EDITORIAL NOTES
[3
AN earthquake, described as “ very severe,”
was experienced in Switzerland, in the Canton
of Grisons, January 24. The shock started
an avalanche, which caused the loss of several
lives.
For failing to attend religious services at
the Catholic church when ordered to do so
by his superior officer, at Columbus, Ohio, Jan-
uary 6, Sergeant James Lynch, of the Tenth
Company of Recruits at the Columbus army
post, is to be punished by being deprived of
his insignia of rank and transferred to Fort
Thomas, Ky., and this is by order of the mil-
itary secretary of the War Department. So
says a press dispatch dated at Columbus, Feb-
ruary 2.
Sergeant Lynch, it appears, is a Catholic,
and the Catholic soldiers in his company were
ordered by the lieutenant-colonel to attend
Sunday services at the Catholic church. Such
an order is said to be unprecedented in army
circles. The War Department did not sus-
tain the order, though it punished Sergeant
Lynch for disobeying it. The order has only
been modified, however, and the Catholic sol-
diers are now obliged to march up to the
church doors. So the report states. It is
difficult to see what would be the difference
in principle if the soldiers were obliged to
march a few steps further after reaching the
church doors, instead of stopping short there.
CATHOLIC associations in this country have
been very active in seeking to turn American
sentiment against the French government be-
cause the latter has broken its former political
connection with the papacy. One of the fore-
most among these organizations is the
“Knights of Columbus.” Recently at a con-
clave of the order in Chicago, after a Jesuit
priest had roused the feelings of those pres-
ent by a lecture against France, several priests
gave expression to their sentiments, one say-
ing that “ what the men of France need is con-
version; ” another, that France needs “true
Catholic training” and “true Catholic educa-
tion;” another admitted that “France is
steeped in vice and immorality; ” and a fourth
said that the French government is now “god-
less,” not, however, as the National Reform
party in the United States say, because God
has been left out of the Constitution, but be-
cause that government has broken with the
pope, who is the Catholic god. 2 Thess. 2:4.
If France, after centuries of Catholic suprem-
acy, is now in the condition these priests set
forth, she is certainly in great need of a
change of religion, as it is evident from their
own words that the Catholic religion has
proved worse than useless. Before adjourn-
ing, the conclave passed several resolutions,
one being that the French government’s “ open
hostility to the Christian [Catholic] religion
is an insult which Christian men of every de-
nomination should resent.” To resent “in-
sults” goes well with the papal religion, but
it is no part of Christianity.
THE WATCHMAN
News of an earthquake which altered the
appearance of the Solomon Islands in the
South Pacific Ocean reached this country by
steamboat a few days ago. The earthquake
occurred several months ago, and while it
seems to have caused no loss of life, the en-
tire appearance of the group of islands was
altered.  Siesmographs in various parts of
the world recorded the shock, which lasted
for several minutes, and is said to have been
very heavy.
WHILE all reports of any serious misunder-
standing between the United States and Japan
over the school question in San Francisco
are promptly denied in both countries, and
predications of trouble are declared to be ab-
surd, for some reason these reports are very
persistent, and in other countries are consid-
ered seriously. It has been observed also that
great numbers of Japanese are flocking to the
Hawaiian Islands. In the event of war it is
probable that the Pacific islands belonging to
the United States would readily fall into
Japan's possession, as the United States would
have no adequate naval force in the Pacific
to protect them. Japan wants land, and pos-
sibly would not be averse to a war in which
the advantage of situation would be all on
her side.
ANNAN ANNAN AN AA AAA
THE $150,000 FUND
A AAA AA AA AA AAA AAA AAA AA AA
“WHat is the work I have done to-day?
Have I left a mark upon the way:
A kindly word, or a cheery smile,
That has lingered in some heart awhile;
Straightened a path or a crooked road,
Lightened the weight of a weary load,
Into the shadow of some one’s night
Sent even a tiny ray of light?”
THE WIDOW’S OFFERING
How natural it is for man to seek to hold
this world with one hand, and to reach after
the next with the other. The gift of God
was costly. He gave us his most precious,
priceless possession, his only begotten Son;
and yet how many consider that they have
really given when they have an abundance
left. This is not the Scripture principle of
giving.
“And Jesus sat over against the treasury,
and beheld how the people cast money into
the treasury; and many that were rich cast
in much. And there came a certain poor
widow, and she threw in two mites, which
make a farthing. And he called his disciples,
and said unto them, Verily I say unto you that
this poor widow hath cast more in than all
they which have cast into the treasury.”
Why? — “For all they did cast in of their
abundance, but she of her want did cast in
all that she had, even all her living.”
This poor widow had but two mites.
gave both to the Lord.
and keep the other.
She
She did not give one,
What a misapprehension
of this touching Bible story do those have who
give, we will say, one dollar, and call it the
Remember, brother, there
She gave both.
[13
widow’s mite.”
was not one, but fwo mites.
107
If you have given but one, have you followed
the example of the widow, which Jesus com-
mended? Where is the other mite? Have
you kept it for yourself?
How can one who could easily give one
hundred times as much claim to have given as
this poverty-stricken widow in Israel gave?
Remember that God measures not the gift as
men measure, but by what you have left, and
what it has cost you to give; and the bless-
ing is in proportion to the sacrifice.
The glorious Saviour calls his sons in the
last day who have made a covenant with him
by sacrifice. The widow’s two mites given
by every Seventh-day Adventist, would doubt-
less raise one hundred times as much as is
now being given by our people in all the an-
nual and special offerings combined. Before
the Lord comes, we shall certainly give the
widow's “two mites.”
J. S. WasHaBURN.
THE PACIFIC PRESS
Our publishing houses are not something
apart from the denomination. They are a
very part of us. For many years the Pacific
Press has kept a heavy stream of our litera-
ture going into the fields. When the earth-
quake shattered its new buildings at Mountain
View, there was a spontaneous movement,
taken part in even by those in foreign fields,
to help to repair that damage. Then came the
fire which entirely destroyed the plant, and
for the moment the need was so great that the
taking of individual gifts ceased until it could
be considered what systematic and united help
could be given.
Twenty thousand dollars was allotted from
the $150,000 fund to aid the Pacific Press in
going forward with its work. This, of course,
is only a grant in aid, as the Pacific Press
itself will have to shoulder tremendous bur-
dens, and will need the sympathy and prayers
of all in carrying its heavy load. ‘This $20,000
will, however, help very materially. The plans
for the new Pacific Press building have been
pressed down until they reach the very low-
est point of economy and plainness. They
have voted that the maximum cost of the
factory building shall not exceed $25,000.
In equipping the factory and replenishing
the stock a large additional investment is nec-
essary, and while the $20,000 from this fund
comes far short of what many felt should be
called for, the Pacific Press courageously takes
up its burden, and with the help and co-opera-
tion of all the people in circulating the liter-
ature, this publishing house hopes, by the
blessing of God, to soon work its way out
of its perplexities, and that with no lessening
of the output of the literature of the message
for which it stands.
GENERAL CONFERENCE COM MITTEE.
EJ J
“Jesus CHrist is on the throne of God,
ruling over the church, and dwelling in the
hearts of his consecrated people.”
ES J
Our duty is to be useful, not according to
our desire, but according to our power.—
Henri F. Amiel.