Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-05-24
HISTORY OF HUGUENoTs
ONE OF PERSECUTION

oNE OF PERSECUTION
Dr.. Rousse1 traced the history of the
Huguenot Church, and said that 1t had
been one OF persecution from it's begin
ming. He sometimes wondered, he said,
IL there could be anything in common
between the rich and powerful churches
in this country and the struggling. per-
secuted HuSQenot churches in France
He thought of the Huguenots during
the time of Louis XIV. and in later
years when again they encountered re-
lentless persecution, and he thought Of
il now when many of it's churches are
destroyed and the congregations are
worshiping in cellars, and he again
wondered If there could be any
thing in common between the Huguenot
churches OF France and the strong.
wealthy churches of America. Finally
he concluded that there was something
in common, and it was in the words Of
Christ. ''Ye are the salt of the earth"
The Huguenot churches had been
the salt of the earth all along, DR..
Roussel asserted, but with help they
would become more than the salt Of
the earth; they would become a leaven
of uplift.
The separation of church and state.
the minister said. had been welcomed
by the Huguenots. but at the same
time it imposed heavy burden. upon
them. Their churches were in the
poorest sections OF the country, and
the only way many Of them could be
kept going was by the establishment
of central pooling fund, by which a
few strong churches supported not
only themselves. but aided in support
ing the weaker ones as we'll. Only
this aid from the stronger churches
kept the smaller churches from hav-
ing TO be closed following disestab-
lishment In France. But the war
came along and the pooling fund was
quickly reduced. 1t was decided that
the only recourse was to send dele
CATION TO America for relief. For that
purpose representative from Bel
GUM, Pastor Comm. of a Huguenot
congregation in Rheims, and himself
were appointed by the authorities of
the Huguenot Church No word was
ever gotten to the Belgian minister
and Pastor Comm had insisted that his
duty lay with his stricken flock at
Rheims. and SO he had to come alone
GIVES GRAPHIC PICTURE
OF WAR HAPPENINGS
DIR. Roussel gave graphic pictures
of war happenings. When the general
mobilization order. was given, he. with
his family, was at a small sea side re-
sort. Saturday, August l, was the
fateful day. IT heard the village drum
mer, he said, as he marched from one
corner to the next drumming as he
went and at every corner stopping 10
read from paper which he held in
his hand. On that paper were hut two
words. You in America with an army
of only 100000 men cannot understand
what those two words meant. They
were words that France had not heard
even in her most warlike days, not
even in the days of Napoleon. Those
words were general mobilization 1t
meant that every man between twenty
and forty eight years of age had TO
kiss his wife and children and be gone,
or had to kiss his old father and
mother and be gone. Many man on
that day kissed his beloved ones who
has never Kissed them since and will
never kiss them again."
The effects of general mobiliza ton
on industry and on social and church
life was described most ensagingly by
DR.. Roussel. and there was a touch OF
humor in one of his references TO the
habit of the Germans of taking hold
of French factories and running them
wealthy French wooden manufacturer
in city evacuated by the French.
some time after the evacuation the
owner sent messenger to see the con-
dition OF The factory. THE walls are
standing-in fact, could see smoke
issuing from the stacks" the messen-
ger reported. Much encouraged, the
owner Of the factory continued his in