to the consequences. When he feels the impulse to throw whatever is in his hand he does so without hesitation. He responds to the urge to mark up walls, strike another child or pull a kitten’s tail. By punishment and threats of punishment parents gradually teach a child that he must not obey every impulse. Discipline makes him realize that he must think of the consequences before he acts. As he learns to think before doing something, he becomes less a creature of impulse. He is on the way to maturity.
Some persons, however, grow to adulthood without fully overcoming childhood impulsiveness. They frequently do things without premeditation, only to regret their rash action later. This lack of self-control has been the cause of many broken marriages, shattered friendships and bloody fights. It is a sign of maturity when a person thinks before he acts. Instead of blindly responding to emotional impulses, he thinks about what may result from a certain action. If he sees that the result may be bad, he refrains from obeying the impulse. He refuses to be guided by it. He knows that foresight is much better than hindsight.
Many of the crimes that are reported in the daily newspaper would not have happened if the persons involved had refused to be guided by impulse. The fully mature person can see that nothing good can come from obeying the impulse to strike a person when angry. Violence is a childish way to settle an argument. The mature person maintains control of his emotions and refuses to obey an angry impulse fb strike an antagonist. The results of impulsive action at such a time could bring a mountain of trouble if the person struck should be injured or killed. Regrets will not change the results. The course of wisdom is to foresee the evil that may come from such action and avoid it by holding one’s peace. Regarding this the Bible wisely says: “The insight of a man certainly slows down his anger, and it is beauty on his part to pass over transgression.”—Prov. 19:11.
There are occasions when a person who successfully controls his impulses under normal conditions fails to do so when with a group of his companions. When a reveling group or crowd wander through a city it seldom has the spirit of restraint It responds easily to wrong impulses, which
can result in property damage or injury to others.
Uncontrolled inner urges can be very dangerous. They can cause a person to do strange things. One of a pair of holdup men who was arrested in New York city on April 5, 1959, said that he held up a store because “something inside me told me to do it." Another example is that of a high school student who felt a “compulsion” to choke a seven-year-old girl that was standing with him on the roof of a fourteen-story apartment house. He then threw her body over the side. These are only two of many cases in recent years in which individuals have committed crimes in obedience to an inner urge.
Other people may, at times, feel an inner urge toward self-destruction. When looking down from a height they feel the impulse to jump. They do not want to, but something seems to urge them. It requires concentrated effort for them to combat this wrong impulse. An appreciation for the right principles of God’s Word and a keen desire to obey him can help such persons greatly. Self-destruction is contrary to right principles and contrary to God's laws. Knowledge of this gives, them something strong to hold to, something to guide them when combating wrong impulses.
From where do such strange impulses come? Aside from explanations that psychologists plight give, it is possible that they come from wicked spirit forces that exercise a powerful influence over the sea of humanity. They are not interested in human welfare but are determined to corrupt and destroy mankind. Regarding them the Bible says: “We have a fight... against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the wicked spirit forces in the heavenly places."—Eph. 6:12.
Satan and his demon hosts are the invisible rulers of this world. For a number of years, now, they have been forced to confine their activities to the vicinity of the earth. The Bible foretold this when it said: "Woe for the earth and for the sea, because the Devil has come down to you, having great anger, knowing he has a short period of time.” (Rev. 12:12) These mighty creatures are capable of causing a person to feel an inner urge to do things that violate the righteous laws of God. The bad fruits produced by obedience to wrong impulses are the kind of fruits those creatures like to see.
It is necessary to build a shield of faith as a protection from the wicked, invisible rulers of this world. God’s written Word provides the necessary knowledge for that shield. When a person lets the Bible rather than impulse guide him he follows a safe course. "Your word is a lamp to my foot, and a light to my roadway.” (Ps. 119:105) Accurate knowledge of God’s Word, appreciation for godly principles and a determination to maintain integrity to the Creator help a person to walk as a wise man who exercises self-control at all times.
It is imperative for a person to depend upon his power of reason in connection with an accurate knowledge of God’s Word rather than upon impulse. This is so in matters of worship as well as everyday living. “I entreat you by the compassions of God, brothers, to present your bodies a sacrifice living, holy, acceptable to God, a sacred service with your power of reason."—Rom. 12:1.
It is folly for adults to act like children by allowing impulse rather than reason to guide them. It is a dangerous way to live. God’s Word with its good principles is the finest and safest guide a person could have. It is a spiritual anchor when an individual feels pushed by bad impulses. It leads in the way of peace, security, happiness and endless life.
trician, a painter, a plumber and a builder, along with a dozen other professions. But the apostle Paul in setting down the qualifications for ministerial overseers does not so burden the minister. Paul
'VERY person professing to be a Chris-ill tian should consider it his first obligation to be God’s minister of the gospel. If his Christianity is more than just being enrolled on a church register, and if he has really dedicated himself through Christ to God’s service, then there is no escaping it: he must now carry out his ordination to preach God’s message.
What is he required to have to minister? Martin Luther listed ten qualifications for the minister. He said that one should be able to teach plainly and in order; that he should have a good head on his shoulders, good power of language, a good voice, a good memory, and he should know when to stop. The other qualifications are, according to Luther, that one should be sure of what he means to say and be ready to stake his life, goods and reputation on its truth. He should study diligently, and suffer himself to be vexed and criticized by everyone.
There are others who, by a kind of perverse compliment, expect the minister to have the sermonic skill of Paul the apostle, the personal charm of Absalom, the organizing and administrative ability of Jacob’s son Joseph, the wisdom of Solomon, the meekness of Moses, the patience of Job and the love of Jesus Christ. In addition, they expect the minister to be an adviser, a counselor, a director, a physician, a psychologist, a lawyer, a mechanic, an elecsimply says: “What is looked for in stewards is for a man to be found faithful.” —1 Cor. 4:2.
Of course, there are other Scriptural qualifications, but these qualifications should be the standard of decent, Godfearing people everywhere. For example, Paul says: “The overseer should therefore be irreprehensible, a husband of one wife, moderate in habits, sound in mind, orderly, a lover of strangers, qualified to teach, not a drunken brawler, not a smiter, but reasonable, not belligerent, not a lover of money, a man presiding over his own household in a right manner, having children in subjection with all seriousness; (if indeed any man does not know how to preside over his own household, how will he take care of God’s congregation?) not a newly converted man, for fear that he might get puffed up with pride and fall into the judgment passed upon the Devil. Moreover, he should also have a favorable testimony from people on the outside, in order that he might not fall into reproach and a snare of the Devil.” These requirements are not too high. For the most part, they are qualities that we look for in decent people. This we should all be.—1 Tim. 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9; 1 Pet. 5:1-10.
What about a minister’s education? Is he required to have a college education and complete a course in a theological seminary and have an ecclesiastical title of “reverend,” “parson,” “doctor of divinity,” or the like? No, if such were needed to (gualify, then neither Jesus nor the majority of his apostles would have qualified. Of Jesus it was asked; “How does this man have a knowledge of letters, when he has not studied at the schools?” Peter and John were referred to as “men unfettered and ordinary.” Pau! said: “Do we, perhaps, Hke some men, need letters of recommendation to you or from you? You yourselves are our letter, inscribed on our hearts and known and being read by all mankind. For you are shown to be a letter of Christ written by us as ministers, inscribed not with ink but with spirit of the living God, not on stone tablets, but on fleshly tablets, on hearts.”—John 7:15; Acts 4:13; 2 Cor. 3:1-3.
Ministers work with the written Word of God, which contains His good news or gospel. Hence the apostle Paul spoke of himself as “engaging in the holy work of the good news of God.” So, prove that you are a minister of the gospel by your knowledge, works and adherence to God's Word. —Rom. 15:16.
Should not ministers wear a garb that distinguishes them from others? Once former president of the United States Woodrow Wilson was asked whether a minister should wear clerical or ordinary dress. He replied: "It makes no difference what the minister wears. But one thing matters supremely. He should never be in any company of men for a single instant without making them realize that they are in the presence of a minister of religion." Neither Jesus nor his disciples distinguished themselves by what they wore. It is what they said and the way they lived that identified them as Christian ministers.
What everyone must have to be a complete and qualified minister is the Scriptures and an understanding of them. Paul wrote to Timothy: “You have known the holy writings which are able to make you wise for salvation through the faith in connection with Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired of God and beneficial for teaching, tyr reproving, for setting theags straight, for disciplining in righteousness, that the man of God may be fully competent, completely equipped for every good work.” Certainly to help others to become wise to salvation we ourselves must study the Holy Scriptures and know and understand them in order to impart the meaning of them to others.—2 Tim. 3:15-17.
God has not made ignorance the Way to salvation, and does not sanctify us by ignorance. “Sanctify them by means erf the truth; your word Is truth,” Jesus said. Hence we must study the Scriptures with the help of all that God provides through his theocratic organization to aid our understanding. Of the happy man it is Written in the Psalm: “His delight is to the law of Jehovah, and in his law he reads in an undertone day and night.” Our study and meditation are not merely to gain our own salvation, but also to be teachers of others, that they too may win salvation. After a time of such study and meditation God expects us to be teachers and ministers of the good news about the Christ. —John 17:17; Ps.l:2.
Said Paul to the Hebrew Christians: “For, indeed, although you ought to be teachers in view of the time, you again need someone to teach you from the beginning the first principles of the sacred pronouncements of God." His expression of disappointment shows that all Christians are expected to develop into teachers of others. The Scriptures show that the organization of Jehovah’s witnesses is a society of ministers that teaches others to be His ministers of the gospel. Only his ministers, may have any hope of surviving God's war of Armageddon.—Heb. 5:12; Rev. 16:16.
At this time what we should study to teach others is the increased knowledge that the prophet Daniel said would mark the time of the end. That knowledge means the present-day facts about God’s kingdom now established, the approaching day of His vengeance at the universal war of Armageddon, and the thousand-year reign of Christ that is to follow for the blessing of all persons of good will.—Dan. 12:4, AS.
One of our main objectives is to teach others. As Paul told Timothy: "The things you heard from me with the support of many witnesses, these things commit to faithful men who in turn will be adequately qualified to teach others.” But, now, our teaching others is not merely to have others succeed us as teachers and preachers after our death. It is to help others become God’sministersnow, thattheymay by God’s undeserved kindness live through this “time of the end,” survive the destruction of this world at Armageddon and keep on ministering to God forever in the righteous new world to follow, without a break in their ministry.—2 Tim. 2:2.
Not in Own Strength
"But I could never preach from house to house,” someone says. "I could never undertake such service.” No, not of your own natural ability or in your own strength. But with the divine help and gift you can, if you do not hold back fearfully but respond willingly. As Peter said: “In proportion as each one has received a gift, use it in ministering to one another as the right kind of stewards over God’s undeserved kindness which is expressed in various ways. If anyone speaks, let him speak as it were the sacred pronouncements of God; if anyone ministers, let him minister as dependent on the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ” God can develop the gift of the ministry in us, and he will supply the strength and ability needed that we may render the required service. This new strength and ability he imparts by means of his spirit or invisible active force upon us.—1 Pet. 4:10,11.
The invitation now goes forth to all seekers of life in the new world to take up the gospel ministry, that they may gain life eternal in that glorious world. Now the scripture applies: "And the spirit and the bride keep on saying, ‘Come!’ And let anyone hearing say, ‘Come!’ And let anyone thirsting come; let anyone that wishes take life’s water free.” By the word "spirit” here we need not understand any person, either God or Christ Jesus, but simply the active force of God inspiring expression, in the prophecies. Hence ministers of God as members of the spiritual Bride class extend the invitation to all nations to come to the Kingdom water of life. To those of good will who answer the invitation to the water of life and dedicate themselves to do God’s will a share in this precious gospel ministry is assigned in the words: “And let anyone hearing say, ‘Cornel’ ” And as the good-will persons obediently enter this gospel ministry, God imparts his spirit to them to give them strength and ability as his gospel ministers. By persisting in this blessed ministry till the complete end comes upon the world, they share with Christ Jesus in vindicating Jehovah’s name and'word. For their share in this vindication all these faithful ministers gain the gift of everlasting life in the new world of God’s making.—Rev. 22:17.
We are not peddlers of the word of God, as many men are, but as out of sincerity, yes, as sent from God, under God’s view, . . . we are speaking—2 Cor. 2:17,
‘THE WORST
IN URUGUAYAN HISTORY ... ly •‘Awok*l" <orr*,pond«fll In Uruguay
i trp HE Worst Disaster in the History
I of Uruguay.’* “Uruguayan Tragedy Costs Millions,” ‘‘Years Required to Fully Reconstruct the Nation.” These were only a few of the startling headlines that held the public eye during April. All other world news faded into the background as the worst deluge in Uruguay’s history literally flooded its way into the limelight
April is usually a pleasant autumn month in Uruguay, with rainfall of about three inches, but April of 1959 was not. During the entire month Uruguay, parts of Argentina and southern Brazil were drenched day and night with more than twenty inches of rain.
Normally dry ravines and creek beds became raging, roaring rivers overflowing their banks and leaving behind a muddy trail of death and destruction. Being low, level country, Uruguay does not drain rapidly and great areas quickly became submerged by the rising waters. Communications were disrupted. Bridges were washed out. Telegraph and telephone lines were damaged by the heavy rains and winds of fifty to eighty miles an hour. As expected by most people, these forces of
nature even turned a deaf ear to special religious prayers, and pious processions led by chanting, cross-bearing Catholic priests through the streets of flooded areas in a jr vain attempt to force the rising
tides to retreat. Practically all cities and towns became completely isolated.
Amateur radio operators offered their services in the emergency and were at times the only means of communication with the stricken areas. They supplied valuable information on damages and directed plans for rescue work and aid to the flood victims.
Continued high winds and heavy rains made flying impossible and landing strips were either flooded or otherwise unfit for use in getting needed supplies to the inundated areas by plane. Nevertheless, practically all army, commercial and private planes in the country were loaded with clothing, foodstuffs and medicine, ready for the take-off at the first sign of a break in the weather.
The death toll is not yet known, but damages run into the millions of dollars. Thousands of prize beef cattle and thousands more of Uruguay’s best woolproducing sheep were whisked away to their watery graves. Thousands of acres of rice, corn, beets, potatoes and other staple crops were total losses. In one warehouse alone over 11,000 tons of wheat was destroyed by floodwaters. Thus, with present food supplies very limited, and a good portion destroyed, and the new crops almost completely ruined, it does not appear that the immediate future will be very prosperous for Uruguayans.
New Records Set by Floodwaters
Some 40,000 to 50,000 persons fled from their homes and sought security on higher ground, some with relatives and friends, but most of the unfortunate ones had to be provided with temporary quarters in schools, warehouses, barracks or buildings of any kind.
New records for floodwaters were being made in all parts of the country. At Salto the Uruguay River rose more than fifty-five feet above normal. Of greatest concern to everybody was the Rio Negro (or, Black River) passing through the center of the country, where one of the largest hydroelectric plants of South America provides power to most of the nation's homes and industries. According to official estimates, some nineteen billion tons of water fell into the Rio Negro basin in just twenty days, causing the sixty-mile-long artificial lake to rise rapidly and overflow in all directions. More than twenty cubic kilometers of water (about five cubic miles) kept pushing against the 120-foot-high, three-fourths-mile-long dam. The dam was in serious danger. It could give way any moment. It seemed that the turbinegenerating equipment and thousands of inhabitants living in cities and towns below the dam would be swept into oblivion should the dam crack and release this tremendous volume of water. Indeed, all eyes were focused on the flood level of this dam, Rincdn del Bonete; especially those of some 10,000 residents of the city of Paso de los Toros, situated just eight miles below the dam.
Total Evacuation as Told by Refugees
The entire population of the city of Paso de los Toros had to be evacuated in one night. From the lips of one who was forced to abandon his home and flee in the night comes an exciting and dramatic account, as related to me:
“With the continual torrential downpours the whole population of the city anxiously watched the lake’s water level. The water was already high due to the heavy summer rains. It just would not stop rising. To alleviate the enormous pressure on the dam and slow down the rise of waters, all floodgates were fully opened and the turbine tunnels released all they could. This caused the lower parts of our city to be flooded, and many people were forced to move to higher ground. But the lake kept rising. Our anxiety turned into frightening alarm when the lake reached the maximum security level, and the rain kept coming.
"Hundreds of jittery citizens felt that it was high time to move out, so many trucks and wagons loaded with furniture were seen leaving the city. April 18 was a ‘D-Day’ (at first, Decision Day; later to become Departure Day) for all of us in Paso de los Toros. A crew passed through the city prepared to dynamite a section of the earth embankment near the dam to try to save the structure and the turbine generating equipment. This was a hard decision to make, since it would release enough water to do millions of dollars’ worth of damage to the equipment and materials of another hydroelectric generating plant being constructed at Baygor-ria, some thirty miles below Rincon del Bonete. The authorities had decided on total evacuation of the city, and by means of a sound car hurrying through the streets they gave orders for everyone to leave the city immediately. Many salvaged what they could of their possessions and fled on foot, bicycle, truck, horse, bus or train. Everybody literally ran for their lives, and got away with just what they had on or could carry in their hands. Trains were already provided by the government and were waiting at the station to evacuate those who did not have other transportation. Thousands of people crowded the station platform carrying bundles, bags, boxes, suitcases and children.
“Only one thing was on our minds—to get away from there! In general, ah were grim and serious, since we had to abandon our homes and belongings to an unknown destiny. We all wondered if we would be able to return home. I left my home and furniture intact that evening, but what will I find when I return home? A house? or just a broken foundation and debris? There was no panic or disorder, as all of us knew there was no alternative but to leave. Many of our grieved companions shed bitter tears, while others just sat stunned and silently stared into space. All of us felt sure that a break in the dam above us would completely annihilate the entire city. Some of the refugees recalled the Bible sermons about the ‘end of the world’ that Jehovah’s witnesses had presented to them at their doors and asked if this present disaster had some connection with those Bible prophecies.
“At one o’clock in the morning of April 18, one trainload of refugees chugged northward toward Chamberlain. The normal population of 250 suddenly swelled to 3,800 inhabitants, we learned later, as refugees made temporary living quarters in tents, railroad cars and other improvised shelters. Women, children and sick persons were taken first, and if there remained space, the men could also board the trains. We waited until 5 a.m. and got on a train headed south. Employees of the railroad, police, telegraph and electric plant had to remain behind at their posts after saying ‘farewell’ to their families. Many faces were wet with tears. That train ride was no joy ride; it was like a nightmare. The train made stops at various stations along the way and some refugees got off to stay with relatives. Of the 1,800 who left Paso de los Toros on our train, about a thousand arrived at Montevideo. The station was full of relatives, doctors and relief workers. They gave us coffee, and the children received warm milk. After caring for registration, the officials saw to it that we were taken to temporary homes in the city. They were doing an excellent job.
“On our arrival at the station in Montevideo, many charitable people eagerly waited to receive refugees in their homes, and there were not enough displaced persons to fill the rooms so generously offered by the hospitable and sympathetic folks of Montevideo.
“Some families were split, some going north and others getting on the southbound trains. However, the radio stations made their services available to help locate strayed and lost family members.
“My home town is now without an inhabitant and is completely isolated by the floodwaters. The newspapers refer to it as ‘The Ghost City of Uruguay.’ ”
Another flood victim told of the incredible speed with which the waters rose in the city of Tacuarembd. “At eight o’clock in the evening the waters were 150 feet from our house down a gradual slope,” he related. “I hurried off to find a truck to help us move out in case it should be necessary. When I returned home at 8:20, the water was already beginning to cross the sidewalk to enter my house. Seeing our plight, many willing townspeople gladly helped us and our neighbors carry out furniture and personal belongings to higher ground. By the time the last trip was made, we were wading in water knee-deep. A few hours later our house was sitting in over six feet of water. In the rush and confusion we did not know who was carrying what or where they were going with it, but a later inventory showed that not a single thing was missing or broken.”
The Waters Subside
Over a half ton of dynamite was used to open a 200-foot-wide breech in the earth embankment some one and a half miles north of the dam, but the lake still kept rising. This breech had to be widened. Finally, with turbine tunnels and floodgates fully opened, water flooding out over thousands of acres bordering the lake, and about two feet of water pouring over the breast of the three-fourths-mile-wide dam and hundreds of tons per second rushing through the dynamited opening, the rising of the waters in the lake reluctantly came to a halt.
Dangers Presented by the Floodwaters
New and unseen dangers lurked underneath the high floodwaters. The lives of many were threatened by fierce reptiles and other wild life commonly found in the marshes and subtropical areas to the north. These were forced to seek new quarters along with human victims.
Floodwaters backed up sewage and refuse into the streets and houses. Sanitation was almost impossible in these areas. There arose the fear of typhus and other dreaded plagues. Vaccines were immediately flown in to these parts, and strict measures were taken to prevent a plague.
Ironically, the superabundance of water created a scarcity of water. Reservoirs were simultaneously flooded and contaminated by river water. Purifying and pumping equipment was often damaged and put out of order. However, limited amounts of fresh water from other sources were distributed to the people in tank-trucks.
The Government Intercedes
This worst disaster in history created new fears in the minds of thousands who see a bleak future and scarcities ahead. They flocked to the stores to gobble up every bit of sugar, rice, flour, salt, fuel, etc., they could purchase. Supplies rapidly diminished, and it is already impossible to purchase many items. Racketeer storekeepers also saw their opportunity to “make a killing” by raising prices to the long lines of anxious buyers. Because of this crisis, the government met in emergency session to formulate measures to maintain order. Price controls were placed on basic foodstuffs, and penalties were severe for those who charged more. Those who hid their surpluses of supplies had their hoarded stocks confiscated. The government fixed the work hours for all businesses, offices, factories, so as to cut down on consumption of electricity in Montevideo. The current is being cut off every day for several hours.
Things are slowly getting back to normal again as the floodwaters are subsiding. Most of the refugees are making plans to return home. Fortunately, the dam did not break as feared, yet more than a thousand homes in Paso de los Toros were wholly or partially destroyed.
One of the six Watch Tower missionaries who were also evacuated from their homes with thousands of other flood victims told how many people felt that the flood was a punishment from God. He took great pleasure in explaining to them that these troubles all contribute to the visible sign showing that we are living dangerously close to the end of this wicked old world and the beginning of a new world of peace and happiness, where there will be no more tears in the eyes of refugees fleeing from death, and no more floods, plagues or loss of possessions. (Rev. 21:4) No, flood disasters will never mar the natural beauty of Jehovah’s new world.
THE year 1959 is proving to be a momentous one for the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland in Central Africa. The exit of 1958 had been blighted by tribal riots in nearby Brazzaville, one-time capital of French Equatorial Africa and now capital of one of the newborn African republics emerging from this former French colony. Now 1959 had made its troubled entrance. In early January at Leopoldville, capital of the Belgian Congo, which adjoins the territory of the Central African Federation, violence reared its ugly head. In two days of rioting more than thirty-four died in that city, with many more seriously injured and much damage done to property. A state of siege was declared. Disturbing headlines appeared in the Federation’s newspapers: “Uneasiness Stalks in Riot-torn Capital.”
Then, less than two months later, the same story was being repeated, this time inside the Federation, where, on February 22, organized violence erupted in Nyasaland involving supporters of the African National Congress (an African political party). Quickly the trouble grew in intensity, reaching a peak on March 3, when the governor of Nyasaland declared a state of emergency. The Northern News of March 4 headlined: “26 Killed in Nyasa Riots.” This same paper reported a dawn swoop by security forces on leaders of the African Congress, now declared a prohibited organization in Nyasaland.
On Friday, March 12, trouble broke out in Lusaka, capital of Northern Rhodesia, where home-made “fire-bombs” (bottles filled with petrol) were thrown through some shopwindows, but no casualties were reported. March 18 The Northern News reported two Africans killed and two government officials injured in riots on Chilu-bi Island in Lake Bwangwelu in the Northern Province of Northern Rhodesia. In the meantime another political organization had been declared unlawful, this time in Northern Rhodesia, namely, the Zambia African National Congress, and a state of emergency had been declared in Southern Rhodesia.
Despite the tensions existing and the flow of extremist talk from various sides, new elections were held in Northern Rhodesia on March 20 without much incident. For the first time Africans were being elected, rather than appointed, to the Legislature by regular ballot at the polls. Meanwhile, though lessening somewhat in intensity, the situation continued to be tense in Nyasaland, and sporadic incidents in Northern Rhodesia showed that not all was as peaceful as could be wished for. Reports of arson, car stonlngs and attempted train derailments appeared in the press.
Photo by Tire Xtiirhein Ndola
It was amid such troubled conditions as these that the president of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania was due to pay a visit to the Central African Federation, a visit long looked forward to by the thousands of Jehovah’s witnesses living there, especially since his last visit had been as long ago as 1952. As far as Nyasaland was concerned, the emergency regulations made it impossible to hold an assembly; but in Southern and Northern Rhodesia the situation had eased sufficiently to allow assemblies to be held.
Preparations for the AMembly
The assembly in Northern Rhodesia was due to begin April 23, yet it was not until March 1 that it was possible to begin the preassembly work. A contract was entered into for the use of the Ndola Showgrounds. (Ndola is the administrative city for the Copperbelt area.) A police permit was then obtained. But between the making of the agreement to hire the Showgrounds, including the fenced-in Showgrounds proper as well as a substantial area of open space outside the Showgrounds, and the commencing of the actual work, the Government had called out the part-time Army Reserves and taken over the fenced-in Showgrounds area as a barracks. So on March 1 assembly prepa
rations commenced in the area surrounding the Showgrounds in which were encamped the Army units.
With less than seven weeks to go, there was much to be done. Thirty-five acres under bush and high grass (up to your eyes) had to be transformed into a compact assembly area sufficient to provide two assembly arenas seating a total of 25,000, a cafeteria, refreshment stands, administrative buildings and storage buildings, not to speak of an extensive sleeping camp for some 18,000 conventionersf A convention organization was soon geared for action, and some 350 to 400 volunteer workers began to appear regularly for weekend work. The transformation and the time in which it was accomplished spoke volumes about the unity and cooperation among those within the New World society of Jehovah's witnesses and proved to be a powerful witness to the residents of Ndola.
One major construction problem was how to provide seating for 25,000 people when there was evidently insufficient time to construct seats in the usual way, either from grass, reeds or wood. The problem was solved in a unique way. A large road grader was used, and, with the blade angled as sharply as possible, furrows were plowed right across the arena area. These furrows were then given a final shaping with hand hoes and beaten down, and, before the assembly began, covered with strips of reed matting. In this way adequately comfortable seating was provided. Meanwhile a bulldozer moved a couple of large ten-foot-high anthills to the chosen site for the platform, allowing the platform to be built on an elevation sufficient for all in the audience to see the speakers.
Travel and Accommodations
Ixmg before the opening day of the convention dawned, hundreds of African Witnesses had begun their long journey from every corner of the country. Some walked for a week, others cycled for twelve days, and groups traveling from Tanganyika cycled 200 miles and then sold their precious cycles to make the remainder of the journey by bus. For the first time in Northern Rhodesia special trains carrying only Witnesses were operated, and some 5,000 traveled in this way.
The local daily newspaper took note of the orderliness of the many arriving and reported: “Hundreds of cyclists are arriving, and one man of 63 rode 163 miles. A transportation department prevents chaos. Guides meet passengers at Ndola station holding up colourful signs, like, ‘Jehovah’s witnesses, this way.’ As followers walk to the camp cyclists keep them safely on the side of the road.”—The Northern News, April 21> 1959.
The first building that the conventioners saw on arrival at the assembly site was a large grass shelter accommodating the Rooming Department. Here a team of African brothers were seated behind files awaiting the incoming delegates. The visitor chose which line to join by noting the alphabetical position of the name of his particular congregation. Presenting his room request form, he was advised immediately the space reserved for him in the sleeping camp. The sleeping camp had in reality been divided into a number of camps named after faithful Bible characters. Camps Gideon, Barak, etc., for the men, and Camps Ruth, Sarah, etc., for the women. Children were divided between the camps along with their parents. Time had not allowed for the construction of separate family living quarters. Some one hundred roofless dormitories constructed from poles and reed-mat walls finally housed some 19,000 delegates. Thus peaceful nights under a bright kindly moon allowed the conventioners healthful rest. It was reminiscent of the assembly conditions of the Israelites as they used to assemble before Jehovah in days of old.
Never before had the African Witnesses in Northern Rhodesia enjoyed the benefits of a fully organized cafeteria at their large assemblies. Previously families would bring their own food or purchase uncooked food at the assembly, and each family cooked for itself. This assembly provided an organized cafeteria on the same lines as at large conventions in other parts of the world. Over 20,000 cooked meals were served, consisting ofcom meal, vegetables, meat and beans. “Tearooms” catered for light refreshments.
The bicycle park was a unique feature of this assembly. On an acre of ground at the entrance to the assembly site an arrangement of trellis supports provided an ideal parking site for over 3,000 cycles used by the conventioners. Some forty attendants received the cycles, issuing a ticket to each owner and tagging a duplicate ticket on the bicycle. Thus all cycles were neatly stacked, and conventioners had no fears of losing track of their precious means of travel.
Peaceful Assembly
The center of the whole assembly was the main arena with a seating capacity of 22,000 for the Cibemba-speaking Witnesses. The audience faced the tastefully decorated platform constructed of poles and reeds and set off by banks of flowers and ferns. Along the front of the platform were set into the ground two-foot-high letters reading “KULONGANA KWA KUFWA-YA KWA BULESA,” Cibemba for Divine Will Assembly, From this platform President Knorr’s discourses were fed into two microphones, one for the main auditorium and the other carrying his remarks to a second arena, where they were translated into Cinyanja for an audience of about 3,000. This arrangement made it possible for the two main language groups to take in every morsel of spiritual food presented.
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The climax of the assembly came on Sunday, April 26, when the president presented the public talk “A Paradise Earth Through God’s Kingdom,” which was enthusiastically received by 30,434 persons! While this large African audience was enjoying such a fine assembly, a smaller assembly entirely in English was being held to serve principally the European witnesses of Jehovah. Here the peak attendance was 405, over 25 percent more than the previous peak attendance for such a gathering, and an evidence that all sections of the people of Northern Rhodesia were being reached with the good news of the Kingdom. The program for both assemblies included a baptism service, and a total of 422 persons presented themselves for complete immersion in water in symbol of their dedication to do the will of Jehovah God.
So it was that while the peoples of Central Africa were tense and anxious at the troubled conditions around them, a peaceful assembly of more than 30,000 of Jehovah’s witnesses was held without incident. After reporting that more than 20,000 had attended the second day of the assembly, The Northern News in its issue of April 25 went on to comment: “No uniformed police have so far attended the gatherings, though a few African detectives have mingled with the crowds.” It was apparent that the law-enforcement bodies understood from past experience that Jehovah’s witnesses knew how to conduct themselves in a peaceable and law-abiding manner. Further recognizing this, this same paper, in an editorial on April 24, stated, among other things: “The immense gathering of Jehovah’s witnesses now taking place near Ndola is evidence of the remarkable appeal this Christian organization has for Africans. The witnesses are linked with the Watch Tower Society . . . and from all accounts those areas in which Jehovah’s witnesses are strongest among Africans are now areas more trouble-free than the average. Certainly they have been active against agitators, witchcraft, drunkenness and violence of any kind. A close study of the Bible is encouraged.” After attempting in this editorial to find a basis for the strong appeal of Jehovah’s witnesses, the editor ended his comment with this paragraph: “Whatever the reason, the mounting strength of the movement is a fact, and though many disagree with its interpretations, its teachings are based on the Bible, and any powerful Christian movement is surely an influence for the good among Africans.”
How pleasant it was to see this happy assembly, like a smile on the troubled face of Africa, and how strengthening to witness such evidence of the great ingathering now being accomplished by Jehovah God in preparation for the grandest assembly of people of all nations, kindreds and tongues in peace and security in a new earthly paradise under the kingdom of his Son, Christ Jesus!
LIFE is short enough without gambling it away by taking foolish chances. Any risk that involves a person’s life is stupid to take or even to suggest. And the one who takes such a risk is a fool indeed.
Such expressions as “take a chance,” “nothing ventured, nothing gained,” “don’t be a square, try anything once,” and “safety is for the other fellow” suggest some of the attitudes that are associated with reckless living. To a great extent you find persons with such views jaywalking, ignoring danger signals, speeding through stop streets, swimming in dangerous waters, disregarding nosmoking signs, boating without life preservers, etc. Generally, they are show-offs. They want to outdo, outshine and outperform everyone else. Not all are of this mentality, but a good many are. There are those who just do not think it can happen to them or they do not think at all. Both kinds usually sooner or later meet up with disaster.
Chance-takers are plentiful and of a great variety. Take the pedestrian for an example. In the United States pedestrian casualties run aoour zou.uuu every year. About 50 percent of those killed in accidents are more than forty-nine years old. Nearly ^wo of every five have been drinking, and 95 percent of the pedestrians killed
are nondrivers. Despite all the warnings to “cross on the green and not in between,” many older people persist in ignoring the warnings and crossing against traffic signals and jaywalk at will.
The high proportion of aged victims means they cannot afford to take such chances. Their reflexes, vision and hearing are not the same. The fact that 95 percent of the pedestrians killed are nondrivers suggests that people who do not drive do not appreciate how difficult it is to stop an automobile. Also, older pedestrians may have trouble determining the rate of speed of the oncoming traffic. To them a car appears far away, but in reality it takes only a second or two to cover the distance. Older people cannot scamper across streets and dodge traffic as they used to. In New York city 42 percent of the traffic accidents involved pedestrians, and 70 percent of the victims were killed. The high death rate is because the pedestrian is unprotected and often suffers more serious injuries. Never count on an automobile to stop in time. The driver may react instantly, but it takes time for the car to respond. Then again, what if the brakes fail? Suppose you have not allowed the driver distance enough to stop the car, what then? Remember, the driver is completely at the mercy of the momentum of his car. Why take that chance?
Sleepy drivers are also chance-takers. More sideswipes, head-on collisions, and off-the-highway crashes with bridge abutments and telephone poles have been caused by sleepy drivers than perhaps for any other reason. You are taking a big chance if you drive when you are sleepy. Rubbing the back of the neck is no cure. It is a warning that you should stop and sleep before moving on. If you insist on driving on, remember you are risking not only your own life but the lives of your passengers and the lives of others on the highway. Is anything worth that chance?
Power and Gasoline
Youth especially is thrilled by the feel of power. Some automobiles generate from 100 to 325 horsepower. A hundred-horse-power engine can lift a thousand tons! With the simple touch of your foot you cause the engine to generate enough power to''lift dozens of houses off the ground. Treat such power with respect, because it can easily destroy you. In an automobile it can take you swiftly up a hill, but it does not give you the right to pass on a hill or power your way through red lights. Powerful automobiles in car graveyards testify against such a practice. Do not chance it.
When you tell the gas station attendant, “Fill it up, please,” how much thought do you give to what goes into the tank? Do you realize that you have told him to fill your tank with high explosive, because that is what gasoline is? According to J. J. Floherty, gas “is three times more powerful than TNT, six times more powerful than nitroglycerine, eight and a half times more powerful than dynamite and nineteen times more deadly than blasting powder.” It is fortunate for us that gas is more stable than these explosives. A five-gallon can of gasoline will not explode, but if the gasoline is poured out and the empty can becomes filled with air, that mixture is as deadly as a good-sized bomb. Do not take a chance by smoking a cigarette or lighting a match when you are near gasoline; you may not live to tell about it. On April 16, 1959, the New York Times reported: “Four died here last night in a flash fire. . . . The fire was believed to have started when a man attempted to feed gasoline into a truck while he was smoking.” There was a violent blast and a fire that resulted in lives lost and extensive property damage. Do not take a chance with gasoline. It can destroy you.
Workers Take Chances
Life may be more convenient and perhaps more comfortable today than it was a hundred years ago, but in many respects it is far more dangerous. There are some 14,-000 industrial workers who are killed and 1,850,000 who are injured in on-the-job accidents yearly in the United States. Men and women taking foolish chances are responsible for a goodly number of these. Instruction sheets may state specifically that the mutor should be stopped before the machine is oiled, but this means minutes lost. So the worker decides to oil the machine while it is running. The oil rag gets caught in the moving gear and yanks the man’s hand into the machine and nips it off at the elbow. The machine is shut down. Priceless time and an irreplaceable arm are lost. Rushing to meet quotas has caused others to remove safety guards on machines. Production rises. Then one day it happens—a life is lost. No one will say it was worth taking that chance. Better be safe than sorry. Leave safety guards on.
Youths Take Chances
“Children may dare. Drivers beware,” is a slogan of the National Safety Council. Accidents kill or cripple over 30,000 children in the United States every year. Children and young people will attempt to perform feats beyond their ability, which means they will take chances. They take their new bicycle in the traffic jungle before they understand traffic rules. They swim out beyond their endurance. They toy with firearms before they understand the danger of them. Youth is impulsive. It must be watched.
A bicycle is a lot of fun, but it is no match when it comes bumper to bumper with a two-ton automobile. So do not take a chance by riding in traffic before you learn all the traffic regulations and obey them. Hanging onto trucks for an easy ride is a shortcut to the graveyard. Riding your bicycle at night without lights and a rear reflector is taking a chance of being struck by a car.
Of the millions of persons who frequent the beaches each summer, less than 10 percent swim skillfully. Children under fifteen form a third or more of the some 7,500 persons who drown annually in the United States. Nearly seven eighths of the victims are boys. Never take a chance by swimming alone. You may be a good swimmer, but there are too many things that can happen in the water that can cost you your life. Respect water, but never trust it. It may be as gentle as a lamb one moment and as deadly as a wolf the next. If you cannot swim, then do not venture into water more than waist deep. If you are a good swimmer, do not get the idea that you are a long-distance champion. Swimmers make up the majority of those who drown yearly. Cold, choppy waters have a way of tiring one out in a hurry. As for tire tubes, 90 percent of them are defective. Even a good tube may develop a leaky valve when you are out in the deep; then what? Water wings and other gadgets that are supposed to help a person learn to swim are really hindrances, because they give one a sense of false security. Swimming in daylight is dangerous enough. As for night swimming, it is safer to leave it to the fishes.
Boating is most enjoyable, but if you do not know how to swim, stay out of small boats. Anybody who puts out alone in a sailboat without knowing how to sail is plumb crazy. Water conditions can change fn a 'matter of minutes. The bones of some of the best sailors and some of the finest sailing vessels lie at the bottom of the sea, testifying to the treacherousness of the winds and the waves. Whether you know how to swim or not, wear a life preserver when you enter a small boat. Do not go far from shore in a small craft without a can to bail out water, or a set of oars, an anchor and a tow rope. You are taking a big chance if you do.
A canoe can be a treacherous craft. It takes a steady hand and a cool head to keep it right side up in a pinch. To change seats in a rowboat is tricky business, blit to change seats in a canoe means swim or sink. Why take such chances? Most of them are very costly.
Rescue work is very dangerous business. Many a good swimmer has lost his life in the attempt to rescue someone. Never take the chance of approaching a drowning man without having something for him to grasp and hold tight. Throw out a towel, a piece of wood or a rope, even your own bathing suit, so that he can grip one end, but do not come near him, unless, of course, you are a professional swimmer, schooled in the art of lifesaving. Otherwise, the drowning man may get hold of you and pull you down with him.
Fire and Firearms
There is nothing wrong with having a picnic in the woods, but many of them end in disaster. Picnikers may leave behind fires, thinking that they will die of their own accord. Instead, a breeze carries a live spark into tinder-dry underbrush and a forest fire is under way. A cigarette butt carelessly flung aside may turn a whole countryside into an inferno. Smokers should always make sure their cigarettes are out before they discard them. Bury them in the dirt or, better still, take them with you and throw them away after you have left the danger zone. As for picnic fires, bury them in dirt, then sprinkle the dirt with water. Do not take a chance on fires’ going out on their own.
As for firearms, a loaded gun is always dangerous, even in the hands of an expert. A .22 rifle is not a toy. It is a dangerous weapon that can kill within a mile. To bring a shotgun or a rifle into a camp or home without breaking it and unloading the cartridges is just one step short of homicide. Do not put too much trust in safety catches. The slightest vibration can jar some of them loose. Never point a gun at a person. It is dangerous and has cost many lives. Rifles and revolvers should never be in reach of small children. Even if unloaded they are still dangerous if the child knows where the ammunition is.
A farmer tells of the time when he emptied his shotgun and set it down while he went to feed the cows. His son inserted a shell and began to play with the shotgun. When he heard his father coming, not having time to empty the gun, he set it down and hid. He was afraid to be caught playing with the shotgun. But the father picked up the shotgun and playingly aimed it at the horses and cows in the bam, thinking, of course, the weapon was empty. While aiming at a horse and about to pull the trigger, a chicken ran across the barnyard cackling. The farmer swung the gun around, aimed at the hen instead and pulled the trigger. He was expecting to hear a click, but there was a bang! Feathers were everywhere. The chicken was dead. But it just as easily could have been his prize horse or cow. The farmer had reason to believe the shotgun was empty, but it was not, which proves it is sheer idiocy to point guns at things you do not intend to kill.
Chance-Takers Are Procrastinators
The willingness to take a chance is sometimes reflected in the habit of procrastinating. For example, a motorist realizes that his brakes are not holding properly and he intends to have them tightened at the first chance he gets, but until that time he will take a chance with his brakes as bad as they are. Too often accidents come first and necessary repairs are not made in time to prevent damage. A housewife tells her husband about the bad chimney. He intends to fix it, but keeps putting it off. The house may catch fire first. The same may be true of bad steps and stairways. They need fixing, but nothing may be done about it until someone breaks a leg or an arm. Mr. Vacationer knows too much sun is dangerous, but he will stay another ten minutes. The next day he cannot move. He is the color of a boiled lobster. About 25 percent of the severe sunburns prove fatal.
A news report told of Mrs. Paul Jones, 28, who was going to have her waist-long hair cut any day, but just did not get around to it. Monday she bent over her washing machine in her apartment. “Her hair was caught in the wringer and pulled through the rollers. A fuse blew—but too late. Mrs. Jones had died of head injuries and loss of blood. The body was discovered by her husband, a barber, when he came home from work. ‘She was meaning to get her hair cut,’ Mr. Jones told the police." Do not put off until tomorrow what should be done today. If your life or happiness is involved, then do not take chances.
Whether you are walking, driving, cycling, swimming, boating, whatever you are doing, use good sense. Why take a chance? It may mean your life.
By "Awak»l" corrMMndtnt in Australia
F Australia could have entered “Old Red" in Melbourne’s Olympic Games of 1956, broadjump section, he surely would have won a gold medal.
“Old Red" is one of the largest species of kangaroo, the jumping-jack animal peculiar to the land "down under,” who in one mighty leap can cover up to thirty feet. In motion, the kangaroo is like a rocket-propelled projectile with the source of power the great steel-sprung hind legs, while the tall is used as a stabilizer during Sight. The forepaws, like hands, are held close to the body while the 'too is in fast motion, and are brought into use only when the animal is in slow motion or feeding.
Seen for the first time by Captain Cook in 1770, the kangaroo is so singularly Australian that with the emu he graces the coat of arms of this country and he also appears on much of the coin and paper money of the land.
Over one hundred and fifty species of these grass-eating marsupials (pouched animals) are in existence, and their territory extends from forest land and hilly country to open plains and desert. In size they range from midget kangaroo-rat of a few inches high to the eightfoot-high plain dweller, while colors are from mousey gray to dull red.
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