Albuquerque morning journal., 1916-10-16
ENGLAND GAINS
SPIRITUALLY By
WAR s INFLUENCE
RELIGIOUS Retreats Replace
''I3 T5eater8, Cricket and GoIfr
Saws Lord Bishop Of Wor-
cester Who Is in New York


yyolcott Yeatman-Biggs' bishop Oh
worcester. who is in this country TO
49, the general convention of the
n.stastont Episcopal church in ST.
,,,,t. and who was interviewed yes
'.Ia,. ot the home of Mrs. Whitelaw
MIA 451 Madison avenue. Weekend
ro,reats for persons of all classes have
,,rcsr, supcrcedcd weekend pleasure
parties, he said
Tbo bishop also opened another
,t,u, of English psychology in a dis
.nsgion of the war, saying that Eng
,i.h men and women did not hate
tboir enemies, although they consid-
,rcd mat the Teutonic nations had not
toon fair The Rev DR.. J. II. Grclg,
orcbdeacon of Worcester who is trav-
olrg with the bishop as his chaplain,
IN an interview. amplified this thought
n, pxplaining that the English people,
d. he had observed them, regarding
be war from one point of view, as
rreat game which should be played in
tbe traditional English spirit of sports
mansbip, and he said that the English
conviction that Germany had not been
sporsmanlike in the game Of nations
was the factor which influenced Eng
rshmen in their feeling that diplo-
matte and commercial relations should
not he resumed with their enemy after
tbe war. Hatred, he said, was not the
predominatng influence.
Change in England's Life.
Tho bshon of Worcester opened his
interview with a discussion of the
changes that had come over England
since the beginning of the war He
said
English life has undergone an eX-
traordinary chance since the begin
ming of the war. When one reflects
upon conditions as they were before
1914 il is hard TO realize that we are
living N the same country the habit
Of life and the habit of thought are so
completely altered y few external
facts prove this inward change. For
example. take that English institution
cricket Every one knows what a
prominent place in English life cricket
formerly held. Yet cricket has now
been abandoned in England, except by
soldiers and school boys All Of the
cricket fields are closed save those at
. boys schools and those situated con-
ycniently for soldiers. one may say
that as far as the great English public
Is concerned, there is no cricket in the
. country
and the same is true of golf Hun
dreds and hundreds of golf links
where before the beginning of the
war players used to stand in long
lines waiting for chances to play, are
now absolutely deserted. No one plays
golf any more.
The theaters, too, would be closed
were it not for officers home on leave
! one seldom goes to a play now for his
own entertainment The London au-
dences are almost entirely made up
4 of parties arranged for the entertain
ment of officers at home for brief
periods
NO law or proclamation mas caused
English people to turn from their for
4mer social indulgcnces. OF course the
4numbcrs available for these things
shaye been reduced by the demands OF
Hthe war, but those who arc available
Ahaye given up the sports and enter
tanments for other pursuits, Many
4of the things that formerly occupied
pmuch time and attention among Eng
slshmen have simply become inhar-
monious with the new habits of lltc
8and thought They don't fit, that's all
Great Spiritual Awakening.
And as former customs and prac-
guces have been discontinued, other ac-
styitjCs and interests have seized the
English mind and heart Most strik-
ing among tho recent developments IS
the religious or spiritual awakening
of the people that has begun to be 80
notable. There is no doubt, it seems
to me but that England is at the
dawn Of a great religious revival that
VIII spread in all directions over a
great field This revival in all of its
extent and influence, may not reach
us height for years, for no great re-
lglous movement comes suddenly. 1t
always begins with a growing religious
intensity among those who normally
care about religion, and after this in
Iensly has continued and increased
10 a high degree among the compara-
lively few who are always In sym
palhy with the church, it spreads TO
Of ], TplIUlllls
Indifference and then becomes a re-
N'a of the whole people.
This intensity is already impressive
~ manifest among the normally re-
.lslous, and even among some others
these are experiencing the awakenln2
now which will sooner or later arouse
al
one of the evidences of symptoms
OF this religious intensity is the enor
nous increase in the number of people
Who make use Of retreats. And the
number Of retreats held has grown il
proportion to those seeking them. OuI
own diocese only reflects conditions
everywhere. My own residence, Har
llehury Castle, was given up en-
u'eIf to retreats last summer Re
treats were held in many other place
some Of which would have beer
considered odd before the war,
No War Sentiment in Retreats.
Each Of these retreats is either
weekend retreat for busy men anC
women or else lasts for from three t'
,'If days and, except in the first anC
iasl hours Of each, there is no socia
i"'efcourse among those participating
~ them. There are half a dozen serv
res and three addresses each day, ant
'he remaining time is spent in silen
PRAYER and meditation.
The war plays almost no dlrec
( 1'i' IL the retreats. The usual pray