The Washington times., 1918-04-12

their people stand for the right. as
Martin Luther did, though the
Ksiser's prayer for an "honora
peace" and for. Divine Grace to "trcat
our enemies in Christian manner" is
no longer read in churches by his ma
esty's orders. Perhaps his conscience
! smote him.
Meanwhile the Kaiser talks piety.
The Germans swallow that with tho
same willingnesS-eVen delight. Be
yond question the reliSiosity OF the
imperial household has accomp :ished
lot toward preventing rebellion in
Prussia.
Few PaeIfsts In Clergy.
Since my return home 1 have Letrt
that Americans observe with curious
intekest how constantly Wilhelm
speaks of God, and how-appareutI
as IL on purpose-he neTer speaks OF
Christ.
People over here infer that his
alter Deutscher Gott" is the God Of
the Old Testament and not by any
means the God OF the New Testa-
ment The distinction never present.
ed itself TO my mind in Germany.
nor did it seem to have presented it,
self to the. minds. of my German ac-
quaintances. They mentioned Christ
in connection with the war quite
as frequently as they mentioned God
in connection with It.
However. their devotion TO the
Prince of Peace bred few. in any.
pacihsts among the clergy. Well
disciplined state officials Cpastors OF
German churches are government ap-
pfontees), those ministers upheld the
war. upheld the government. upheld
the governments every policy, no
matter how outrageous.
Opposed to Newer Seets.
From OF old one German imperial
government has ruled the German
churches. and in wartime 1t rules
them with redoubled rigor. While
recognizing three churches-Protes-
tant, Catholic. Jewish-it bears down
with a heavier hand than ever on
such modern sects as the Christian
Scientists and the Salvation Army.
Salvationists are not allowed TO
sing in the streets. German soldiers
are forbidden to attend the Christian n
Science church in Berlin, and an army
order provides that "any Christian
Science practitioner giving absent
treatment to a soldier -ill be put in
jail."'
Churches Are Net Stripped.
Over here ! have been told that the
German government stripped German
churches OF their copper roofs and
took away their bells. That may be
true. But / never happened to see a
German church in process OF shedding
Its roof and there were certainly a
great many church bells up to the
day'I left, though they had pretty
much outgrown their habit OF celerga-
ting German victories.
That, while in its glory, was the one
theatrically warlike demonstration
ever gone in for extensively by the
German churches. I cannot recall
hearing OF special services being held.
! never saw a German flag inside a
church. And religious holidays are
kept in quite the old, familiar style,
except that the German Easter egg
now consists OF tin or papier mache.
Conflict In Their Views.
Nothing in Germany is stranger TO
watch than the church's gospel Of
love in conflict with the governments
gospel ofhate. Not many Germans ap-
preciate the conflict, though some do,
and occasionally you hear people say,
There's not much love nowadays"
ana ITeacners oOn dare tell us now
to love our neighbors as our our
selves But whenever a British or
American preacher speaks harshly OF
Germany, tho German newspapers
print his remarks with the comment,
Doesn't sound much like loving his
enemies. does it,"
Sometimes the conflict between the
two gospels leads 10 Il queer enough
muddle-for instance, that in the
mind OF a German j heard talking on
his way to the street after listening
TO a lecture on Luther by a German
pastor.
Il wish all the English would
starve 10 death" he said to his COM
panion. Dear me-" protested the
other. That's not Christian" Then
the Briton-hater said, mo, I don't
suppose IL is. I'll reef il in some
what. l wish the English would
nearly starvs to death"
From a certain point Of view even
this was rather a ferociOus extreme,
for the English church ia still kept
up in Berlin, with services in Ing