The Reformed Presbyterian Standard and also 0\ir ... - Rparchives.org

August 26. 1914.
A FAMILY PAPER.
E D I T O R I A L
John W. Pritchard, Editor.
"THE PEOPLE THAT DELIGHT IN WAR
DISPERSE, 0 GOD AND KING."
Psalm 68:30.
How strange appears this terrible war! It
rose as the kindling of thorns under a pot, a
sudden and fierce flame. "Norcross" writes in
the Public Ledger of August 15.
"The great war in Europe speaks eloquently of
the weakness of the Church in all the countries engaged.
The Church stands for peace. Jesus
Chr'st, its founder, has heen hailed as the Prince
of Peace. He preached the Golden Rule. Love
for one's neighbors, love even for one's enemies,
are cardinal features of the Christian creed. War
is excusable in the Turk because his religion
justifies him in killing his enemies. The pagan
tribes who peopled central Europe for centuries
before the Romans came believed that a warrior
was rewarded in the hereafter according to the
number of enemies he slew in battle. The American
Indian hung the scalps of his victims upon
a pole, or at his belt, and their number determined
his prestige among his people.
"If the churches of Europe had preached and
prayed for peace during the last quarter of a century,
the rulers would have found it well-nigh
impossible to keep up their mad race for supremacy
in armaments. If all Christians in those
countries had preached the doctrine of loving
your fellow man, including those of different nationality
across the boundary line, this great war,
which will set back the progress of Europe a
century, would not have come to pass. Unfortunately,
the churches of Europe seem to have
been influenced, at least in sentiment, by the
politics of the realm. War will cease when the
church becomes so strong and so faithful to its
Founder that politics in all countries will be influenced
by the teachings of the church.''
What of the thoughts among the warring
peoples, and what afterthoughts! Conscience
will bring many to task. The German Chancellor
sends out an appealing message to America
for good-will.
At a Brotherhood Conference of the U. P.
Church some years ago, Dr. James A. Mac-
Donald of Toronto, said:
"How are the nations alien in their history,
eutagonistic in their purposes, to learn to livi.
together in one world community Diplomacy,
with its deceit and its check-matings, is not sui;-.-
cient. Most assuredly armies and navies will not
avail. As with individuals, so with nations; the
nations cannot live together and be at peace unless
they are of one mind. A world communify
and Ambassador, respectively. He is one of the
most intimate friends of the British royal family.
"War between Great Britain and Austria-Hungary,
it is expected in London, will be declared
immediately".
The war destroys many hopes.
"London, Aug. 12.—Lieut. Baron Marshon von
Eieherstein, a young German officer who was killed
the second day after the declaration of wav
between France and Germany, was a Rhodes
scholar who had just completed his second year
at Christ Church College, Oxford, where he made
many American friends. He was wounded in the
district of Genaville. When French soldiers went
lo his assistance he murmured: 'Thank you, gentlemen.
I have done my duty. I have served my
country as you are serving yours.' The pistol,
sabre and helmet of the dead officer now are 'n
the possession of Le Matin of Paris. His father
was a famous German diplomatist, who died
shortly after his appointment as Ambassador to
England. The maintenance of the world's peace
was one of the results Cecil Rhodes hoped to
bring about by the education at Oxford of picked
young men from Germany, British Empire and
the United States. All German Rhodes scholars
were appointed by the Kaiser."
event of the Canal Opening. A few months
ago, this opening would have excited worldwide
interest and comment, having so much
to do with bringing into closer relations the
ends of the earth. On Saturday, the 15th of
August, the current of traffic began with some
formalities, and on Monday, the 17th, it was
announced:
"The sum of $25,000 was taken yesterday in
tolls by the Panama Canal, which was officially
opened Saturday. Three steamers are going
THE MBECHANT MARINE.
THE PROSPECT FOR NATIONAL CON­
STITUTIONAL PROHIBITION.
On August 12, in the Amphitheatre, Chau-"
tauqua, N. Y., Miss Anna A. Gordon delivered
an address on "The Progress of the Temperance
Reform and the Prospect for National
Constitutional Prohibition." We give here extracts
from the latter part of that address. As
Vice-President of the National Woman's
Christian Temperance Union, , Miss Gordon
automatically succeeded Mrs. L. M. N. Stevens
as President of that organization.
"Forty years ago the temperance reform was
traveling at the pace of a prairie schooner
along a western trail. Today its electric speed
is the despair of the liquor dealer and foretells
the early downfall of his trade."
"The phenomenal progress pf the temperance
reform as hastily outlined is the best proof I
can present that the prospect for National Constitutional
Prohibition is most encouraging.
Many and varied are the influences that have
THE PANAMA CANAL OPENED. fed the prairie fire of public sentiment now
The war in Europe has overshadowed the sweeping us on toward our gleaming goal, but
it is only just that, speaking of today for the
300,000 true-hearted white-ribboners, I should
emphasize the forty years of educational work
of our organization, a society unparalleled in
its effective machinery, in its devotion and its
self-sacrifice, and declare my belief that under
God's blessing the W. C. T. U. has been the
greatest instrumentality in arousing the heads,
hearts and consciences that are now demanding
National Constitutional Prohibition."
"Other great agencies contributing to the
rapid and marvelous development of the temperance
reform include the Prohibition Party,
through the waterway and four more probably
the Anti-Saloon League, the National Temperance
Society, the International Reform Bureau,
will start before nightfall. The total receipts
in canal tolls up to the present time amount to
and that mighty host, the Church militant, all
$100,000."
declaring unremitting warfare against their
What of the Fair in 1915, is now asked
greatest enemy, the liquor traffic. The Young
How strange, in the present view, seems the
People's Society of Christian Endeavor, with
accord of England and Germany in declining
its ringing slogan, 'A Saloonless Nation in
persistently official participation in this great
1920,' the other 3'oung people's societies in various
denominations, and the magnificent army
occasion. This is one of the things which
will work out right, when the time for the
Fair opening arrives.
of the Sunday Schools, are all out on the firing
line, well equipped with temperance ammunition."
"National Constitutional Prohibition is a
The tolls question was finally decided adverse
'Safety First' measure that should command
to favor to the merchant marine engaged the earnest, active untiring support of every
armed to the teeth means hell. There cannot in coast-wise trade. Now the war has roused Christian and every patriot. It is 'Safety First'
exist a world neighbor without the spirit of the
for thousands of suffering women and children;
great zeal for a merchant marine, instantly
, 'S'orld brotherhood. The necessity for interna-
it is 'Safety First' for the rising generation of
;ional brotherhood in the present world situation needed. The proposal was even made in Congress,
and largely favored, to admit the for­
boys and girls, our citizens of tomorrow who
sends us back to the New Testament and makes
authoritative and urgent the evangel of the Incarnation
and the world mission of the Church." eign ships to this coastwise trade; and not only treacherous highway; it is a 'Safety First'
are entitled to this protection along life's
We have quoted the description of the fare- to admit foreign built ships to registry, but measure made absolutely necessary by the complex
«'ell to England of the German ambassador. condition of the electric age in which we
to take their officers, anything in this crisis for
So also the parting of the Austrian ambassador,
sundered friends:
poison if it would preserve individual and na­
live, an age which must eliminate alcoholic
the carrying trade. The ship-building interests
then proposed to remove to Canada. This
"London, Aug. 12.—Arrangements have been
tional life. National Constitutional Prohibition
is an efficiency measure which must prevail
made for the departure tomorrow of the Austrian-Hungarian
Ambassador, Count A. iMens-
shape of admitting foreign-built ships to Am­
in. our great republic if we are to maintain our
called a halt, and the bill has passed in the
dorff-Pouiiiy-Dietrichstein, who has heen in Eng-
'and for eighteen years as Secretary, Miiisler erican registry.
proud position among the nations of the world."