Covenanter Witness Vol. 54 - Rparchives.org

crowds."
Glimpses of the Religious World
Frank E. Allen, D. D.
More about Mendes-France
Readers of this page will remember that in the issue
of March 2 we guessed that the opposition to Mendes-France
was mainly because of his stand for temperance. That has
been confirmed by an article by Dorothy Thompson in the
Chicago Daily News in which she quotes from a French
paper. One of the economic empires in France is the alcohol
interest and M. Mendes-France fell afoul of it when he pro
moted a milk campaign
a glass for every school child. The
liquor business in France brings in 53 billions in taxes, and
even though it costs the state 152 billions to deal with it,
the people think it is a great asset to their country. The
writer in the French paper, M. Barrat, says, "Everything
conspires to impel the Frenchmen to drink." There is a
constant sales campaign that alcohol is a real food. Even the
schools are circularized to this effect. The alcohol bloc in
cludes 8,000,000 people who earn their living from the indus
try, plus 3,500,000 dealers
a mass of voters large enough
to block effective laws to limit or control the use of alco
hol. Brandy is put in the bottles of infants, school children
take a half bottle of wine in their lunch boxes,
and the real
homes of the workers are the bistros where they sip, sip, sip.
France is anually producing 22 quarts of alcohol per French
man woman, and child
er country in the world.
more proportionately, than any oth
A Mounting Curse
The above article goes on to say that alcoholism is a
steadily mounting curse. In 1951 and 1954, reports to the
National Assembly revealed that one in every 25 French
adults was an alcoholic, and 15 per cent of the population
on their way to becoming so. One fourth of hospitalized men
tal patients owe their condition to drink, and only 75 per
cent of the known mental cases are hospitalized. Alcoholics
or their children produce 70 to 80 per cent of the nation's
criminals. Abnormal mortality among men under 50 exists
in no other country as acutely. Miss Thompson closes her
article by saying: "Apparently what France needs is a
troop of Carrie Nations." What France needs more than
that is a nation-wide regeneration followed by a genuine
reformation. As an ally to the U.S.A. France is like Egypt
was to Judah, a broken reed on which if a man lean it will
pierce his hand.
Gospel Recordings
The missionary effort is now being aided by gospel re
cordings in a thousand languages and dialects. Many of
these records are being
work has never before gone.
taken to places where missionary
Christian Radio City
Christian Radio City, Manila, is broadcasting twenty
hours each day over the Far East. This was begun at great
self-sacrifice of those who originated it. It carries a Bible
correspondence course training in Bible and personal work.
Christ's Mission
Christ's Mission is planning to open a home for con
verted priests where they
can be helped in getting a new
start in life and becoming
acquainted with the Bible and
210
the true religion. The Converted Catholic is to be issued at
twice its present size which will give much more information
about Romanism.
Revival In Africa
A report by the Christian and Missionary Alliance of the
Kinkonzi Station: "We have been having wonderful mass
meetings lately with two or three thousand people out for a
long day of services. . We look for the day
. .
have ten thousand, and it may be very soon. Our loudspeak
ers are almost inadequate now for the
Pastor Receives Exemption
when we will
The UEA reports the case of a young minister who is
serving as an assistant pastor engaged in extension work in
several needy communities in South Dakota. In addition to
his ministerial activities it has been necessary for the regis
trant to carry part time employment in non-religious work.
His local draft board took exception to this outside employ
ment and classified him in 1A. This was upheld by the State
Board. At this point in the case the NAE Office of Affairs
took up the case and was successful in getting the case
passed up to the National Board. A letter from Donald H.
Gill, Assistant Secretary of Affairs of NAE, explained to the
National Board the nature of the home mission work in
which the registrant was engaged. On January 17, 1955, the
National Board classified the man in Class 4D, thus grant
ing the ministerial exemption from military service.
To Probe Comics and TV
The Senate has voted to conduct a new probe into the
influence of comic books and TV programs on juvenile de
linquency. Senator Kefauver has been named chairman of
the inquiry group which will serve as a subcommittee of the
Senate Judiciary Committee. A special committee that in
vestigated juvenile delinquency last year, of which Sen. R. C.
Hendrickson was chairman, monitored television programs
(Continued on page 216)
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Dr. Raymond Taggart, D.D., Editor
1209 Boswell Avenue, Topeka Kansas
Contributing Editors
Frank E. Allen, D.D.
Prof. William H. Russell
Walter McCarroll, D.D.
Remo I. Robb. D.D.
Departmental Editors
Rev. John O. Edgar
Mrs. J. O. Edgar
Mrs. Ross Latimer
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