The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-02-25

ter the war The war has plowed
'up the world for a new planting OF
religion. and the Methodist church in
America Is ready to take advantage
Of this opportunity, and has already
mapped out arrangements for mission
ary movements on the largest scale
among the people of each of the tint
ed races. .
billions have been spent upon the
destructive work, but thus far not
dollar In constructive work TO make
pcs ce reign in place of war through
understanding and education. We are
pouring out billions OF money. and
millions OF men are Offering their
! lives, to preserve human freedom for
the race. Absolutely essential as this
program is, nevertheless It is n pro-
gram of destruction or at least, sim
ply Of conservation. We clearly see
now that construction must soon be
gin. and that thinking and planning
! for IL at this moment ts vital.
"A new world is coming This f.
not realized as vet, hut II is so. World
democracy Is coming, hut--and this
no one has thought Of so far--its
problem Is that more than half the
world ia not ready.
! THE Methodist church has seen
this, and is placing II AZ the head of
IT'S centenary work. II ia taking the
; lead, but II will not stand alone II
cannot and will not An other
churches will follow.
"A vast responsibilities now rises b"~
fore us We must first WIN the war
and then win the world. Two great
obstacles meet US, German uihtarism
and ignorance and moral weakness
FfTI- a.
hut the second we will stand face to
face with. Half the world needs to
be brought into line, A huge posi-
BILE race war is tho alternative This
is before us.
u am not needlessly alarming
Those of us who have studied con
ditions over the world see IT. 1t is Of
no avail to declare such race war
impossible. Civilization thought such
war ss is at present going on out Of
the question. With the c0lored races
now slightly COMMUNICATING the white
races Of the earth, with South Amer
lea, one of the two great unocCupied
regions Of the earth. filing up with
a mixed white and colorea population.
with Malaysia, the other great unoc-
cupied region of the earth, filing up
with Oriental races which VIII num-
/
fore the close OF the century. who
doubts that II the white races con-
t1nue to dominate every continent by
military power and to exclude the
yellow races from Ave Of the six great
continents and TO limit their count
| less millions to a portion Of Asia,
there will arise race war in com
lpariSon with which our present strug-
gle will prove a skirmish?
The present struggle has thrilled
not only Europe, Australia and North
I America, hut South America. Asia
and Africa The instinct Of freedom
is ineradicable. Human freedom is
THE condition of human responsibility,
Han6 our children and our children's
children would continue the conflict
/ for their inalienable and divine rights.
/ With spiritual freedom as tho birth
right Of Christianity and with politi-
/ cal freedom as the corollary OF
spiritual freedom, the emperor Of
Germany is fighting not only against
humanity but against God.
mfr. Wilson has voiced the aspi-
rations OF the human race in his de-
r. and for world democracy. for the
right OF self differentiation upon the
irart OF every nation, and for the right
OF INSTRUMENTATION upon the part
OF each individual within the nation
lin helping to share the institutions
which mold the destiny of himself and
his PROSPERITY
Japan has 90 per cent OF her chill
dren in school, but she stops educa-
ton at the end of the sixth year for
all but 10 per cent of them. There is
no higher education for them, not be-
cause of their own choosing. but be-
cause Japan herself prescribes who
shall go into the higher grades.
What can China do with only 8
lnnd 10
or 10 per cent OF her children able to
read or write? How is she At to be
Ia republic? What IL the need of India
and African Christianity with it's
program of religious md atl' cal