The Washington herald., 1914-10-18

: the common CALAMITY tnreaeeheu -
war.
habits which has resulted from the con-
flict Mr.. Kenhan says:
The word most frequently heard from
Russians now when they try 10 oe-
scribe the spiritual uplift and uninea-
ton Of the people is the woro OF ons
Of NV correspondents wonderful Aho
not the least wonderful OF recent Rus-
J.n nbenonena Is the sudden and COM
pIets abolition OF drunkenness. For
The first time in the history Of mankind
one-seyenth part Of the habitable globe
has gone dry" and IT0O00.000 people
have stopped drinking Intoxicating
uuuor. In the excitement of the mo-
ment and the press Of war news TINS
extraordinary fact has attracted h.ue
attention rob sa been overlooked alto
gether; but to me it seems iar more
sawonderful" than the rapid and VIC
torious advance Of the Russian armies
into Austria For many weeks the SAFE
Of vodka in Russia has been completely
suspended, and the whole populauon mas
looked at the European situation through
absolutely sober eyes. The closing OF
hundreds of thousands Of liquor shops
was at first merely a temporary war
measure The government. through MS
monopoly Of the drink traffic, controlled
the whole vast machinery Of production
and distribution, and Fas able 70 put
stop TO 1t in twenty-four hours. why II
decided to do this ] do not know; but
the object probably was TO prevent ais
ordsr during the period Of mobilization
ana concentrations That object was
quickly attained; but the people uphIt-
ed by the great wave of spiritual ex-
altation. almost took the reform INTO
their own hands. The order TO close
the LIQUOR shops throughout the empire
was welcomed by the press ana the peO-
ME with such enthusiastic appreciation
tbst the government would hardly have
dared 10 resume the sale Of vodka even
II it had wished to do so. The Gar
wanted popular support, and the peo-
pie wanted sobriety
II would be too much, perhaps, to say
that the Russians have become tenn
perate nation overnight, or IN ie"
weeks; but certain 1t is that tney are
,it,,de toward drunkenness since the out
break Of war has become so clear and
I,nnistalyabIe that the abolition OF the
vodka monopoly has practically oeeh
decided upon.
Russia is often called the land ot
unlimited possibilities" with the lmpnca-
ton that the possibilities are onIy tnose
NJ evl. The great spiritual awakening'
however which we now see there' the
natriotic coming together Of discordant
Elements; the new feeling of brotherhood
which links Jews to Slavs and nperSls
10 reactiouists; and last, but not least
the spontaneous and universal Welcom
ing Of prohibition a. great nauona
blessing for which everybody Is Iesy, .S,,
sLoT that the unlimited possibilities"
ars NJ GOOD as well as evil. If the war
should do nothing more than free RUSSIA
fror, the curse of vodka, 1t would De
worth all that 1t can possibly COST IN
treasure and life; but may We not nope
with the liberals and the revoluuOnlsts,
that in some way and at some near tinne
It will also free the country from erUei'''
oppression, and despotic rule!
Dr and Mrs. Wilbur ]. Chapman have
sailed from New York City for Lonoon;
rev Ralph Norton, director OF PERSONA
,,-orI- who has been with DR.. chapman
for several years, went with them III
CHAPMAN went abroad at the lnVltauon
Of a committee in London, Which en-
gagged him to hold evansehstc mee'nES IaII
for two weeks in that CITY IN nan
adjoining the main recruiting station Tor
4bs English army. His ministry is TO De
mainly 10 young soldiers. II circum-
stances prove favorable, DR.. chapman
win be invited to extend the Work one
or two weeks longer.
Concerning
tions in Italy in war time DR.. Wainns
clark for twenty-five years Methodist
missionary in that country, now visiting
America in the interest of Italy Meth
odism, says:
I'm spite of Italy's neutrality, com
mercial and industrial activities
throughout the land are paralyzed. Busi-
ness of all kinds is absolutely at
standstiu. Factories are closed. Print
inp concerns have reduced their corps of
,Vorknen BY one-half. This means that
vast numbers OF laborers have been
turned out of employment
.sTbere is no money in Italy. Nobody
Is buying anything but the food actually
required for daily subsistence Literally
hundreds of thousands Of Italians have
given up eating meat because they
cannot AFFORD to have it. For a few
months the people may be able to get
along by relying upon their savings But
the outlook for the coming winter Is
most distressing.
''Evangelistic work all over Italy Is
partially disorganized. Great numbers
Of our young men, including local
preachers and supplies, have gone into
the army The majority Of available
troops are mobilized, because it Is nee
essary that the country be fully pre-
pared for any possible emergency.
'fCrandon International Institute, an
important school for girls, in Rome,
may have to close its boarding depart
ment this year, but its day school ses-
sions will be continued. With a single
exception, all other Methodist schools
in the cities of Rome, Pisa. and Venice.
will be conducted on a limited scale.
"Our official periodicals. are being Is
sued as usual from the Methodist press
at Rome.
'It is very significant that the people
in Italy are ioclzing to the churches
everywhere-both Protestant and Roman
Catholic. Even men of high social and
government positions are turning their
attention to spiritual things, driven by
this experience Of bloody slaughter
which comes home to millions of fami-
lies the length and breadth of Europe.
A wave Of religious faith is sweeping
over all the people. After the war is
ended 1 believe that one result Of the
conflict will be the moral and spiritual
Transformation Of the entire continent"
AS to the social effect of the war on
the countries OF Europe the editor Of
the Christian Century Disciple) writes:
1t is not soft sent1mentality that moves
us to deplore this present war. Our
hearts revolt at IL because there is no
worth while moral issue at stake. It
is a mad war an irrational war. a hys-
terical and frenzied slaughter. And the
thing wherein humanity suffers most Is
not in tie mere shedding of blood, but
the hating and inevitable turning back
Of those movements which during the
long period Of peace have been making
for q new humanity, a new social order
Miss Jane Adams has recently called