Newspaper Page Text
The Presbyterian
Vol.97. No. 87. ' RICHMOND, VA.
September 13, 1922
PATHETIC is the appeal made by a group
of missionaries now on furlough in this
country, ami which was published in this
paper last week. Think of the statement it con
tains, that, to answer the crying call for work
ers in heathen lands, thirty young men and
women are ready to go, but on account of the
debt on the Foreign Mission Committee's
treasury, not one of them can be sent. Is it
]M>ssible that the people of Clod in this pros
perous land cannot supply the means to send
' out these volunteers, who are ready to give
their lives in the service of the lost? Along
with this appeal should be taken in considera
tion that, for the lirst four months of this
church year, the contributions were much less
than they were for the same period last year.
Let us stop, think, pray and give.
SUNDAY SCHOOL RALLY DAY comes
on October 1st. This is one of the most im
portant days in the Sunday School year. It
is intended to be a time when all the forces of
the school are marshalled and the school or
ganization is looked over to see what improve
ments are needed, and plans should be an
nounced for the coming year. Another im
portant feature of the day is the taking of a
collection for Sunday School Extension. The
General Assembly has appointed this day as a
special time at which the Sunday Schools are
to be asked to aid in this worlf. When we think
of the millions of children in this country who
are not in Sunday School, every effort possible
should be made to bring them to the Sunday
School, or to lake the Sunday School to them.
LORD LEVERHULME, one of the greatest
business men in England, and probably the
wealthiest, is quoted by the Manufacturers'
Record as saying: "It is quite correct that 1
stated a year or so ago that if we had Prohibi
tion in the United Kingdom the saving in our
drink bill would be sufficient to repay our in
debtedness to the United States in lees than five
years. I am still of the same opinion. I be
lieve myself that Prohibition in the United
States will remain a feature of the national
life, and I hope for all time, and that the
present difficulties with 'bootleggers' will grad
ually cease. They are, possibly, at the present
time at their most extreme point, but as the
generations which had cultivated a taste for
alcohol gradually dwindled away and a new
generation sprang up which knew not alcohol
the occupation of the 'bootlegger' would have
gone." **
s
RUNNING a large school aijd a church on
old clothes is an unusual proceeding. And
yet that is what has been done for some years
in the Mountains of North Carolina. Mrs.
Mary Martin Sloop, a sister of President Mar
tin, of Davidson College, conceived the idea of
asking her friends for their cast-off clothes.
These she sells to the people of the mountains,
who are usually far away from stores, and who
are glad to get them at the moderate prices
which she asks for them. With the proceeds of
these sales Mrs. Sloop started a small school.
The bundles of clothes sent her increased and
the school has grown, buildings have been
erected and equipped and a chapel has been
built. The school for this session has already
enrolled 222, with nine teachers. Read Airs.
Sloop's article on another page of this paper.
If the housekeepers who read this paragraph
will go through their homes they will find many
garments that members of their families will
not wear again. They will also find many small
articles of bric-abrac, of which they have become
tired. Mrs. Sloop says she can sell anything
that is used in any home, except old school
books, roller skates and ball dresses. Look over
your homes, dear readers, gather up these
things that are of no value to you, pack them
carefully and strongly in a box, a barrel or a
parcel post package, prepay the freight on them
and send them as soon as possible to Airs. Sloop
at Crosnore, N. C.
BOOTLEGGING has been charged against
our Government, because the Shipping Board
has been selling liquor on the ships under its
control, under the plea that these ships will not
pay running expenses, unless travelers are of
HERE AM I.
*Have you ever stopped to ponder
What would your answer be
If the call should come so swiftly
To go beyond the sea?
What If In the midst of labor,
Or sweet repose of night,
There should quickly come the summons:
"Go carry, thou, the light!"
You must part with friends and loved ones,
And leave your peaceful home;
Among strartge and heathen nations
You now shall ever roam!
Brother, would you have the courage
To make the sacrifice?
Pray, would you hesitate, or would
Your faith in God suffice?
Lo, think of countless heathen souls
Who seek the truth and peace,
Think that the Lord has chosen thee
To make their yearning cease;
Think of the starry crown that waits
For thee beyond the sky.
Yea, gird thyself with faith and hope,
And answer, "Here am I."
? Flora K. Koerner.
fered the opportunity to buy liquor on them,
as they would have opportunity of doing on
ships of other countries. When this announce
ment was first made to the public by an ex
brewer, a great deal was said about it in the
papers. The Shipping Board made its explana
tion, and, so far as we have seen, no action
has been taken by the Government to put a
stop to the practice. A recent cartoon repre
sented "Uncle Sam" as standing with one "dry"
foot on land and one "wet" foot on the sea.
Such an effort is ridiculous, but it is a serious
matter for any department of the Government
to violate the laws properly made by the law
making powers of the country. Every officer
of the law, from the President to the police
man, takes an oath to enforce the laws. When
any officer, no matter what position he holds,
fails to do this, the law-abiding people, and
they are vastly in the majority, should speak
out most emphatically and demand that the Jaw
be impartially enforced.
I
I
RUSSIA, to a large extent has been saved
from the destruction of starvation and dis
ease. This has been done almost entirely through
the liberality of America. The various agencies
engaged in this work spent about $00,000,000
contributed by liberal Americans. This
enabled the relief workers to maintain 15,000
kitchens and relief stations, at which 3,250,000
children and 5,300,000 adults were fed at least
enough food to keep them alive. This has, no
doubt, done much to forge the bonds of friend
ship between these two countries far 1 >etter
than anything else could have done. The
amount s]>ent seems a large sum, but if this
country had spent ten times as much, it would
have been very little in comparison with the
cost of war. The few millions returned to
China, when this country declined to receive
any Boxer indemnity, has made for it a strong
friend of China. It is not so much the money
spent, as the spirit that prompted the gift that
has made China our friend, and will go far
toward making a friend of Russia, as in the
future the people realize more and more what
has been done by America in saving millions
of lives. If all nations would adopt the policy
of helping one another, when they are in need
of any assistance that may be rendered, espe
cially in times of peace, a spirit of brotherhood
would be established, which would make war
forever impossible.
CHURCH PAPERS are among the greatest
helps in the work of the Church. At one
time this was not realized at all and it is not
fully realized now. The United Presbyterian
speaking of another paper says that "pleading
for a wider circulation, it fixes the responsi
bility for success on the denomination itself.
Some congregations are disposed to think of the
church paper as an outside agency, published
for private profit. The problem of circulation
cannot Ik? solved bv circulars or even personal
letters from the office, for too often they fall
in harmless showers to the ground; not by
premiums, which are like a paper fire ? too
much blaze for the heat and too quickly over;
nor by commissions, which may appeal to the
mercenary motive in the subscriber; nor by a
traveling representative, who, at best, can barely
skiy* over his territory and is utterly unable to
cjiltivatejit intensely. We shall never be able
to solve tnis problem until the denomination gets
as squar^lv, as earnestly and as unitedly belli nd
the denomination! paper as it is behind missions,
education, ministers' relief, and all other de
nominational agencies and undertakings." We*
believe that many of the leaders of our Church
realize the value of the church papers and arc
doing what they can to aid them in increasing
their circulation, so that they will reach a larger
proportion of the church members. The
Woman^s Auxiliary has done good work in this
direction, and we are sirre will do more in the
future. When every family has a church
paper in its home and reads it regularly, there
will be no lack of information ?n regard to the
work of the Church. And it should never l>e
forgotten that ihformation is the foundation of
interest, inspiration and consecrated enthusi
asm. When the Church, as a whole, does get
behind the church papers >?ith all of its power,
a brighter day will dawn for the work" 6f the
Church at home and abroad.