[page 2] CONSOLATION "And in His name shall the nations hope." — Matthew 12:21, A.R.V. Brooklyn, N.Y., Wednesday, April 19, 1939 — Number 511 --- **Contents** Goyaz, One of Earth's Treasure-Houses — 3 The Fruits of Paradise — 4 Trees That Manufacture Cloth — 6 Milk Problems in Brazil — 10 U.S.A. Judiciary — 11 The New Government — 12 Brief History of Wongs — 12 A Happy Family — 14 The Keystone State — 15 Italy — 16 Counsel by J. F. Rutherford — 17 Magazines — 17 Motoring — 18 Under the Totalitarian Flag — 19 Took Just One Week — 20 "He Died That Same Day" — 21 Protecting the Racketeers — 21 Palestine — 21 Is Naturopathy a Crime? — 22 International Murderers — 25 New York's Temple of Religion — 26 British Comment — 27 Political Chessboard — 28 Roman Catholicism and Fascism — 28 Freethinkers — Religious Section — 29 "Gentleman" Franco — 29 Praying for Peace — 30 Aviation — 31 --- Published every other Wednesday by THE GOLDEN AGE PUBLISHING COMPANY, INC. 117 Adams St., Brooklyn, N.Y., U.S.A. President — Clayton J. Woodworth Vice-President — Nathan H. Knorr Secretary and Treasurer — Charles E. Wagner Five Cents a Copy $1 a year in the United States $1.50 to Canada and all other countries NOTICE TO SUBSCRIBERS Remittances: For your own safety, remit by postal or express money order. When coin or currency is lost in the ordinary mail, there is no redress. Remittances from countries other than those named below may be made to the Brooklyn office, but only by international money order. Receipt of a new or renewal subscription will be acknowledged only when requested. Notice of Expiration is sent with the journal one month before subscription expires. Please renew promptly to avoid loss of copies. Send change of address direct to us rather than to the post office. Your request should reach us at least two weeks before the date of issue with which it is to take effect. Send your old as well as the new address. Copies will not be forwarded by the post office to your new address unless extra postage is provided by you. Published also in Afrikaans, Bohemian, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Japanese, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Ukrainian; also special Australian edition in English. OFFICES FOR OTHER COUNTRIES England — 34 Craven Terrace, London, W.2 Canada — 40 Irwin Avenue, Toronto 5, Ontario Australia — 7 Beresford Road, Strathfield, N.S.W. South Africa — 623 Boston House, Cape Town Entered as second-class matter at Brooklyn, N.Y., under the Act of March 3, 1879. --- **Appetizers** **A Look to the Future** Douglas had reached the age of 7 when he was promoted to the dignity of having a room to himself. His fond parents had furnished it with great care and showed it to him with no little pride and satisfaction. Douglas viewed it in silence. "Now, son," said his father, "this furniture is of the best. It will last you a lifetime!" Still Douglas kept silent. "Don't you like it, Douglas?" "Oh, yes. I like it. But how do I know my wife will like it?" --- **Not Guilt !** A big steward stood at the gangway of a big liner, and kept shouting: "First class to the right; second class to the left." A young woman stepped daintily aboard with a baby in her arms. As she hesitated before the steward, he bent over her and said, in his chivalrous way: "First or second?" "Oh!" said the girl, her face as red as a rose. "Oh, dear, neither — I'm only the nurse." — *Labour.* --- **O Timothy ! Timothy !** Sir George said yesterday: "I hope to light such a candle as will nip in the bud such a tyrannical attempt to gnaw at the impregnable foundations of our Empire's lifeblood. Every gentleman worthy of the name will rise to defend 'the ladies, God bless them', and strike such a blow for these brave little women as will unmask the hidden hand of the Australian hydra which is blighting sweet Imperial womanhood with its iron foot." — Timothy Shy, in the *London News Chronicle.* --- The small girl met the doctor near her home. "You brought a little baby next door, didn't you?" she inquired. "Yes," he answered. "Shall I bring one to your house?" "No, thanks," came the prompt reply. "Why, we've scarcely time even to wash the dog." — *Labour.* --- CONSOLATION --- **Goyaz, One of Earth's Treasure-Houses** GOYAZ is the central state of [Brazil, covered with forest, where the land is very fertile and pro-] [page 3] Brazil, being the seventh in area among the twenty-one states of the republic. It is about three times as long as it is wide, running lengthwise north to south. Its area is 288,536 square miles, and the population is estimated at about 1,000,000, which gives a density of a little more than three inhabitants to the square mile. The altitude varies from 300 to 1,700 meters above sea level; the climate also varies from chilly in the elevated sections to hot and sultry in the low places near the rivers. The central high plateau forms the principal water divide of Brazil, where several of the largest rivers have their sources, amidst beautiful wild scenery. Some running east are tributaries of the Rio S. Francisco, which empties into the Atlantic at Penedo; some run south into the Rio Paranahyba, which empties into the Parana; others run west and north into the Araguaya and the Tocantins, which empty into the Amazon. Some geologists think that the high plateau of Goyaz was the first dry land that appeared after the great Flood. Agricultural Possibilities. Goyaz being high and dry, the climate is very pleasant and in general healthful, except along the large water courses, which are malarious during several months of the year, directly after the rainy season and the overflows. But by being careful and taking certain precautions, one can avoid the malarial fevers. The southern portion of this state is composed mainly of vast rolling and level hills, covered with several varieties of coarse native grasses and, in some places, low, scrubby trees, forming thickets; in others, open pasture lands, or "campos", as they are called in Brazil. Following the main streams there is generally a narrow or wide border of dense ductive; and here the majority of the people live and raise their crops. Farming is still carried on in a primitive manner. The underbrush and vines are cut with a blade about two inches wide and seven or eight in length, with a curved point, fixed to a handle four feet long; then the large trees are felled with the ax. This is done in the dry season. After two or three months the field is set on fire and all this mass of leaves, branches, creepers, etc., is burned, leaving a thick layer of ashes, and only the large trunks remaining; but these either rot, in a few years, or are reduced to ashes by succeeding fires. The day after the "conflagration" the farmer begins planting his field. With the corner of the hoe he digs a shallow hole, into which a few grains of corn, rice or beans are dropped, and covers them with his foot. Generally one hoeing out is sufficient to keep down the sprouts and weeds until harvest. Primitive Methods Still Used In spite of the demonstration stations, maintained by the Federal Department of Agriculture, free advice and valuable assistance given, even to loaning modern agricultural implements, very few farmers in this state have availed themselves of this help. So the majority of the crops, consisting of rice, corn, coffee, sugar cane, beans, cotton, potatoes, wheat, mandioca (manihot), are still cultivated in this primitive style. Strange to say, only a small portion of these products are shipped out of the state, due to high freight rates and lack of transportation facilities. Indeed this is the greatest hindrance to the development of the vast natural resources of this wonderful rich state of Brazil. Mandioca or maniva is the poor man's food supply in this country, as it grows on any kind of land. [page 4] The native squatter plants a small plot of ground near his dwelling, by burying short pieces of mandioca branches, and in six months he can dig out as many roots as are required for his daily consumption. If roasted in hot ashes the tubers take the place of bread; boiled with a piece of meat or fish mandioca is very palatable and nutritious. It is mostly made into flour or "farinha", by peeling and grating the roots, then thoroughly drying while stirring in wide shallow pans over a mild fire of coals. This farinha can be prepared in many ways for the table. The stalks and roots may be left growing in the field for several years; the older, the larger they grow; some have been measured seven feet in length and have weighed 45 pounds. The Fruits of Paradise In the poorly-kept orchards on the farms or in the back yards of the villages are found all the tropical fruits: oranges, limes, lemons, mangoes, mao mao or papaya, bananas, peaches, figs, mulberries, quinces, ahacates (avocados) or alligator pears, and grapes which bear two crops a year in this state. Among the native and wild fruits must be mentioned guavas, jaboticabas, mangabas, cajus, maracujas, jacas, genipapos and many others. In some localities European fruits can be grown also. In the northern section of the state watermelons can be grown all the year round. The mangabeira, besides producing a very sweet-smelling and tasty fruit, gives latex which makes a good quality of rubber. In one district there are many miles covered only with wild guava trees, which produce enormous quantities, but all goes to waste. In another region one can travel for leagues through thickets of caju trees. Every year vast quantities of this useful fruit ripen, fall on the ground, and rot. Around Santa Luzia, 15 leagues from the railroad, quinces grow profusely, and the production of "marmelada", or quince preserves, has become an industry there, and the product is sold in all the towns. On an elevated table land large quantities of arnica plant can be gathered, where it grows wild. In some places in the forest vanilla or baunilha grows and produces abundantly, but no one gathers it, although it brings a good price. Mineral Treasures No doubt Goyaz is one of the richest regions in this country in minerals. Here have been found rich deposits of iron, rutilo, nickel, gold, diamonds, mica, kaolin, slate, graphite, ocher of all colors, fine clay for brick, tile and china ware, silver, crystal, etc. The crystals from Goyaz have been pronounced of the finest grade in the world, due to not having the least trace of iron. The nickel mine near S. Jose do Tocantins extends over a large tract of land, and is second only to the famous Caledonia mine in quantity and percentage. Lately another large mine of the same ore has been discovered near the old capital, Goyaz. Near Trinidade, for many miles the stagnant water is covered with a film of oil smelling strongly of petroleum, showing evidence of a rich oil supply near the surface, awaiting to be tapped. Unfortunately only small amounts of these minerals are being mined and exported at present. Washing Out Gold by Hand Gold is washed out in a primitive way. The gold-bearing gravel is taken from the bottom of the rivers or from formations near a stream, and washed in a wooden basin by a circular motion, repeatedly pouring out the dirty water with the debris, letting in clean water by dipping the "batea" or basin in the stream, until only the small flakes of gold are left with the heaviest material. To accomplish this feat advantageously, the gold-seeker must stand in the stream. Yet in this primitive manner is obtained from 15$000 to 20$000 worth of gold per day, equal to about one U.S.A. dollar. When the "garimpeiro" has consumed the amount of food and "cachaca" (gin) he can purchase with that amount, then only will he go back to seek for more. The same process is employed to secure diamonds. It is claimed that during the time of slavery in Brazil many troops of black mules were sent off loaded with gold from Goyaz. One of the main centers of production was around the old capital. They say that even now after a heavy rain small nuggets are picked up by schoolboys from the gutters in the streets of the old city. At another ancient town, Crixa, 40 leagues beyond, there is a rich gold mine, now abandoned because of the distance and lack of transportation. They say that in the steeple of the old church at Crixa there is a bell, about one meter high and nearly a meter wide at the mouth, made of gold and silver taken from the mines and cast there about a century ago. After freedom was given to the slaves in Brazil, in 1888, most of the gold mining was abandoned in this as well as in other sections of the country. Yet at present there are many people engaged in making their living by washing out gold and diamonds by hand in several places in Goyaz and Matto Grosso. The larger number of "garimpeiros" collect wherever the turnout is best. At one place over 5,000 are at work. Trees That Manufacture Cloth In the forests are found a great variety of medicinal herbs, beautiful orchids, valuable timbers and curious plants. The bark of one kind of trees can be stripped off in thin layers from one to two feet wide and as long as required; after drying it becomes dark brown, very strong, and a good imitation of thick cloth. Where these trees grow the Indians sew two or three strips together, which they use for blankets. There are many kinds of hollow canes or bamboo, of which the Indians and natives make many useful articles, such as baskets, mats, sieves, etc. Where the roads are not suitable for oxcarts, or the people are too poor to possess them, all transportation is done on pack mules, the goods and farm produce being carried in large strong baskets made of bamboo, one hung to each side of the pack saddle. The palm family is well represented in this state, as here many varieties grow promiscuously, some of them very valuable. From the leaves of one small palm, the "tucum", is taken a fiber much stronger than linen, of which the Indians make their fish lines, nets, etc. The graceful "buriti" in great numbers lends a distinctive mark to the landscape, with [page 5] its large, fan-shaped leaves growing along the banks of the streams and swampy lands. It bears several bunches a year of dark brown, varnished nuts, about the size and shape of an egg. Between the outer shell and the kernel there is a soft white mass, which can be made into a tasty and nutritious sweetmeat. Some of these bunches weigh 120 pounds. From the young leaves, torn in strips, strong cords and hammocks are made. It would require a volume to describe all the different kinds of palms growing wild here, but before passing on special mention must be made of the fact that groups or wild Indians are found still wandering over this territory. Waterfalls are plentiful. The most important are found on the Paranahyba river, which marks the boundary between the state of Minas Geraes and Goyaz. The beautiful "Cachoeira Dourada", or Golden Cataract, deserves special notice, being estimated to produce electric current equal to 400,000 horsepower. There are many others of smaller capacity. Most of the principal towns have electric lights and power. It is almost impossible to de- [page 6] should be made of the "Babuassti" palm, the most important of all. These are encountered in untold numbers, literally covering vast tracts of land, in this as well as in other northern states. It grows everywhere, bears graceful leaves, some measuring 10 feet wide and 25 feet long. There are from 200 to 300 cocos in each cluster, from two to six clusters on a tree. From the kernels the natives prepare oil for seasoning food and for their lamps. A few years ago it was discovered that babuasst; oil is a most important industrial product, splendid for lubricating purposes, and a good basis for soap manufacture; it provides a vegetable butter considered better than that from cows' milk; it gives a combustible oil of first quality for internal-combustion motors; it is superior to kerosene oil; the shells produce more calories than mineral oil, therefore making an excellent combustible for railway locomotives. If there were navigation facilities available, unlimited quantities of this valuable product of nature could be easily shipped down the Araguaya and Tocantins rivers to the port of Belem on the Amazon and from there exported to foreign markets where there is a growing demand for it, thereby bringing in large capital, so much required for developing other natural resources. An Unexplored Utopia The watershed draining towards the north, composing the largest portion of the state, is covered with virgin forests and rough grazing lands, where droves of wild deer and ostriches roam at will, most of it unexplored. The land is very fertile and productive, and only a few scattered dwellers are found, along the large streams, who subsist mainly by hunting and fishing. Very little is known of the valuable resources to be found in this vast wilderness, lying as nature left it. A few tribes scribe the beautiful scenery on the Araguaya river, which divides Goyaz from Matto Grosso. Long stretches of wide, white, sandy beaches, where great numbers of waterfowl of many kinds and of gorgeous colors collect in search of food. Both margins of the stream, which is from a quarter to a half mile wide, present a dense wall of dark green, the outline of which is so clearly reflected by the sunlight or moonlight, in the gently flowing waters, while droves of parrots of different sizes and bright hues fly overhead, keeping up an incessant chatter, from the small green parakeet to the large blue-black and yellow-breasted macaws, or "araras", as they are called. Then come the big "tocanos" (toucans), with yellow and red bills, eight inches in length, wearing a black coat with bright red vest; also lovely white cranes, storks, ducks and kingfishers. But lack of space will not permit a description of all the species of birds and game found in this wonderful region. This river is also famous for the quantity and variety of fish that come up every year during the overflows to spawn. Then as the waters go down tons of fish are caught in the depressions, where they soon die and decay as the water dries away. Here many wild animals and birds of prey collect to gorge themselves. The largest fish found in this river is the "Pirarucu", sometimes weighing 150 pounds. When salted and dried the flesh is more nutritious than codfish. What fine prospects for the establishment of a cannery! Earth's Largest Inland Island Many go to the Araguaya to appreciate the fine and novel scenery. At one place the river divides into two branches: the smaller, flowing to the east, is called "Braco Menor", and the larger, to the west, "Braco Maior"; they meet again at the lower end of an island CONSOLATION 300 kilometers [186 miles] long by 50 to 60 kilometers [31 to 37 miles] in width. It is considered the largest inland island in the world. It is covered with forests and fine grazing fields for raising cattle, and is inhabited by two tribes of tame Indians, the Carajas and the Javahes, who subsist on what they can find in the woods and the river. A Catholic mission post was opened there some years ago to attempt to catechize them. A Protestant missionary also opened a branch there and started teaching the Indians and Brazilian settlers, but the Catholic bishop, hearing of his activities, and having a strong pull with the state government, succeeded in having the American missionary expelled and prohibited from returning to the island during five years. So in spite of separation of church and state since the advent of the republican government in Brazil, which guarantees equal freedom to all creeds, we find the Catholic organization still holding sway and having their own way in most cases. This interesting island called "Ilha do Bananal" is considered one of the richest mineral regions in this state, especially in gold and diamonds. Malarial fevers and other tropical diseases during six months of the year are the principal drawbacks that hinder the development of the hidden treasures of this region. There are many curious and interesting insects encountered here, which cannot be described for lack of space, but, before going on, notice should be given to bees, of which there are many wild species. They produce honey, making their nests in hollow trees. Although the "Apis Melifera", tame or European bees, are very seldom raised by the inhabitants, they are met with everywhere, making their hives and storing away large stocks of honey in hollow trees, also under the ledges of rock or in the caves on the sides of banks and cliffs, where the honeycombs reach from the roof to the floor. From one of these caves full of bees, 18 tins holding 20 liters [about 5¼ gallons] each were taken at one time full of honey. A Progressive Interventor Before November, 1937, the governors of the several states in Brazil were called presidents; since then they are called Federal Interventors. In 1932 the present "interventor", Dr. Pedro Ludovico, decided to transfer the capital of this state from the old city of Goyaz, which is badly situated and a great distance from the railway, to a more central and accessible point. After examining several places, finally preference was given to a nice tract of open land with a gradual slope, only 12 leagues from the present terminus of the railroad, surrounded by forests. The new capital was named Goyania. Here work soon began according to carefully drawn plans, opening wide streets and avenues, leading off from a central circular plaza, like spokes from the hub of a wheel. Around this plaza were constructed the principal public buildings, both state and federal, while the surrounding plots were sold to private individuals, who are rapidly building their modern-style bungalows for residence or for rent, besides many stores and shops. So there is much work, trading and traffic going on, and newcomers are arriving every day. What was only a grass-covered field a few years ago has now been transformed into a thriving center of activity, and it is anticipated that this infant city will soon become one of the most important in the interior of Brazil. All this has been accomplished due to the courage and tenacity of one man, Dr. Pedro Ludovico, who had to overcome many difficulties and fight against much opposition. There are still some hard heads who insist and hope that the capital will be moved back to the old city, which is gradually losing its importance, and many houses are being vacated. The great effort and success of this enterprise is considered one of the most important achievements in this country. On an elevated plateau, where the principal rivers have their sources, 1,600 meters above sea level, a section many miles square has been surveyed and reserved by the Federal government, where, to this high, healthful spot, it is expected to move, in some future time, the capital of the republic from Rio de Janeiro. Motor Roads, but Few Railroads Nearly all the towns and cities in this state are connected by motorcar roads, but most of them are in bad condition, requiring repairs. Still a great amount of traffic is carried on by truck and motorcars, in spite of the high price of gasoline, which is sold at about ten times the price at which it is delivered in Santos. The old solid, wooden wheel oxcarts, with fixed axle, loudly screeching, drawn by from three to seven yoke of oxen, are slowly giving way to modern and more rapid means of transport. There is only one railroad in Goyaz, which reached Anapolis, the present terminus, three years ago, about 300 kilometers from the boundary with Minas Geraes. This railroad (Estrada de Ferro Goyaz) starts from Araguary, the terminus of the Mogyana Railroad. Due to being the stopping point of the railway, Annapolis is growing rapidly and is one of the busiest towns, as here a large amount of commerce is carried on with other districts, and many traders, agents and tourists are constantly passing by. From S. Paulo to Annapolis takes two days' travel by train. Besides this, there is another means of reaching the interior of Goyaz, by taking passage at Belem on the Amazon on one of the small steamers that make irregular trips up the Araguaya river to Leopoldina, the last port of navigation on that river; but this latter route is very seldom used, due to the time required for the trip. [page 7] The Religious Racket In Goyaz, as in other places in Brazil where the Catholic priests hold sway, there are several localities where yearly festivals are held, dedicated to some of the many "saints" of their own invention. According to the fame and material resources, a larger or smaller structure is built, erroneously called a "church", where all the images, candles, crucifixes and other gewgaws are kept. To make the business pay well, pilgrims must be attracted. So the rumor is spread relating the great healing powers attributed to that special "saint" whose name is given to the church and town. Wonderful stories are told of persons arriving there in the last stages of some dangerous or incurable disease and being suddenly cured by repeating a prayer before the image or by using some "Agua Benta", that is, water "blessed" by the Catholic priest. So the fame spreads far and wide. Before a certain day set for the opening of festivities, which sometimes last from eight [page 9] C'ONSOLATION The Biggest Rake-Off But the main racket is in the hands of the priests, who make themselves conspicuous, moving among the crowds, dressed in black gowns, red socks and queer three-cornered hats, ever ready and waiting to receive the presents of every description and sums of money offered to the "saint", from poor and rich. So between the pickpockets, gamblers, and the priests — the poor ignorant people are robbed of their hard-earned savings during the year; but the pope's agents generally get the lion's share of the rake-off. Naturally the main attraction of the show is the procession. Two lines of little girls take the lead, dressed in white, with wings on their shoulders to appear as angels; then come several images, each one supported on poles, carried on the shoulders of four men; next the chief priest walking with solemn stride, with his eyes fixed on a little book held in his hand; a silver crucifix hangs below his waist, suspended by a cord around his neck; a yellow canopy with gold embroidery is carried over his head, attached to poles held by four lackies walking at his side; then come other priests with sedate faces, followed by the brass band playing an anthem in a subdued and measured tone; next come two files of men dressed in purple mother-hubbards, carrying lighted candles in their hands; then in the rear the people follow in a solid mass, all trying to keep as near as possible to the main actor in the show. The procession follows a certain route around the church square or through the streets of the town, all looking as grave as possible. Then as the parade returns and the images begin entering the church door, the bells start ringing, dozens of sky-rockets shoot up, each one carrying three bombs which explode high in the air, and at short intervals larger bombs fixed to a frame in front of the church fall as the fire releases them and burst with a loud report equal to a cannon. As the people enter the door each one makes the sign of the cross. On the last day of the festa an auction is held, at which most of the presents offered to the "saint" are sold to the highest bidder. This is a great source of revenue for the "church". It is strange to see the variety of articles that are offered: from a yoke of oxen down to cakes, bordered cushions and towels, etc. At one of these heathen feasts held yearly it was estimated that about 5,000 oxcarts were seen at a place called "Agua Suja", that is, Dirty Water; quite appropriate when considering the number of dirty lies taught by the crafty Catholic priests. — Vergilio Ferguson, Brazil. To fifteen days, people begin to arrive from every direction, some taking more than a month to make the trip. They come on foot, and on horseback, but most of them travel in oxcarts, covered with dried raw hides, like the old-time covered wagons used en route to the California gold fields before the railroads were built. Some come in simple faith to fulfill a promise made to one of the "saints" during the year; others, for curiosity; but most of them come to make money by trading and gambling. Temporary sheds covered with palm leaves and tents are set up all round the "church"; among these gambling stands are in evidence, as all kinds of betting is allowed. The people require food; so some fix up stands to sell coffee, bread, sandwiches, hot-dogs, rum, etc. Temporary barber shops are plentiful; trinkets, toys, cosmetics and articles of wear of every description are spread on tables or on the ground, all trying to make the best of the opportunity to make their racket pay the most. APRIL 19, 1939 Prestidigitation — and how Milk Problems in Brazil • A picturesque feature of Sao Paulo life is doomed to pass away with the advance of "civilization". Already an ordinance has been passed forbidding goats as well as cows to be driven through the streets and milked at the doors of the houses. The cows have disappeared, but the patrons of goat milk raised such a clamor of protest that the ordinance has not yet been enforced so far as the goats are concerned. Sometimes the goat herders are as sharp bargainers as the venders of other wares. In a certain home, agreement was made to furnish a half liter of milk each morning at a stipulated price per month. A pitcher with a mark indicating ½ liter [about a pint] was taken out every morning to be filled. For a time all went well, but after a while it was noticed that, although the pitcher came in brimming over with foam, after a few minutes the foam was gone and about half a glass of milk was lacking. Upon close observation it was noted that the goat girl held the pitcher at some distance from the goat's bag, thus giving much foam and less milk. When this had continued for a time, it was called to her attention that the milk supply was short and that there was too much foam. With a serious countenance she said: "Ah! that is because the black goat is not being milked now. She doesn't give so much foam. Please excuse." — Maud R. Yuille, Brazil. "Yea, They May Forget, Yet Will Not I" • When they rebuild the wrecked cities of southern Chile there will doubtless be, in Chillan, a statue of Guillermo Diaz. This 15-year-old boy was night watchman at the electric power station, and at the first shock he ran outdoors — as any sensible person would — and reached safety in an open plaza. And then he perceived that the shocks were continuing; he reflected that in every house in Chillan there would be broken wires, and that if there were still electric current in those wires every home was likely to become an oven for its inhabitants. So he went back. Walls were falling all around him; but he got in. He turned off the current — and then the power station crashed in ruins and they found his body the next day, with his hands still on the switches. It would be impertinent to attempt any comment on the fact: he was safe, but he went back. — New York Times. German Hops for Sao Paulo • The Antarctica brewery, Sao Paulo, Brazil, received a shipment of "hops" from Germany. A case fell over on its side, burst open, and disclosed a machine gun. Other cases were examined with similar result, and now the Brazilian government is guarding the Antarctica brewery with Federal troops. Disclosing the Same Design • Disclosing the same design as the Pyramids of Egypt, the "Temple of the Sun", built at Pachacamac, Peru, by the pre-Incas, was an enormous pyramid, rectangular in shape, with steps on the outside leading to a platform at the top on which was erected an "Image of the Sun". [page 10] CONSOLATION Hospitality at Lima • Hospitality at Lima, Peru, was handicapped by the pro-Fascist attitude of the Peruvian government. Newspapermen had their desks broken into and contents searched by detectives. They could not go in or out of their hotel without running a gauntlet of detectives. Agents provocateurs attempted to involve them in local politics. Telephonic communication was cut by the censor, and finally it was necessary for a correspondent of the New York Times to go to another country in order to be able to send an uncensored dispatch to his own paper. Earth's Finest Panama Hat • Earth's finest panama hat weighs only six ounces, but cost $105, and required the work of an expert for a total of about 1,000 working hours. It is owned by the president of Mexico, and was made in Ecuador, whence come all the finest hats. Welcoming the Prodigal • Germany has been welcoming the prodigal home, especially if he had collected a fortune in the land of his adoption. About 2,000 were lured back from Brazil, under the impression that thereafter they would lead lives of ease and respectability. Not finding everything rosy, some wished to return to Brazil. They were allowed to take ten marks (about $2) out of the country. One gentleman from Sao Paulo got saucy, whereupon his fortune of $100,000 was confiscated and he was given eight months in prison to think it over. Ecuador's Oldest Man • The Office of Identification of the Republic of Ecuador finds that Garces Castro, Las Barnas, high in the Andes, was born in Balzar in the year 1808 and is therefore 130 years of age and the oldest man in the republic. He is still in vigorous health. U. S. Judiciary Some Juridical Items mer and Schlactka cases (the latter one of Jehovah's witnesses) unworthy of a judge at [page 11] Some juridical items to those that love American institutions are: (1) Four of the Scottsboro boys have been freed, despite the lies of the prosecutrix, Victoria Price, and the unfairness of the trial judge Callahan. (2) Chicago police prevented the showing of films of the Memorial Day massacre, and while in their care the photographer who attempted to show them received two broken ribs. (3) At Alcoa, Tennessee, eight strikers were shot and an investigation showed that seven of them were shot in the back, Chicago style. (4) It is now illegal in Weehawken, New Jersey, for anybody to call from house to house. (5) At Tallahassee, Florida, four blocks from the capitol two Negroes were taken out of the county jail without waking the jailer, were carried four miles out of town and were shot to death. It was necessary to open six doors to get at the victims in the jail. (6) No one has yet been punished for the Tampa floggings and kidnapings, and there is little reason to expect they ever will. In Florida murder is considered merely a harmless pastime. (7) In Chicago Judge Hermes was reprimanded by the Bar Association for conduct in the Schwim— a kennel show. The Appointment of Frankfurter • The appointment of Felix Frankfurter to the United States Supreme Court is generally conceded to have been an excellent one. Born in Vienna, Professor Frankfurter learned his first English in 1894, at which time he was 12 years of age. In eight years he worked his way through the City College of New York. Four years later he graduated from Harvard Law School with highest honors. He endeared himself to all honest men by opposing the judicial lynching of the two innocent men Sacco and Vanzetti, and it was he who brought the Mooney case prominently to the front back in the days of Woodrow Wilson. General Hugh Johnson described him as "the most influential single individual in the United States". Honest Federal Judge Caffey • In New York city honest Federal Judge Caffey sent to prison a contractor who paid his workmen on WPA jobs one wage and billed the government for a larger sum. Looks almost like the Millennium, doesn't it! The Battle in Jamaica • The former mayor of Kingston, who caused Jehovah's witnesses to be taken into court some time ago, is not re-elected. The new mayor gave us the privilege of delivering lectures in the Race Course for three nights. Over 1,500 persons heard the lectures, and much interest was shown. There are 105 phonographs in use in the work in the island; also 7 portable transcription machines and 2 sound-cars, and, by God's help, we expect to tan the old woman's [Roman Hierarchy's] hide. — P. H. Davidson, Jamaica. Not in a Gilded Cage • In Louisiana, where police with force and arms prevented the holding of meetings to worship God, where courts take dictation from Catholic priests, and where Jehovah's witnesses are maliciously charged with distributing Fascist literature, the Catholic Hierarchy still manifests an insane desire to establish the Roman inquisition. The annexed cut shows J. Cudunas and F. Papalexis receiving the involuntary hospitality of the police at Klotsville, Louisiana. The case is still pending, but the boys do not seem to be worried. "Who's 'We'?" • Conversation in ritzy portion of Minneapolis : "Have you received your copy of this vitally important Christian message, 'Cure'? If not, this is your copy. The contribution cost is one cent; but in any event, we want you to read it. If not convenient to contribute, please accept it as a gift from the Lord, and read it. Will you?" "Who's 'we'?" "'We' is the Watch Tower Society, publishers of the booklet, written by Judge Rutherford." "Judge Rutherford! To hell with him!" "Don't you want the booklet?" "No! Don't you know Judge Rutherford is a Communist?" "No; he is not." "Yes, he is, and his magazine Consolation is Communistic!" "No, it is not; I have read it." "So have I! Judge Rutherford is anti-everything. He is at the head of a large group of Communists. I know! We have investigated him in New York." "Who's 'we'?" Door bangs. — Donald Kjorlien, Minnerta. Brief History of WBBR • It was on a Sunday, February 24, 1924, that WBBR sent its first scheduled radio program to a small but eager and excited metropolitan radio audience. We say "a small audience" because in those days radio was young and few were the "bugs" that expended time on this new contraption that within a decade was to revolutionize and so vitally affect the educational, social, entertainment — yes, even political and economic — structure of the world. Today — only fifteen years later — there are ten million radio sets within the hearing of WBBR and few people anymore would think of getting along without a radio in the home. Radio has assumed a dominant place in the educational and economic life of the present generation. Of all the stations in the world, WBBR stands unique. All God-fearing and honest persons will admit that the most worth-while — in fact, the only really worth-while — cause to which any radio station can be devoted is the honoring of Jehovah God and the unselfish service of man. Present greedy and selfish world conditions serve but to emphasize this point. At a time when radio in general has become a commercial problem-child and so generally devoted to honoring men [page 12] CONSOLATION [page 13] A Happy Family Here is a good one; too good to keep. My husband is the editor of a daily newspaper with a wide circulation. Yet he goes all over the city in the witness work and tells the people that "among all the newspapers and magazines, Consolation is the only one that IS NOT AFRAID TO PUBLISH THE TRUTH, because it carries no advertising and is not controlled by Big Business". All the late Informants have been strongly advocating keeping the sound equipment working. We wonder how many others are realizing the joy we are experiencing in having Judge Rutherford accompany us nearly every place we go and give warning and instruction to the people concerning Jehovah's purposes. We secure all the neighborhood territory on every side, and then we make a real call on our neighbors. They hear the message and nearly always get it also in printed form, and they invite us back. When we go back, it is with the phonograph and they know just what to expect. We never take time to visit friends or relatives or attend parties or other gatherings without the phonograph. If we call on someone in the hospital, we take the phonograph and let all in the ward hear the message of good cheer. We spend from five to ten hours on Sundays working with the phonograph, and Saturday afternoons and nights. We find no better time to work with the phonograph than nights; for often all the family are home and at leisure and sometimes guests are being entertained. Let none think they must have a car to work thus with a phonograph. We have no car, and have walked as far as twelve miles on a Sunday. Each day our joy increases for the manifold privileges and blessings Jehovah bestows upon us, and, by His grace, we shall never falter or slack our hands in this grand and glorious work. What charm does Judge Rutherford's voice hold for little canaries? and what terror does it strike to the hearts of "dumb dogs"? These thoughts come to mind in our experience with the phonograph. So many homes have canaries, but we do not see them as we enter, and not till Judge Rutherford's voice begins to resound through the room telling about God's kingdom of peace and righteousness. Then the canaries join with J. R. in a duet, almost bursting their throats with the melodious strains, and when the record is completed they are silent. Are they, we wonder, singing for joy, looking forward to the time of which J. R. is speaking: the time of their release, when they shall be free to join their feathered friends in the beauteous woodland? As, from time to time, the dogs slink under the stove to hide, growling throughout the phonograph talk, we wonder, Is this a picture of the real dumb dogs (Isa. 56:10) who really growl when they hear the message of truth pointing to the time of their utter banishment, their FINAL EXIT — not under the stove, but into oblivion? — Mrs. Benjamin F. Myers, Pennsylvania. P.S. My husband had the "Safety" record on at the home of Mr. and Mrs. H. C. McElwain in this town. Baby Frances, 18-month-old, seemed entranced and stood beside the phonograph, which had been placed on a chair, listening in intently all the time. She is not able to talk much yet, but when the vast audience shouted "Aye" the little darling came in at the end with her "Aye" so loudly that it almost frightened us all. "A little child shall lead them." Of course her parents got the Enemies book. "The Virgins Her Companions" The word "companion" is derived from two Latin words: cum, meaning "with", and panis, "bread." Literally, therefore, the word means 'one who shares bread with another'. How fitting that the people of good will who now take their stand on the side of Jehovah should be styled in the Scriptures companions of the bride of Christ! (Psalm 45:14) — James A. Williams, Lithuania. (To be continued) [page 14] The Keystone State Benighted Pennsylvania Nice Question for the Wise [page 15] Pennsylvania, the Keystone State, which believes in beating and choking school children, and denying them education and even medical attention unless they perform acts of idolatry forbidden by the Scriptures, now adds to its laurels. Because a niece went blind from vaccination John Marsh served 375 days in jail rather than have his 8-year-old son Eugene vaccinated with pus of uncertain origin. Then the district attorney of his county, acting with the approval of the State Department of Justice, sought a court warrant with the intent of arresting the boy, charging him with juvenile delinquency for obeying his father, and intended to vaccinate him anyway. The same State Department of Justice should now demand amnesty for the gentlemen in charge of Holmesburg, Pennsylvania, prison who baked four prisoners to death. Also, the legislature should send a committee to Germany to ascertain the latest achievements in cussedness and meanness, and after submitting them to Cardinal Dougherty, put them into effect in the state that was once the state of William Penn — the only state in the United States where the Indians ever received a square deal. America is still behind Germany and Italy, but is coming along fine. Another Milton • The Pittsburgh Press, one of the very best newspapers in the United States, chancing to note that Hague's new man in the United States Senate is named John Milton, forcefully calls to attention that other John Milton, who, arraigned before Parliament for publishing uncensored literature, said : Give me the liberty to know, to utter, and to argue freely according to conscience, above all liberties ! Though all the winds of doctrine were let loose to play upon the earth, so truth be in the field, we do injuriously, by licensing and prohibiting, to misdoubt her strength. Let her and falsehood grapple. Who ever knew truth put to the worse in a free and open encounter ? To England's Milton, as much perhaps as to any one man, we owe that first amendment to our Constitution — Article I of the Bill of Rights — with its guarantees of freedom of speech, of press, of peaceable assembly. — Pittsburgh Press. • Patent No. 2,101,048, issued to the Textile Machine Works, Wyomissing, Pennsylvania, contains 170 pages of drawings and 146 specifications, and is the bulkiest single patent ever issued. When the machines thus patented are in operation the pressing of a single electric button will produce twenty-six full-fashioned stocking blanks at a time, with the result that a single operator will then be able to operate an entire factory. Here is a nice question for the wise. They will now rise up and explain (after they have shown what great profits will accrue to the owners of the machines) just what will be done with the thousands of expert operators in hosiery mills that will thereafter not be needed at all. If they were men it would be easy : start another war and kill them off. But they are women, and it is the women, principally, that wear the full-fashioned silk hose ; and it is not so clever, after all, to kill off all your customers. Home Owners Loan Corporation • In Pennsylvania, according to the Philadelphia Record, the Home Owners Loan Corporation makes the unique boast that it gets its money at 3 percent, but charges 5 percent to home owners, with the result that of 58,000 Pennsylvanians who have been "helped" by it 7,000 have already lost their homes, 7,000 more are involved in foreclosure, and another 9,000 are so far in arrears with their payments that foreclosure is almost certain for them also. That is 40 percent of the total, and makes the H.O.L.C. look like a strong cat given the job of caring for the interests of a group of frightened mice. Making Progress at Hickory • In grammar class at Hickory, Pa., high school a boy was asked to correct the sentence, "Girls is naturally better looking than boys." He corrected it all right, and brought down the house with the revision, "Girls is artificially better looking than boys." Asleep Between the Rails • Asleep between the rails, an 18-month-old child, at Kittanning, Pa., had a 100-car train roar over him, giving him only a slight cut in the forehead. APRIL 19, 1939 [page 16] Italy Italian Diplomacy • I think those members who have ever conducted diplomatic negotiations with Italians know how very well they put their case. It is the method of the corkscrew. The tip of the corkscrew is placed gently, charmingly, sweetly on the top of the cork and nothing happens. The bottle is placed in the right position — it is called "good relations" or "ending the vendetta" — and suddenly there is a twist and the cork begins to squeak. They have a perfect system of inventing something they don't want, of clamoring for it and saying: "We will die if we don't get it," and when they get it they ask for something more. They pretend that you are menacing them or that something you want is of vital importance to them. They surrender it with a tremendous gesture and then say: "What will you give us in return?" No vitally important political treaty has ever been signed by Italy which she has not broken... — Harold Nicholson, Labor M.P., in an address in Parliament at London, of recent date. When Hitler Visited Mussolini • When Hitler visited Mussolini thousands of detectives were concentrated in Rome, Naples and Florence; each individual house along the route he would travel was examined; every garage and boarding house was required to report in detail on new arrivals; and thousands of innocent persons were put in concentration camps — all so that one of the world's banner murderers might visit another one, and together they might gloat over the apparent success of Fascism, with its consequent destruction of human liberties, and its pure bluff of nations that could twist the necks of both of them if they could treat one another with honor (which they can not), and if they set out to do it, which seems unlikely. Something New in Colonization • One has to hand it to Italy for furnishing something new in colonization. She loaded 1,800 families, containing some 20,000 individuals, in twenty ships and carried them across the Mediterranean. There the families were provided with 1,800 automobiles and taken to neat little homes, made and furnished at government expense. On arrival at their future homes the colonists were given the keys to their dwellings, as well as to their barns, and when they entered the latter they found the agricultural implements and the seeds which they need to put in their first crops. Schoolhouses and hospitals and other accouterments of civilization were all completed before a colonist arrived. Italy Gets Poorer and Poorer • Italy gets poorer and poorer. Only three-fourths as many people can afford automobiles as seven years ago. Consumption of flour, potatoes, vegetables, sugar, meat and fruit has all dropped per capita in that time by a large percentage. It is impossible to stand ten minutes in any Italian city without being importuned several times for alms. In Palermo there was an impromptu parade supposedly in honor of Fascism and all the men in the parade marched with their pockets turned inside out, to show their hatred of the cause they are compelled to profess that they love. It was a risky piece of business. Where the Money Goes • Mussolini established a new army corps in Libya at an expense of $10,000,000 and issued regulations that no more wheaten bread may be served except to invalids. The connection between the two statements is obvious. Coal in Sardinia • Italy is delighted, and properly so, with the discovery of coal in huge quantities in the island of Sardinia. Carbonia, a new city of 24,000 homes, is in process of building. CONSOLATION Misguided A writer in the Miami (Fla.) Herald says, in substance, that every Christian should salute the flag when requested to do so; and in support of that claim she quotes the words of the apostle, to wit: "Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evil doers, and for the praise of them that do well." — 1 Peter 2: 13, 14. On the surface that scripture may seem to support the claim of the Herald writer, but in truth and in fact it has no reference whatsoever to the officers that govern this world or to any earthly laws. Note now that the apostle congregations and did so at the command of the Lord. It is absolutely certain that their ordinances had nothing whatsoever to do with flag-saluting. The apostle continues, "Whether it be to the king, as supreme." These words "the king, as supreme," have no reference whatsoever to earthly rulers, but apply to Jehovah God, who is the King of eternity, the Supreme One above all. "[Jehovah] is the true God, he is the living God; and an everlasting king." (Jeremiah 10: 10) Continuing, the apostle says in the text first cited, "or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him." This had no reference to the governors of states or nations of earth, but to the governors of the church of God and which Christ Jesus by authority of Jehovah God has provided. Christ Jesus is the Head of THE CHURCH and is the Governor thereof, and He specifically chose the apostles to act for Him and in His name. They were the ones commissioned to promulgate the necessary rules for the guidance of the congregations on earth. Those apostles were "sent by him [Christ Jesus the Lord] for the punishment of evil doers" in the congregation "and for the praise of them that do well." [page 17] directs his epistle to the "elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father". His admonition is given for the benefit of the church of God, that is to say, for the guidance of those persons on earth who have devoted themselves to God and Christ and who are diligently striving to walk in the way of righteousness. The apostle Paul, addressing Christians, said: "Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ. . . . Keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you." (1 Corinthians 11: 1, 2) Peter and Paul were specifically commissioned by the Lord to make ordinances or rules for the guidance of the Christians, and in doing so they acted upon the command and commission of the great Theocrat. For that reason, their epistles were written for the instruction and guidance of THE CHURCH, and such epistles were written under inspiration and the direction of the Lord. They were addressed to none other than the truly consecrated Christians. Having this clear setting in mind, note then the words in the scripture cited first above, to wit: "Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake." The apostles are the ones referred to in the words 'ordinances of man', because they promulgated such ordinances or rules for the governing of the congregations. To see how they exercised that authority, note the account at Acts 5: 1-6. Paul, by authority from the Lord, delegated both to Timothy and to Titus to announce certain rules and to act as governors of the congregations to which they were sent. (1 Timothy 5: 20; Titus 1: 13; 2: 15) The apostles and their delegated representatives made and announced "ordinances" which were the 'ordinances of man' made under the Lord's direction for the government of men who were of the congregation. This is the true meaning of the words of the apostle Peter, which apply exclusively to those men and women on earth forming congregations which are devoted to God and His kingdom. Mark how unreasonable, yes, even ridiculous, it would appear to apply the apostle's words to the ordinances made by school boards, city councils, legislators, or Congress. For instance, in some jurisdictions it is unlawful to have in possession or sell intoxicating liquor. That was particularly true for a number of years in the United States. In other jurisdictions bordering the United States it was entirely lawful. For instance, between Canada and the United States there is an imaginary line dividing the countries. The ordinances on the points mentioned here were exactly contrary the one to the other. Which should the Christian obey? God does not recognize any earthly divisions of land by imaginary lines. A man may have part of his possessions in the United States and part in Canada. He is in one country one day and in the other the next. As a further illustration: The dictator Hitler demands that every person must give a certain salute to him and say "Heil Hitler!" meaning, "Salvation comes from Hitler." Surely the Lord could not command everyone to obey that ordinance of a worldly man, because the same is absolutely contrary to God's Word. — Exodus 20: 1-5. School boards make ordinances commanding every child to salute the flag and sing certain songs which attribute salvation to what the flag or song represents. The child has been told by its parents to believe in the Word of God and to obey that Word. The child says, "I cannot salute the flag, for the reason that, if I do so, I am violating the commandment of Jehovah God, because He has commanded His people not to attribute salvation to any power except Jehovah." Humans can't provide salvation themselves. It is written in the Scriptures, "Salvation belongeth unto Jehovah." (Psalm 3: 8, A.R.V.) To obey worldly ordinances contrary to God's ordinances means to lose God's favor, and, therefore, to lose everything. In truth and in fact, compulsory flag-saluting is a scheme hatched in recent months by Satan and is a subtle means of turning men away from God and requires them to give devotion to men and is an attempt to cause God's covenant people to violate their covenant with Jehovah. One who truly loves God will not willingly violate His covenant, and therefore one devoted to God and Christ Jesus cannot heil Hitler or any other man, cannot salute any flag and thereby attribute to such man or flag protection and salvation. The great difficulty with such as the writer in the Miami Herald is that they are misguided. They apply the Word of God to organizations that are in opposition to God. They appear to believe that worldly governments are established and directed by Almighty God, whereas the Scriptures plainly state that Satan is the invisible god or ruler of this world. (2 Corinthians 4: 4) Men have organized governments with good intentions of having a rule for the benefit of the people, but such rulers, failing to give heed to the Word of God and going contrary to God's will by giving praise and devotion to creatures instead of the Creator, have fallen under the influence of the Devil and have been blinded to God's purpose concerning mankind. Selfish men who follow this course God has permitted to go their own way. (Romans 1: 21-24) Christians give their allegiance to Jehovah and Christ Jesus, and they obey His laws, and every law of the land that is in harmony with God's law or commandments they obey; but when an ordinance or law commands them to do what Jehovah God's law plainly forbids, then the Christian will obey God and not man. The apostles blazed the way in this regard when they stated before worldly courts: "Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye." "We ought to obey God rather than men." — Acts 4: 19; 5: 29. --- The Kentucky WPA Political Machine JUDGE BRADY M. STEWART, of Kentucky, wrote a personal letter to President Roosevelt containing ten charges which include statements that no one may be placed on Federal relief except upon advice of the Senator Barkley campaign managers; that WPA workers have been told they must give the contributions to the Barkley campaign fund which are demanded or else lose their jobs; that Republicans have been notified that they must change their politics and vote for Barkley or be fired; that instructions have gone out that all records regarding WPA employment and salaries must be kept secret; and that persons are being employed who do no definite work, but spend their entire time in political activity. This, if true, is Hitlerism, Mussoliniism, Stalinism and Hagueism with a vengeance. --- One-Third of Cleveland on Relief At the first of April, 1938, one-third of the people of Cleveland, Ohio, were being supported by public funds or were soliciting such support. --- Find the Moral Because he goes to church, William Kietis, Cleveland, Ohio, got a suspended sentence on charges of stealing a bicycle. Moral is ? [page 18] Motoring How to Keep from Growing Old Always drive fast out of alleys. A Fortunate Auto Accident It not infrequently occurs that a person [page 19] UNDER THE TOTALITARIAN FLAG Took Just One Week • It took just one week for the Roman Catholic Hierarchy to wallop the city of Cincinnati into submission on the Bingo business. If any particularly dirty business has to be done in the open it seems that it is the chancellor that has that end of it. The reason for this is that thus the Arch Bishop can keep his skirts clear and put on that holy air so much sought in the pictures that flood the public press. So it was the "Reverend Father" Monsignor Mr. Sir Matthias Heyker, chancellor of the archdiocese of Cincinnati that broke the ice in a column article in the Cincinnati Enquirer, November 17, in which he stated that while Bingo and other gambling is illegal, yet it is all O.K. with the outfit with which he is connected. That put the heat on the politicians, as it was intended to do, and the Times-Star of just a week later stated that by a vote of six to three the city council had agreed to let the Roman Catholic Hierarchy go ahead and violate the state law and nothing would be done about it unless the courts interfere. The regulations as finally adopted by the city council are laughable. They stipulate that gambling awards must not exceed $100, that the prizes must not exceed 25 percent of the gross receipts; that if the gambling racket is held more frequently than once a quarter it must not be advertised; that the police must be tipped off 24 hours before the gambling starts (so that they can keep out of the way or arrest any law-abiding citizen that complains that the law is being violated); that a certified statement of attendance, receipts, prizes and expenses must be given to the police within 24 hours after the affair is over; and that the only ones that may thus violate the law must have been in existence not less than five years. This proposal that a thing that has been decayed five years or more has superior sanctity in the eyes of the law over an institution that is less than five years of age is one of the funniest things ever advanced in legal history. Even the youngest American child, unless he has been "educated" in a parochial school, knows perfectly well that all persons and corporations are equal in the eyes of the law. What is legal for one is legal for another, and what is illegal for one is illegal for another. The city council of Cincinnati needs to soak its head. Good Place to Plead Tolerance • There probably is not a better place in the United States to plead for tolerance than Seattle, particularly since Gerald Bishop Shaughnessy did his level best to prevent Judge Rutherford from speaking there, and subsequently bluffed and bulldozed the radio stations into apologizing for broadcasting the very things the people need to hear and boycotted the radio stations' advertisers and without a doubt bullyragged the city council into preventing Judge Rutherford from again speaking from the municipal auditorium, and cheap-skated the Seattle papers into folding up like an accordion and refusing to carry out their contracts to publish, at a price, news of the utmost importance. Well, Seattle has had a fine "Religious Unity Aim" meeting. This time Shaughnessy discreetly stayed out of the picture, but he put everybody else in. The governor of the state was there, Rabbi Rosenberg was there, the general secretary of the Y.M.C.A. was there, and all that Mr. Shaughnessy had to do was to say, after it was all over, "Boys, you did a good job; between you, you pulled over another good one on the people, and after a few more just like it the people, the poor suckers, will forget altogether about the rotten deal given to Jehovah's witnesses when they came to this intolerant and narrow-minded bailiwick of our lord god the pope." Revenue Must Be Falling Off • Junction City, Ohio, fifty miles southeast of Columbus, Ohio, feels the heat, or at least "Reverend Father" Eugene Owens, guiding star of St. Patrick's church indicates that he does, in The Catholic News. It is quite an interesting paper, four pages all told. The first page is given up to the philosophy which includes the aphorism "Ignorance is bliss" and being situated right under the pictures of the church and parsonage, seems to be in the right place. Page two is wholly given over to the proposition that God blesses "the cheerful giver" and lists by name five that dug up $3 each in September, eleven that were made to disgorge [page 20] $2 each, three that parted with $1.50 each, 34 that were mulcted out of $1 each, 13 that let loose of 50c each, and one that gave $1.25. Following the list is the statement, "Honesty is the best policy." Too bad that "Reverend" Owens did not think of this before he got those poor sinners to turn over $83.25 to him for which they get nothing in return, not a thing. The fourth page contains a front and side view of the parsonage; looks like a twelve-room house. What on earth could a "celibate" man want with all those rooms? But it is the third page chiefly that is interesting. It is wholly devoted to hammering Judge Rutherford. Wonder why. Briefly mentioning The Golden Age [now Consolation], it says succinctly: "The latter is published in 12 languages. Bile, bigotry, and insulting cartoons fill its pages." Thanks, "Reverend," thanks. "He Died That Same Day" • The junk department operated by Cardinal Dougherty, of Philadelphia, Pa., under the name of The Central Association of the Miraculous Medal, Reverend Father Joseph A. Skelly, C.M., Director, 100 East Price street, Germantown, Philadelphia, Pa., seems to be doing a good business in so-called sterling silver, nickel silver, silver plate, rolled gold, brass inlay, brass tips, bronze finish and other medals, chains, crucifixes, rosaries, pendants, beads and other merchandise of no value to anybody. Persons who dig up 25c a year for their friends who are dead either mentally or physically or both can get this stuff and in years to come look at it and think how foolish they were to bite, and to part with their money to help along the biggest fraud on the footstool. Mr. Skelly tells about some of the "favors" that come to persons who purchase the junk. Here is one about an old gentleman that was on his deathbed. His mind was slipping away from him, and so — My grandfather had been away from the Church for forty-six years and refused to see a priest. I pinned a Miraculous Medal to his bed clothing and begged Our Lady's intercession. Within a short time he consented to see the priest, made a sincere confession, was anointed and received Holy Viaticum. He died that same day. — Ohio. Protecting the Racketeers • "Reverend Father" P. C. Depew, of Perryopolis, Pennsylvania, is some shepherd of the flock, the shearing of which flock is his life business. He operates certain property tax-free as a charitable institution, but all the residents thereof pay rent, except two blind men who do chores for their upkeep. One of the tenants was Charles Clary, whose five children just had the measles. He got behind in his rent and the "Reverend Father" Depew had the family put off the property, and that night they slept on a slate dump. Residents of Uniontown talked of hanging the "Reverend Father", but at length decided not to do anything to interfere with the holy racket in which he is engaged. The headlines of the Uniontown paper that carried the story said sympathetically: Life of Father Depew periled after eviction. Feeling rampant at Perryopolis as writ ousts family from orphanage for non-payment of rent. Consider those headlines for a minute and see if their plain intent is not to draw sympathy to the "Reverend Father" Depew, rather than to the poor family that he forced in sickness and in poverty to sleep out in the open, in April, in the mountains of western Pennsylvania. How truly the Lord said, "They bind heavy burdens, and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them"! — Matt. 23:4. [page 21] A Law-abiding Sheriff! Whew! • At Buckeye Lake, which is a summer resort and amusement park in Licking county, Ohio, U. S. A., which county does not permit gambling, the Roman Catholic Hierarchy had a state-wide assembly of the Catholic population. Now the Roman Catholic Hierarchy, being very law-abiding, were only going to chance off and gamble away everything except the nuns, tax-free real estate and priests. Everything was being put in shape, wheels of fortune oiled up, and brakes tightened in preparation for fleecing the flock, when, lo and behold, their own "higher powers", the sheriff of Licking county, descended upon them like a cloud of gloom and enforced the law; and is somebody's face red! Catholics from all over Ohio were there, and are still wondering if gambling is more sacred than the divine right of politicians, and, if so, how old is Anne, god's Roman Catholic grandmother. A beautiful hand-engraved mazuza to anybody who sends the right answer. (A mazuza is a Yiddish piece of holy junk supposed to bring good luck — like a St. Christopher's medal tacked in an automobile.) "What Is There in It for Me?" • Former Governor Curley, of Massachusetts, once labeled "The Only Catholic Governor", is in the headlines for corruptly accepting and pocketing $30,000 of graft, stolen from the taxpayers while he was mayor of Boston. It seems that he agreed to settle the General Equipment Cases for $85,000 and a check of the city was given for that amount, but before the check was paid over Mr. Curley, well taught in the greatest of all rackets, wanted to know, "What is there in it for me?" The answer was that there would be $40,000, but for some unexplained reason only $30,000 of the graft was counted out into his itching palm. Probably some other grafter stole the other $10,000 en route. Splendid Example of Tolerance • The Kansas City edition of the Catholic boiler-plate weekly, known as The Register, tells of "a splendid example of toleration and co-operation" in Salt Lake City, engineered and sponsored by John J. Galligan, of the Knights of Columbus. Fine business. Theoretically a protest against treatment of the Jews in Germany, it was a Catholic advertisement in a Mormon city, generously backed up by Mormons, Episcopalians, Presbyterians and Congregationalists. At the next big town east of Salt Lake Judge Rutherford is suing the same crowd for $150,000 for conspiracy against Jehovah's witnesses, and it was just the right time for the Hierarchy in Salt Lake to let it be known they are against intolerance. After a bit, with a few more illustrations of the Catholic idea of "tolerance", as they exhibited it recently in Colorado Springs, New Orleans, Ottawa and Connecticut, toward Jehovah's witnesses, the common people will know what it is all about, and then good-bye Hierarchy. "Didn't Know It Was a Crime" • State police seized 50,000 lottery tickets on the Indianapolis speedway 500-mile automobile race next Memorial Day in the printing plant of the Daily Clintonian… and arrested Publisher George L. Carey. Police Superintendent Don Stiver said the tickets offered $500,000 in cash prizes and were designed to sell for $1 each. The publisher said the tickets had been ordered by a man "by the name of Meyers representing a St. Louis firm". "I didn't know it was a crime to print that kind of ticket," Carey told reporters. "We printed thousands of similar ones for the local Catholic Church, without any question." — A dispatch from Clinton, Indiana, published in the San Diego (Calif.) Sun. Three Days Late • On March 24 the "Reverend Father" Cox and thirteen other crooks were indicted for fraud in connection with the so-called "Garden Stakes" contest of Old St. Patrick's Church, Pittsburgh. And would you believe it? it was three whole days before the Catholic organizations of the Pittsburgh diocese began their great campaign against salacious literature and indecent and immoral plays. If the gang cannot co-ordinate their efforts better than this, what will become of them? Slow work, boys and girls; slow work. Three whole days wasted. Would Jesus Gamble? • The American Institute of Public Opinion made a study of the public's attitude as to gambling. It showed 31 percent as approving gambling, and 69 percent as opposed. Protestants were 21 percent approving gambling, and 79 percent opposed. Roman Catholics were 58 percent approving gambling, and 42 percent opposed. (To be continued) [page 22] Palestine Tegart's Wall Tegart's Wall, the new marker of Slick Work • The law in Palestine makes the possession [page 23] Is Naturopathy a Crime? the northern boundary of Palestine, is electrified and is of triple thickness. Its cost was $450,000. John McGovern, courageous Independent Labor statesman from Glasgow, cited in Parliament the report that a large number of wire-cutting implements were found in Palestine with German markings. Looks as if Britain would have a warm time keeping the Wall intact. Edward Parsons, 22 years old, of Roxbury, Massachusetts, back from a trip to Palestine, stated that the general impression in Palestine is that the Italians were back of the Arab uprisings against the Jews. He did not see the self-evident truth that the organization back of the terrorism there is the organization which is itself back of both the Fascist and the Nazi terrors, blessed their murders in Spain and did not hesitate to use the Arabs of northern Morocco to accomplish its ends in the re-establishment of complete clerical domination of the Spanish peninsula. Progress in Ten Years • When trouble arose between Arabs and Jews in a village concerning the use of a well, the Military Governor drew attention to the new settlement of the Jews, clothed in luxuriant foliage, a veritable oasis of beauty in a barren environment. Then he asked the Arabs, "How long have you been here ?" "Since creation," they answered, "at least a thousand years." "And how long have the Jews been here ?" he queried, and the Arab villagers replied, "Not more than ten years." "Then why haven't you planted a single tree in a thousand years, while the Jews have planted a forest in ten years ?" sharply came the unanswerable question which was an effective reply to their complaint. — Exchange. A Half-Million-Dollar Fence • A half-million-dollar fence will separate Palestine from Syria, to try to keep Syrian raiders from killing Jewish colonists and British officials. The fence is triple, six feet high, and the interior is filled with entanglements embedded in concrete. All along the fence are concrete pillboxes manned by machine-gun and searchlight crews. It is hoped that the line will be impregnable. of arms and ammunition subject to the death penalty. Crimes with deadly weapons continue almost daily, and the Arabs have shown themselves adepts in dodging blame and putting the blame on the innocent. In one instance an Arab used a messenger to send a revolver to a younger brother with whom he had quarreled over an inheritance, and, as soon as he knew it had been "planted", reported to the police, with the result that both were imprisoned, the younger for one year, himself for seven years. There is such a thing as being too slick to be really clever. By Bus to Baghdad • From Mount Carmel, where Elijah slew the 850 priests of Baal (which place is now called Haifa, and is a thriving city of 80,000 people), there is now a bus service to Baghdad. The bus goes through in 36 hours, over a route which required months of travel in the days of Abraham and Jacob. Jewish Refugees • Between 1918 and 1937 the Jewish population of Palestine increased from 60,000 to 416,000. So far only about 100,000 acres of land have been irrigated, but it is known that 375,000 more acres could be irrigated, which would provide room and support for an additional 1,209,000 persons. German Jews • Since 1933, 42,500 Jews from Germany settled in Palestine. About one-fourth of them are engaged in agriculture. The first of these Jews to debark at the first Jewish port, Tel Aviv, landed there April 11, 1938. Two Hundred Murders a Month • Palestine continues to be a hard place to live. In the month of July, 1938, there were more than 200 murders, with as many more injured. There were 148 Arabs killed, and 60 Jews. Jewish Immigration • 300,000 Jews have found homes in Palestine since the year 1920. About 42,500 of these came from Germany since 1933. --- Is Naturopathy a Crime? NATUROPATHY, helping people He seems to agree with the Report of the [page 24] International Murderers The Bid for Despotism • As a slogan we are now substituting "the more abundant strife" for the "more abundant life". Military preparedness has now succeeded economic depression as a basis both for further inflationary stimulation of business and for its further absorption into the State. Our interest in the under-privileged classes at home has been expanded to concern for the oppressed abroad. In its very nature, as well as by force of the actual facts of the foreign situation, the emotional and financial seduction of this new theme song of the Fourth New Deal is irresistible. No political party or economic group, certainly not business, can or will refuse to respond to the patriotic appeal for unity and co-operation in preparing for the national defense against foreign aggression. In face of it no minority will dare to challenge any demand for further expansion of State power over private enterprise and private property, and over the natural, human and financial resources of the Nation necessary to safeguard us against foreign danger. Moreover, as in Germany, our own oppressed minority, the employers, professional and salaried middle classes, the small property owners, will be expected to foot the bill to defend our own brand of authoritarian exploitation against danger from the others. If this were a joke, it would be a grim one, but I am afraid it isn't. It is a deadly serious and deliberately conceived scheme to capitalize a very real and deep public anxiety about the defense of free American institutions against foreign enemies, in order to stampede us into complete abandonment of these institutions at home. We are facing a final desperate bid in the name of patriotism for absolute political power over enterprise, property and political liberty. — Virgil Jordan, president, National Industrial Conference Board, in an address in Philadelphia. Joy of International Murderers • The joy of International Murderers, Inc., reaches to the skies. The world's armament bill for 1938 went up to $16,000,000,000, showing a rise of $2,500,000,000 over 1937. The seven terrors of the world, United States, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Russia, and Japan, accounted for $12,528,000,000 of the total. The people that make the arms are delighted to sell them to anybody that will buy, and even to send demonstrators along to show them how to get the greatest results. Who Wants War? • What gang is it that wants war, and hopes to get control of the entire country the moment it breaks out? You know the answer, and know why it is that in the motion-picture houses, frequently now, the American flag is suddenly flashed on the scene, the band starts to play "The Star Spangled Banner", and some hair-brained usher rushes down the aisle commanding all fellow Americans to stand up. His spirit in doing that is exactly the spirit of the young German Nazis who murdered in the most savage manner the Jewish prisoners sent to the concentration camps for safe-keeping in the nation-wide pogroms following the vom Rath shooting in Paris. [page 25] New York's Temple of Religion THOSE that are in the religious little show to prove that their religion is just [page 26] business will tell you right away that what the world needs is more religion, their reason for that being that they want to keep their jobs. The number of sects fluctuates somewhat from year to year. In 1917 there were 210 listed. The World Almanac for 1919 listed 201. A year later the Federal Council of Churches reported 194. The World Almanac for 1938 lists the general headquarters of the 64 largest ones. The other 150, or thereabouts, are considered small fry. There is a vague suspicion that all is not well with the religious business; so the New York World's Fair will have a Temple of Religion. A few suggestions might be in order; so here goes: Would it not be a good idea to have a porthole in the temple for locating the new moon? In London there is a church of 30 men and women that worship the moon, and every time there is a new moon they bow three times with their heads to the ground and sing moon songs to their hearts' content. There could be a dungeon in the cellar for the Satan-worshipers of Iraq. Maybe a few Iraqi might like to come along. So why not make them welcome? It could be explained to them that there are millions of Americans who do not believe there is any Devil, or even that there is any God. But they shouldn't be shut out of the temple; they should have a run for their money. There should be a stable on the thumb-hand side of the temple in which to keep the sacred horse Trancelim, a race-horse worshiped in a section of Brazil. Brazilians could be told that many Americans worship the Democratic jackass, while a few worship the elephant of pre-Hoover days. The marriage-chapel will be needed. There the Turanian couples can come, a priest can puncture the arms of bride and groom and draw off some blood, and then they can drink some of the blood while the rest of it is burned in a bonfire. The Queens Fire Department will keep an eye on the fire. Or will it? They might have a fire-walking exhibit in some mystic part of the lawn, made by a steam shovel out of the mud of Flushing meadows. If any fire-walkers come over from India they will naturally want to put on a as good as those of the bombers of women and children. New York Should Step on It John D. Rockefeller, Jr., gave $25,000 for this temple, and if he wants to get anything back on his investment the show ought to be good. How about getting one of those leopard-men from Africa? Maybe he could be excused from prison long enough to show how he donned leopard skin and socked razor-edged hooks into enemies. Big Business ought to be able to learn something from this. The leopard-men had a ritual, which was religious, of course. Cannibalism was one of the features. This also ought to appeal to Big Business. The Belgian government put most of the leopard-men behind bars, thereby discouraging religion. New York can correct this and put the leopard-men back in good odor. There should be a stage for Aimee Semple McPherson, and if she could just be induced to put on her great disappearance act, in all its details, as it was carried out with one of her handsome male organists ten years ago, here is guaranteeing that there would not be enough people left in New York and Brooklyn to even watch the properties, let alone do business. The trouble with all this religious business in the past has been the cheap-skate way in which it was done. A big padded cell would be needed to show up properly the details of the great Koreshan cosmic shell. People who think this world is round like the outside of a ball instead of round and hollow like the inside of an orange peel need more religion. Give the Koresh boys a break. They need it. A platform in front could be set aside for the holy whirling dervishes. That would draw a crowd, and besides, it is religious. A good religious guy among the whirling dervishes can spin like a top for three minutes at a stretch and his skirts will stand out from his hips all the time like those of a ballet dancer. Just a soft note here. Wonder if among those whirlers they could not find a few of the good-looking Moslem females, give them souls (which according to Moslem theology they lack) and teach them the whole business. This would whoop up the attendance a lot. Men that wouldn't give a plugged nickel to see a man whirl his head off would come from far and near to see a nice-looking girl whirler. How About Voliva? Times have changed. There was a time when John Alexander Dowie could blow in $300,000 in a spectacular scheme to bring religion to New York, but he lost his wad and now his successor, Wilbur Glenn Voliva, lives in two rooms in the old mansion at Zion City, without any servant to attend him. For old times' sake have a religious side show where Voliva could be one of the features. Many would pay a nickel apiece to see a man who believes the earth is flat and who claims to be a Christian and at the same time denounces the Lord's prayer because it is a Kingdom prayer. A cemetery could be opened and the body of Mrs. Cecilia Novarro could be reinterred there. She was buried alive in California by seven religious persons because she violated some clause in the secret religion to which she belonged. All murderers, including the 10,000 that escape the penalty every year, as well as all munition makers, should be interested in this religion. The Temple of Religion is a clever idea, perhaps. The more religions exhibited, the clearer it will be that Christianity is something wholly apart. Welfare Island, Nice Place The cancer hospital on Welfare Island, New York city, where the poor are cared for, is a wooden firetrap seventy-five years old and so infested with ants that the only way to clean it is to take it down, burn it, dig a new cellar and throw the excavated material into the ocean. As late as November, 1938, though by superhuman efforts the kitchen and operating room were kept free of vermin, a cancer patient who had had a breast removed was found with hundreds of ants crawling over her, and in the whole building there were rats, mice, cockroaches, bedbugs and ants galore. Innocent Custodians of Public Safety Newburgh, New York, has some innocent custodians of public safety. It seems that a girl in the town had a bank account of $468,000 two weeks after she was employed. Also, one 10,000-gallon whisky still was located only 200 yards from the city hall. [page 27] A restaurant could be opened for any cannibals that might like to come. The Holmesburg prison at Philadelphia might be persuaded to do the cooking. Cannibalism is something religious. Maretu, a Cook Islander who became a missionary, describes the fat of man as being delicious, tasting and smelling much better than either fish or hog. Not sure about this, but religion ought to settle it. In the restaurant there could be a booth for the Swiss lemon eaters, who believe that when a person is buried the coffin should be decorated with lemons and plenty of lemons be thrown into the grave. On the other side of the restaurant the Hungarian League of Laughter that believes it is religious to laugh about everything, no matter what it is, would be a sort of offset. The Penitentes of New Mexico could put on a crucifixion scene more realistic than the one at Oberammergau, after which it is aped. They occasionally kill people at this barbarism, imported from Europe centuries ago. One would have to see this in order to appreciate it. The "Purgatory" and "Hell-Fire" religions are too horrible to be exhibited; nevertheless they will be the principal exhibits at the Temple of Religion. a suggestion here. If it had been operated in the police headquarters there would have been less chance of somebody's squealing. Well, all good things come to an end; and so, after 44 men and this one woman had gypped the state out of $7,500,000 in taxes, and the Government out of $15,000,000, they were caught. Benjamin Kotlowitz, 113 + Benjamin Kotlowitz, now 113 years of age, fled to this country in his youth, to escape persecutions in his homeland, Russia. He was only 80 when he came over; that was in the year 1905, or 33 years ago. He has 108 descendants in five generations, and at his birthday party, the other day, was the life of the party. He received congratulatory letters from President Roosevelt, Governor Lehman and Mayor La Guardia. About 400 friends attended his party. Millions of Trees Planted + In the last five years the 141,000 workers in the Civilian Conservation Corps in New York state, most of whom are lads between the ages of 17 and 23, planted 132,564,000 trees, besides improving 40,800 acres of forest, constructing 187 dams, and controlling insect pests over 2,211,438 acres of land. Political Chessboard • Some smart moves are being made on the Devil's chessboard of European politics. The Devil, the enemy of God and of the kingdom of Christ, is stirring up strife in his war to prevent the full establishment of that kingdom in the earth. (See Revelation 12: 12.) But his army is a mixed crowd, each lot with its own interests to serve, and the Devil must play one section against another in order to gain his ends. At the present time there is a contest between Britain and France, on the one hand, and Mussolini and Hitler, on the other, with Franco's friendship as prize. Franco now sees himself as master of Spain and it appears he wants to have Spain under his control without the overlordship of Mussolini; he wants to have Spain at liberty to act for itself. Mussolini has not caused Italy to shed its blood and spend its money for Spain's freedom, nor to see that country once again under the rule of the pope. Spain under his control means all the difference between his being master of the Mediterranean, holding a strong hand against France and Britain, and being weakened in his purpose. Britain and France need the friendship of Spain for similar reasons. A quick move in the game was made by Britain when, unexpectedly, a warship was sent to Minorca to take off the few representatives of republican Spain, leaving the island to Franco's men. The island was a particularly desirable portion of Mussolini's expectation, for with control of it Italy could prevent France's sea communication with North Africa, and very greatly jeopardize Britain's route to Palestine, Egypt and the Far East. The action vexed Mussolini, but greatly helped Franco. It seems that Italy may not get nearly as much out of its Spanish venture as was expected. Franco will want money for the restoration of the desolated country, and neither Germany nor Italy is in position to lend what is necessary, and Britain and France are able. If Mussolini should say that it is by Italy's help Franco has got Spain, it can be said as truly that the non-intervention policy of Britain has been of equal service. Roman Catholicism and Fascism • Cardinal Hinsley, archbishop of Westminster, warns the flock in England against talking so freely about Fascism as might create the thought that they are allied. He does not want the Fascist label put on Roman Catholicism. That there is a close connection is apparent, and the cardinal can blame the Roman Catholic journals in Britain for his fears. In the Spanish conflict these have been so pro-Franco as to cause their readers to assume that Fascism and the church were together fighting for God and the Roman church, a fight for religion against Communism. At the moment il Duce and the Hierarchy in Rome have a difference, so important that it made the late pope speak out; and the members of the faith must keep in line with the authority in Rome, especially as the Hierarchy is busy courting the democracies in Britain and America. Mussolini follows the lead of the main member of the Berlin-Rome axis: Hitler has determined that if the church is to continue to exist in Germany it may do so only if subordinate to the state, and Mussolini wants the same, but is not in a position to demand it. The cardinal is rather late in the day in trying to keep the distinction between the totalitarian church and that of Fascism, but the flock are obedient, and in due time the Hierarchy in Rome will find the way to get the best of a bargain with Mussolini. Freethinkers-Religious Section • Retired dean Inge, one of the lights of the English church who in the newspapers broadcast their unbelief in the Scriptures, has, he says, been assailed as a heretic and dishonest by "one whose orthodoxy is as stiff as a poker, and sometimes as hot". He does not like the charge, and says, "It is unpleasant to be held as a hypocrite by truculent and furious fanatics." The dean breaks away from the harsh creeds because he cannot support them. That is to the good; but he takes the same liberty with the Scriptures, and treats them as being no more than the opinions and beliefs of men. He will not accept the records of the miracles of Jesus as historical, nor be bound by the prophetic writings. He will make the Scriptures conform to his philosophy. All the same he wants to be considered as a good churchman, a true upholder and supporter of religion as represented by the Church of England. At the same time he makes a bid for a standing as one of the world's philosophers. [page 28] He says, "The old arguments from miracles and prophecies do not appeal to us at all," and he has the effrontery to quote the words of Jesus in his support, as when Jesus said in rebuke to the Jews, "Except ye see signs and wonders ye will not believe." Says the dean, "We do not want to see signs and wonders, and are beginning to realize that miracles taken as historical records add nothing which is of interest to religion." Like so many of his cloth, he does not believe in the virgin birth of Jesus, nor the record of His ascension; nor does he believe that Jesus descended into hades [the grave] and was raised from the dead by the power of God. He also says, "We live in an age dominated by natural science," and to him natural science is as much a revelation of God as the Word of God — evidently it is more so; for he believes in science but not in the Scriptures. The difference between the ordinary freethinker and the religious unbelievers is that one will have nothing to do with the hypocrisy of religion and the other is its ardent supporter. Both the bishop of Birmingham and dean Inge tell of their hope through extension of knowledge of natural science. Both admit they are in the dark concerning the purposes of God. The Scriptures say that God is near to all that call upon Him, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. These gentlemen know these sayings, but they have no faith in them, or they refuse the conditions of discipleship. "Gentleman" Franco • The Catholic Herald makes a splash heading of a letter it sent to Mr. Chamberlain, and his reply. Recently Mr. Chamberlain made a request to Franco that he should not allow his army to wreak vengeance on the City of Barcelona and its inhabitants. To the editor this request was a slur on that "great Christian gentleman", a man who does not make war after such fashion: it could not be other than that the "gentleman" would act as a gentleman should! Mr. Chamberlain suitably replied, and the Herald got something for its pages. But it seems that the memory of the editor was rather short; for last year the pope himself addressed a request to his friend Franco requesting that his army should not bomb women and children. The Catholic Herald did not take that chance to get a front-page heading by a letter from the pope. The British Catholic papers persistently minimize the records of Franco's bombing of fugitives, and have as consistently exaggerated the records of the acts of the government's forces. The lie factories, and their adjuncts given to the perversion of facts, have been working overtime all the time of this Spanish rebellion. The duke of Atholl, whose wife, the duchess, has been an active friend of republican Spain, makes a statement to Reynolds News on what he says is absolutely reliable evidence. In the Catalonian retreat, he reports, "The planes of Franco dropped pretty little chocolate-boxes and the children ran to pick up what they thought to be much-longed-for sweets. As they opened the boxes the bomb concealed inside went off, burning the hands and the faces, sometimes almost beyond recognition." Says the duke, "As an old British officer I feel it my duty to make known this example of civilized barbarism as used in modern warfare." Land Values • A writer who has knowledge of the situation calls attention to the following facts which he claims reveal a very dangerous situation in which the country would find itself in a time of prolonged war. He calls attention to the fact that the land under cultivation in Britain is not nearly as much in area as in 1914, and that there is no intensive cultivation to bring the land to its full measure of fertility. With greater risk of cutting off of supplies from overseas, Britain is less able to produce at home; with two and a half million fewer acres in use, there are now nearly five million more people to feed than in 1913. His figures are: The total area of Great Britain, excluding water, is over 56 million acres. The total area under cultivation in 1913 was 32 million acres; in 1936, 29½ million. Allowing an outside figure for towns and villages and roads, there remains unworked and derelict, used only for grazing a few thousand sheep, and employing almost no capital, the appalling figure of 21½ million acres. In other words, more than one-third of the whole lies waste, while Britain imports millions of tons of foods which these acres could be made to yield, and which would provide homes and work for thousands who must now queue for their share of the "dole". A strong point is made that so much of the land is used for [page 29] sport. It is said that of Scotland's total area of over 19 million acres no less than 3½ million are used as deer forest, withdrawn, much of it in late years, from cultivation to enable a few rich people to indulge their love of sport. Not only were crofters and others deprived of their livelihood, but the country was denuded of the food these acres would have provided, and its defenses thereby weakened. "It is clear," this writer says, "that so far as agriculture has given place to game and sport this has been a leading cause of diminishing the welfare of 36 million people. The welfare of the people is sacrificed to the pleasure of a few thousand persons." Here is an instance where democracy needs taking in hand. The few hold it for their destructive sport, and keep the people from that which is their right. But while the government of the country is in the hands of the wealthy and the system under their control there is little probability that a change will be effected. Unemployment • The register of unemployed rose in January to well over the 2,000,000 mark. Evidently the extra work caused by rearmament is not absorbing the out-of-work men and women. This means that trade is poor, and, in fact, the export values of last year were less than in 1929 by £200,000,000. There will be a terrible slump some day. The Yorkshire Agricultural Conference has called the attention of the Government to the farming condition of that county of broad acres — it is, of course, by far the largest of the English counties, having an acreage of 3,723,724 acres. It is said that through lack of policy the Government is allowing the land to deteriorate, and workers to leave the county. There is much less area under cultivation than in the time of the Great War. Also the shipping and engineering unions call the attention of the Government to the fact that at the present time British shipping firms have vessels to the value of £7,000,000 under construction in foreign yards while there is a marked absence of orders in British yards; and further, that nine-tenths of old ships for breaking up were sold to be broken up outside the British Isles. It is clear that money rules. Praying for Peace • It appears that Pastor Muller, of Berlin, the successor of Pastor Niemoller, has incurred the anger of the German state officials by publicly praying for peace. It was suggested that he should be held to the charge of high treason, which involves the sentence of death, for thus interfering in the affairs of the State. To pray for peace is considered by religionists as an eminently proper thing to do, but the matter assumes a very different aspect to the dictator: why should a pastor set his congregation to pray for peace, when peace is not the policy of the State? Here is interference with the affairs of State. In any case, Hitler represents the will of God to Germany — so he claims. The pastor has no warrant in the Scriptures for his action: public prayers of this nature are an assumption of religionists. Jesus said to His disciples, 'When thou prayest enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door pray to thy Father in secret.' (Matthew 6: 6) Religionists have taken altogether too much upon themselves. The true follower of Jesus does not act as they do; he knows that he is not called upon to interfere either publicly or privately in the affairs of the State in which he lives. He has the inviolable right and the duty to preach the gospel of the kingdom of God, and also to deny the right of the State to interfere with his worship of Jehovah. The late pope, it is reported, died with the word "peace" on his lips, and it is said that the last years of his life were chiefly occupied with the preservation of peace in the earth. For this men commend him — the peoples do not want war. His example is considered by religionists to be a good one to follow, and, in fact, they take upon themselves an obligation to pray for the peace of the world. The true disciples of Jesus, acquainted with the Scriptures, know there comes a time when peace is taken from the earth, when the rider on the red horse goes forth, given power "to take peace from the earth". (Revelation 6: 4) Too, the fact that the time is now come when God arises to shake terribly the earth is part of the witness to His word and to His name which is now being given by Jehovah's witnesses. Jesus, the Prince of Peace, foretold the time when He as Michael should stand up and there would be a time of trouble in the earth such as had never been experienced. That time is come, and now there will be no peace on the earth till the final battle has been fought and the enemies of Jehovah and His kingdom are vanquished and destroyed. [page 30] Aviation Cesar Abadia Estrellose • Cesar Abadia Estrellose, Colombian aviator, was brave to the point of recklessness, but he was not obedient. After six months' suspension for recklessness in flight he was doing stunts over a crowd of 20,000. His instructions were that he must stay up at least 500 feet. He came down to the 200-foot level, his plane struck the aerial of a radio station and in an instant fell to the ground, cutting a path through spectators for more than fifty feet. Estrellose and 36 others were killed, and more than 100 injured; all because he was disobedient. Communication with Scientists • An airplane, searching for an overdue scientific party in the Grand Canyon, located a group nearly a mile below them and dropped three notes. The first read: "If you are the scientific expedition from the University of Michigan, all persons lie down." All six did. The second note read: "If everybody O.K., raise your arms to a horizontal position." All six did. The third note said, "If you need food, everybody sit down." Nobody sat down. Then the fliers reported to their commanding officer at El Paso that the six explorers needed no help. Around the World • Howard Hughes' time around the world, 91 hours 10 minutes 8 seconds, was at a rate (208.1 miles an hour) four times as fast as a fast railway train, and seven times as fast as the fastest ocean liner. The record, for seaplanes, is held by Agello. His speed of 441 miles an hour is about half the speed of a revolver bullet and considered fairly near the maximum of practical airplane speed. Speeds of 750 miles an hour in the stratosphere are envisioned, but at present are considered impractical. The Flight from Berlin • The German Condor monoplane flew from the military airport of Staaken, Berlin, to New York in 24 hours 54 minutes and made the return trip in 19 hours 59 minutes. Average speed going was 157 miles per hour; returning, 196. WILL AMERICA HAVE A DICTATOR? You will be astounded at the progress that is being made toward that end, when you read Judge Rutherford's new booklet FASCISM OR FREEDOM. "Fascism will never come here," say many people in America; but are they aware of what is going on behind the scenes, things which the newspapers know but won't publish? A foreign power, operating under a religious cloak, has its men in key positions in the government, to further its aims. It controls the police, the courts and the newspapers to such an extent that the majority of the people are kept in ignorance and their liberties are being rapidly taken away. Men and women who dare to tell the truth are persecuted, imprisoned, threatened, and their peaceable assemblies broken up. What can you do about it? The booklet FASCISM OR FREEDOM will tell you. Get your copy and study it carefully. Mailed anywhere on a contribution of 5c. The Watch Tower Brooklyn, N. Y. Send me Fascism or Freedom. Enclosed find contribution of 5c. Name .................................................... Address ................................................. --- [page 31] GET IT NOW! LAST CALL FOR SPECIAL OFFER A year's subscription for THE WATCHTOWER, the bound book ENEMIES and the booklets FACE THE FACTS and FASCISM OR FREEDOM All for $1.00 ($1.50 outside of U. S. A.) These publications, dealing with world conditions in the light of fulfilled Bible prophecy, contain information which you need. Many people are in despair because of the unhappy conditions that exist. The above publications will bring you comfort and hope that you can obtain nowhere else. If you haven't taken advantage of this remarkable offer, do so today. THE WATCHTOWER is a 16-page journal published twice a month, devoted exclusively to the study of the Bible. ENEMIES is a 384-page book, clothbound, written by Judge Rutherford, which exposes the racket of religion and explains the true worship of God. FACE THE FACTS contains two thrilling speeches by Judge Rutherford, originally broadcast world-wide by radio. FASCISM OR FREEDOM shows how the Fascist-Hierarchy combine is seeking by underhanded methods to gain control of America. The Watch Tower, Brooklyn, N. Y. Enter my subscription for The Watchtower for one year. Enclosed find contribution of $1.00 [$1.50 outside of U.S.A.]. Send me free the book Enemies, and the booklets Face the Facts and Fascism or Freedom. Name .................................................... Address ................................................. [page 32] CONSOLATION