The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-07-14
Christian Science in Germany.
CBy d. B. MacGowan.l

BERLIN, February 6.-Christian Science
has gained a substantial foothold in
three cities OF Germany and has ineipi-
ent churches in two or three other places
Mrs. Frances Ihurber Seal, formerly Of
New York, after starting the work in
Dresden. largely among the American
and English residents, came to Berlin
and rented apartments near Winterfeldt
Piatz In the western part o. the city and
fitted up the salon a meeting hall,
with a capacity of eighty people. She
now has two German assistants. and
holds two services in German and two in
English every week. The attendance il
often as high as sixty persons at meet
ing
At Dresden also four meetings q week
are held. The Dresden community is
still composed largely of Engl.sh-speak
ing people. h,rs. Frey, at Heidelberg,
and Pastor Dieterle, formerly a German
Methodist minister, are pioneers In South
Germany, operating at Heidelberg and
Stuttgart respectively.
The main Christian Science center is
however, Hanover. Frau Bertha Gun
ther-often called Gunther-Peterson. ac-
cording to the Swiss custom of append
ing the maiden name to the marriage
name In hyphenating-and Fraulines
Marie and Ida Schoen have an average
sons. They no longer attempt to find
room for these gatherings at IS Geibel-
strasse, where they have two entire
floors as living apartments and Offices,
but have secured a hall in a large hotel
near the center of the city
German legislation is so systematic and
German, administration is so painstaking
one might be surprised that there would
be room here for any but doctors with
diplomas and licensed physicians. and
that II Christian Science had managed to
gain a footing 1t was simply because the
teachers and healers of Mrs. Eddy,s
school had hitherto escaped the atten-
ton OF the police. This is by no means
the case. 1t is odd. but it is true, that
in country which requires physicians
to be university graduates and to have
passed severe examination after leav-
ing the university, the police have been
unable to interfere materially with the
unorthodox healers.
Frau Gunther anu Fraulines Marie and
Ida Schoen and Mrs. Sea- can heal the
ills of mankind by the metaphysical
method, without the police being able to
interfere That they are unable 10 not
a mere assumption. they have tried and
/ failed. The physicians and clergymen,
the police and the courts of Hanover
have given Frau Gunner and her assist-
ants generous share of their attention
for nearly Two years, and their waiting
rooms are still crowded daily with pa
TENTS
! The physicians signed secret petition
for legal interference and some of the
clergymen told their Pensioners that
Frau Gunther was an emissary of Satan
himself. The police stationed themselves
in the cellar of Geibelstrasse Is and spent
ten hours observing the entrance and
noting the names of callers as far as
| they could be identified. The patients
were then summoned to Office of the
/ (N.sw~
This was in June, 1898. The examination
i apparently disclosed nothing to base a
complaint on, for the only information
| the healers received of the proceedings
was from their patients. This was re-
peated twice afterwards, and the last
time Frau Gunther and Fraulines Marie
and Ida were summoned personally be-
| fore the Criminal Inspector. This was in
| November, only short time before Frau
/ Gunther and Frauline Ida went to the
United States to present Mrs. Eddy at
Christmas a handsome German Bible
and make a report On the work in this
| country.
THE Criminal Inspector sent his own
wife to be treaAed two days after the
i first examination of Witnesses" Frau
Gunther said. At all events, Che visit of
the Frau Criminal 1nspectorin," as she
Is no doubt known in society. did not
cause the police to lodge a complaint
4 with the States Attorney.
Both Mrs. Seal and the Hanover rep
resentatives of the metaphysical healing
system, assert that among their patients
are the wives of many high military Of
ficers. The conquest which has made the
greatest furore was naturally that Of the
young Count Hellmuth Won Moltke, the
nephew Of Feldmarschal1 and the son OF
the present commanding General at Bres-
lau, Major General Won Moltke. The
young Count Won Moltke lives on the
. Moltke estates at Kreisau near Breelau
He Is not now in the public service. He
, manages the estates
His health became somewhat impaired
, and he was persuaded by General and
Frau Won GARNER, who had it is said
become convinced of the merits of Chris
tian Science, to place himself In the
; hands of Frau Gunthep He went e
g Hanover last fab with lis mother anC
spent eight or ten weeks there. After
a a few conversations, 1t is said. he be
' came thoroughly converted to the theo1o
gy and physical and metaphysical view!
n of Mrs. Eddy, and within short time
q his splendid tenor was to be heard II
g every Christian Science service at Han
8 mover He left for home cured of hi
nervous prostration.
p, At received letter from him g fev
days ago." Frau Gunther said last Sun
II day HE told me his sister was reading
IS Science and Health diligently and wa
begging her father to allow her to De
q come a Christian Science healer"
" Not satisfied with this triumph. tn
Christian Scientists have been whispering
4 1t about that Science and Health mum
70 hers among its readers member OF III
royal family. 1t is related that whe
ID about to leave for the Holy Land wit
s. the Emperor a high naval officer tele
praphed Frau Gunther to meet him Q
ST the railway station in Hanover with
,e copy of Mrs. Eddy's book. She compile
v and this officer has carried the volume
"a his breast pocket ever since. From il
ne rusalem he sent Frau Gunther pictur
postal card with the words. Truth
as victorious" Whether he succeeded J
i convincing any Of the other members {
m the Emperor's party of the truth OF MT
Eddy's book 1t is not said.
ne The story is that the hereditary rI1i
a. cess of Sachsen-Meiningen, the oioes
- sister of the Emperor, whose husoand
stationed at Breslau, heard OF the cas
of the young Count Won Moltke-tne Lan
lilies are naturaily thrown much togetn'
and through this enthusiastic props
randist secured the famous book.-ch