The Washington herald., 1914-10-25

President Shailer Matthews. Of the Fed
eral Council Of Churches. believes he sees
as result Of the war a remarkable
renaissance OF spiritual faith and power.
writes the Churchman. in the Boston
Transcript. Some people are staggered,
he observes. at the thought of Christians
lighting each other. killing each other.
and for weeks have hardly known what
they believed. or where they stood In Re-
lation to further confidence in Chris
tianity. According to Dr. Matthews these
people are now getting their bearings,
and finding themselves dependent, as not
in years, upon God. That is" says DR..
Matthews, American people have a new
realization of the meaning Of religion.
An outcome Of this spiritual awaken
ing," continues DR.. Matthews, 'is going
to be q new aggressiveness for church
unity. for Christian missions, and for
God in Industrial problems. People are
down to elemental things. and their theo-
logical differences are things OF the past
Everywhere I go find this remarkable
change.
"a tremendous change we Americans
are going to derive from this war;" con-
tinuss DR.. Matthews, sis a better feel
ing between employe and employer; be-
tween capital and labor. Our Industrial
dificulties are going to be adjusted. Men
are learning that there are things more
highly to be valued than the sword, su-
perior in usefulness to the dollar. The
change that has come over America
could not have been brought about by
any other force than a European war.
II is a change that is going to last We
nv ~ - k,N
The war is crippling the Salvation
Army throughout the world Cable in
formation from General Bramwell Booth
makes known the fact that the army on
the Continent is in such desperate straits
that its future is in the balance. At
best. II will require q fresh start after
the war ends, its former work being
ruined. Its men are fighting each other
in opposing armies. its houses are turned
into hospitals and shelters, and its finan-
ces are prostrate. From England have
gone out 1000 Salvationists into English
towns and throughout allies armies.
serving in Red Cross and In scores Of
ways, some actually fighting in the
ranks. Money is reported as almost i'm
possible to obtain, even in England. while
demands of the unfortunate are coming
from thousands OF quarters. -
In this country, according to a high
Official, money Is difficult in the extreme
to obtain. Red Cross and other appeals
overshadow army appeals, and living
from day to day, without knowing
whether there will be life tomorrow or
not Is the present experience. The cam
paIgns for General Booth memorial
schools in New York and Chicago have
been abandoned for the time. At the
Christmas season in former years 10000
persons have been helped in the eastern
district and 10000 TO 10000 in the west
ern. Whether any at all can be helped
this coming Christmas is a question.
Because some workers in Holland
cabled from there that the army is be-
lieved by them to be the best agency for
the relief of Belgians who are refugees
in Holland. the army in America has is
sued an appeal for relief funds to dis
tribute to Belgians. The army is asking
money for others at a time when it has
next to none for itself. either here or in
in England. and none at all on the con-
tinent. Oncers of the army. while not
discouraged, admit that the future, while
the war lasts, is dark.
Ernest Gideon Bek, Of Pforzheim, Ger
many, one Of the leaders Of the Methodist
Episcopal Church in that country, writ
ing to a friend in America, tells how
the war has affected his city. one Of the
greatest jewelry producing centers in the
world. We are permitted to give the fol-
lowing quotation:
Schools are open as usual The chill.
dren continue to study French and Eng
lish. The town has a normal aspect, eI-
cept at the noon hour and also at 5 p.
m. when the tremendous crowds of