The Washington herald., 1911-09-10
THE TREND OF THINGS
Religion Among Army and Navy
Men.


The good deeds of Miss Helen Gould
are come upon in many places. An END
pIoye in a Chicago packing house was
summoned home in the middle of a fore
noon, there to find his house in ruin
from fire; happily his wife and child
were safe. In the pocket Of his best
coat, gone with other things, there was
a new Testament which bore on its fly
leaf Miss Gould's name. The other day
the man wrote, telling of his loss, and
asking If he could secure another book.
While on board United States battle
ship, serving Uncle Sam, the man had
received one of the fifteen hundred New
Testaments, with the Psalms, handsome
ly bound in leather, for pocket use, which
Miss Gould gives annually to men in
the service who show by attendance upon
Bible classes that they are interested.
Completing his term in the navy, the
man went to Chicago and secured the
packing house job. His wife found the
New Testament in his pocket and began
to read it. Soon both husband and wife
Joined a Congregational church there.
The New Testament that was burned
had memories attached to 1t, but alas.
A new Testament now takes its place
For years Miss Gould herself wrote the
inscriptions on the ny leaves, but the
number of books grew so great that at
least the Scripture passage accompany
ing her name has now to be printed
with a stamp.
The public does not appreciate how
great is this Christian work among the
army and navy of the United States.
Under the conduct of the army and navy
branch Of the Y. NJ. c. A. in 1911 there
have thus far been held, in the army
alone, $50 religious meetings, with Il, S66
men in attendance. There have been 96S
sessions of Bible classes, with 22,5O4 men
as sNmembers. Up to July l there were
enrolled N the enlisted mems Bible and
prayer league 3674 men. There are what
are called church parties. Men in groups
go together on Sunday evenings and hear
Rell-known preachers. There have been
thus far this year 1SS such parties, with
1853 men composing them.
The total attendance for religious meet
ings and classes in the army this year
Is 66.O63. OF these 531 men professed a
determination to lead the Christian life,
and $40 Joined the enlisted mems absti-
nence league. 1t is often found difficult
to get men into actual church member
ship, for they are shifted from one post
to another, their terms of enlistment eX-
pire and there are the usual removals
found everywhere in civil life.
In the United States navy thus far this
year the attendance upon religious serv
ices conducted by association men has
been 56,433 There have been 15108 at the
Bible classes, 1906 in the church parties,
and 1923 have professed conversion.
The same difficulty, or greater, is had
when it comes to finding opportunity for
a sailor to enter into full church men,
bership. The total attendance Of sailors,
all meetings, this year is 74,426 In the
Bible and prayer league the enrolment
for the year exceeds 1000, so that the
league has now, in both army and navy
membership nearly 10000. Sailors to the
number Of 62s signed the card of the
abstinence league
The attendance at the educational
classes has been 5000. There are sixty
six circulating libraries. and the num-
Der of books drawn from them this year
has been IS3, 900. No fewer than sixteen
branches are taught in the educational
classes. Such is a part of the record OF
an American army and American navy,
made up of young American born men
OF the Middle West, who can beat the
world at gunnery, and at several other
things, and who perform their Christian