Calendar: Reform
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VOLUME 49 POONA, INDIA, MARCH 1, 1954 NUMBER 5 CALENDAR: REFORM ON THE AGENDA HERE is a vital issue which is T being proposed by India that would offset the smooth running of AGAIN the denomination throughout the world. As you well know, there are CHAD B. °ISRAEL no other people as conscious of the necessity of an unchanged calendar, motion was carried by a vote of 12 unchanged Sabbath, and unchanged pines, Sweden, Turkey, Uruguay, to 2, with 4 abstentions. weekly cycle as we Adventists are. Yugoslavia. India's request to include calendar India is now taking the lead in Sweden, Uruguay, The Philippines, reform on the agenda was supported instituting this so-called reform and and Poland will be replaced by by Argentina, Australia, China, the details are being worked, out right Pakistan, Norway, Ecuador and Cuba, Egypt, France, The Philip- in Calcutta by the Calendar Reform Czechoslovakia prior to the Geneva Committee, Council of Scientific and Meeting. Industrial Research, Government of The U. S. S. R., Poland, Venezuela India, under the chairmanship of RELIGIOUS LIBERTY and Belgium abstained from voting. Prof. M. N. Saha, F. R. S., M. P., at OFFERING DAY The Soviet delegate stated that his the Institute of Nuclear Physics, 92, reason for abstaining from voting on Upper Circular Road, Calcutta 9. MARCH 20, 1954 the question was because of insuf- Brethren and sisters your experienced ficient information to form opinion advice is necessary to work out an At this particular time of at the moment. The Venezuela dele- effective publicity plan to warn uncertainties and political gate gave a similar answer. Southern Asia against such a move. strain around the world the The United States and the United The time is very short and what we Religious Liberty Depart- Kingdom in voting against the in- have to do must be done now and ment is attempting to foster clusion of calendar reform on the done effectively and quickly. and increase the circula- agenda, indicated that they felt the A month ago, on January 24, 1954, tion of the "Liberty" agenda for the 18th session of the the calendar issue was included in magazine. With the proposal Economic and Social Council was the official provisional agenda of the of the Calendar change in the already overloaded and the Council Economic and Social Council of the offing many would like to would certainly have no time to United Nations indicating that the see our "Liberty" journal consider such a highly technical subject of calendar reform had been carry our pertinent mestage question which would call for a great placed upon the provisional agenda on religious freedom to deal of information and study. But for consideration by the Economic statesmen and other inter- as we learn, they were the only two and Social Council at its 18th session ested parties. that voted in opposition. which is scheduled to convene in YOUR OFFERING WILL The Indian delegate indicated at Geneva on July 3O, 1954. This item HELP US DO THIS. the beginning of the discussion that on the calendar issue appears on the to vote in favour of including the agenda at the request of India. The item on the agenda did not mean SOUTHERN ASIA TIDINGS that the member nations, so voting, would be expected to support the measure in substance in July or August when the matter would come up. The French delegate stated that the A VISIT. UP THE question was worthy of discussion by the United Nations since many official and private organizations were interested and that he would ARAGUAIA •personally recommend its study to his own Government. The Uruguay delegate stated that his government would be glad for the F. C WEBSTER, JR., President world calendar to be studied by the Economic and Social Council since large groups in many countries, in- Rio Grande do Sul Conference, Brazil cluding his own, were interested. The delegates from China and Australia stated that while they were voting to include the item, they felt the Economic and Social Council E had travelled for more than "He is sick. His wife took him up would be free to drop it if the agenda W400 miles down the broad to Santa Isabella." We had passed for the 18th session should prove to waters of the Araguaia River in the the little village that same morning be too heavy. very heart of Brazil. Our destination but in our hurry to arrive at Ordinarily, the Economic and Social was Fronteira, our mission post Fronteira before the Sabbath we had Council has two sessions each year. among the Caraja Indians. For not stopped. In 1954, the 17th session will convene several years Antonio Gomez and his "What is his sickness?" we asked. beginning March 13 in New York wife had been working among this "I don't know," was the reply. "He and the 18th session is scheduled to tribe of Indians. The work was hard is very thin and weak and coughs a convene in Geneva, beginning July and results were few. One can stand great deal." The joy in finally arriv- 13. the ever-present insects and jungle ing at our destination after our long pests and the scarcity of good food The fact that this item has been voyage turned into anxiety for the placed on the provisional agenda does if he can see results for his work, but welfare of our fellow worker. We work among these Indians was dis- spent only a few days at Fronteira not necessarily mean that it will be couraging. Perhaps the misery and placed on the permanent agenda or and then, started back up the river lack of education that the Indians to see our stricken brother. come up for discussion, for at the close of the 17th session this spring observed in the white man's villages, Why had he gone to Santa in New York the provisional agenda that lay not too far away, contributed Isabella? Was there a hospital there? comes up for consideration again. to his lack of interest in schools, or a doctor? No. There was no At that time the various items will be hygiene, or the white man's religion. hospital nor doctor in all the nearly reviewed and the permanent agenda The work in this area was truly most 2,000 mile expanse of the Araguaia formulated. This may be done at the trying but Brother Gomez was River. But there was a government faithful in scattering the seed. He Indian post and a store that kept opening of the 18th session as that was a true missionary and located session takes up this work. With a small stock of drugs, and a in a mission station in the true sense "pensao" where over-night guests these developments we have some- of the word. might sleep. thing definite at which to aim. as we It was Friday afternoon when we There we found him the next day. endeavour to contact the proper sighted the thatched-roof buildings individuals who will throw their Unmistakably he had tuberculosis. weight with us in 'presenting what on a rather high bank above the river. He lay in a tiny room cramped up this proposed reform will do to con- Our guide' exclaimed, "There is in a hammock. Our hearts yearned scientious observers of religious, days, Fronteira." The hymn of praise that for him and his family. We wanted whether the day be Friday, Saturday, our group burst forth singing, to take him back up the river with or Sunday, and how it will bring coupled with the sound of our motor us, but it was all too evident that he political, economic, and religious em- called forth eager watchers at the could not stand the hard two-week barrassment to religious peoples in mission post. They were not expect- journey in our crowded little boat every country of the world. ing our arrival; we could not send and then two more days across them word; there was no way to mountains and plains by truck to To proceed with such a programme receive communications with the Goianna. He was far too weak. We we need your help. The names of outside world except to depend on left him medicines, arranged for a leading religious leaders in your the goodwill of a chance fisherman bed to replace the hammock so his area will be thankfully received by or trader and they were few in this lungs would have a little better us to whom we will send enlightening faraway jungle. chance to operate freely. We material. Our stand on this point, As the welcoming group gathered arranged with the owner of the when publicized with your help and on the river bank we saw that "pensao" to give him milk each day cooperation will have a telling effect and, when available, green vegetables. on the thought of conscientious be- Brother Gomez was not among them. "Where is Antonio," we questioned. We promised to send for him the (Continued on p. 10) His brother-in-law answered us. (Continued on p. 14) SOUTHERN ASIA TIDINGS 3 xxxx xxxxMEET OUR WORKERVX:C°:X5CK 4 OR some time now we have been introducing our workers to the field indi- vidually. Today we would like you to meet several at the same time. Some 1 are well-known and are able to travel around and meet you personally—the others, though not so well-known, are busy at headquarters preparing the many books, magazines, tracts, etc. which go through the presses continually at the Oriental Watchman Publishing House.