Evening star., 1951-06-17

lIdQlO d1l0 GCAC i&
vision depart
m e n Of the l$
General Con-
terence of
Seventh Day Mr.. wiekman.
iAdventists.
| This tall, forceful Arizonian
whose early professional life was
given over to ministerial work In
this country and evangelistic serv-
ice in South Africa. is now de-
voting his talents to promoting
the Home and Health" radio and
television good will programs spon-
sored by his denomination over
825 stations throughout the world
l He is just back from a three
and-a-half month journey BY
air and auto to India. Pakistan
/ lCeylon and Rangoon in Asia and
all of the Middle East countries
except Iran. The latter he did not
visit because Of the troubled con-
ditions there.
In addition to his supervisory
interest in his own particular field
the radio and television work
Iof his church goes out over the
strongest short-Wave station in
the world, Radio Ceylon. and
Radio Goa in the Portuguese Strip
he visited such other humani-
tartan projects being maintained
by Seventh-Day Adventists as its
mission schools, its colleges, its
health and nutrition centers and
Its health hospitals.
Center Of Goodwill.
The Seventh Day Adventist
Hospital in Baghdad. called ''Dar
lei Salan," which means, "the
Place of Peace" is not only one
of the great health-saving factors
in Iraq, but with its physicians
and nurses, constitute one of the
focal good withholding forces in
that country. Mr.. Wickman was
told repeatedly.
His church does not own any
of the stations which 1t uses for
its radio ano television programs,
but prefers to make its arrange
ments with facilities already
established.
Our television programs 60 out
over the ABC network" he said.
"Our scripts are written and
edited here at our Takoma Park
headquarters but they are trans
lated and adapted in the various
countries from which they are
sent around the globe.
THE radio is the most power
full asset the democratic world
has for the dissemination of its
concepts. and the cheapest" he
stressed. cit penetrates where 1t
counts. with the molding classes,
who are the thinking groups and
the ones with radios. The Com
munists utilize this medium, and
the democratic world should to a
far greater extent than 1t does"
AS an example Of what the
radio can do in spreading the
gospel Of Christianity. he cited
over 100000 converts his own
church has made in the last two
years In India alone by means
OF its radio health programs,
which 1t has followed up by its
free Bible correspondence courses.
Arab Problem Divided.
Mr.. Wickman said the Arab
problem Is divided by borders. If
these people were all under one
head, they could be a great threat
or one of the greatest friends the
Western world has.
One of the highlights of his
trip was his interview with King
Abdullah, the Arab chieftain with
whom he was much impressed,
despite the fact that he fired the
shot against Israel on the walls of
Jerusalem. It is Mr.. Wickman's
opinion that all the indications OF
Abdullah's reign point to a liberal
viewpoint toward others.
THE Arabs are freedom low
ing" he emphasized. "They do
not wish any one else's territory
1t should be borne in mind. too,
that the Arab world is strongly
anti Communist and can be made
one of the greatest bulwarks
against communism, for it is
practically impenetrable to in
filtration"
Mr.. Wickman considers himself
fortunate to have had the protec-
ton OF the Arab government in
the taking of pictures after he
was first taken to jail for using
his camera on the street called
Straight in Syria. The people of
the Middle East are justly suspi-
cious OF any camera. he believes,
because so many pictures have
been taken of their filthiest spots
and then sold and exploited as
typical" of Beirut or Damascus.
This isn't any more fair than
it is to label camera shots taken
within the shadow of the dome
OF the United States Capitol as
typical of this CITY," he said.
Interviewed Gen. Club.
An interview with Mai. Gen.
Glubb, or "Pasha Glubb," as the
Arabs called him, was another
highlight on Mr.. Wickman's Jour-
ney. Gen. Glubb is British and
head of the Arab Legion, the
Trans-Jordan, or the modern
equivalent of Lawrence of Arabia.
I'm the Middle East one must
be prepared for the fact that there
are those who greatly admire the
British, and those who despise
them, and must tread warily in
WNIMNNlNl