Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1917-08-25
PRESIDENT WILSON'S
Bible MESSAGE
Commencing The Good Book To
The Troops.
WRITTEN BY REQUEST
Never Such Longing Appeals For Cos
pels Known as NOw-The
Scripture Supreme.

Out or the rush OF us War uE1fSi
life. President Woodrow Wilson has
taken the time to write a personal
message to the soldiers and sailors
Of the American Army and Navy, COM
nending to them the daily reading of
the Bible
The message VAS written at the
request OF Robert B. Haines, Jr.,
Secretary OF the American branch OF
the Scripture Gift Mission, whose
office is at 119 S. Fourth street,
Philadelphia. Pa. and will appear on
the front fly leaf of an edition OF To-
900 copies of the New Testament,
beautifully illustrated in colors, and
especially prepared for the men OF
the American Army and Navy.
The letter of Secretary Haines to
President Wilson. which met with
such a heartfelt response, was as fol-
lows:
THE Scripture Gift Mission of Lon
don. of which / have the honor To be
executive secretary Tor the American
branch. has distributed amongst the
warning nations of Europe during the
first two and one-half years of the
present world war about 2O,OOO,OOO
Testaments and Gospel portions.
Since the entrance of the United
States into the war, we are receiving
requests for Testaments to be sup
piled to our own army and navy, and
are preparing an edition 10 meet this
need. On the fly leaf of the Testa-
ment which is being circulated
amongst the soldiers and sailors OF
the British and Allied forces, is
printed in fac-simile a very helpful
autograph message from Lord Rob-
erts, | am requested to write
you that it is the earnest desire or
both the American and the London
Committees of the Scripture Gift
Mission to have a similar word from
you TO the soldiers and seamen
of the U. S. Army and. Navy Our
Committee feel that such a message
would be very definite Christian
service. of far-reaching influence.
We shall be glad to hear from you at
your early convenience"
In response to this request the
President sent the following message:
THE White House,
Washington.
"23 July, 1917.
THE Bible is the word of life. |
beg that you will read it and find this
out for yourselves-read, not little
snatches here and there, but long
passages that will really be the road
to the heart of it. You will find it
full of real men and women not only
but also of the things you have Won
dered about and been troubled about
all your life, as men have been al
ways; and the more you read the
more il will become plain TO you what
things are worth while and what are
not, what things make men happy,
loyalty, right dealing. speaking the
truth, readiness Ito give everything
for what they think their duty, and,
most of all. the wish that they may
have the real approval of the Christ,
who gave everything for them-and
the things that are guaranteed to
make men unhappy - selfishness
cowardice, greed, and everything that
is low and mean. When you have
read the Bible you will know that ii
is the Word of God, because You will
have found it the key to your own
heart, your own happiness and your
own duty.
"(Signed) WOODROW WILSON"
The Scripture Gift Mission, which is
distributing this edition containing
the Presidents helpful words, was
founded in 1883 for the purpose of
disseminating the Scriptures in ma
tive languages throughout the world.
The Society, however, has the. right
to claim greater age than that, for
it absorbed in 1909 the oldest exist
ing British Bible Society, the Naval
and Military Bible Society, founded
in 1880. In 1915 it circulated more
than eight million copies of the Scrip
lures and in 1916 more than ten and
a half millions 1t is supported sole
ly by gifts of those who desire to aid
in circulating the Scriptures. Adj
ministration expenses are met by
special arrangement so that all gifts
for the work go directly to the print
ing of the Scriptures, and distribu-
ton is made by chaplains, colpor-
tours, missionaries. Y. NJ. c. A. work
ers and other volunteer agencies.
The Rt. Rev. The Lord Bishop of
Durham is President of the Mission,
while on its committee appear the
names of the Rt. Hon. Lord Kinnaird.
X. T.: the Rt. Rev. The Lord Bishop
of Clogher; the Rt. Rev. Bishop Tay-
lor Smith, Chaplain General; the
Rev. Prebendary H. W Webb-Peploe.
NJ. A.; the Ven. Archdeacon Wood.
Chaplain of the Fleet: General ]. G.
Halliday: Rev j. Stuart Holden.
Rev. Canon Barnes Lawrence. the
Rev. George Philips, Brigadier Gen
eral Granville Smith. c. B.; and Rev.
Prebendary F. S. webster
On the American committee of the
Mission are the names of Rev. c. l.
Scofield, editor of the Scofield Bible;
the Rev. DR.. Charles r. Erdman> of
Princeton Theological Seminary; DR..
Robert E Speer. Missionary Seere-
tary of the Presbyterian Board OF
Foreign Missions; Henry E. Fries,
President of the Southbound Rail-
road. winston Salem. n. c.: Dr. How
ard A. Kelly, of Baltimore; Rev DR..
Joseph T. Kelly, ashington, d. C.
Pennsylvania looms up strong on
the American committee with Asa S.
Wing President of the. Provident Life