The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1917-10-21
Wars Effect Upon
Religious Conditions !.
Around the World

a rtktNal oi ttiikWh w >s"s'"-
church services are scarcely he'ter AT
tended than usual Recruits are not
hunting up the Minister'S In order !"
talk about their souls, 80 lar as
could learn. from conversation Win
n number of clergymen and other
+, church workers. there In no especiai
interest In the problem OF Immortality
ap,u.rent among tho soldiers. They are
a debonair lot. aud not wearing their
hearts upon thoir sleeves.
Among the left tbehlnds however and
lespeoiaIly among the kinfclk OF the
dead. pastors find - deco and personal
llntcrcst In the Old. Oil question or "
lufe after death. The casualty list seems
4. bo the tic thnt IN binding Canada
lnnew 20 God. For the losses OF the
| war have reached into oVcrN clmmun'
Inv ara into cverA, cirvle. over and
lover again I was told that Canodn did
not cstch the real Significance m the
I war untl the tslc of the dead besnn
4 t. appcar in the papers. ANA To he an
tnounccd from the pulpiis.
While / was In Winnipeg the Nation
lnl Council of Women Was In session.
I ON sunday afternoon they held SER
Vice Of lntorcossion in u thcatcr, and
1 attended IL. The occasion WITS clec'
tric. There were no addresses. y pro
n,aIn Of printed prayers had been pro
! vl,iei-praycrs Cor the prisoners and
wounded ana those who care for thom;
for victory and for a righteous peace
for the harvest and Tor the women NJ
home. Tho hymns sung were all pray
crs. The women were VI Canada's best
4 and most progressive. They stood for
club life. and for the modern concep
tion OF their seN's mission. Yet here
thcy were rashionably. gowned mot a
fcN in mourning g'u'bl. engaged In
~uman's old. old function of praying
Tor the men whom they had sent forth
to battle. Aftor witnessing that SER
vice. no superficial observer could make
me believe that the war has not sent
canada's women and parents TO their
knees. So was not surprised 10 learn
Of the FREQ uency of special services FOR
Intercession. in private homes and in
local churches. ,r
When Lady Atkins closed that sol
umu session of Canada's leading won,-
On. she simply said. "Now we shall pray
for our gracious king. and for our
,spiendid men" The crowd arose. the
pianist struck chord, and the first
stanza OF the national anthem swellcd
forth. Then there followed. with n
fervor that put many handkerchiefs to
ewes, another stanzi, written since the
war began. and now sung all over Can.
ada:
God save our splendid men,
I Send them safe home again;
God save our men.
Keep them victorious. patient.
and chivairous.
They are SO dear to us.
God save our men"
That amendment OF God Save the
King" is one OF the most significant
sidniightS upon the war. 1t reveals the
new and democratic mood of the peo.
pie who are giving OF their best TO the
great cause. As q commentary upon
President Wilson's address of April ..
it needs no words. IN all the long years
and generations that Dritishers have
been singing God Save the King" il
never occurred to anybody to add a
prayer for the men who serve the king.
Now il Is done instinctively and fer
vently. with no thought Of disloyalty
to his majesty. but only in the natural
assumption that the welfare of the sol.
diers ranks equal with that OF the king.
All religious services in Canada. at
least in the Protestant churches. in.
, ciude the singing of the national an.
them: and all. excent where the strain
! is too great upon the mothers, include
God Save Our Splendid Men" Who
can trace all the wonderful ways in
which democracy is doing it's work in
these changefui days?
"Dry" Canada and wet" Britain.
Concern for the moral welfare of the
soldiers is deep and resolute In Canada
The hysterical stage is past a clear
eyed facing of the facts. and fearless
expression of opinion, have come in
stead. Thus, Canada is openly indig-
nant that in Britain the dry" canteer,
provided by the Canadian government,
has been supp,anted by the wet" can
teeD OF Britain. Canada is now almost
wholly "ilry." Her church people may
be said 10 be dominant throughout the
nation. They are ayowedly willing that
the war should be made an accepted
excuse for turning back the hands Of
the clock of moral progress. Every
thing that touches the conduct and char
acter of the soldiers vitally affects the
men. and especially the women, at