Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-09-07
REV. DR.. FRANK p. PARkiN
On the Work Of the American Bible

Society
rNHE best seller in the world of hooks
i today, and always has been is the Bible
according to the Rev. DR.. Frank p. Parkin.
general secretary of the PENNSYLVANIA Bible
Society and head of the Atlantic Agency Of
the American Bible Society. 1t is SO far
ahead Of all others that there is no second.
THE American Bible Society" said DIR.
Parkin. lis one Of the two great interna-
tionai Bible societies. The British and
Foreign Bible Society is somewhat older.
and because il was established in the heart
of London and had the support of that great
Protestant nation. II has always had re-
markable financial support from the people
Of Great Britain and her colonies. The
American Bible Society. organized many
years afterward. that Is. in 1915. Is. how
ever. n close rival Of the British and Foreign
Society. both in The magnitude of its cir
Culatlon Of the Bible and in its constant
growth az well as in the support which 1t
has received from most Of the great Protes-
tant denominations
The Oldest in America
prior to 1916. there were a great many
locul town and county Bible societies in
those States which originally constituted the
thirteen Colonies. The oldest Bible society
in the United States and antedating the
American Bible Society BY eight years is
the Pennsylvania Bible Society. which has
its headquarters at Seventh and Walnut
streets Of this city.
This society, Ike the others of it's kind.
is undcnominational. and in the presidents of
the organization all the great Protestant de-
nominations have been represented These
presidents from Bishop White. of the
Protestant Episcopal Church. who was
chosen the first CXrrutv" in lSllS. down to
the incumbent. Bishop Berry. of the Metho-
dist Episcopal Church, have been great
church workers. but hAN" not all been
churrhmen In tn" clerical sense. for there
have been several laymcn among them.
"rhe Pennsylvania Bible Society is, thcre-
fore, the oldest Of its kind in the United
States II retains It's autonomy because Of
its charter and because OF certain vested
funds. but ten years ago It entered into an
agreement with the American Bible Society
and became part OF It.
THE local societies which existed in the
thirteen original States came together in
1915 10 organize one great inter denOmina
tOnal body, the headquarters Of which are
now at Bible House in New York City.
from which strategic UOSitiOn il covers an
immense territory. We do our own pub =
fishing and binding and the Bible is printed
there in sixty five languages and dialects.
Printed in Many Languages
"Biblcs in many Of the l50 or more other
'
throughout III" world today are printed also
on the presses Of the British and Foreign
Society in London Before the great war
an immense number Of copies of the Scrip.
lures in thpS" languages were printed in
Vienna Berlin. Rome. Copenhagen aud
other European capitals.
'IOwCvcr. during the war. when il be =
came impossible to obtain shipments of the
! Bible in foreign languages from these great
| printing centerS, the American Bible So
| languages by the Photographic process but
| returning to what President Harding terms
'normalcy.' Nevertheless, there are many
| demands for the Scriptures In the different
languages spoken by the alien peoples of this
| country which cannot be me-.
Distributing the Bible
The American Bible Society has divided
| the country into nine districts or zones, as
they are called. These have agencies or
| headquarters in New York. Philsdelpbis
| Richmond, Va; Cincinnati, Chicago, Den
| yer. Dallas, Tex, and San Francisco The
Atlantic agency, which is under my super
| vision, has its headquarters here and includes
| the States OF Pennsylvania, New Jersey and
| Delaware,
'1he annual budget Of the American Biblo
| Society today amounts to nearly 81 300 600
| Of this amount only about 10 per cent comes
| from the endowment fund and the other on
| per cent comes from the Protestant churches
Of all denominatiOns.i The largest Of tba
organizations have placed the America n
! Etle Society on their own budgets. This d