SIGNS OF THE TIMES THE WORLD'S PROPHET C WEEKLY ol. 65, No. 45 WILL THE NATIONS NOW DISARM?—See page 2 November 15, 1938 INTERNAT Remarkable ure showing an antiair- craft battery of, the 65th U.S. Infantry A SURVEY OF engaging "enemy" planes in recent ma- WORLD neuverslin Puerto Rico. WILL THE NATIONS By the Editor them again, on .y making them larger NOW DISARM? and deadlier than before. HERE was quite a boom in those At that time it was hoped, of course, As the years have gone by, in the words oxyacetylene burners after the Great that the process would continue until of Mr. Winston; Churchill, "mountains r closed in 1918. Men were seen using armaments everywhere were rendered of munitions" Nave been manufactured. m in all sorts of places, tearing to impotent or completely destroyed. Un- Today armament factories are by far the es the useless paraphernalia of war. fortunately, it largely ceased when the busiest and most; rosperous in the world, uns that were too big to move, ford- weapons of the Central Powers had been working day and night to fill the ever- dons that were no longer needed, ob- dealt with. increasing orders of their respective gov- te battleships, tanks, and armored Then gradually, almost mysteriously, ernments. were all reduced by this means to like the turning of the tide, reaction set But has not another Pact of Peace been nks of metal. It was a burning if not in. Instead of destroying any more signed? Have ive not once more been ating of swords into plowshares. weapons, the nations began to construct assured that the four Great Powers of Europe have no designs on one another's rior to Herr Hitler's historic speech at Nuremberg announcing his policy regarding Czecho- territory? Wells then, will the nations ovakia, this spectacular battle between infantry and tanks was staged before an audience now disarm? I•IPt at all. of one hundred thousand. TOPICAL. Within a week of the Munich meeting, 3.a announcement was made that work on the Siegfried line of fortifications would be carried forward with all speed, and that it would be continued to cover the extreme length of the French and Bel- gian frontiers. Mr. Chamberlain's first pronounce- ment, after reporting to the House of Commons the results of his continental excursions, was to the effect that Great Britain's rearmament program would not only be continued, but intensified. Other nations will inevitably follow suit. And so the mad race proceeds. SIGNS of the TIMES At least it proved that the thought of God has not been banished as completely from the minds of men as some material- ists would have us believe. Brought face to face with stark reality, arrested in their headlong pursuit of pleasure by the thought of sudden and imminent de- struction, millions still look heavenward for help. The situation calls to mind those words of the prophet Isaiah: "When Thy judgments are in the earth, the in- habitants of the world will learn right- eousness." Isaiah 26:9. What an opportunity this offers to the Christian churches! Before these prayers are forgotten, while the memory of the terror is still undimmed, while hearts are yet tender, there should be a power-filled presentation of the love of God and the divine plan of salvation such as has never TOPICAL been preached in the land before. According to Mr. Chamberlain, Britain's war preparations are to continue despite the Pact Multitudes are ready to admit today of Munich. Here is one of the many aircraft factories for the mass production of Hawker "Hurricane" Fighters. that in all the tremendous events that have happened of late the hand of God hour. There was a surprising response. has been visibly at work. It is agreed Someday, when the men of peace— that it was in His mercy that war was undoubtedly used of God to hold in Similar scenes were witnessed in Los postponed and that we were all brought check the dogs of war during the recent Angeles and other great cities, many back, as it were, from the edge of the crisis—have passed off the scene and persons entering church buildings for the precipice. Few, for the moment, doubt given place to others more reckless, some- first time in many years. that the winds of strife were held for one will touch, off those "mountains of In London, Westminster Abbey and their sakes because God realized their munitions," and there will be an explo- St. Paul's were crowded with people on unpreparedness and was unwilling "that sion that will rock the universe and de- their knees before God, while all over the any should perish, but that all should stroy the last vestiges of our civilization. United Kingdom there was a like answer come to repentance." 2 Peter 3 :9. That day of final tragedy may not be , to the call to prayer. The quickening of conscience that has far ahead. Let us therefore keep watch In Paris, Notre Dame and scores of resulted from all this may mean to many upon ourselves, upon our daily conduct other churches were filled to capacity their last chance of salvation. The Lord's and our relation to eternal things, "lest with praying multitudes. appeal should therefore be pressed home coming suddenly" it find us sleeping. What a picture it must have presented immediately by every spiritual means. to the eyes of the heavenly watchers—a If the church will seize the opportunity world at prayer! How they must have thus given it from above, it may now longed that this might be but the first reap the greatest harvest in its history. step in a great new Godward movement! The world does not pray like this every A WORLD Would to God that it might be! day. AT PRAYER To protect London from air raids, immense steel nets have been prepared. They are NE of the most amazing and sig- suspended in the air by dozens of these balloons. TOPICAL O nificant features of the recent world crisis, when everybody thought that war was due to break out within twenty-four hours, was the way multitudes went into the churches to pray. All over the United States, in countless cities and villages, people ceased their ordinary duties and hurried to the house of God. Mayor La Guardia actually summoned New York to prayer, requesting every church to ring its bells at an appointed OUR COVER PICTURE This week our cover picture shows a well-protected workman cutting steel with the latest oxyacetylene blowpipe. Thousands of guns, tanks, and warships were demolished in this way after the close of the Great War. Will this attempt at disarmament ever be repeated on a world scale? for NOVEMBER 15, .1938 FAITH VERSUS FEAR ,Another Inspiring (kadio Sermon. as Given Over ET us read together—I might say, their normal bed," "We are all inclined' rep at together—the twenty-third psalm Station KEX to feel as though; mysterious and malig- —t e psalm• so precious to the heart of A:ant forces, over which the human mind eve y, Christian: by J. L. TUCKER has no control, were bearing down upon the nations," writes Sir Philip Gibbs, in he Lord is my shepherd; I shall not his book, "The Way of Escape." wa, e maketh me to lie down in green David Lloyd George says: "I have In a similar vein another prominent seen the world in some difficulties, but past res: He leadeth me beside the still statesman aptly describes the world situ- wat rs. never in such a :ditch as today;" and " e restoreth my soul: He leadeth me ation: "A hurricane has swept its [the from an official of the British Foreign in :t e paths of righteousness for His name's world's] surface; wild torrents have Office we hear these words: "One half sake broken loose; the ships have been com- of Europe is dangerously angry; the " ea, though I walk through the valley pelled to try partly in vain to reach a port other half is dangerously afraid." oft e shadow of death, I will fear no evil: of safety; the dikes have been swept away Surely there is fear on every side, and, for hou art with me; Thy rod and Thy in several places, the wild floods are inun- as the Master so aptly expressed it, "men's staff they comfort me, dating the country. With great appre- hearts [are] failing them for fear, and hou preparest a table before me in hension we ask ourselves when and for looking after those things which are the esence of mine enemies: Thou anoint- where we are going to stop these wild coming on the earth." We are living in est y head with oil; my cup runneth over. floods, and how it will be possible to "S rely goodness and mercy shall follow an hour of extreme peril, and the pillars bring these uncontrolled waters back into me a I the days of my life: and I will dwell that have sustained our social life during in th house of the Lord forever." earth's mightiest age are tottering. Rum- blings of the coming disaster can be heard Ea h and every verse is replete with in every corner of the world. No wonder confi ence and assurance, but let us con- that on every hand are heard words of sider especially the fourth verse—"I will warning and dire prediction.