Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-11-07
'aos.SEES SUPREME TEST
!. E: !: +: FOR CHRISTIANITY
Dean of Berlin Cathedral
Points to Present Duty
of the Clergy.
By Cable to The Star and Chicago
Daily News. Copyright, 1919.
BY GORDON STILES.

BY GORDON STILES.
BERLIN, November 3.-''The years
directly before US are going to witness a
test of Christianity greater than that to
which it was subjected during the war"
Thus his excellency. DR.. Ernest Won
Dryander, dean of the Berlin Cathedral
and court pastor of William H. opened
an interesting conversation with me
recently. Despite the statement made
to me by Dr. Dryander's friends
to the effect that he has aged twenty
Years since the armistice, he looks hale
and hearty and carries his seventy four
years amazingly well. He talks in a
clear, musical baritone voice which rises
in feverish eloquence when he warns up
to his subject The interview took place
in the rectory Of st. Georges Church,
formerly used by the British colony. but
now used by the head OF the German
Lutheran clergy OF this country. He is
occupying only three rooms, having
given up the rest of the living quarters
allotted to him to a poor married clerk
who cannot afford place of his own.
Clergy's Part in Reconstruction.
had asked him what part he hoped
or expected that the clergy would play
in the reconstruction of the country
IF the clergy throughout the world
live up to what is naturally expected
of them in the trying situation which
we all face, they must remember that
Christianity knows no races or creeds,'
DR.. Dryander continued 1T Will be
necessary to turn our backs on the
pain, trouble and hatred bred by the
war. We can look only forward, with
clear eyes and with hearts big enough
to forget everything except that a
torn and bleeding world is to be saved.
And in this work the leaders of the
Christian religion must be in the fore
ground. The eyes of the universe will
be upon them.
Il believe that the clergy every
where can put their might into this
work in perfect harmony If they will
keep in mind the Importance Of not
looking back"
Religion Still Strong.
DO you consider" I asked, that
the Christian religion has come
through the war as strong as it was
before?'
YES. do" he answered, instantly.
"You must remember that the activ-
tiles of Christianity in time of war
must be confined to certain lines.
Christianity in itself has nothing to do
with war. but when war exists it must
do all it can under circumstances
which do not have its approval. The
history of the last five years shows
that the clergy of every nation did
their parts nobiy in the midst of heart
breaking conditions. Many things
went by the board in the terrible
struggle just ended. Many institu-
lions We thought secure crumbled like
dust.
"Kultur" Collapses Under Strain.
1T must be conceded" DR.. Dryander
said slowly, as if weighing each
word carefully. that what we called
German kultur' collapsed under the
strain Not so with Christianity
That endured-as it must endure"
Then the talk drifted to the former
emperor and his family. with whom
DR.. Dryander is in close touch. The
ex-kaiser, he told me. has put out of
his life everything except the simple
principles of Christianity.
He has turned" said his excel
iency. lin his misfortune to the sin
cere faith in God which l know he
has always held. In spite of the
slurs which have been spoken and
written regarding the professions of
the kaiser. l am firmly convinced that
was with him. In his exile he still
keeps up a keen interest in those
charities which always interested him
and had his support. He contributed
regularly to them, especially those
which concern the aged and disabled"
Empress Happier Now.
Dr. Dryander had just received
long letter from the former empress in
which she declared that she was hap
pier now than she had been for years
That. he explained. was due to- the
fact that the empress was extremely
fond of her husband and it had been a
source of pain to her that his many
activities prevented him from spending
the time with her that both would have
liked to share.
Now" said Dr. Dryander. "he has
that time and they are everything to
each other The kaiser clings to her
as a ship to its anchor"
DR.. Dryander showed me a letter
from the conference of the German
Lutheran Synod of New York in which
an offer was made to assist in alleviate
ing the suffering among the poor and
i'll in Germany. The letter also re-
ferTed to shipments of goods and medi-
cine already made. He constantly re-
ceived sympathetic communications
from the United States, he told me, and
wished to express his appreciation Of
the .1Dirif In which thew wera sent