Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1912-01-02

lAO L. NJ
G. A., and a large attendance In his
audience of English residents were
many Japanese. Very earnest atten-
ton was given him. We report one of
his addresses from the text. Choose
We this day whom We will serve GOSH
ia xiv, 15). He saies-
am deeply impressed with the great
progress which your nation has made,
which Is manifest on every hand. But
alas! | fear that here. as in civilized
lands. some of the progress is lnJuri-
Gus. The japanese and every other
people need a faith ballast. it is nee
essary to strength of character ana Z
permanent civilization. Without it, iii
a little while the whole world will be
swept into anarchy. Indeed | foreSee
that awful condition approaching rap
idly-in Europe, in America and here
in Japan.
Laments the Lack of Faith Ballast.
The basis Of anarchy is a lack of
faith ballast; and alas. our wonderful
schools. with their fine equipments, are
the real cause of the condition which
is approaching In Europe and Amer
lea this infidelity is CLOSED over with
the name of Higher Criticism, but here
see that you more candidly label it
Agnosticism and Atheism. 1t appall-
ed me to find that the progress Of
your scholars from Shintoism. Confu-
cianism and Buddhism has not been
toward Christianity but toward total
unbelief | have been handed a report
from three of your schools which has
made me heartsick. Out of a total of
400 Students 4 professed Christianity,
II the religion of your fathers, 60 de
clareG themselves Atheists, 2S2 regis
tered as Agnostics and 46 were so be-
wildered as to be non-committal.
Alas, my friends, even your proven
bal politeness, gentleness, kindness of
character and willingness to die for
your Emperor cannot exist long under
the influence of such a lack of faith
ballast. And what your scholars Of
today believe will surely reflect in your
masses shortly. And | am bound in
candor to admit that very similar
out Europe and America. The outlook
is ominous indeed.
Whatever we may be, the closing of
one year and the opening of another
furnishes a favorable opportunity for
retrospection as well as for good reso-
buttons. l trust that my audience
agrees with me in this. The greatest
power in the universe is the power of
the will, and we are all learning how
important a matter it is that our own
wills and the wills of our fellow -crea-
lures be rightly directed. 1t is in line
with this thought that the Wise man
declared that greater is man that
ruleth his own spirit than he who con-
quers city, and, "As a man willeth
in his heart, so is he" proverbs xvi.
80; xiii, ~
War and Rapine Not Noble Objects.
OF old Alexander the Great willed
to be the conqueror of the world, and
at cost Of wealth and streams of
blood he accomplished wonders We
are gradually learning, however, that
war and rapine are not sufficiently no
bic objects for the human ambition
and will Instead, the bright minds
of the world are turning toward the
conquering of the earth. Highways
are cast up, rails are laid, trains are
run, mountains are pierced, rivers are
spanned with bridges, and the human
will is using steam and electrical pow
err in every direction in a marvellous
manner 1 am not emphasizing these
well known facts so common to our
observation. but calling attention to
the loill behind all these results. with
out which they would not be attained.
And what is thus noted in the
achievements of the world reminds us
that we each and all have wills,
which should be rightly directed and
forcefully exercised in all of our per-
sonal affairs. our lives. our ambitions.
our family and social attachments. A
will-less man is a .good-for-naught
How important. then. it is that all of
our wills should be wisely rightly di-
rected. that our lives may be made as
successful and useful as possible. for
the glory of our Creator and for the
welfare of our fellows. as well as for
our own sakes. suggest to you.
therefore, in harmony With our text,
that we choose this day" our course
for the coming year, yea. for life. AID,
finding that we have chosen wisely,