Awake!, March 8, 1969
Download: PDF — Awake!, March 8, 1969
Listening to the Wisdom of Mother
PAGE 3
An Open Letter to Sincere Catholics
PAGE 8
A Visit to a Space-Satellite Tracking
Station
PAGE 16
Three Men for a Diamond
PAGE 20
MARCH 8, 1969
THE REASON FOR THIS MAGAZINE
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CONTENTS
Listening to the Wisdom of Mother 3
An Open Letter to Sincere Catholics 8
Micronesia—Islands in Trust 12
The Smallest Bird 15
A Visit to a Space-Satellite Tracking Station 16
A Preaching Chain Reaction 19
Three Men for a Diamond 20
Energy Expended 23
Wresting a Living from the Sea 24
"Your Word Is Truth"
Are You Under the Law of Moses? 27
Watching the World 29
LISTENING To The Wisdom Of Mother
The following illustrates how a mother's instruction can benefit a child.
WE WERE real friends, mother and I. We would go shopping together, try on clothes and at times wish we had the money to buy more of them. But usually we were happy that we did not have that kind of money, because we doubted very much if our enjoyment would have been as great. After all, we had what we really needed. I was fourteen and a little tall for my age. Mother was thirty-five and about my size. Salesgirls often would ask if we were sisters. When that happened, mother would literally beam!
Mother had a calm, kind face. When father died, she took full charge of the house. My younger brother Phil and I enjoyed talking to mother about the deeper things of life and what we hoped to be when we grew up.
My dreams were mainly of a big, beautiful house by the ocean on the coast of California, so that I could watch the sea roll in and at the same time not be far from the mountains. I was never sure which I loved more, the mountains or the sea. Mother knew of our dreams. At a party one day she asked a group of girls
present what they wanted out of life. One by one, the girls
said they wanted to get married and have children. Mother then asked if they thought they were ready to shoulder the responsibilities of becoming wives and mothers. The reaction was mixed. But that night I went to bed wondering the same about myself. I wrote in my diary: "Don't think I qualify as a wife or a mother. Feel unsure, inadequate. Must pay more attention to mother."
About a week later, my brother Phil and I clashed. He would not listen to me when I told him to pick up his clothes, so I got cross. Phil yelled back: "You talk too much!" Before I could say anything, mother stepped in. "Leave him alone," she said in a firm but kind voice. Phil picked up his clothes without a fuss and disappeared. This puzzled me. Why did he do it? She then took hold of my hand and said: "No man ever told a woman she talked too much when she was telling him how wonderful he is. You catch more flies with sugar, my dear, than with vinegar.
When you differ with a man, even your younger brother, do it gently, not with fire in your eyes." I have never forgotten those words of wisdom.
Because of my quick temper, mother stressed self-control, reminding me, "If you are patient in one moment of anger, you will escape a hundred days of sorrow."
And, later on, when she was talking to Phil I overheard her say that if he wanted a woman simply to be voiceless and stare up at him in awe, then he should seek the company of a cocker spaniel, not a woman, but that if he would consider the sensitivities of women, he would find them good company. Phil and I were amazed at mother's wisdom. Father had been gentle beneath his firmness, but mother was firm beneath her gentleness.
Advice About Strong Drink
As young as Phil was, he always urged mother to let him have some wine. One day mother talked to both of us about the dangers of alcoholic beverages. The counsel that Lemuel's mother gave him in correction was given to us to consider. Mother asked us to read Proverbs 31:4-7, which says: "It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine or for high officials to say: 'Where is intoxicating liquor?' that one may not drink and forget what is decreed and pervert the cause of any of the sons of affliction. Give intoxicating liquor, you people, to the one about to perish and wine to those who are bitter of soul. Let one drink and forget one's poverty, and let one remember one's own trouble no more."
Mother was frank and firm. "An intemperate man," she said, "is unfit to hold the reins of government or any job for that matter. Intoxicating liquor may give some momentary pleasure, but it has so many unpleasant consequences that only
folly would make a man persist in its excessive use. The Bible speaks disapprovingly of overindulgence, and drunkenness is severely denounced—a sin worthy of disfellowshiping one from God's Christian congregation."—1 Cor. 6:10.
Still mother was balanced in her view, saying that such beverages have their proper use. "Wine makes the heart rejoice," she said, paraphrasing the Bible. (Ps. 104:15) "And the Christian apostle Paul recommended that Timothy use a little wine for the sake of his stomach and his frequent cases of sickness. (1 Tim. 5:23) So alcoholic beverages have their proper place and purpose, but overindulgence is not one of them."
Thus we learned from mother to become keenly aware of the dangers that lurk in strong drink, that excessive drinking brings poverty, and disgrace on the family, the Christian congregation and God. Thereafter, anytime drinks were passed, mother's words would ring in our ears forewarning us of the dangers, for which we were grateful.
What Men Like Most in Women
Since I can remember, I have always tried to please my brother, but never quite seemed capable of it. I remember telling mother that I would "never understand men, even if I lived to be twenty." She laughed and added, "Perhaps even if you live to be thirty or forty or a hundred you'll not understand them." Then I asked what she thought men liked most in women. Her reply to that was that they liked the very things the Bible says a woman should be. So out came the family Bible. It seemed to fall open to the right spot from use. Mother's skill at finding scriptures was to be admired. She read from Ephesians 5:21-24: "Let wives be in subjection to their husbands as to the Lord . . . In fact, as the congregation is in subjection to the Christ, so let wives also be to their husbands in everything."
Personally, I thought that was a big order, but mother did not think so. "Submission," she said, "makes for peace and harmony in the marital arrangement. When a wife is submissive, a man can better exercise his headship. The wife's submissiveness motivates him lovingly to provide for her. True love finds in this quality a channel through which it can express itself."
Being about sixteen and quite independent in viewpoint at the time, my initial reaction was rather adverse. "Me, be in subjection to a man as to the Lord in everything? That will be the day." The very idea frightened me. So I pursued the matter. "Suppose a woman doesn't feel that she wants to be in subjection so completely to a man, what then?"
Mother's answer was equally as pointed: "If a woman doesn't feel that she can live up to this Scriptural requirement, then she should not marry. She should remember that in marriage the husband becomes her head, that there must be a blending of two lives, 'the two will become one flesh.' (Eph. 5:31; 1 Cor. 11:3) If there is disagreement on this basic principle, then there will be friction and clashing, perhaps even a crack-up in the marital arrangement."
We continued our discussion with the reading of Ephesians 5:25-33, which sets out the husband's responsibilities, that he should love his wife as his own body, which he feeds and cherishes. The chapter concludes by saying: "Let each one of you [husbands] individually so love his wife as he does himself; on the other hand, the wife should have deep respect for her husband." Mother then said: "A man becomes a loving provider for the wife, and she in turn deeply respects him for his loving care. Submissiveness and
deep respect are qualities in women that are cherished by principled men."
What Women Want in Men
So I asked mother what she thought a woman liked most in a man. She asked me to reply to that. I told her that I thought "loving tenderness" would rate high with me. I wanted my man to be courteous, to show me at least as much consideration as he would a complete stranger. A good companion would be my next requirement, one who would do more than eat and plop himself before a television set. I would want an understanding man, too, one who would anticipate my needs. I would also want a fair man, a loyal and an honest man.
Mother reacted in her usual manner with deep insight. "Do you think that a man who is by nature unjust, disloyal, or unreliable and dishonest could in any real and sustained way be tender, companionable and understanding toward his wife?" she asked. I did not think so; in fact, I thought it inconceivable. She agreed.
"Think of this when you consider the matter of selecting a mate," she said. "You clearly responded emotionally to your own question. You thought first of your own needs and then realized that only a certain kind of man would be able to meet those needs. So when choosing a husband, first concern yourself with the man himself, his integrity and personality, his love and devotion to God and man. In such a man you will be more likely to find a man who knows how to express tender love and the other qualities you have mentioned."
"The Secret Person of the Heart"
When in high school, I told mother: "Experts keep telling us that we women should raise our voices and stop being the slaves of men. They say we are insulting our education and squandering our potentials.
They urge us to take off our aprons, put our children in day nurseries and go out and fulfill ourselves." Mother listened patiently as I rambled on, and then in her quiet way she said:
"The experts who ignore the Bible are wrong, dear. This constant harping on me, me, me; what am I? what do I want? is the kind of self-preoccupation that leads to failure. We have noticed in recent years some female voices have become shriller, but are these vocal women happier for it?"
She reached for her Bible and opened it to 1 Peter 3:1-4, and said, "Listen to this, honey, and you will know where true happiness lies." She read: "In like manner, you wives, be in subjection to your own husbands, in order that . . . they may be won without a word through the conduct of their wives, because of having been eyewitnesses of your chaste conduct together with deep respect. And do not let your adornment be that of the external braiding of the hair and of the putting on of gold ornaments or the wearing of outer garments, but let it be the secret person of the heart in the incorruptible apparel of the quiet and mild spirit, which is of great value in the eyes of God."
Mother then added: "Submissiveness, deep respect, chaste conduct, the quiet and mild spirit—these are the things that make a woman loved by a man, his children and God. This is happiness, my dear."
What Value Charm and Beauty?
When young, however, all of this instruction seems so idealistic. "What young man looks for these qualities in a woman?" I asked mother. "Today, men look for shapely, beautiful women."
"That may be true," she said, "but not necessarily so when they are in search of a wife. And the number of divorces shows that neither men nor women can boast of making wise choices. Let me read to
you what the Bible has to say about charm and beauty: 'Charm may be false, and prettiness may be vain; but the woman that fears Jehovah is the one that procures praise for herself. Give her of the fruitage of her hands, and let her works praise her even in the gates.' (Prov. 31: 30, 31) Charm may be false, because it can be put on, assumed for certain unworthy purposes. It doesn't necessarily represent the person."
"Prettiness may be vain," mother continued, "because sickness can and does impair the body; aging affects it and death completely destroys physical beauty. Prettiness is superficial; it is not this that brings God's approval. But a woman that fears Jehovah is a woman who practices true religion. Her charm harmonizes with her personality. Her worship governs all her moods; and that ornament of beauty, a mild and quiet spirit, is of great value in the sight of God and man. A woman that fears Jehovah 'procures praise for herself,' says the Bible. This is the lasting charm, the unfading beauty of a woman."
The Value of a Capable Wife
After listening to mother over the years, I began to formulate in my mind's eye a picture of what a capable woman should be. It was far different from my schoolgirl dreams. I also realized what a wonderful guide the Bible can be in a woman's life. It was listening to mother and observing her that made me appreciate what a beautiful role women play in life, and I wondered if I were capable of meeting it and if men really appreciated the value of a woman.
One day I came across an article entitled "The Worth of a Wife," which, by the way, was written by a man. Mother and I read it with interest. It was a humorous piece that spoke of a wife as a baby-sitter, a secretary, a laundress, a lawyer, a doctor, a psychiatrist, among other things, and the author pointed out that a good wife is thus worth a great deal to a man, or should be.
However, it pleased me to learn that the Bible, too, places a high value on a capable wife. Mother showed me that at Proverbs 31:10-31 a capable wife is described as a virtuous woman—a woman of power and strength, of full mental ability. "Her value is far more than that of corals"; in other words, no quantity of precious stones can be equal to her worth. And the Bible is the authority for that.
The writer of the Proverbs, in chapter thirty-one, summons the whole Hebrew alphabet to expound the virtues of a capable woman. She is described as a virtuous woman. She has her husband's happiness constantly in view. For kind words she returns kind deeds. She is industrious. She is no burden on her husband. She economizes on time, waking up early and working late. She takes care of her own health and strength. She is skillful, watchful, compassionate and loving. Her appearance is decent. Her husband is respected, not only because she cares for the neatness and cleanliness of his dress, but because he is the husband of a woman who is justly held in high esteem. The husband and the children appreciate her excellence and encourage her in her work by the praise they bestow.
Techniques of Living Together
"Even when a woman is most capable, there are still techniques of living together that she must learn," mother said. "For example, a woman must know today what not to say and when to speak even about proper matters. She may want to buy something. If she asks her husband after he has had a bad day at work,
he might think her extravagant. On the other hand, when things go right with him at work, he may say, 'It's about time you bought yourself a fur coat.' Knowing when to speak can be rewarding."
"Another thing," said mother, "don't keep nagging a man about doing some small thing, or try to press him into doing it by saying, 'Never mind, I'll do it myself.' Of course, if it is his responsibility, if it is important, you may call it to his attention, but don't become a 'whiner' or a 'nagger.'" Those were some things I learned from listening to mother.
As mother explained, there are some qualities in a woman that make her an unworthy wife. A contentious, bossy, nagging woman is frowned upon. "Better is it to dwell upon a corner of a roof than with a contentious wife." "Better is it to dwell in a wilderness land than with a contentious wife along with vexation." (Prov. 21:9, 19) And a woman who is pretty but lacking in good sense is no real joy to a man. "As a gold nose ring in the snout of a pig, so is a woman that is pretty but that is turning away from sensibleness," she quoted from the Bible. —Prov. 11:22.
A good wife is to be admired as well as loved. The man who cannot respect his wife because of her manner of life is without one of the ingredients of a truly happy home. "A capable wife is a crown to her owner, but as rottenness in his bones is she that acts shamefully." (Prov. 12:4) A capable woman does not need someone constantly to speak words of praise on her behalf. Her own works praise her. When I told that to a school friend of mine one time, she said, "You sound just like your mother." At last I felt that I was succeeding as a woman. I considered her words a compliment, because I would want nothing better in life than to be like mother.
AN OPEN LETTER
YOU will surely agree that the situation is serious. The pope himself is aware of this. During his visit to South America last August, he spoke in Bogotá cathedral to some two hundred cardinals, archbishops and bishops. To these prelates, Paul VI voiced his anxiety by means of a metaphor, saying: "Here atop the mystic ship of the Church, we can feel the storm that is surrounding and assailing us."
For centuries, the ship of the Roman Catholic Church has been afloat. At present, not only is it having to weather the storm of communism, atheism and nationalism, but from within its creaking hull there are ominous sounds of mutiny among the crew. In fact, a few high-ranking officers, not to speak of many subordinates and passengers, have already jumped overboard.
Up on the bridge, the captain is plainly worried. Referring to the pope, Catholic writer Jacques Duquesne, author of the recent book Demain, une Eglise sans prêtres (Tomorrow, a Church Without Priests), writes: "Today his anxiety has given way to anguish. He finds himself faced with the challenge of uniting the conservative bishops of Brazil and the guerrilla priests of Colombia, the angry English priests and the American bishops, whose main worry is good financial management, the revolutionary Dutch [Catholic] church and the embryonic African [Catholic] churches, the pious guardians of ritual and the 'leftists,' who are always ready to adopt the latest theological or liturgical innovation."
You may have read the article "Catholics Greatly Confused," published last October in Paris-Match, the most prominent French-language news picture magazine. It began by quoting a Roman Jesuit theologian, Sé-
to Sincere Catholics
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bastien Tromp, as saying: "The crisis the Church is going through is more serious than the modernist crisis [over Higher Criticism], or even than the Protestant Reformation." The article added: "Yes, everybody in the Church recognizes that the two-thousand-year-old ship upon which the whole of Western civilization is founded, is today being shaken by a storm."
The Religious Situation in France
How is this tempest affecting the French section of the boat? In its issue dated August 12-18, 1968, the Paris weekly news magazine L'Express published a long report on the subject "God and the French." It stated: "One out of every two Frenchmen think half of the population do not believe in God. They are convinced that belief in God has fared badly under the repeated assaults of nationalism, Marxism, science and the consumer society."
It would seem, however, that the faith of the French has fared better than people thought under these secular attacks. The above-mentioned report gave the results of a poll carried out by the French Institute of Public Opinion (F.I.P.O.). It showed that 74 percent of the people in France consider the existence of God as "certain" or "probable"; a quarter of them go to church regularly; 45 percent think the need to believe in God will not change as time goes on, and 32 percent even feel that this need will increase.
It reflects great credit to the good sense of the French people that three quarters of them have not allowed secular theories to shake their faith in God. But how are they weathering the religious "storm" of which Pope Paul spoke? Is their faith in the ship of the Roman Catholic Church holding up as well as their belief in God? Apparently not!
The above-quoted article in the October 12, 1968, issue of Paris-Match shows that the pope's encyclical on "Human Life" in general, and birth control in particular, is meeting up with widespread dissent among French Catholics. It quotes figures based on a recent poll revealing that 83.2 percent of French men and 78.7 percent of French women have decided not to follow the pope's instructions in this matter.
Thus, while 74 percent of the French still believe in God, about 80 percent of them refuse to submit to the head of the Roman Church on a question as vital as marital relations and family planning. These figures are significant. They show that, for millions of people in France, it is possible to have faith in God without submitting to an ecclesiastical hierarchy.
This conclusion is borne out by additional facts brought to light by the F.I.P.O. poll. It revealed that 58 percent of the French Catholics interviewed subscribe to the statement: "I need no intermediary between God and myself." In harmony with this amazing figure is the further fact that 50 percent of those who are only "seasonal" churchgoers pray to God "often," and even 37 percent of nonpracticing Catholics stated that they often pray. "Frequency of churchgoing does not therefore give an accurate picture of the relations existing between the French and God." Such was the comment on these statistics made by L'Express, which published them.
As to the practicing Catholics, according to Paris priest Jean-Claude Barreau, author of the widely read book La foi d'un paien (The Faith of a Pagan), "at least half of the churchgoers have faith, not in Jesus Christ, but in a bourgeois religion, in a Christianity without Christ, a moralistic deism that cannot hold its own amidst the world's confusion."
Cracks in the Hull, and Mutiny on Board
In view of the foregoing facts and figures drawn from the French scene, but typical of the situation world wide, it will not be premature to put the vital question: Will the ship of the Roman Catholic Church survive the storm? Is its organic structure, the very hull of the vessel, a watertight construction capable of withstanding the onslaughts of the elements?
Henri Fesquet, who handles religious and particularly Catholic news in the Paris daily, Le Monde, refers in one of his articles to the "overheated atmosphere within a Church whose unity is gravely endangered, if it is still possible to speak of unity at all." In another article he speaks of "the serious divisions that are appearing within the episcopate [the collective body of bishops]."—Le Monde, August 23 and 27, 1968.
These cracks in the bull of the Church of Rome would be enough to worry the ship's captain, Paul VI. But to make matters worse, the crew is beginning to mutiny.
There is open rebellion against the man at the wheel up on the bridge. Le Monde, dated November 29, 1968, stated: "Ecclesiastical discipline has slackened off, and the number of priests more or less willing to disobey is continually increasing." In November, some four hundred French priests sent a collective letter to their bishops expressing dissatisfaction with the traditional activities of the paid priesthood, and announcing the "decision" some of them had made to carry on their ministry while doing part-time secular work. They said they would do this even "without authorization" by their hierarchical superiors. They also expressed their desire to "seriously consider . . . the possibility" of priests' marrying.
These priests, although disgruntled, at least intend to carry on their ministry. They wish to stick to their posts on board the ship of the Roman Catholic Church, if their superior officers will let them. Others, however, have resigned as crew members, staying on merely as passengers. According to the French edition of Reader's Digest, dated October 1968, "many priests, seminarists and nuns are deciding to change their status. The figures most generally published show that between 4,000 and 5,000 priests have left their ministry in France."
But this is not all. The afore-cited article in Paris-Match revealed that many members of the crew have come to the conclusion that the time has come to abandon ship. It says: "Giving up all hope of ever gaining a hearing ear, many priests have preferred to leave the Church." When the crew starts jumping overboard, what are the passengers to do?
Sincere Catholics Are Perplexed
crew either leaving their posts or abandoning ship altogether, not to speak of the navigators or the theologians advising the captain to steer in entirely different directions, the poor passengers are nonplussed. The average Catholic thought he was aboard an unsinkable ship. He now realizes for the first time that he is sailing on a possible "Titanic." As ParisMatch put it, the "conservative" Catholics are shouting to the "progressive" Catholics: "You are trying to capsize Peter's ship, and you run the risk of driving to despair many people who have put their faith in her." As recently as December 7, 1968, Paul VI himself stated in Rome before a group of seminary students and priests: "The Church is going through a time of anxiety, of self-criticism, one might even say of self-destruction."—Le Figaro, December 9, 1968.
With the carcass of the vessel cracking and groaning, mutiny afoot, many of the
Indicative of the despair felt by many Catholics is a long letter sent recently to the pope by over seven hundred French Catholic workers, technicians, teachers and some priests. The following are a few excerpts:
"We are writing to you following the dictates of our conscience, because although the scandals in the Church's past caused us great pain, the present situation is intolerable. Today the Christian needs to live in a 'true' Church; . . . Therefore all that is false, contrary to the Gospel and scandalous within the Church today wounds the Christian. . . .
"The Church's teaching methods show no respect for man. The Church has not renounced temporal power. The Church refuses to obey Christ's call to poverty. . . A head of state—such you are, and such is the way you are treated. When you travel, you are not received as a priest, but as a sovereign to whom soldiers present 'arms'; your nuncios hold the rank of ambassadors, as representatives of a 'foreign power,' and they are sent to confer with 'foreign ministers.'
Try, for a moment, to emerge from the atmosphere you live in, and ask yourself: 'Is this what Jesus meant by his kingdom, which is not of this world?' (John 18, 36) . . . In spite of the genius shown by Bramante and Michelangelo, the St. Peter's basilica in Rome is the symbol of ecclesiastical pride. It reminds us of the shameful sale of indulgences and how the popes concerned themselves about building monuments while the members of the Church were tearing each other to pieces. We do not know when that temple will be destroyed, but however beautiful it may be, we will shed no tears, for it has brought us too much pain."—Le Monde, December 6, 1968.
Commenting on this letter in Le Figaro, Catholic priest René Laurentin, while regretting the disrespectful tone used, conceded that it is a sign of a church-wide malaise that is causing what he called "a silent hemorrhage." "Rightist and leftist Christians," he admitted, "are leaving [the Church] on tiptoe."
This same expression was used by L'Express, which wrote: "Even if the present storm abates, it is possible that many couples, particularly among the young, will leave the Church on tiptoe and go to swell the numbers of what might be called an underground, marginal church, being formed for some years now by small groups of convinced Christians who are disappointed with the official Church." "Fringe groups are forming," said a later issue of the same magazine, "and they make up a veritable underground church. They worship together, ignoring the rules. They reserve the right not to accept all
the dogmas and teachings of the official Church."
Referring to the same "small groups" forming an "underground church," ParisMatch stated: "Their ideal is to rediscover the intimacy of brotherly prayer in the warmth of friendship, like that which existed in the upper-room meetings of the Christians at the time of the early Church."
An Appeal to Sincere Catholics
Sincere Catholics, why stay on a sinking ship? Why not heed the voice that is crying out from heaven: "Go out from her [all false religions], my people; that you be not partakers of her sins and that you receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven; and the Lord hath remembered her iniquities"? (Apoc. 18:4, 5, Dy) Why stay on, going from disappointment to disillusionment, from perplexity to bitterness, until you finally reject, not only the church systems, but also God?
In the nearest Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses, and even in a neighborhood Bible study group held near your home, you will find the "intimacy of brotherly prayer," the "warmth of friendship, like that which existed in the upperroom meetings" of the early Christians. Above all, you will find the truth that leads to eternal life. The words printed in italics are the title of a new, concise Bible-study aid, specially designed to provide material for a series of Bible discussions. We shall be happy to talk things over with you, free of charge, in your own home. This invitation is made out of love for all of you who desire to worship God "in spirit and in truth."—John 4:24, Dy.
Yours sincerely,
JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES
MICRONESIA
TWENTY-FOUR years have passed since the beautiful beaches of Micronesia were littered with the thousands of dead and dying men fighting for their possession. Do the names Saipan, Truk, Guam, Koror or Kwajalein mean anything to you? These and many other islands in the southwestern Pacific make up what is known as Micronesia, which means "little islands." With the exception of Guam, which is a United States possession, Micronesia is also known as the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. But to those over the age of thirty-five the above-mentioned names bring back memories of World War II battles fought on these coconut-fringed islands.
Since 1945 the United States has had trusteeship over the 2,100 small islands and atolls stretching over an area of three million square miles in the western Pacific Ocean. Combined into a single land mass, they would total less than 700 square miles. Since most of them are too small to sustain life, only 98 of them are inhabited.
The Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands is broken down into three major island groups; the Marshalls, the Carolines and the Marianas. For expediency in administration, the territory is divided into six districts: Yap, Palau, Ponape, Truk, Marshall Islands and the Mariana Islands. Headquarters are in Salpan, in the Marianas.
The people are mixed racially. The natives in the extreme southwest of the Carolines are the most Negroid, and the western islanders of the Palau, though showing much Negroid, are more Mongoloid than any islanders to the east. The
-Islands in Trust
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By "Awake!" correspondent in Hawaii
present-day Chamorros of the Marianas indicate much intermarriage with the Spanish, Filipino, Chinese, Mexican and later European immigrants.
The nine major dialects or languages belonging to the Malayo-Polynesian family that are spoken in the territory testify to their diversified origins. So it is well appreciated that an interpreter will be needed when one travels through the territory, though younger persons speak some English.
Beauty of great variety meets the eye of the visitor. In size the islands range from large volcanic islands, ascending to over 3,000 feet, to atolls, with an elevation of as little as six feet above sea level. Coconut and breadfruit are common to all the islands, but on the high volcanic islands one will also find citrus trees, papayas, mangoes, bananas, taro (arrowroot), sugarcane, tapioca, corn and hard- and softwood trees.
The only animal indigenous to Micronesia is the bat. Deer were brought in through the Germans; horses, cattle, goats and cats in the post-European period, and the water buffalo from the Philippines.
The traveler sees an abundance of marine and shore birds. In the Palau district, which is just 600 miles from the Philippines, monitor lizards, sea crocodiles up to twenty-four feet in length and certain species of poisonous sea snakes are seen.
Fishing is one of the lifelines of the Micronesian, and as long as bonitas, tuna, sea bass, eels and octopuses, crustaceans and mollusks abound he will never hunger.
The Micronesian lives intimately with the sea. He is an expert navigator, with an awe-inspiring technique involving detailed knowledge of ocean currents, temperatures of the ocean, tides, stars and planets. He can take trips covering hundreds of miles of open ocean to another island in his canoe. And he does this without any modern instruments of navigation!
Micronesia has a tropical, rainy climate with little seasonal change; the northern islands and atolls of the Marshall group being the exception. Their season is generally dry. Island temperatures range between 75\circ and 92\circ with high humidity. Storms are frequent between August and December, with typhoons being common in some areas. The island of Truk was declared a disaster area due to destruction by a typhoon in 1967. And Saipan has suffered almost complete destruction twice in six years; first in 1963 and again in April of 1968. In the last storm, typhoon "Jean," packing 200-mile-an-hour winds, destroyed an estimated 90 percent of Saipan's buildings.
Few people in the world are in the position of the Micronesian when it comes to government. All Micronesians have been dominated by some foreign power. They usually refer to their four most recent phases of domination as the Spanish Period, the German Period, the Japanese Period and the American Period.
The Spanish Period
Following Magellan's landing at Guam in 1521, Spain moved in on what is now known as the Marianas, naming them in honor of their Queen Maria Anna, wife of Phillip IV. The Caroline Islands they
named for Charles II, Phillip's son. The Spanish were noted for their forcible evangelistic methods, the missionaries often being accompanied by soldiers. They established missions on Rota, Tinian, Saipan, and on other islands to the north.
Conflict grew between Germany and Spain over the lucrative copra trade that developed, and at one point Pope Leo XIII was called in to arbitrate matters. Spain was pacified, retaining all her claims, but Germany was given certain privileges.
During the Spanish-American War in 1898 the United States acquired Guam, and the following year Spain withdrew from the Pacific, selling all her remaining Micronesian possessions to Germany for $4,500,000.
The German Period
This period highlighted the development of trade and production of copra. Copra, the dried meat of the coconut, is used for making margarine, cooking oil, soap, cosmetics and animal feed. It was in 1864 that a German chemist introduced copra-making in the Marshalls, and it has become the basic product of a whole chain of industries. Coconut is one of the mainstays of the islander, furnishing food and water, material for mats and thatch.
World War I ended the rule of the Germans and placed Micronesia in the hands of the Japanese, who were mandated guardianship by the League of Nations.
The Japanese Period
The Japanese were no strangers to Micronesia, as their first trader had gone to the island of Truk in 1891. An intensive program to exploit the economic resources of Micronesia began with the Japanese control. Of all the foreign powers to rule, Japan is the only one that seriously undertook to colonize the area.
Japan withdrew from the League of Nations in 1935; and while the mandate had instructed them to refrain from establishing any military or naval bases, the facts show that during the twenty-five years Japan had control she kept out visitors to protect the secrecy of fortifications she was building in preparation for World War II.
In the meantime the colonizing of the islands was going 'full speed ahead.' When World War II began, there were 50,000 Micronesians and 70,000 Okinawans and Koreans that had been brought in as laborers. By 1940 the city of Koror was a thriving Oriental metropolis with 30,000 people, and factories, large restaurants, geisha houses, drugstores, and so forth. Palauans had never seen anything like it before or since. This island still has the strongest Japanese influence of any island in Micronesia.
Some of the fiercest battles of World War II were fought on the islands of Guam, Saipan, Ulithi, Peleliu, Truk, Koror and Kwajalein. Historians show that over 40,000 persons died in just the battles of Saipan and Guam, plus the thousands of wounded. In 1944 the United States forces took possession of the Marianas and the Palaus.
The scars of war still remain in Micronesia, although tropical foliage covers many of them, such as the deteriorating vehicle skeletons. Many unexploded bombs and other death-dealing live ammunition are still found in Micronesia.
Even though they were noncombatants, hundreds of Micronesians died when their islands were invaded. One of the first postwar requests that the Trukese made of their new administering authority was that if there had to be a third world war, would the United States please hold it somewhere else.
The American Period
After the war the United Nations mandated Micronesia to the United States. On Kwajalein, the biggest atoll in the world, is the United States test site for Nike missiles. The same secrecy surrounds Kwajalein today as under the Japanese occupation. Only United States military personnel are allowed to live there, and even natives working at the site are not allowed to live there. They are ferried back and forth to the nearby island of Ebeye. The island of Kwajalein has a very high salary rate, and even the Catholic priest hired by an American company that handled logistics of the islands gets $10,000 per year. Wages are extremely low in the rest of Micronesia among the native population.
Bikini and Eniwetok atolls are famous as the site of the atom bomb tests begun in 1946. The former inhabitants were moved to other islands. Because the shellfish and reef fish in the lagoon and much of the vegetation are still radioactive, these atolls are uninhabited.
Copra still remains the main agricultural product. Two-thirds of the productive land is under coconut cultivation. In 1967 over 12,000 tons were exported to Japan. The islanders take great pride in their beautiful handicrafts and export them through private retail stores in KwaJalein, Koror and Guam.
Distance from the United States mainland and between the islands causes many transportation and communication problems. But in the past year two flights a week from Hawaii and weekly flights between the islands have solved many of these problems.
Local Customs
Because of the diverse races, languages and conditions of Micronesia, the customs and laws are also varied. The Micronesian, who goes in for a big family, views his land differently from persons in other lands who think of land in terms of trade and money.
Take the Marshallese, for example. To him the land means life. It means trees, animals for food and a place to build his home. His land is not for sale; it is only inherited. Every Marshallese has rights to some piece of land on his home island.
In Yap a caste system based on land ownership exists. The right to possess land is held by individuals, not families. The Micronesian woman acquires no interest in her husband's land, nor he in hers, except that it is shared during the marriage. With the exception of Yap, the Chamorros of the Marianas and parts of Ponape, land is inherited in almost every instance through the mother.
Because certain chores are performed only by women, daughters are prized. It has become a custom in Palau for the women to support the men. So as one man said: "A man with many daughters and sisters and a wife is a rich man. So every man gets married as soon as he can and then prays for daughters."
It is written in the Territory Code Bill of Rights: "Due recognition shall be given to local customs in providing a system of law." But then the problems start. Sometimes it is difficult to know just what local customs are and whether they conflict with some local law. In the Ponape district a male landowner must share his property with his landless male relatives and all his husbandless female ones. In Yap it is considered improper to mention the name of a dead person. It is considered bad manners in Palau to ask a young person, "How is your father or mother?" One must ask about them by their given
names. From the age of six or seven the child begins to use the personal names of his parents and grandparents. In Truk it is considered bad manners to pat a child on its head.
Native religion originally was primarily ancestor worship, but the famous stone ruins of Kusale, Ponape and Yap testify to a highly religious past of inhabitants unknown to the oldest native.
Catholicism, Protestantism, Buddhism and Shintoism have left their marks on Micronesia, but a new voice is now being heard.
Those in Guam were the first to hear the message of God's kingdom, in 1951, when a group of Filipino witnesses of Jehovah working there began having a group Bible study and later began preaching to others. Saipan first heard the good news in 1962, with the arrival of missionaries. The Marshalls received the message first in 1964. The following year missionaries were sent to the Marshalls and Ponape from Hawaii, while other missionaries were sent from the United States mainland to Truk. The year 1968 marked the beginning of regular Kingdom preaching in Yap and Palau by missionaries sent from Hawaii.
Today there is great respect shown for the Bible in Micronesia, and one who is preaching from door to door finds practically every door open to him.
Those putting their trust in Jehovah and his Son Jesus Christ will soon see these beautiful coral islands become part of God's earth-wide paradise. Along with other islands, Micronesia will help fulfill the psalmist's prophecy: "Jehovah himself has become king! Let the earth be joyful. Let the many islands rejoice." —Ps. 97:1.
THE SMALLEST BIRD
With a length of only two inches, the bee hummingbird is the smallest of all birds.
HE two giant movable antennae and the control station loom into view as we drive westward from Port Stanley, Falkland Islands. We are approaching one of the many space-satellite tracking stations located around the earth.
When we arrive, we first visit the control room of the tracking station. On entering the door we see an information board showing the times that the ESROII satellite is due to pass over today. Since the next scheduled pass will be in about fifteen minutes we have time to look around the control room.
Our guide, one of the technicians, assures us that the project is completely nonmilitary and that it is only concerned with studying earth's environment. The tracking equipment is not radar, and can make contact only with active artificial spacecraft. The ground equipment consists of a powerful radio transmitter and receiver designed to keep in touch with
a certain satellite. This craft is specially equipped to gather certain specific data on its orbital travels, and then to transmit the data to the tracking station when it passes overhead. The satellite can also receive commands from the ground station to make it perform certain duties.
One of the two huge antennae is used to transmit commands to the passing satellite, while the other one receives information. Being directional, the antennae must be aimed at the fast-moving space object and follow its path across the sky. These move automatically, but can be moved manually if desired.
This tracking station is operated by Britain's Science Research Council on behalf of the European Space Research Organization, which consists of ten European countries. Three other stations track this same ESRO-II satellite. Other networks have their own satellites that they track for similar reasons.
Our guide now shows us an elaborate array of electronic equipment, desks with panels, many rows of knobs, buttons, dials, meters and monitor tubes. He patiently explains how they work and what they mean. However, before we can track a satellite we must have one to track. Of what does a satellite consist? What does it do?
The Satellite
Various institutions are invited to take a part in drawing up plans for the construction of a scientific satellite. The ESRO-II craft, which the Falkland Islands station tracks, is shared by seven organizations, mostly universities; five British, one French and one Dutch.
Each was assigned a limited portion in the craft, and then built the equipment to be used for their particular part in the program.
ESRO-II was put in orbit on May 17, 1968, by a four-stage rocket from California. It was the forty-first satellite launching since January 1, 1968. The craft is a twelve-sided polygon, containing a maximum number of solar cells to provide sufficient electric power to operate all the equipment on board. When passing through sunlight it accumulates enough current to charge its solar batteries and keep all equipment operating while it passes through earth's shadow.
Satellites may be almost any size, weight or shape, depending upon their purpose. ESRO-II is only 35.5 inches long and 27.9 inches wide and weighs 166 pounds. The highest point of its orbit, or apogee, is 650 miles above the earth, while its lowest point, or perigee, is about 200 miles high. It makes one complete orbit around the earth every ninety-nine minutes at a speed of about 15,000 miles per hour.
Our technician guide now notes that it is time for ESRO-II to appear. So he asks to be excused to attend to his duties during the pass. Let us watch.
The Pass
Tension mounts as each man takes his post. We watch the men quickly check over their complicated electronic equipment. Outside, the huge antennae swing toward the northern horizon. "Ah, there it is!" someone exclaims.
Suddenly the control room is humming with activity. Although the satellite is too small and too high to be seen with the naked eye, yet the giant sensitive antennae follow its course across the sky. Meanwhile, it is sending down a vast amount of valuable information for scientific use. Tape recorders spin. Needles hustle back and forth across moving graph paper. Lights and numbers flash off and on. Everyone is busy.
While an above-the-horizon pass may take twenty minutes, the craft's orbit can be at almost any angle or direction, and its time above the horizon can vary greatly. Sometimes it barely loops over the edge of the horizon and quickly disappears. However, it makes about six useful passes each day.
Transmitting the Data
After the pass is completed the technicians teletype the accumulated data to the European Space Research Organization control center in Germany. The recorded tapes are also shipped to this center. From there the information is sifted out and forwarded to specific departments for scientific processing. The work of the tracking station personnel is to keep all equipment functioning so that the data is gathered properly and reaches its destination.
The satellite carries a tape recorder capable of recording all the data it accumulates on a complete orbit. When the spacecraft comes within range of a tracking station it can be commanded to play back the entire tape in just four minutes, and this is rerecorded by the ground station. After the playback, the satellite then continues recording on the next orbit. Included in the information gathered by the satellite is that concerning solar and cosmic radiations, X rays, solar and Van Allen belt protons, alpha particles, high-energy particles and electromagnetic radiation emitted by the sun.
After the rush is over, there is some free time before the next pass, so our guide returns to tell us more about artificial spacecraft. He explains; "There are four basic uses for nonmilitary satellites in scientific study.
One is to prepare the way for manned flights into space. A second is to improve weather forecasts. Another is to improve communications. And a fourth is to learn more about our earth's environment and the universe."
Useful Services Provided
Studies by artificial satellites opened the way for man to venture outside his spacecraft while orbiting high above earth. It was learned that an astronaut would not be killed by solar rays, and that the danger of being battered by meteorites is not as great as was originally thought.
Another example of the usefulness of satellites is in the field of weather forecasting. Weather satellites transmit pictures of storm formations and can tell the strength and direction of the wind. They are really flying weather stations, and they are especially useful when orbiting over isolated areas where no other weather stations exist. Recently a satellite picture of Antarctica provided valuable information that enabled the rescue ship "John Biscoe" to plot a safe course through dangerous pack ice.
But no doubt the greatest practical service that satellites have served is in the field of communication. On April 6, 1965, the world's first successful commercial communications satellite, called Early Bird, was lifted into earth orbit. It became an active commercial transporter of radio, television, telephone and other types of communications. It now has been joined by a number of other satellites that have increased the capacity of communications, as well as the area over which communications can be transmitted.
These satellites are positioned about 22- 300 miles above earth so that their orbital speed is synchronized with the speed of the earth's rotation. Thus, in effect, they hover in one spot in space. Early
Bird was positioned over the Atlantic Ocean between Brazil and Africa. In January 1967 another communications satellite was positioned near the international date line, providing commercial service between the United States, Hawaii, Japan, Australia, Thailand and the Philippines. In April another one was positioned over the Atlantic Ocean, and in September 1967 yet another was placed over the Pacific.
On December 18, 1968, the first in a new series of communications satellites was launched to join those already mentioned. It is called Intelsat-A, and it is the most advanced of civil communications satellites. Intelsat-A is expected to double the world's previous capacity to relay telephone and television transmissions through space. Intelsat 3-B, Intelsat 3-C and Intelsat 3-D are all scheduled for launching in 1969, and these will make worldwide communications coverage complete, except for the polar areas.
End of an Interesting Visit
Before we leave the tracking station here in the Falkland Islands, we ask our guide: "How long will a satellite stay in orbit?"
"Well, that depends on many factors," he answers. "Even though it may be far above our atmosphere, a spacecraft is affected slightly by free atoms, meteorites and a noticeable drag from various magnetic fields, solar forces and gravity. Therefore, no man-made satellite will remain in orbit indefinitely."
As we thank our courteous guide for his kind attention and leave, we appreciate man's advances in technology and his discoveries in science. However, we are also moved to recall some of the excellent qualities of the Creator's perfect satellites, the moon and planets, which remain in orbit and are never in danger of falling to their destruction.—Ps. 89:37.
A Preaching Chain Reaction
NE can never foresee the results of the preaching of the good news of God's kingdom. A presiding minister of Jehovah's witnesses in Maine relates this delightful experience:
"In 1965, my wife called on a young woman named Sherrill who seemed mildly interested. Since we called on those who seemed more interested, it was a month or two before we revisited her. She was repeatedly on our mind and something kept urging us to call back on her. When we did, she told us that she was interested in the Mormons, for she felt their religion was strong. We discussed the immortality of the soul, which is a basic Mormon doctrine. When we showed her that the Bible did not teach this she started to study the Bible with us that afternoon.
"Later we asked her if her husband would like to study too. She thought not. However, one day her husband, Will, was home, and we explained to him what we were teaching his wife. We invited him to study and, on learning it was only an hour a week, he accepted. After some time, Will's brother, Jeff, visited him, and Will explained to him the pagan origin of Christmas. Jeff became keenly interested and immediately spoke to his wife, Marlene. Both agreed to join Will and Sherrill in their Bible study. Soon Jeff and Marlene requested their own study.
"At this time, Jeff's close friend, Dick, from Washington, D.C., was visiting him, and Jeff spoke to him too. Dick asked that the Witnesses in Washington study with him. Jeff now wrote to his relatives and aroused the interest of his older brother, Mitchell. In the meantime, Will and Sherrill had two sisters, Cathy and Alana, sitting in on their Bible study.
"When Linda came home from the Peace Corps, Will and Sherrill spoke to her about God's truth. They brought her to visit us so that we could answer her many questions. Yes, she too joined Will and Sherrill in studying the Bible, even attending Jeff's study too. In fact, her enthusiasm moved Cathy to sit in Jeff's study too. When Linda went to Washington she stayed with Dick and his wife. Her
preaching moved them to put off studying the Bible no longer, as they had been doing.
'They now all went to visit Mitchell, Linda's older brother, and told him the Kingdom good news. He, too, took action in regard to studying, for he looked up the Kingdom Hall and arranged for a Bible study in his home. On Sunday, he and his family attended the public talk and the Watchtower study. About this time we decided to hold a study with Linda and Cathy, and this prompted Alana to start studying with us. Jeff now came to the Kingdom Hall to attend a meeting. This moved Marlene, Will, Sherrill and their children to start attending the meetings, which they have done ever since. Today Will, Sherrill, Jeff, Linda, Cathy and Alana are all enrolled in the Theocratic Ministry School and they have given excellent talks.
"Jeff and Marlene talked with a couple in their neighborhood and they too became interested and began to study the Bible. When friends of this couple visited them, they were given an explanation of the Bible. They became so interested that I had to go to the home where they were visiting and answer their many questions. They requested our literature and asked for a study to be arranged for them in Philadelphia, where they live. They are studying now.
"One night Jeff and Marlene were at their place of work. During the thunderstorm, the owner cried out to Jeff. It sounds like Armageddon is coming!" Bob, the local policeman standing by, asked Jeff, "Arma-what? That was all Jeff needed, and Bob was given an explanation. You guessed it; he became interested, and the next day we were studying the Bible with him and his wife. Bob then got a neighborhood couple interested, and we are studying with them also. Bob and his family began attending meetings, and Bob is enrolled in the Theocratic Ministry School.
"Jeff has since then talked to an older sister named Virgie. Today she is having a study in her hometown with the wife of the presiding minister there.
"The 1967 district assembly added fuel to their enthusiasm. They returned determined to apply themselves to the work of preaching."
Three Men for a Diamond
GLITTERING gems of beauty and brilliance, quest of princes, prize of queens, admired by all, outliving empires and dynasties! Yes, diamonds—not only the hardest naturally occurring substance known to man, but rated one of the most valuable. Doubt-
by "Awake!" correspondent in the British Isles
less you too have marveled at the luster of the diamond and wondered about the secret of its fiery splendor. Diamonds surely have a sparkle all their own.
When first found, the diamond may be just a pretty pebble. Often it does not even have a shine, being covered with a dull, grayish film. In fact, only the expert is likely to detect a precious diamond in its primitive state. The real value and the brilliance of diamonds on a royal crown or a costly ring have been produced by patient craftsmen—men who spend many months or even years sawing, cutting and polishing.
Only about one out of four "rough diamonds," as they are called when in the natural state, will be suitable for gemmaking. The rest will be channeled into industrial uses. Of the world's total of rough diamonds, 90 percent are distributed in London through the Diamond Trading Company. Here they are sorted as to purity, color and size, and sold to diamond factories in small packages called "sights."
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