Awake!, March 22, 1968
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Religion That Is Only "A Form of Godly Devotion"
Listening to the Universe
Don't Let Them Steal Your Car!
A Mile and a Half to Springtime
MARCH 22,1968
THE REASON FOR THIS MAGAZINE
News sources that are able to keep you awake to the vital issues of our times must be unfettered by censorship and selfish interests. "Awakel" has no fetters. It recognizes facts, faces facts, is free to publish facts. It is not bound by political ties; it is unhampered by traditional creeds. This magazine keeps itself free, that it may speak freely to you. But it does not abuse its freedom. It maintains integrity to truth.
The viewpoint of "Awake!" is not narrow, but is international. "Awake!" has its own correspondents in scores of nations. Its articles are read in many lands, in many languages, by millions of persons.
In every issue "Awakel" presents vital topics on which you should be informed. It features penetrating articles on social conditions and offers sound counsel for meeting the problems of everyday life. Current news from every continent passes in quick review. Attention is focused on activities in the fields of government and commerce about which you should know. Straightforward discussions of religious issues alert you to matters of vital concern. Customs and people in many lands, the marvels of creation, practical sciences and points of human interest are all embraced in its coverage. "Awakel" provides wholesome, instructive reading for every member of the family.
"Awake!' pledges itself to righteous principles, to exposing hidden foes and subtle dangers, to championing freedom for all, to comforting mourners and strengthening those disheartened by the failures of a delinquent world, reflecting sure hope for the establishment of God's righteous new order in this generation.
Get acquainted with "Awake!" Keep awake by reading "Awake!"
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CONTENTS
The Christian Message Changes People! 3
Religion That Is Only "A Form of Godly Devotion" 5
Listening to the Universe 9
Don't Let Them Steal Your Car! 12
The Precious Cereal Grains 16
A Mile and a Half to Springtime 17
A Family Makes a Move 21
The Terraced Gardens of the Ifugaos 24
Exploring the Tidelands of
"Your Word Is Truth"
Did Jesus Speak
Aramaic or Hebrew? 27
Watching the World 29
The Christian Message Changes People!
THE Bible gives us many examples of the power of the Christian message to bring about changes in the lives of people. And no wonder, for what a message it was that Jesus Christ and his early followers brought to the people! A message charged with God's holy spirit and which they backed up by a consistent course of action.
For one thing, the message that Jesus preached contained good news concerning God's kingdom as having drawn near. It assured his listeners that they had a Father in the heavens who cared for them more than earthly parents cared for their children. It offered them freedom and set high principles before them, appealing to the very best in them. It showed that not only wicked deeds but also wrong thinking was to be avoided and that goodness is positive: "Just as you want men to do to you, do the same way to them."—Luke 6:31; Matt. 4:17; 5:28; 7:11; 15:18-20.
No wonder that Jesus' message struck such a responsive chord in the hearts of many of his listeners and effected such changes in their lives. For example, there was Zacchaeus, a chief tax collector. What a change took place in him after Jesus had the opportunity to visit him in his
home and give him the Christian message! As Luke the physician relates it, Zacchaeus said to Jesus: "Look! The half of my belongings, Lord, I am giving to the poor, and whatever I extorted from anyone by false accusation I am restoring fourfold." —Luke 19:1-10.
As preached by Jesus' early followers, the Christian message had the same powerful effect. Thus we read that in the magic-saturated city of Ephesus, as a result of the preaching and teaching of the apostle Paul and his companions, "many of those who had become believers would come and confess and report their practices openly. Indeed, quite a number of those who practiced magical arts brought their books together and burned them up before everybody. And they calculated together the prices of them and found them worth fifty thousand pieces of silver. Thus in a mighty way the word of Jehovah kept growing and prevailing." Yes, that Word changed those Ephesians. No longer did they have anything to do with pagan practices and beliefs.—Acts 19:18-20.
This Christian message had a similar effect upon those who accepted it in the grossly immoral city of Corinth, where the apostle Paul also preached. So much so that later he could write to them: "Do not be misled.
Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men kept for unnatural purposes, nor men who lie with men, . . . will inherit God's kingdom. And yet that is what some of you were." No longer were they such immoral persons! For the apostle Paul goes on to say: "But you have been washed clean, but you have been sanctified, but you have been declared righteous." What brought about the change? The Christian message charged with God's holy spirit or active force.—1 Cor. 6:9-11.
It may seem to many persons that such radical changes in people are somewhat in the nature of a miracle. Indeed, as once noted by physiology professor J. R. Brobeck, of the University of Pennsylvania, the application of God's active force brought about a miraculous change that could not have been accomplished by any biological or psychological force. Although the reality of God's active force is not recognized by most modern scientists, every true Christian can indeed testify to its wholesome effect upon his life.
True, judging by some reports, one might conclude that with the passing of such miracles as the gifts of healing and tongues, the power of the Christian message to make changes in the lives of people also disappeared. Thus The National Geographic Magazine, October 1967, featured an interesting report on "Madagascar: Island at the End of the Earth." Among other things, it quoted a native as saying: "The missionaries did their work well here . . . Protestants . . . Catholics. . . But let me tell you something, monsieur, we Malagasy are merely vaccinated with Christianity. There is not one Malagasy, no, not one, not even among the [Europeanized] people, who would think of building a house without consulting a soothsayer as to the auspicious day to
start. The old beliefs are not dead. We Malagasy believe in a single deity; we call him . . . the Perfumed Lord, or Zanakary, but we also believe our ancestors will intercede with God for us if we make sacrifices and pray to them."
"Merely vaccinated with Christianity"! That is an expression that may well describe not only these Malagasy but also many others. Yet, it may well be that the one who said those words never came in touch with the witnesses of Jehovah, since there are only some 200 Witnesses among the six million Malagasy on the island. Certain it is that he knows nothing of their teachings and practices, for no Malagasy can become a baptized Christian among Jehovah's witnesses unless he makes a radical change in his beliefs and life, as did Zacchaeus and the Christians at Ephesus and Corinth.
Jesus said regarding his message: "The sayings that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life." (John 6:53) They have not lost their power over the years. Thus a Malagasy woman wrote the Witnesses' branch office at Tananarive, the capital of Malagasy: "Due to the perseverance of the Witnesses I started to change my worldly ways. I am now a publisher [active Witness] and my eleven-year-old daughter also. My change in conduct caused my aged Roman Catholic mother not only to stop her bitter opposition but also to embrace my new religion, the worship of Jehovah God."
No question about it! The Christian message changes people. Each one professing to be a Christian should therefore ask himself, Has the Christian message made a change in me? Am I truly a Christian or merely a 'vaccinated Christian'? If you desire help, the same ones that help the Malagasy to make a change in their lives stand ready to aid you no matter where, you may live.
RELIGION THAT IS ONLY
"A FORM OF GODLY DEVOTION"
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LOOK where we will, we see reports testifying to the fact that there is something wrong with Christendom's religions. "Methodists Record Decline." New York Times, January 9, 1968; "Anglicans Report Drop in Church Membership," Ottawa, Canada, Citizen, August 23, 1967; "Catholic Crisis, Shortage of Priests Is Growing," Oakland, California, Tribune, September 10, 1967; "Church Has Failed to Meet World Needs, Moderator Says," St. Louis, Missouri, Post-Dispatch, November 16, 1967.
In a like vein are the remarks of Dr. Ernest E. Long, "probably the most influential man in Canada's largest Protestant denomination," as found in the Toronto, Canada, Daily Star, November 18, 1967: "He cites in the United Church's Observer, signs that the church is entering a crisis: crumbling influence, loss of membership, financial decline, widespread frustration among the clergy and a growing shortage of new ministers."
Findley B. Edge, professor of religious education at the Southern Seminary, similarly testified that something is wrong with Christendom's religions: "The church mouths its pious phrases . . . but it lulls its people to sleep." He further said people were leaving the churches "because they are looking at the lives of the church as we are living it and they are seeing how phony it is."—The Christian Index, December 14, 1967.
What is wrong with Christendom's religions?
Where is true Christian fruitage to be found?
To a student of the Holy Bible such reports call to mind the prophetic words of the apostle Paul: "But know this, that in the last days critical times hard to deal with will be here. For men will be . . . having a form of godly devotion but proving false to its power."—2 Tim. 3:1-5.
Only a Form
Undoubtedly it is because so much religion is only "a form of godly devotion" that Christendom is filled with confusion and frustration and sees such a decline. As popular Roman Catholic author Frank J. Sheed of New York observed, "Many people go into 'a pious coma' when they should be absorbing the history of their religion through the Scriptures." Of similar import were the remarks of C. E. Autrey, director of Evangelism Division of the Southern Baptist Home Missions, made at an annual Evangelism Conference: "There is a great deal of activity, but we have been spiritually dead as doornails."—Houston, Texas, Post, January 19, 1967.
Just how spiritually dead some professed Christians are can be seen from the goings-on at certain religious assemblies these days, which "happenings" further testify that their religion is only "a form of godly devotion."
The St. Petersburg, Florida, Times, December 9, 1967, told of the psychedelic happenings at a meeting of Methodist educators in Dallas, Texas. Featured were discordant sounds, a sweep of colored lights and dancers in modern costume against a backdrop of an old movie. It was described as containing "most unchurchly elements," and caused some to exclaim: "It made me mad"; "It gave me a headache."
But this was mild compared to the psychedelic program that opened the United States Council of Church and Society, under the auspices of the National Council of Churches last October. That program included "a film depicting in sequence, a profile of a couple engaged in sexual intercourse, a stripper removing her clothes and the gyrations of a topple dancer," that is, a female dancer stripped to her waist. (U.S. News & World Report, November 27, 1967) The Christian Century, a Protestant weekly, described the program as "a somewhat sadistic, psychedelic combination of cacophany [discordant sounds], bizarre colors and garish lights."
Further testifying to Christendom's religion as being only "a form of godly devotion" is the Methodist publication World Outlook, for January 1968. It confessed: "Our two chief sins are a legalism that substitutes letter for spirit . . . and a misunderstanding of the nature of the church which leads us to think that it should be modeled after a business corporation rather than a family or a community of love." This being so, it is easy to understand why those editors also spoke of "a general mood of frustration which pervades the churches in the country but seems particularly acute within Methodism."
Religion that 'substitutes the letter for the spirit,' that is "a form of godly devotion" while proving false to its power, might be likened to whole eggshells that have designs pierced or painted upon them. Artists punch a tiny hole in each end of the egg and suck or blow out its contents. Then with great care and skill they pierce or paint designs, exquisitely beautiful, upon these shells. Obviously such eggshells are not only very fragile but also worthless as far as providing nourishment for a hungry person. And so it is with Christendom's religions that are a mere form of godly devotion. They may be highly ornamental, but in the pressures and temptations of modern civilization they prove to be extremely fragile and furnish no religious nourishment to those who are truly "conscious of their spiritual need." (Matt. 5:3) Or, to use another illustration, they might be likened to a piece of termite-ridden timber that has been given a coat of metallic paint, making it look like steel. It is worthless as far as supporting any weight is concerned.
In view of all the foregoing, is it any wonder why a poll taken early in 1967 revealed that 57 percent of those interviewed felt that religion in the United States was losing its hold on the people—four times as many as those who felt that way ten years before?
What Accounts for It?
What accounts for this sorry state of affairs? The Word of God, the Bible, gives us the answer. A like situation existed intermittently in the nation of Israel from the time of Isaiah and even before, to Jerusalem's destruction in 70 C.E. (Isa. 1: 13-15). And what caused this condition back there? Jehovah's prophet Isaiah answers: "For the reason that this people have come near with their mouth, and they have glorified me merely with their lips, and they have removed their heart itself far away from me, and their fear toward me becomes men's commandment that is being taught, therefore .
. . the wisdom of their wise men must perish, and the very understanding of their discreet men will conceal itself." (Isa. 29: 13, 14) And the prophet Jeremiah gives us another reason why the wisdom of those wise men back there perished: "The wise ones have become ashamed. They have become terrified and will be caught. Look! They have rejected the very word of Jehovah, and what wisdom do they have?"—Jer. 8:9.
Not that the religious leaders were the only ones to blame. The same prophet testified: "An astonishing situation, even a horrible thing, has been brought to be in the land! The prophets themselves actually prophesy in falsehood; and as for the priests, they go subduing according to their powers. And my own people have loved it that way." Yes, 'like prophet, like people.'—Jer. 5:30, 31.
Today we see the same situation in Christendom. As Baptist clergyman Dr. Criswell admitted, the decline of Christendom is due to the "loss of conviction on the part of the preachers that the Bible is the word of God." And why is it that the clergy no longer have this conviction? Because of what they are taught at the theological seminaries. Thus the St. Petersburg Times, December 9, 1967, under the heading "Religious Convictions Challenged," reported on the revolution that is going on in these seminaries. It told of one student shortly to be awarded the degree of bachelor of divinity by the Union Theological Seminary, as evidence of having completed a three-year postgraduate study of Christian theology. He said: "There's nothing I can absolutely affirm." In other words, he is not convinced that God exists, not to say anything about believing that the Bible is the inspired Word
of God. Is this the kind of minister you would like to guide your life?
True Godly Devotion
A form of godly devotion is not necessarily wrong in itself. Christians are commanded at Hebrews 10:24, 25 not to forsake the gathering of themselves for mutual upbuilding. Coming together at a Christian meeting place is a form of godly devotion, and so is the singing of religious songs and the joining in prayer, and so forth. All such is right and proper in itself, if it is based on the Bible and is not limited to merely such forms. True godly devotion manifests itself by work. As Jesus showed in his Sermon on the Mount, not only will the wise person, a true follower of his, meet with others to hear the words of God and Jesus, thus engaging in a form of worship, but he will act upon them. He will do the things Jesus commanded, thus building his spiritual 'house' on a veritable rock-mass. (Matt. 7:24-27) The disciple James, Jesus' half brother, also urged: "Become doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves with false reasoning." Those who think that, all that God requires of them is a form of godly devotion—are they not deceiving themselves?—Jas. 1:22.
True godly devotion brings forth fruits, works. As Jesus said: "I am the true vine, and my Father is the cultivator. Every branch in me not bearing fruit he takes away, and every one bearing fruit he cleans, that it may bear more fruit. My Father is glorified in this, that you keep bearing much fruit and prove yourselves my disciples." To what kind of fruit was Jesus referring? No doubt it included the "fruitage of the spirit," namely, love, joy, peace, long-suffering, faith and self-control, the bearing of which glorifies God. —John 15:1, 2, 8; Gal. 5:22, 23.
fruit. As the apostle Paul shows at 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, although some of the Christians at Corinth had been formicators, idolaters, drunkards, adulterers and what not, by means of the power of godly devotion they had been washed clean, had been sanctified and "declared righteous in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and with the spirit of our God."
Jesus spoke of another kind of fruit that his followers would also bear as a result of godly devotion in his illustration of the sower. The seed that fell on good and fine soil produced "fruit with endurance." What kind of fruit is this? Since the "seed" of the parable, according to Jesus, is the word of God, such kind of fruit would be the results from preaching the Word of God to others, sowing it in their hearts. That this is what all Jesus' followers are to do he made clear in his parting instructions: "Go therefore and make disciples of people of all the nations, baptizing them . . . teaching them to observe all the things I have commanded you." And so we find that all the early Christians were preachers. Even when scattered by persecution, they "went through the land declaring the good news of the word."—Luke 8:9-15; Matt. 28:19, 20; Acts 8:4.
Where Found Today?
Yes, persons who not only had godly devotion but also proved true to its power were the early Christians. But what about today? Is it possible to prove true to the power of godly devotion in spite of the pressures and temptations of modern times? Yes, it is, even as can be seen from the record of the Christian witnesses of Jehovah as testified to by their opponents. Thus Roman Catholic professor of sociology at the Loyola University, Gordon C. Zahn, in his recent book War, Conscience
and Dissent (1967), writes: "Describing the execution of Jehovah's Witnesses at Auschwitz (and significantly enough, comparing them to the early Christian martyr s . . . ) Rudolf Hess noted: 'All who saw them die were deeply moved, and even the execution squad itself was affected.'" Zahn then goes on to contrast the course of the Witnesses with that of others who professed to be Christians.
Testifying to the same effect is the New Catholic Encyclopedia (1967), which, in discussing Jehovah's witnesses, among other things, states that they have the reputation of being "one of the best behaved groups in the world," that "their conjugal and sexual morality is quite rigid," (meaning that the Witnesses adhere closely to Bible principles), and speaks of "their indefatigable zeal."—Vol. 7, page 864.
Then again, Louis W. Cassels, religion editor for the United Press International, Washington, D.C., gives similar testimony to the Witnesses' producing the fruits of godly devotion in the form of Christian morality and zeal in preaching. Writing in The Lutheran, January 3, 1968, he says that their "phenomenal growth is the result of a zeal for evangelism which puts the mainline denominations to shame." He further tells that "Witnesses adhere to their beliefs with great fidelity, even when doing so is very costly," and that "there has never been a hint of moral scandal or financial corruption in the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society," the publishing agency of the Witnesses.
Quite likely you received this copy of Awake! from one of these Witnesses. Would you not want to learn more about how you too can express godly devotion not only by form but also with power, to your present happiness and your eternal welfare? Any witness of Jehovah will be glad to assist you toward that end.
LISTENING to THE UNIVERSE
By "Awake!" correspondent in Australia
PERHAPS you were one of the millions of persons who saw the first globeencircling telecast, "Our World." Your delight and amazement at instantaneously seeing so much occur around the planet possibly left you feeling rather small and thoughtful. The program concluded with a trip to the radio telescope near Parkes, Australia, where you saw recorded the radio signals thought to come from the most distant object in space yet discovered by man with his scientific instruments. The director of that radio telescope said that the source of the radio signals was a quasar, catalogued as object 0237-23. For many, this was their introduction to the young science of radio astronomy.
Radio astronomy is now only about thirty-five years old. Like many discoveries, radio astronomy grew out of other investigations. Karl G. Jansky, a young university graduate working for the Bell Telephone Laboratories in the United States, was stationed at an experimental station in New Jersey. His work was to account for noises, "atmospheres," in radio receivers. His equipment consisted of a large steerable aerial nicknamed his "merry-go-round." Above the general noise of the set a faint hiss became audible. At first it meant nothing to him.
However, after further studies Jansky commented: "I have collected data which shows the existence of electromagnetic waves in the earth's atmosphere. These apparently came from a direction that is fixed in space."
At the time, 1932, great publicity was given the discovery, but nothing was done to further the research by professional astronomers. However, with much experience gained during the second world war with radar, scientists, at the war's conclusion, entered the field of radio astronomy with zest. To what did they listen?
Of all the wavelengths in which electromagnetic waves come, there are two windows through which they reach the earth and can be examined: the optical window and the radio window. The great stars emit these electromagnetic waves as does our sun. So while we can see the stars by means of the electromagnetic waves forming light, those of greater wavelength transmit sound. The sounds are too faint for us to hear by ear; they need to be amplified. To do this a big ear, or more correctly, a radio telescope, has to be constructed.
Types of Telescopes
These devices for listening to the universe take several forms, but generally have four basic components: a reflector, an aerial, receiving and amplifying equipment and a recording mechanism. As a reflector, some have a movable dish like the instruments at Jodrell Bank, England, and Parkes, Australia. These are very large, having diameters of 250 and 210 feet respectively. Their maneuverability and accuracy in pinpointing celestial objects make them most desirable but very expensive. Others have a fixed reflecting dish. One of this kind has been built in Puerto Rico and is operated by the Cornell University. The reflecting dish has a diameter of 1,000 feet. It is a big concave, scooped out of the limestone ground, and it uses the rotation of the earth for direction.
The aerial and receiving apparatus are principally like your radio, to receive and amplify sound. For the very weak signals that come from outer space to be heard or registered, the equipment needs to be extremely sensitive and powerful. Most of it is experimental and is constantly being improved. The recorder may be a pencil recorder or a computer. The pencil recorder leaves a permanent record for further reference, having registered the variations in power of the electromagnetic waves being received. As a matter of fact, all one "sees" in a radio telescope is the pencil recorder working.
Visit to a Radio Telescope
Now that we know the basic outline of radio astronomy and its ears, let us visit a radio telescope. Here in Australia one is ideally situated in the Goobang Valley, eight miles north of Parkes. Designed by engineers in London and built by a West German firm, the precision instrument was commissioned for service in October
The 300-ton reflecting dish is 210 feet in diameter and is kept manageable by the 450-ton counter weights, permitting it to sweep in altitude or from horizon to horizon. The dish and its hub are pivoted on an A-shaped turret by two axes fixed above balance point. The turret is mounted on wheels, two of the four sets being electrically operated. This allows the entire structure to rotate in a complete circle. When the radio waves hit the wire mesh of the dish they are reflected to the aerial. The aerial is held in position 90 feet above the dish at the focal point by a tripod, giving the instrument an overall height of 189 feet.
From the aerial the radio waves are relayed to the delicate receiving and amplifying equipment and on to the pencil recorder. This equipment is housed in the three-story concrete tower that supports the turret, hub and dish. On the top floor the control desk is situated. From here the controller directs the giant instrument through the program arranged by the radio astronomer. Any inaccuracy is quickly rectified by an ingenious device that automatically starts the drive mechanism of the telescope and corrects the error. With this radio telescope astronomers have been able to explore large portions of the heavens that have been hidden to astronomers in the northern hemisphere.
Contributions of Radio Astronomy
Because radio stars can be detected at greater distances, radio astronomy has probed deeper and deeper into space. Both the plotting of clouds of hydrogen in space and the discovery of quasars have contributed valuable knowledge to astronomers. The clouds of hydrogen appear as dark masses to optical telescopes, yet, because they emit radio waves, it is possible to detect them with the radio telescope. By carefully charting the intensity and extent of the radio waves from hydrogen in the Milky Way, a turning spiral shape became evident with arms tapering away from the center.
or Doppler effect. When the spectrum of 3C 273 was examined, the hydrogen lines were found at the red end instead of the blue end, as is normally the case. To the
Typical recordings of radio waves from hydrogen clouds
Quasars, as they are popularly known, have also had great impact on astronomical circles. Quasi-stellar objects, abbreviated to quasars, were named such because, while they looked like one star to the optical astronomer,
the radio signals were of such an intensity as to account for many stars, in fact, galaxies of stars. In August 1962, radio signals were received from a source that became identified as object 3C 273. Radio astronomers calculated the position of the radio source and from there the calculations were used by astronomers at Mount Palomar, California, to locate the source with optical telescopes.
A spectroscope was used to analyze the light. This method breaks the light down into its various colors. Across the band of color appear dark lines. The position and number of lines determine the elements existing in the source of the light. For example, hydrogen, a light element in atomic weight, is usually at the blue end of the spectrum. The heavier elements, for example, calcium, chromium and iron, appear in order down at the red end of the spectrum. Should the source of light be moving away from the earth, the light waves seem lengthened and the dark lines move toward the red end of the spectrum, commonly known as the red shift
astronomers this indicated that the source of light was travelling away from the earth at upwards of 28,000 miles a second or 15 percent of the speed of light, faster than anything discovered at that time.
Since then over 200 quasars have been discovered through the perception afforded by means of the big
eyes and ears constructed by man. The most recent and amazing is the quasar listed as 0237-23, which is said to be traveling away from the earth at 83 percent of the speed of light. If the calculations are right, it would mean that light from 0237-23 left its source 13,000 million years ago.
These observations have caused the world's theoretical astronomers to reconsider their previously held theories about the earth's origin and the origin of the universe. Astronomer Maarten Schmidt, who pioneered the optical side of quasar discovery, said: "If you get the impression of uncertainty about the state of knowledge of quasars, you are right. That is what the situation is."—Time, April 7, 1967.
The search for knowledge with radio telescopes continues. Larger and more specialized instruments are either constructed or are under construction in the Netherlands, the Soviet Union, the United States, France and Australia. In fact, astronomers earth-wide have their ears to the sky, listening to the universe.
Don't Let Them Steal Your Car!
A YOUTH was stopped at a street crossing in Italy by a policeman. He immediately protested: "I was driving carefully. I broke no traffic laws. I have my driver's license. What did I do wrong?".
"Nothing," the policeman replied, "except that's my car you're driving." The youth was charged with auto theft.
In France, a passerby was asked: "Would you please help me push my car? I can't start it." When the passerby asked the man for identification to prove his ownership of the car, he had none. The passerby, a plainclothes policeman, immediately arrested the thief.
Unusual experiences? To be sure. An uncommon offense these days? Far from it! Car stealing has reached staggering proportions. It constitutes the biggest crime against property in the United States, and is the fastest-growing crime in the nation. For the first ten months of 1967, theft of automobiles and their contents accounted for 60,000,000 of the163,315,629 worth of property reported stolen in New York city.
Think of that! An average loss of about $200,000 a day in one city alone from theft of automobiles and their contents! In 1966, cars in the United States were stolen at the rate of about one every 56 seconds, some 557,000 of them being taken. This is nearly a 60-percent increase in thefts in just four years. Some officials estimate that, if the present trend continues, a million cars annually will be stolen by 1970.
Youthful Thieves
Although it is difficult to estimate, probably close to 90 percent of the thefts are made by amateurs, usually teen-agers who take cars for "kicks" to show off, or to use for an evening. In some communities car stealing has become a sort of game among teen-agers.
In New York city a group of six youngsters were rounded up who actually staged a contest to see how many cars each of them could steal in a given length of time. And in San Francisco a fifteen-year-old was caught whom the police connected with at least forty thefts. "It's easy," he told them. "An awful lot of people are just plain dumb careless, leaving their cars unlocked—and with the keys in, too. Some even leave the engine running."
Youths bent on stealing generally look around for those cars with the keys left in them. A Justice Department survey of stolen cars last summer showed that in three out of every five cases the keys had been left in the ignition or the ignition was left unlocked. Other studies have indicated that car doors were left unlocked in three out of every four thefts.
In view of this, wise persons will be careful to remove their keys from the ignition and lock the doors when they leave their car.
In some places the chief targets of youthful thieves are parking lots at shopping centers and industrial plants. Often a group of boys will drive into such a lot in one car, and drive out in five. As the fifteen-year-old San Francisco thief said: "It's easy." People who leave their keys in the ignition and their car doors unlocked make it that way.
However, even a locked car is no guarantee of safety. This is because, for just a few dollars, a youth can send away for sets of master keys that will open practically every car on the road. According to officials, these keys have become common tools of many youthful thieves. Only a few states, however, have outlawed their sale. No federal law does.
What Can Be Done
Therefore, one measure to stem the rising tide of auto thefts, urged by the National Auto Theft Bureau, is to curtail the indiscriminate circulation of mail-order master keys. That Bureau strongly recommends legislation on both the state and federal levels that would make it more difficult for unauthorized persons to obtain these potential burglar tools.
Another deterrent to car stealing would be to impress upon both youths and parents the seriousness of the offense. It is not simply a boyish prank. Yet youths are frequently defended: "He's really a nice boy, Judge. Just a little wild."
As a result, youthful car thieves frequently get off without any punishment. In fact, in one reported instance, a youth, arrested twelve times for car theft and released unpunished for the twelfth time, stole the probation officer's car to go home! It seems apparent that treating
lightly such a serious offense serves to encourage it.
And with more than 60 percent of all juvenile crimes in the United States being car thefts, any attitude or policy that might encourage this crime certainly should be avoided. One suggestion that has been made is to fine heavily the parents of underage youths who steal cars, or to have them see that restitution is made. This may move parents to take a firmer hand in disciplining their children, which obviously is needed.
Professional Thieves
Youths, however, are not the only offenders. The number of car thefts by professionals is also rising sharply, although they probably are only in the neighborhood of about 10 percent of all cars stolen.
The main target of professional thieves is late-model luxury cars. Often customers will tell them the exact car they want, even specifying the color and model, and they will steal to order. Claims one experienced thief: "If a professional car thief wants a car, he'll get it—that's all there is to it. You can lock it up . . . and put a fence around it—it's still an easy mark."
However, even professional thieves look for cars that are the simplest to get. "The best mark," one explained, "is a new car parked at the top of a hill or on a dark street." Whether it is locked or not makes little difference, for getting inside generally is easy for a professional. And a simple wire in his hands is as effective as an ignition key. Said one: "I can start a car that way faster than most people can with keys."
After a car is stolen, new registration documents and license tags are usually provided, and the car may be given a paint job or altered in some other way. Such stolen cars often are moved to distant places, or even shipped out of the country.
Thus, cars stolen by professionals are rarely recovered.
Many professional thieves, however, do not want the whole automobile. They steal it for its parts -engine, transmission, bucket seats, tires, and so forth. In a short time professionals can strip a six- to eighthousand-dollar luxury car to a skeleton worth a few hundred dollars.
There is a ready market for new high-powered engines and other choice auto parts, especially among young car enthusiasts. Explained one professional: "You can get rid of anything at drag races. You can sell a four-speed Chevy transmission at a drag race quick for 150 or125." Ordinarily they cost nearly $300. Some thieves even take orders for auto parts, and then steal to fill them.
Although close to 90 percent of all stolen cars are said to be recovered by the police, often these are severely stripped or damaged. Even cars stolen for "kicks," or "transportation," are frequently abandoned in high-crime-rate neighborhoods, where, after a few days, people start stripping them right on city streets. In a single year just one insurance company paid out $1,500,000 to repair recovered cars.
What Auto Makers Can Do
Auto makers can also help to stem the rising tide of thefts by designing cars so that they are more difficult to steal. Some have already taken steps to do this.
For example, some new cars have squeeze-type door handles that cannot be operated with the use of a wire hood inserted from the outside. Also, there are 1968 cars that have a buzzer device that reminds one that the key has been left in the ignition. And the Swedish-make Volvo has a steel-encased ignition wire that
hinders starting the car by jumping the ignition.
Some auto makers are planning additional safeguards. Recently it was reported that all 1969 General Motors Corporation cars will have ignition switches that will automatically lock the steering column and the transmission. This is a fine feature, for, being unable to put the car in gear or to stear it, a thief will not go far.
Another feature that would be welcomed by many motorists is a hood lock, perhaps one that could be locked with a key, so that it could be locked or left unlocked as desired. In this way those who might not want to use the key every time they wanted to open their hood would not have to. Such a lock would protect the battery and other parts that are frequently stolen from beneath the hood.
Simple Measures to Safeguard Your Car
Simple Measures to Safeguard Your Car You, too, can do something to safeguard your car. Here are a few simple measures which, if regularly taken, will greatly reduce the chances that your car will be stolen, especially if you live in a big city.
First, always remember to take your keys out of the car and to lock it. Do this even when you park in front of your house or in the driveway. And when driving to the store, it is wise not to conclude that you will be inside only a moment and so nothing will happen to the car. Form the habit of always taking the keys out and locking your car, and, at the same time, making sure that all windows are rolled up tight. Remember: More than half of all stolen cars had the keys left in them, and three-quarters were left unlocked.
The benefit of this simple measure can be seen in the fact that, when "removeyour-keys and lock-your-car" campaigns have been instituted, a marked reduction in car thefts has been realized.
In San Francisco, for example, when there was such a program, a 33-percent drop in thefts was experienced during one month, compared with the same month of the previous year.
Another vital measure is to park in lighted, well-traveled areas. Pick a spot near a street lamp or a lighted store window. As one professional thief explained: "There's no sense in taking the risk of getting caught stealing locked cars on a lighted street when I know that within a block of that one, I can find another car I can steal under ideal conditions."
If you must park overnight on the street, do not leave your car in one place for more than a day or so at a time. Such cars are often stolen or stripped. If you have a garage, it would be wise to put your car inside and to lock the garage, at least for the night.
Still another important measure is to put all valuables in the car out of sight. They can be an invitation for a thief to break in, who, as an afterthought, may steal the car too. Also, it is good never to leave your registration papers in the car (unless the law requires it), since professional thieves prize such proof of ownership. And in case your car is stolen, your initials scratched on the underside of the trunk lid, or in some other obscure place, may help to prove ownership if the car is recovered.
When parking at a parking lot, it is often wise to pick one where the rear and sides are closed in. Generally cars are stolen from the back of lots while employees are busy in front. Also, lots where you can lock your car and take your keys are usually best.
Of course, do not neglect the obvious, and, at times, the surest protection—autotheft insurance.
Additional Safeguards
But there are additional measures, too, which you can take to safeguard your car. Some have had a burglar-alarm system installed. This can be set so that anyone who tries to open the hood or car doors will set off a loud siren, which is almost certain to attract attention and scare a thief away. There are simpler, less expensive measures, however, that have proved effective.
For example, a hood lock. You might want to put one on yourself. Some have devised a metal rod that is attached to a brace on the hood and that runs down in the back of the grill, where it is fastened by an ordinary padlock, hidden out of sight.
Another very effective measure is to install a simple off-on switch. Hide it in some unlikely-to-be-found place—in a locked glove compartment, for example. This switch can be designed so that when it is flipped off it opens the electrical circuit directly at the coil or distributor. Thus, even if a thief gains entry to your car, it will be impossible for him to start the car from the inside as long as this off-on switch is flipped off. And with the hood securely locked, a thief will not be able to get under the hood to start the car from there. The additional safeguards of a hood lock and an off-on switch have proved very effective in discouraging car thieves.
Living in this time of unparalleled lawlessness when car stealing is the biggest crime against property, it is only wise to take precautions. If you have a car, don't let them steal it!
The Precious Cereal Grains
"PRECIOUS" is indeed the word to describe cereal grains. Thus authorities tell us that "no civilization worthy of the name has ever been founded on any agricultural basis other than the cereals," and that "cereal agriculture, alone among the forms of food production, taxes, recompenses and stimulates labor and ingenuity in an equal degree." Look where we will and when we will, we find the cereal grains to be the basic source of food for civilized peoples. Leading among these are wheat, rice,
corn (maize), barley, oats, rye and millet. Additionally, many of the cereals, such as wheat, rice, corn, rye and barley, are used in making various kinds of liquor.
WHEAT is the king of cereal grains, its production in recent years having surpassed rice. Annually some 9,000 million bushels are grown, or nearly three for every person on earth. It is one
of the oldest cereals if not the oldest; according to archaeologists, it goes back 5,000 years and more. Fourteen basic kinds are grown; one of these, durum, is used for macaroni and spaghetti. Russia grows more than one-fourth of the world's crop and still imports some; the United States comes second, with about half the crop of Russia. Wheat is mentioned in the Bible some fifty times from Genesis to Revelation.
RICE comes close after wheat. About 190 pounds of rice are grown annually for each of earth's inhabitants. Asiatic lands produce nineteenth of the rice grown, and still one-half of the rice exported goes to those countries. Rice was an ancient symbol of fertility among the Chinese and from early times was used to pelt newlyweds to wish them "good luck" and a large family.
CORN (MAIZE) is the largest of all the cereal grains and likely the most recent to be adopted by civilized man. It is the chief farm crop of the United States, which grows as much as the rest of the world put together; nine-tenths of it is fed to farm stock. The four main varieties are flint, dent, sweet and popcorn. From corn man obtains many foodstuffs, such as corn syrup, cornstarch, corn oil and
margarine, and from it and its cobs man also manufactures hundreds of commercial products, including plastics and ethyl alcohol.
BARLEY plants resemble wheat plants, and barley competes with wheat as man's oldest cereal. It ranks fourth, after wheat, rice and
corn, and some 4,000 million bushels are harvested annually. Russia leads in production. The United States, which is a close second, uses its barley largely for animal feed. Mal't is obtained from high-quality barley by first sprouting the grains and then drying them. Barley is mentioned in the Bible some thirty-five times.
OATS, of which some one hundred different varieties are grown, is perhaps the most nourishing of the cereal grains. It is unusually high not only in calories, 1,850 to the pound, but also in protein and fats. Its world production is the same as barley and is the best of all feeds for horses. Its plant is the most graceful of all the cereals and its straw excels all others for feed and fertilizer.
RYE is the hardiest of all the cereal grains. It can thrive on soil too poor to grow any other. Because it contains less gluten than wheat, its dough is very heavy, for which reason American bakers usually add wheat flour when making rye bread. Rye straw is used widely for commercial purposes and for thatching roofs, as it decays less rapidly than other straws.
MILLET, the pearly grains of which are the smallest of all the cereals, is grown world wide and used for food by about one-third of the world's population, mostly Orientals. Farmers in India plant 40 million acres of it each year. There are many varieties of millet, and while Japan annually grinds 35 million bushels of it into flour, millet grown in Western lands is used largely for hay crops.
As we note the great variety and value of the cereal grains we truly can agree with the ancient psalmist who wrote that Jehovah God is to be blessed for making "food to go forth from the earth" - Ps. 104:14.
By "Awake!" correspondent in Ecuador
"A FLOW of cold air will move into our area at tonight plunging the thermometer to below freezing. Our 'weather eye' reports a 60 percent chance of snow within the next 48 hours." Does this sound familiar? It will, if you live above the tropic of Cancer. In the Temperate Zones of earth, where icy winds sweep across snowmantled fields or lie in ambush to spirit away the hats of unsuspecting pedestrians, many of the winterbound citizenry take consolation in reassuring themselves that "spring is just around the corner." Yet, how would you like to be able to enjoy springtime whenever you pleased and to know that it is just a mile and a half away?
In Ecuador we can do just that!
Why, the warmth of that thought may make you wiggle your toes in your slippers. But wait, let's not leave too much to the imagination. Pull your chair a little closer to the fireplace and let's travel together to springtime.
Of course, living as we do here in Guayaquil on Ecuador's tropic coast, our change to springtime will not be as drastic as it might for you, but it will be just as refreshing.
How Shall We Go?
We will need transportation. We can go by car or bus, but may I suggest something different? The autoferro. What is the autoferro? Well, it is slower than a bus but decidedly more interesting! Actually, the autoferro is a motorized, one-unit train.
To get to the railroad we first have to cross the Guayas River. Our arrival at the pier early in the morning starts a commotion between fifteen or twenty baggage handlers, each intent on helping. We have learned the convenience of traveling light and so we carry our own. Shall we take seats on the upper deck?
Below us the routine of daily life unfolds. A man comes aboard with twenty-five brooms. Burden bearers shoulder crates of freshly caught fish, and a working mother breastfeeds her infant son while selling rolls and beverages to hungry clients. As departure time approaches, dozens of commuters rush on board, snatch the morning newspaper from one of the many news vendors and bury themselves in a form of self-induced isolationism.
The First Leg of Our Journey
Exactly at 6 a.m. we throw off our guy lines and head out into the river. The skyline of Guayaquil presents a stubby silhouette. No needle skyscrapers thrust upward. Guayaquil, the so-called 'Pearl of the Pacific' sitting a mere nine feet above sea level, has to fight to keep her head above water. The city is actually built over marshy bog. Continued vigilance, the dumping of great amounts of fill, including the city's refuse, is required to maintain the city's claim on this land against the protests of the tides that ebb and flow in the estuaries surrounding the city.
Our fifteen-minute crossing brings us within a short walk of our waiting coach. And there it is—all silver and blue! We enter over a red carpet and take our reserved seats on white monogrammed slipcovers. Music plays as we settle ourselves for the trip. Our engineer whistles our departure, but a passenger races to inform us that he has not yet finished his breakfast. Being a man of great empathy, our operator waits and we set out five minutes late.
We head out across the fifty-four miles of coastal delta. Our clattering intrusion into the private nesting grounds of graceful white herons sends dozens of them into flight, legs trailing like disabled landing gear. The tower of a church catches our eye, the landmark of Yaguachi. We can now see the statue atop the church of the well-known Saint Jacinto of Yaguachi. Every year, on the 16th of August, the town becomes the center of a festival of adoration for the "saint." The image is lowered from its airy perch and the adoring multitudes pin money on it or light candles in homage and thanks for supposed blessing received during the
year. The festivities are frequently punctuated with street fights and at times bloodshed, as the merriment of the alcohol-consuming devotees changes to anger.
We sway our way to Milagro, and the terrain begins to change. The main commercial artery is a kaleidoscope of color. Dozens of independent merchants' stalls cover the street. Brilliant-colored clothing, shiny aluminum cooking pots and reflective mirrors produce the excitement of a circus. Small cars, bristling with stalks of brindle sugarcane wait their turn at the large refinery. Chocolate beans, drying in the sun, cover the ground like mubby carpets.
Our departure is announced and we move into a different world, a green world where the luxuriant undergrowth is sustained by perpetual precipitation. "Hands" of bananas stretch green and yellow "fingers" skyward as we pass through the plantations.
Past Naranjapata there is a sense of foreboding. The steadily rising hills are shrouded in mist. The undergrowth reaches out as if to stop our very passage. We push on to Huligra, where a wall of purple summer flowers gives us a botanical welcome.
A Trip on the Devil's Nose
From Huigra we enter upon perhaps the most thrilling portion of our journey. We are climbing steadily now and our speed has been drastically reduced. Let's talk with the engineer and see if he can give us some interesting information. We learn that during climbs like this the car can attain a maximum speed of only eighteen miles per hour. The pass through which we travel gets more confining until, at Chanchan, we have to tunnel our way through, in order to continue. As we pull into Sibambe we feel a flush of excitement.
Look off to the right and straight up to the sky! There it is—the Devil's Nose, where our train will gain some 3,000 feet of altitude in a series of switchbacks across the face of a lava precipice.
As soon as we refill the radiator with cool water we will be scaling that nasal colossus of a mountain. The engineer whistles the starting signal for our assault and we move out, skirting the sheer drop-off. Now we are stopping. Why? The switching of tracks, the changing of gears; the motors strain and we are moving in reverse. We sit in our seats quietly, almost awed. Hardly anyone talks. The land drops away below us—up, up! The river becomes a ribbon and the people, matchsticks—right below us! Now the engines slow, more switching, and forward again. Through a rock cut, and we are climbing anew. Our operator tells us that we have gone up over 3,580 feet in the last sixteen miles. We catch our breath at the pleasant town of Alausi.
It is now 10:30 a.m. We move on to circle a fantasy land. Alausl overlooks a panoramic valley. The vegetation bursts green and lush where water abounds, but the hills above stretch stolid and brown. Near Tixán our attention is drawn to the mustard-colored sulfur that lies open on the hills. Next, a minor delay. A donkey, convinced that he has the right of way, is walking ahead of us and quite unconcerned with our approach. We follow him, at his pace, for half a mile (about one kilometer) before he is finally whistled to one side.
Have you noticed the many work crews along the way? The maintenance of the roadbed is a constant battle against the elements. Walls of hewn stone have been erected to keep the raging waters in check during the heavy rains of December to May. The railroad has enemies on all sides. The river below tries to undermine
its position or topple some of the 309 bridges, and the rockslides from above threaten to pulverize the ribbon of steel. In 1925 traffic was interrupted between Guayaquil and Quito for forty-one days, due to the heavy downpours and the resulting washouts.
We are now in a great barren páramo or moor that lies choked and parched. We pass Palmira and see whirlwinds of dust making their spiral descent across the dunes.
Guamote, at some 10,000 feet above sea level, is our next stop. This is exciting! The arrival of the train in this town is the event of the day and almost everyone comes to see. Look at the sidewalk cafes! See the roasted pig? Why, there are three of them! Roasted whole, head and all, and we have heard it said that the pork is especially sweet. One has a carrot in its mouth. Small children with rosy sun- and wind-burned faces beseech us to buy their tasty cookies, cakes and sweets. A thrifty light lunch can be enjoyed in the form of a carne de palito (literally "meat stick"), which is really a local variation of the famous shish kebab. Two or three pieces of meat, a carrot and a potato are seared on a stick and can be had for five cents
Entering the Valleys of Springtime
The mountains beckon and we are anxious to be going. We wonder if the weather will permit us to see the snowcapped beauties for which Ecuador is famous. The sun shines brightly in a blue sky, and as we pass milepost 120 (kilometer 203) we see the white head of the great giant Chimborazo. We may be in for a wonderful show.
From Cajabamba we begin a wild descent. Descent? Yes, for, you see, we have actually climbed over a range of mountains. The great Andes chain here in Ecuador splits in two, an eastern and a western range, and in between lies a series of lovely mountain valleys or plateaus.
These valleys stretch for 390 miles from north to south and range out to a width of forty-four miles. They are separated by short transverse ranges called nudos or knots. Actually the two lateral ranges are very much like the sides of a ladder with the transverse ranges as the rungs. The car lurches heavily on the corners as it strains to be free of the course of the serpentine track. At 12:30 p.m. we arrive at Riobamba, where we have our lunch stop.
Riobamba is in a unique position, ringed by snowcapped peaks. Graced with clear weather, we get to see El Altar, Sancay, Tungurahua and the King of the Andes, the 20,702-foot-high Mt. Chimborazo. Would you like to pick up an interesting souvenir? The handicraft made from the tagua nut is different. Known also as vegetable ivory, it is used for buttons, chessmen and other carving.
The stay is all too brief, but there is more ahead. Reversing ourselves out of the station, we climb again straight toward Chimborazo. Our engineer explains that here on the high ranges it is very cold at night and frequently snows. How appropriate, then, that we should find a flag stop named Siberia in the path of Chimborazo's frigid winds. Onward and upward we move. On our right we see several llamas, the hardy mountain burden bearers of the Andes.
A brief run brings us to the summit of our climb, the little station at Urbina, 11,841 feet above sea level. And just to think that eight and a half hours ago, we were two miles below! We look up at Chimborazo towering above us almost another 10,000 feet and the great snows piled high on the giant's flanks.
Leaving Urbina, we take a turn on the Devil's Ear, a fast-moving switchback shaped like an ear that lets us down 1,200 feet. We continue our descent to the industrial center of Ambato. Our exit is through a corridor of stone. We are climbing again and our trip is uneventful and serene until we reach Latacunga and a taste of spring weather—a shower of hall, which leaves the ground covered with peasized white stones. Next, the great hacienda of former president Galo Plaza. Here we see the richness of Ecuador's fertile sierra, which produces the cereals, fruits and meat so vital to the country's economy. Also to be found here is the fine breeding stock that has been brought from Europe to improve the cattle herds of the republic. We are amazed at the way every available piece of land has been cultivated. Truly the Indian workers love the soil, and their Interest is reflected in the feeling one gets of traveling through a continuous garden.
It is cooler now at 4:30 p.m. We are hoping for a view of the 19,498-foot-high Cotopaxi, said to be the highest active volcano in the world. It is overcast at our passing, but we keep looking back in expectation. At 5:30 p.m. the cumulus curtain is briefly lifted and Cotopaxi shows through, rose-colored and snowy.
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