South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-05-14

a fair test as 10 whether or not the
men OF the a. r. r. are interested
In the subject Of religion 4 re-
hgious service at y. m. 10 be fol-
lowed az O'Clock by a splendid
free concert. was announced 10 be
held in the largest Y. ". G. a hut
When I rose shortly after Z o'clock
to preach the neat hut was crowd
ed 10 its utmost capacity. Men filed
the seats running along the side
wallis OF the hut while possibly 100
men stood up during the entire serv-
ice When the service was over
scores OF men left showing that they
had come expressly for the religious
service. True. other men took their
places for the concert. but the sec
retaries in charge report that more
men attended the strictly religious
service. than the concert program
This is not an isolated case. We
have been told that Bishop Charles
p Mitchell and other preachers. who
preceded me here. have had the
same experience
Easter sunday Services.
Yesterday - Easter sunday I
shall not soon forget I held fin all
i've services. at each Of which 7 had
the privilege Of speaking The first
was i'm the large y. NJ. g. A. depoC
hut. where at an early hour / had
splendid attendance The second
service was in the L. : army Off
GERS hall where a fine body OF Of
hcers listened 20 an Easter message.
The third and fourth services were
held respectively at two l.. 5. army
prison camps We know the exact
number Of military prisoners. but
shall not impart that military infor-
nation fThese services Of necessity
tugged hard at the preachers heart.
especially q met a young man
from-well. shall not mention the
city, lest some mother might think
he was her son. Yet somebody S
son. he was.
My fifth and last service Of the
day was held in the largest y. NJ o..
a hut. the one IN which ! spoke
on Wednesday evening. Again-and
mark you. there was no attraction
preceding or following the religious
service-the great hut was crowded.
Mr.. RittenhOuse led the men-and
there was a fine sprinkling of Off
GERS among them-in singing eight
great hymns of the Christian church.
He had the men before long sitting
IN various tiers, vie with each other
in the singing-and such singing,
They sang as only men can sing.
who are heart and soul hungry. or
as men sing when they recall the
old home and the old church Some
told me afterward that il was the
FIRST service Of the kind they had at
tended since they left their home i'm
the T.. = A. A chaplain present. led
in prayer in which he prayed if it
be the divine will the men might
have the desire of their hearts graf
flied, which desire was that soon
they might be returned TO their
homeland.
Men Are Enthusiastic.
When / was introduced I said.
The members of the A. r. r. have
been slandered 1 was told again
and again before coming 10 France
that you men would not come TO a
religious service and that YOU did
not wish 10 be reminded OF your
obligation 10 Almighty God. and
here you are this Easter evening
CROW ding this huge hut and singing
with more heart and enthusiasm
than have heard men sing
since / took part in the Billy sun
day mems meetings in South Bend.
Ind. six years ago"
1 had already preached three
three times on different phases of