June 8

Second Thoughts About a College Education

IN TIMES past, most people felt that the way to success and happiness was by getting a college education. But now many are having second thoughts about this.

What is responsible for the changing attitude? A combination of factors that were not so obvious a decade or two ago. These factors have now built up to the point where ‘higher’ education is in a state of crisis in many countries.

One of the most comprehensive studies on the problems facing education was made recently by the Carnegie Corporation in the United States. A participant, Charles Silberman, editor and former college teacher, said of the study: “When we began, I thought the severest critics of the schools were overstating things. But now I think they were understating them.”

Inadequate Courses

One area of criticism has to do with the study courses of many colleges. Some educators feel that often the courses do not prepare youths for the fields they will be entering, or for life in general.

For instance, fundamental to the entire education structure is the training of the teachers. But of this vital area Mr. Silberman stated: “I have yet to meet a teacher in the middle-class suburban school who considered his preparation even remotely adequate. On the contrary, the great majority agree with the judgment of Seymour Sarason of Yale, that ‘the contents and procedures of teacher education frequently have no demonstrable relevance to the actual teaching task.’”

This same criticism is also leveled at other fields of education, not just teacher training. Too often courses are studied that have little or no relationship to what the student will be doing after he graduates. That is why many educators feel that, for a liberal arts degree in particular, more emphasis should be placed on how to learn rather than on learning facts that will never be used. But that takes considerable skill on the part of teachers. And as the Carnegie report shows, teachers themselves admit to being unprepared.

Also, what makes the matter more complex is that the average teacher is more and more unable to give students the personal attention they need. Why? “in the huge colleges of today, the student is lost in a maze of fellow students. The days when teachers had small classes and carried on question-and-answer sessions with about a dozen students at a time have been superseded by crowded conditions. Classes are large, campuses are congested like the streets of big cities, dormitories are cramped and some are far from quiet for study purposes.”​—U.S. News & World Report.

Thus, colleges increasingly resemble huge factories turning out graduates unprepared, or uncertain, as to their life’s work.

Financial Troubles

Instead of more teachers and better facilities being available, the situation is reversing. Why is this so? Dartmouth College’s president John G. Kemeny answers: “Higher education, both public and private, is facing its most serious financial crisis in history.”

The costs of operating colleges rise swiftly, but income does not. Thus, many colleges have had to cut back personnel and facilities at the very time when expansion is needed. Already 500 American colleges are in deep financial difficulty. Twice as many are headed that way. “Some small private colleges have already folded for lack of funds, and others are in danger of collapsing. Almost all public universities are just barely scraping by. And the biggest and richest and most prestigious institutions are finding themselves deep in the red,” says The Wall Street Journal.

Princeton foresees a deficit of over $2,000,000 this year, Columbia’s deficit for the school year beginning in autumn 1969 was $11,000,000, with 1970’s even larger. Yale’s deficits in recent school years have run as follows: 1967​—$300,000; 1968​—$900,000; 1969​—$1,250,000; and 1970 an estimated $1,750,000. Yale’s president, Kingman Brewster, Jr., warns: “If the present shrinkage of funds were to continue . . . we would have to either abandon the quality of what we’re doing, abandon great discernible areas of activity or abandon the effort to be accessible on the merits of talent, not of wealth or of race or of inheritance.”

Of course, not all colleges have severe financial difficulties. But increasing numbers of them do. Also, the cost to each student is skyrocketing. That is why some parents are asking themselves searching questions as to the advisability of sending their children to costly institutions that have such a clouded future with no improvement in sight.

Violence and Cynicism

Campus disorder is another factor damaging to ‘higher’ education. Colleges throughout the world have erupted in violence over various issues such as the Vietnam war, nationalism, racial injustice and the role of the college itself.

College youths have strong opinions. Some do not hesitate to make their opinions known even if it means violence and revolt. This has often disrupted classroom procedure. In the United States, “the 1969-70 school year closed last spring with six students dead, dozens injured in campus uprisings, with 125 schools shut down for varying periods through student strikes, with higher education facing its most severe challenge, a struggle for its existence,” reported New York’s Sunday News. Some parents and students demanded a refund of their tuition because classes were not held.

In a study of campus disorders, a government commission said: “We find ominous and shocking reports that students are laying in supplies of weapons, and that others are preparing to take the law into their own hands against protestors.”

So in the case of many young folks, college is providing another kind of education, an education in revolt and violence. Many are the parents who sent their children to college with high hopes, only to be shocked to see the way they turned out.

When colleges opened in the autumn of 1970, officials held their breath. However, there was not as much violence as in the previous year. Why not? Those close to the students feel that many of them have sunk into a mood of deep cynicism, having lost all faith in their government, their elders and school officials to bring about meaningful change.

Experts warn that such profound cynicism, although resulting in a quieter campus for a while, may turn out to be far more dangerous in the long run. In another crisis, that cynicism may turn into action much more severe than anything yet experienced.

What Moral Climate?

Violence and rebellion are not the only kind of revolutionary activity going on in college. There is another kind of revolution spreading. This has to do with living arrangements. Increasingly, men and women are being permitted to share the same dormitories without supervision. In other places they are often free to visit each other’s rooms at any hour of the day or night.

A few educators have concluded that this does not lead to a lowering of sexual morality. For instance, when dismayed parents asked about the propriety of coeducational dormitories in the college their daughter was attending, an official of the college answered: “Did it ever occur to you that boys in your daughter’s dorm may look upon her as a sister instead of as simply a sex object?”

Such a view is naïve in the extreme. To think that today’s young men and women, reared in permissiveness, will be put together in the same house without supervision and then regard each other only as brother and sister is incredible, a sheer fantasy.

Some adults feel that if the students have not learned right from wrong before going to college, then it is too late once they get there. But even if they have learned what is right, the solid Bible principle holds true that “bad associations spoil useful habits.” (1 Cor. 15:33) Under the pressure of circumstances, being around other young men and women who see nothing wrong with loose sexual conduct, youths with previously high moral standards can have them corrupted.

Of course, some school officials, parents and students do not care about high sexual morality. But if you are a parent with a child in high school, thinking about sending him or her to college, do you care? If you do you must face this hard fact: without a doubt, college tends to corrupt sexual morality. Ask those who have been there. If they are truthful, you will rarely find one who says his morals have been improved.

Dr. L. T. Woodward, author, and graduate of New York University Medical School, says that while sexual immorality has increased very rapidly in high school, “sex in college is even more widespread. It is possible to interview whole platoons of college seniors, both male and female, and find only a small percentage of students who have never had sexual intercourse.” He noted that while many enter college as virgins, “by the time they graduate, four years later, a very high percentage of the college students will no longer be virgins.”

The truth of the matter is inescapable: for young, impressionable students, perhaps away from home for the first time, college is usually devastating to sexual morals. There is no reason whatever to believe your child will be the exception.

The Drug Scene

The disintegration of sexual morals is made worse by the current drug craze. Most students in college have at least experimented with some kind of drug. An increasing number turn to the deadly heroin habit.

At one college campus in New York, Marshall Berman, an assistant professor in political science, stated: “What I think is involved is that a lot of young people are eating their hearts out watching their lives disintegrate so they take heroin so they can watch the disintegration and be amused.”

So common has drug taking become in college that the New York Times says: “With the same openness that some students . . . do homework on the major lawn of the City College campus, others congregate there to buy and use heroin. . . . the presence of users in certain areas, such as the lawn and the cafeteria, is dramatically visible. During a 15-minute period after the noon class change, 12 people were observed making purchases.”

To Be Expected

True, similar attitudes toward violence, sex and drugs exist in cities and nations at large. But in college it is more concentrated and comes at an age when young people tend to experiment and are away from home restraint.

The result? A tidal wave of behavior that few parents want. There is a personality change that takes place that often drives parents to tears. The young are exposed to a climate of violence, cynicism, sexual immorality with its accompanying venereal disease and unwanted pregnancies, disillusionment and a turning to drugs. Is that the kind of climate you want for your children?

Yet, what else could you expect? An atheistic philosophy prevails in nearly all colleges. They are dominated by evolutionary thinking, which makes people more animalistic in their viewpoint. There is little or no restraining force or guide for their lives. This leads to abandonment of the Bible’s high principles that have proved to be such a benefit in the lives of God-fearing persons, as can be attested to by Jehovah’s witnesses who believe and practice those high standards.

Job Opportunities

Then too, what about one of the main reasons people had for going to college​—that it prepared one for a better job? Now even that is open to question. Job opportunities for college graduates have never been poorer in many lands.

Placement counselors at colleges report a sharp drop in hiring of graduates by companies. Michigan State’s placement director calls it “the worst job market in the 26-year history of the placement bureau here.” And colleges are graduating a record number of students who are competing for fewer openings.

Even those with higher degrees are having trouble. Robert Brocksbank, head of Mobil Oil Corporation’s college recruiting efforts, said: “A lot of guys who went on to business school for that pie in the sky are going to be disappointed this year. A lot of companies are cutting way back on their MBA [master’s degree in business administration] hiring for the first time in years.”

Thousands of people with master’s and doctor’s degrees, such as scientists, educators, engineers and corporation executives, have lost their jobs in these times of economic difficulty. “Unemployment among professional and technical workers has soared 67% in the last year,” reports The Wall Street Journal. One chemist who had been making $40,000 a year was laid off because of cost cutting. He said: “I’ve written more than 600 letters and have not gotten one firm job offer.”

Another problem is that a company hesitates to hire a man they feel is over-qualified for a job. A person with a doctor’s degree, in desperation, may apply for work that pays less. But companies generally shy away from hiring such a person. They feel that he can become dissatisfied easily, and also as soon as he gets an opportunity for a better job he will quit.

Some have not been laid off from highpaying jobs. They have quit. Why? The Wall Street Journal says: “Most men who have let go and stepped off the corporate ladder say any regrets they have are rare, and fleeting. Their disillusionment with their old way of life and work is so strong that it overrides any thought of turning back. That’s true even of those who aren’t sure where they’re going and of those who are struggling to stay solvent.”

Yes, just as many students are ‘dropping out’ from the college ‘rat race,’ so, too, many executives are dropping out of the executive or professional ‘rat race’ they entered with such high hopes after college. It has proved to be a sad commentary on the way of life promised by a college education.

Indeed, the disillusionment with the purpose and results of college is so great now that only about one third who enter college ever complete a four-year course. In a “Report on Higher Education” issued at Stanford University in March of 1971 the following was noted: “The majority of dropouts cite dissatisfaction with college and the desire to reconsider personal goals and interest as the major reasons for leaving school. . . . College is failing to capture the attention and engage the enthusiasm of many students. For some, it is a decidedly negative experience.”

Other Work

In days gone by, college did help many to find better positions. But times are changing. Many jobs today that do not require a college education pay well. They enable a person to acquire a trade that can be used in many places.

Until recently it was made to seem that a person working with, his hands was not doing dignified work. He was not considered really successful. But many so-called ‘dignified’ college graduates and professional people today wonder where their next meal is coming from, while carpenters, plumbers, clerks, electricians and others who have a trade and work with their hands have jobs. Some garbage collectors are currently making $10,000 a year.

It is no shame for a person to learn a trade and work with his hands. Indeed, these days it is getting to be the practical thing to do. That is another reason why some parents now have second thoughts about this matter of a college education. They choose to channel their boys and girls into more useful trades in high school where such things can be learned, at least in part. After graduating from high school, they may continue briefly in a trade school or get valuable on-the-job training. Then they qualify for a trade and avoid the anguish often suffered in executive-type positions.

Parents who are Jehovah’s witnesses have another very sound reason for channeling their children’s lives into useful trades. They know from fulfilled Bible prophecy that today’s industrial society is near its end. Soon it will be given its death stroke by Almighty God himself. (Prov. 2:20, 21; 1 John 2:17) After that, in God’s new order a reconstruction work will be done to transform this entire earth into a paradise. (Luke 23:43) Trades of many types will be very useful then, as will skills in agriculture and homemaking. So by guiding their children away from the so-called ‘higher’ education of today, these parents spare their children exposure to an increasingly demoralizing atmosphere, and at the same time prepare them for life in a new system as well.

[Picture on page 5]

How beneficial is a college education?

WILL IT REALLY PROVIDE BETTER JOB OPPORTUNITIES?

WILL CAMPUS ASSOCIATIONS IMPROVE YOU MENTALLY AND MORALLY?

Our Wonderfully Made Lungs

The famous musician and poet King David of Israel once sang to Jehovah, “I shall laud you because in a fear-inspiring way I am wonderfully made.” (Ps. 139:14) In discussing the marvels of the human lungs Professor of Physiology Wallace O. Fenn testified to the truthfulness of this when he said: “The engineering of the breathing apparatus stands among the many marvels displayed by the human body. The lungs offer an area at least half the size of a tennis court for diffusion of oxygen and carbon dioxide between blood and air. The lung membrane through which the exchange takes place is of such exquisite delicacy and thinness that it has not been equaled in effectiveness by any of the artificial lungs designed [by man]. The effort required to renew the air in the lung is negligible, and the energy to sustain it can be supplied . . . by two lumps of sugar or their equivalent per day.

“The breathing mechanism is a marvelously well-adapted structure and provides ample reason for any thinking man to stand in awe before the processes that have brought it all to pass: ‘So curiously are we wrought, so fearfully and wonderfully are we made!’”

Helps in Coping with Air Pollution

AIR POLLUTION has become more and more of a problem as cities and industries keep increasing in size. According to some authorities, New York city has the most air pollution in the United States, 88 percent of its air being polluted. Philadelphia is said to come next with 78 percent, and Pittsburgh and Los Angeles follow with 75 percent polluted air. The two main factors causing air pollution are motor vehicles and industry. Both are increasing in number​—last year for the first time more than 100 million autos were registered in the United States.

Just what does polluted air do to humans? For one thing, studies show that it can slow down the action of the cilia​—hairlike projections on cells that line our air passages and that aid in sweeping germs and dirt out of the respiratory tract. Pollution can even cause loss of cilia, constriction of the airways and swelling or excessive growth of the cells that form the lining of our air passages. Then again, air pollution makes breathing more difficult. And the main effects of some pollutants seem to be to weaken the body’s defenses against assorted viruses and bacteria.

The effects of air pollution range from sluggishness to deadly illnesses. A team of researchers, reporting in the American Journal of Public Health, has found a close association between regular exposure to air pollution and asthma and eczema in children under fifteen. Some laboratory tests have linked certain air pollutants with lung cancer, pneumonia and emphysema. And heart diseases can be aggravated, since the heart’s burden is increased by carbon monoxide, which can reduce the oxygen content of the blood.

Statistics underscore the effect that air pollution has on health. Thus deaths due to lung cancer among nonsmokers in rural areas are one-tenth that in city areas, and similar deaths among smokers living in the rurals are half that of smokers living in the cities. Severe lung ailments among London’s postmen have been found to be from 25 to 50 percent more prevalent than among postmen living in small towns. Authoritative researchers state that deaths from bronchitis would be reduced from 25 to 50 percent if air pollution in general were reduced to levels that prevail in city areas that have clean air.​—Medical World News, November 20, 1970.

What can you do about it? Researchers believe there are ways that you can cope with air pollution to some extent.

Vitamins May Help

A number of reports tell of the effectiveness of vitamins A and E as aids in counteracting the effects of air pollution. For example, a symposium on pollution and lung biochemistry in June 1970 was sponsored by Battelle-Northwest Research Institute and attended by some 200 scientists. Reporting on the symposium, Chemical and Engineering News of June 29, 1970, said: “Vitamins appear to play a much more vital role in safeguarding lungs from the ravages of air pollutants than has been generally realized.” It was pointed out that vitamins A and E “help maintain lung health​—vitamin E may protect vitamin A from destruction by air pollutants, while A directs formation of healthy cells in the lining of the lung.”

Scientific researchers have long known that vitamin A is important for healthy mucous membranes, cell walls and cilia. In fact, one report in the New York Times of October 25, 1966, told about scientist Dr. Umberto Saffiotti, who found that vitamin A inhibited the development of lung cancer in tests on laboratory animals. In the tests, he subjected more than one hundred hamsters to benzopyrene, a widespread product of combustion found in smoke and auto exhaust. Of 53 animals receiving just air pollutant, 16 got lung cancer. Of 60 animals protected by vitamin A, only five developed tumors, and four of these were nonmalignant.

Some researchers believe that vitamin E may prevent respiratory diseases caused by air pollution. Dr. D. B. Menzel, nutrition and food technology manager, told a scientific conference in Miami: “Laboratory tests on rats show that those fortified with vitamin E live twice as long as the unfortified rats in an atmosphere which simulates smog concentrations like those found over Los Angeles or Tokyo on a bad day.”

Menzel went on to say: “This research suggests a definite protective effect of fat antioxidants, such as vitamin E, against biological damage by photochemical air pollutants such as ozone and nitrous dioxide.”

Researchers thus believe that vitamin E helps body tissues in coping with a lack of oxygen. It evidently produces better circulation of oxygen through the blood vessels.

Many nutritionists and researchers also believe that vitamin C is of value in combating the effects of air pollution. An experiment performed at the University of California revealed that plant cells fortified with vitamin C were helped to overcome the damage from smog. Vitamin C is believed to neutralize the effects of poisons.

Then again, “some smog poisons may be counteracted by vitamin B,” reports the volume Our Poisoned Earth and Sky. “Desiccated liver [rich in vitamin B] is reported to have, in one week, completely restored the vitality of a man who had been severely debilitated for a year following poisoning by fumes from a plastics manufacturing process.”

Of course, not all authorities agree that these vitamins are helpful in combating air pollution, but many believe that the evidence increasingly supports the view that they are of benefit.

Care for Your Liver

Of all your body organs, your liver plays a key role in detoxifying the many poisons to which man is generally subject, whether they come via the digestive tract or via the respiratory tract. So it pays to take care of your liver. Doctors who specialize in natural methods of healing believe that certain foods are especially beneficial for the liver. For example, they mention artichokes, brown rice, finely grated carrots, dried pears, mangoes and radishes. “The radish is the best possible liver medicine that we are likely to have about the house,” says one of these doctors, who believes that it helps the liver if taken frequently and in small quantities.

Vitamin C is also often mentioned as valuable for liver health. For example, an experiment carried out at Cairo University involved injecting mice with carbon tetrachloride. The researchers found that none of the mice that received large doses of vitamin C died. However, five of the mice receiving carbon tetrachloride without vitamin C died after seventy-two hours. According to these researchers, one way that vitamin C protected the mice was by preventing the death of liver cells.

Nutritionist Adelle Davis mentions protein and vitamin C as being valuable in protecting the liver. She says: “Liver damage caused by various industrial poisons​—benzene, nitrobenzene, leaded gasoline, and numerous hydrocarbons—​has been corrected by diets high in protein and vitamin C.”

Dr. Klaus Schwarz of the National Institute of Health believes that vitamin E is important for good liver health. Tests showed that rats deprived of vitamin E suffered liver degeneration.

Other Helps

Various authorities mention other helps in coping with air pollution. For example, an aid to better breathing, and to better health in general, is to see that you drink enough water. Proper breathing requires quite a bit of moisture, and so, especially if you have any respiratory condition, make certain that your body gets enough water.

Another thing you can do to protect your lungs is to try to keep a healthful relative humidity: About 40 or 50 percent. When the humidity is too low, the mucous membranes dry out and are then likely to be irritated by air pollutants.

A specific food item pointed to by some nutritionists as being valuable as an antidote to pollution is garlic. According to research in Germany, it is said to dilate the blood vessels and help to detoxify the entire body.

Important also to building up your resistance to pollution are getting enough rest and sleep, and learning to relax if you tend to be tense much of the time.

Some persons with respiratory conditions find that an air filter is helpful, though it requires an outlay of money. Many air filters are small machines that circulate room air through a thin bed of activated charcoal, on the same principle as gas masks. However, some machines advertised as helping to control air pollution in homes generate as a by-product ozone, which is an air pollutant itself. Thus the New York Times recently carried a news item headed “‘CLEAN-AIR’ DEVICE EMITS POLLUTANT. Sold for Homes, Precipitator Also Produces Ozone.” So one who wishes to buy an air-filtering device ought to investigate before purchase.

Then again, some persons living in large cities where air pollution is very high take weekend trips into the country once in a while. Spending a day and a half or two days in a small village, on a farm or in the woods, may do you a world of good, even if you do not have a heart or lung condition.

The ever-growing size of the pollution problem makes plain that it will never be solved under the present system of things. But some of the foregoing suggestions may prove helpful in your personal battle against the effects of air pollution on your health.

God’s Wisdom in Dealing with Mankind

ANYONE who impartially examines the evidence has no trouble in recognizing surpassing wisdom manifested in the creative works. These certainly reveal Jehovah to be the Master Scientist of the universe. However, physical science is not all that can be called wisdom. Science as developed in the world has displayed man’s wisdom technologically. But the world has been found sadly lacking in wisdom in the field of human relations.

Looking at the present sorry state of humanity, some are constrained to ask: Is the problem beyond God’s wisdom, as it has proved to be with man? If not, why, during nearly 6,000 years of human history, have conditions been so distressing?

Jehovah’s servant Job recounted God’s exhibition of unmatched power and wisdom in the field of natural science, and then exclaimed: “Look! These are [only] the fringes of his ways, and what a whisper of a matter has been heard of him!” Yes, marvelous as God’s wisdom is seen to be in creation, it is only a very faint reflection of the boundless wisdom of the all-wise God. After making this exclamation, Job proceeded to recount God’s acts of wisdom in dealing with humankind.​—Job 26:14.

Righteous Administration Purposed

If a person questions God’s wisdom in his dealings with mankind during the past sixty centuries of history, the fair thing to do is to examine the historical record. If a person is sincere, he will find this especially rewarding, because he will be able to trace in it the outworking of God’s purpose to establish an administration to govern earth’s affairs in righteousness.​—Eph. 1:8-10.

In order to get the right perspective, we must first realize that God sees things in a much broader view than man, with a far greater scope of time and space. His prophet describes him as the “One who is dwelling above the circle of the earth, the dwellers in which are as grasshoppers.” (Isa. 40:22) In his dealings with men, the farseeing God always keeps in focus the carrying out of his own righteous purpose.

God is going to govern mankind in peace and unity. He has made man a free moral agent, and He does not force anyone to serve Him. He purposes to gather together under his administration all those who recognize and love His sovereignty. Therefore, to establish a foundation for an entire world of mankind that would serve him, God had to provide a knowledge of the standards and principles of his righteous administration and how it operates. More importantly, men needed a knowledge of God himself and of his qualities.​—John 17:3.

But Jehovah is an invisible God. So, how would he make men of flesh and blood understand these things in their hearts? Not by a mere display of power, speaking in thunderous tones from heaven. Not from mere statements or assertions through angels or prophets. No, God would reveal his principles and qualities by having dealings with people, with the warm appeal of human experience. How much more instructive, convincing and moving not only to hear and read God’s declarations or speeches as recorded by faithful men, but, additionally, to see in the ‘inerasable historical record the proof of what he said. What does that record reveal?

From the time of Adam to the Flood, a period of about 1,656 years, God did not intervene to correct human affairs. Adam had disobediently removed himself from God’s service, bringing sin and imperfection to his children, with resulting disobedience on the part of the majority. But God let men go the disobedient way they had chosen. In this way he let them make a record that stands as proof of men’s inability to govern themselves. (Jer. 10:23) Finally, by means of the Flood, God stepped in because violence had become extreme, but he preserved alive those who acknowledged his sovereignty.​—Gen. 6:11-13, 17-20.

From the earliest record, then, we see that God has had a definite purpose in everything he has done. At the outset he stated his purpose to deliver mankind when he promised the ‘seed of the woman,’ who would destroy God’s serpentlike adversary and those serving him.​—Gen. 3:15.

However, God, though he has the power to do so, never acts arbitrarily. Before he acts he lays a solid foundation. For example, in executing judgment, he gives ample advance warning. (Ezek. 3:17-21; Amos 3:7) Furthermore, he lets conditions progress to the point where it is obvious that action is necessary, and that there is no legal or moral reason to delay longer. This was illustrated in the 1,656 years prior to the Flood and later in his patiently withholding the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, and of the Canaanites (among whom the Amorites were prominent).​—Gen. 18:20, 21; 15:13-16.

A Foundation for Faith

Accordingly, God would lay a foundation for his administration of earth’s affairs under the promised “seed.” The laying of this foundation would take time. But in doing so, God would provide these necessary things: (1) a firm basis for faith in the administration he would provide, (2) a knowledge of the principles of his government, (3) a knowledge of his qualities as Universal Ruler and (4) a sure and unmistakable identification of the “seed,” the One who would be mankind’s Deliverer and the King ruling in Jehovah’s name.​—Gal. 3:24.

This knowledge, that Jehovah’s administration of the world in righteousness was future, at a time foreordained by him, helps us to understand certain of his acts. He selected one nation as a living demonstration of his principles and dealings. Thereby Jehovah revealed himself and his marvelous qualities of justice, wisdom, love and mercy as he alternately chastised Israel for their sins and demonstrated long-suffering toward them whenever they repented. (Isa. 65:2; Rom. 10:21) Additionally, Israelite history demonstrates what happens when God’s wise, righteous laws are either obeyed or disobeyed; while world history reveals the outcome to those who live without his law.​—1 Cor. 12:2; Eph. 4:17-19.

It was therefore not the righteousness and obedience of that nation that God was demonstrating, for they became most stubborn and rebellious. (Deut. 9:4-6) Rather, it was as Moses said in his farewell address to Israel: “See, I have taught you regulations and judicial decisions, . . . And you must keep and do them, because this is wisdom on your part . . . before the eyes of the peoples who will hear of all these regulations, and they will certainly say, ‘This great nation is undoubtedly a wise and understanding people.’ For what great nation is there that has gods near to it the way Jehovah our God is in all our calling upon him? And what great nation is there that has righteous regulations and judicial decisions like all this law that I am putting before you today?”​—Deut. 4:5-8.

Israel had been selected rather than some other nation because of God’s love for Abraham. (Deut. 7:7, 8; 2 Ki. 13:23) Some 400 years after the Flood, Jehovah found Abraham to be a man who accepted God at his word, with unquestioning obedience. (Gen. 15:1, 6; Rom. 4:18-22) Abraham obeyed according to the knowledge he had received about God and his dealings with Abraham’s forefathers Noah and Shem. Consequently, his offspring through his faithful wife Sarah received the unique blessing of being the covenant people of God, used for his purpose.

The other nations went their own way of self-rule and disobedience to God. God allowed them to enjoy the sun and rain, and the fruitage of the earth, but God did not enter into dealings with them, and he did not interfere with them except where they touched upon the affairs of his chosen nation. (Deut. 32:8) Even then, God’s interference was not because of deservedness on the part of Israel, but because of his righteous purpose. When, for instance, Balak king of Moab hired the prophet Balaam to curse Israel, God made it impossible for Balaam to utter a curse that would enable Balak to destroy Israel, because God was using Israel for his purpose.​—Num. 22:12; 24:10.

But Jehovah had not forgotten the other nations. While dealing exclusively with Israel, he was working out a purpose to bless these nations later, although they were completely ignorant of this fact.

No Injustice on God’s Part

No one can complain about God’s selecting one nation to provide this foundation for our faith and understanding today. During this period Israel was blessed above the other nations, it is true. But, by having Jehovah’s name placed upon it, that nation also faced a very heavy responsibility the other nations did not bear. Israel had to account directly to God. The people were severely disciplined by Jehovah when they sinned, suffering plagues, captivity and, finally, because of unrepentant disobedience, the desolation of their land.​—Deut., chap. 28.

Thus the remarkable wisdom of Jehovah God was displayed in making a living record. His wisdom was also manifested in the way that he preserved the truth by committing it to the one nation and by disciplining that nation and holding it together under his Law covenant, while the other nations, under man’s rule, continuously served false gods of their own making.​—Ps. 96:5; 115:2-8; Rom. 3:1, 2.

But all Jehovah’s dealings unitedly pointed to his finest gift to mankind. That is his provision of the Seed, the King of God’s administration for the earth, which will mean life for all obedient men. (Acts 17:30, 31) How God’s wisdom shines in furnishing an unmistakable identification for the Messiah in the genealogy, chronology and prophecy of the Hebrew Scriptures! (John 5:39; Rev. 19:10) Moreover, the historical record not only gives comfort and hope but also serves as a guide for present living, because it provides patterns as well as examples for “us upon whom the ends of the systems of things have arrived.”​—1 Cor. 10:11; Heb. 10:1.

Bonsai​—the Amazing Dwarf Trees

By Awake! correspondent in Brazil

WE HAD come some thirty miles from the city of São Paulo to see what is known to the Japanese as “bonsai.” Over cups of tea brought to us by the grower’s wife, we expressed surprise when he told us that some of his four hundred dwarf trees were thirty years old.

On one long table there were some small pines that had the windswept look of old age. On other shelves stood out single trees in vessels of shallow depth. Their description seemed appropriate, “Lone tree in plain country.” Others looked withered, with drooping branches, evidently overhanging an imaginary cliff. Two others grew out of the same stump; “the twins” they were called. Another one had high exposed roots, clinging for dear life to a riverside where the water had almost worn away the soil, or so it seemed.

With some, the fascination lies in the spread of the roots, while with others it is the distribution of the branches, the appearance of the trunk, the leaves or flowers. Sometimes, a little moss or some pebbles are all that is needed to add a touch of real scenery.

A twenty-year-old persimmon tree with natural-size fruits stood a mere two feet high. And an even smaller orange tree and several plum trees attracted our attention.

Groups of similar or different trees suggest a forest. And those growing out of a rock simulate trees dwarfed by constant storm and wind on a mountain precipice. In fact, there are mountaineers that risk their lives in the attempt to dislocate real-life dwarf trees from precarious positions on weather-beaten cliffs and rocks.

Whoever thought of reducing normally large trees to this mini-size? we wondered. We learned that a Japanese temple owner by the name of Honen Shonin, in the twelfth century of our Common Era, is said to have produced miniature trees to decorate his small Bodo temple. It is not known, however, whether he actually originated or only copied the dwarfing technique.

The dwarf trees came to be known as “bonsai,” literally bone (shallow pot) and saigh (cultivation) or in other words “potted dwarf trees.” Soon they spread over Japan, China, South Asia, the Pacific, Europe and America, finding admirers almost everywhere. In the seventeenth century the Dutch brought this art to the West. Today it is no longer a question of space alone that inspires enthusiasts and amateur gardeners. It is the gracious beauty of the dwarfed trees.

Japanese immigrants brought the bonsai to São Paulo some thirty years ago. Now they dwarf not only imported trees but also common Brazilian kinds, such as guava and palm trees, yellow ipê, bougainvillea and many more.

Their ages are remarkable. For instance, some brought to Brazil from Japan are more than two hundred years old. And in Japan, some are calculated to have reached six hundred years, such as one in Osaka.

How the Dwarfing Is Done

The natural method of reducing the size of a tree is still the most popular, although chemicals and hormones are used to achieve even smaller specimens than the conventional height of about fifty centimeters (a little under two feet).

The tree is shaped and trained over many years until it acquires the stately shape of a big tree. Bonsai can be cultivated from seeds or cuttings. In the case of seeds it is preferred to use them from naturally smaller trees, planted in soil mixed with half sand. After four to eight months they germinate and are left to grow in the normal way. Cuttings are planted like those of any other tree. The miniaturizing process begins after seven to nine or twelve months while still in the ground outside.

The side roots are cut with a spade at about six to eight inches from the trunk. Even at this stage, a branch can be bent into the desired shape by strong iron wire, which is wound around it. At eighteen months the side roots are cut again. This procedure is repeated at twenty-four, thirty-two and thirty-six months. During the first three crucial years some 60 to 70 percent of the young plants may die.

Next the tree is planted in a shallow flowerpot. This time the taproot is cut, with some two inches left from where the root ends and the trunk begins. Thus all means of growth is arrested.

The shape of the vessel has to blend in with the kind of tree and the scenic environment it is to suggest to the onlooker. It is usually of earthenware, and its shape and depth have to have the right proportion to the tree.

A metal net is fixed in the pot to keep the earth from sticking to its sides. A correctly planted bonsai can be taken out of its pot at any time, but it remains in it for two to three years, when the soil is changed to avoid rotting of the roots. Then the plant is ready for pruning of the twigs with scissors, and the branches can be bent by means of wire according to the grower’s scheme.

Watering is generally done once or twice a day, except in winter, when the tree is resting. Many stick a dry match in the ground and pull it out. If it is moist, they do not water, but if it is dry, they do.

At regular intervals during the growing period the tree is lifted out of the pot to crop the roots. This goes on until the tree is “fully grown,” after some ten to fifteen or more years!

Except in cold winter weather, the bonsai can be left outside. Fresh air is a necessity, so where there is central heating they can remain indoors not more than a week at a time.

Our host gave some order in Japanese to his son, who soon returned and presented us with two cypress bonsai. We expressed our thanks for this unexpected generosity, and went on our way, his words still ringing in our ears:

“The value of a bonsai lies in its shape and height and age. The older the tree the more valuable it is. Although miniature in size and ancient in appearance, it is a tree that pleases your children and your children’s children and generations to come, right in your own living room.

Armed Revolt​—a Growing Menace

“IT MAY be that in the decade ahead of us, civil war, not war between nations, will be the main danger we will face.”

Those words of warning came from Britain’s prime minister, Edward Heath, late in 1970. They were addressed to the United Nations General Assembly.

How widespread has armed revolt become? Time magazine said: “The terrorist activity is worldwide, and most of it is carried out by a new type in the history of political warfare: the urban [city] guerrilla.”

The number involved in armed revolt in any one country is usually small, perhaps a few hundred or a few thousand. But when they find the right pressure point, they can affect the entire nation. And history shows that in many instances governments have been overthrown and the course of history changed by only a handful of men. Lenin’s group that brought Bolshevism to Russia in 1917 was very small.

The political ideologies of modern-day revolutionaries may differ widely​—from extreme ‘left’ to extreme ‘right,’ but most are ‘leftist’ in political orientation. Generally, they hold the belief in common that the government they live under is incapable of bringing about the kind of change they want. The more extreme groups feel that the ‘establishment,’ the ruling authority, can be toppled only by force of arms. Thus, their aim is to destroy what they feel cannot be reformed.

North America’s Problems

Most people did not suspect that Canada had problems with urban revolutionaries. But late in 1970, terrorists kidnapped James Cross, a senior British trade commissioner in Quebec. Five days later the terrorists struck again; Quebec’s Labor Minister Pierre Laporte was also kidnapped.

Who were the kidnappers? They were members of a group called the F.L.Q., the Front for the Liberation of Quebec. They want the province of Quebec to be independent from the rest of Canada, and so for at least seven years have been committing acts of terrorism. What price did they demand for their hostages? The release of twenty-three political prisoners, $500,000 in gold and a plane to fly them to Cuba or Algeria.

The government of Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau declared all-out war on the terrorists by invoking Canada’s 1914 War Measures Act. This drastic measure had been used before only in the two world wars, never in peacetime. It suspended civil liberties and gave police extraordinary powers.

Less than two days later one of the hostages, Pierre Laporte, was found murdered. The country was stunned. The other hostage, James Cross, was held prisoner for fifty-nine days but then was released in an exchange. Canada’s government allowed the kidnappers and some of their relatives safe passage out of the country.

What of the United States? Bombings and other terroristic activity there has “approached what one political leader called a “clear and present danger to the government of the United States.” Senator James Eastland said: “An organized ‘war upon the police’ threatens to undermine law and order in the United States.” The killing of policemen has risen ominously. And Time magazine reported an average of about 300 bombings and 5,000 threats of bombings each month during 1970.

Latin America in Turmoil

Armed revolt has mounted in most of Latin America in the last few years. At least twenty-two diplomats have been kidnapped. Hundreds of people have been killed and wounded.

With the kidnapping and ransoming of the United States ambassador to Brazil in exchange for the release of fifteen jailed political prisoners, revolutionary groups learned that a few guerrillas could force even strong governments to give in to some of their demands. And in Brazil, the price went up. U.S. News & World Report noted: “Brazil, to now, has paid off terrorist kidnappers. Result: The price is up from 15 prisoners released for one U.S. ambassador, to 40 prisoners out for a West German ambassador, to 70 prisoners sent to Chile for a Swiss ambassador.”

What can happen when governments refuse to bargain? The same thing that happened to Quebec’s Labor Minister Laporte; the hostage may pay the ultimate price​—his life. Similarly, when Uruguay refused to make concessions to guerrillas, a United States police expert there was murdered. In Argentina, a former president and two other politicians have been murdered. And Guatemalan terrorists killed an American ambassador and also one from West Germany.

Across the Atlantic

On the other side of the Atlantic Ocean armed revolt brews in many places. In the Middle East late in 1970, Palestinian guerrilla groups skyjacked, or pirated, four huge jet aircraft and their passengers. One, a $24 million jumbo 747 jet, was blown up at Cairo Airport minutes after its passengers were released. Three other jets were forced to land at an isolated airport in Jordan, their hundreds of passengers held hostage. The guerrillas demanded freedom for seven of their members being held in Europe. They got them, released their hostages, and then blew up the jets.

Europe also has its share of terrorism. The Italian province of Alto Adige on the border of Italy and Austria has seen about two hundred bombs go off and ten policemen killed in the past five years. Here German-speaking separatists are demanding reunification with Austria.

Spain’s troubles center in the northern Basque region. The kidnapping of a West German consul in late 1970 threw the area into a turmoil and the Spanish government sent extra police into the Basque provinces. Guerrillas there want “Basque Land and Liberty,” that is, a separate government for the Basque area.

In Northern Ireland and elsewhere the trend is the same​—to settle differences by armed revolt. In Africa, thirty out of thirty-six black countries have experienced revolts in recent years.

How They Think

What kind of people are these present-day terrorists? How do they think?

The Toronto Daily Star reported: “Terrorism begins in the minds of young men who see the world in simple black and white terms. Their cause is just and everything that might thwart their cause is evil. They have the right then to destroy anything and anyone by any means if it will help advance their cause.”

Some are blue-collar workers, some white-collar, others idealistic youths. Many come from ‘middle-class’ or even ‘upper-class’ homes. Some are adventurers and romantics. But what leads most of them to revolutionary activity are the dehumanizing conditions found in so many places, particularly in large cities.

A historian at the American University in Beirut, Lebanon, said: “The individual is overcome by despair that he will ever accomplish anything by conventional means.” So he turns to armed revolt. Leila Khaled, member of a Palestine Liberation group, said: “If we throw bombs, it is not our responsibility. You may care for the death of a child, but the whole world ignored the death of Palestinian children for 22 years. We are not responsible.”

A young rebel in the United States was asked what he hoped to gain by armed revolt when he represented such a small minority in the country. He answered: “You can’t tell. You cannot plan a revolution. Do you think Stalin knew, when he robbed a bank, that it would lead to a revolution? When Lenin studied, did he visualize himself a revolutionary leader? You try things. You blow things up. If this won’t work, we will try something else.” The young man came from a wealthy family and his parents shared their son’s hatred for the ‘establishment.’ The father declared: “The system is rotten at the core.”

While the actual number engaged in violence is as yet small, they do have many sympathizers. Authorities feel that some of these sympathizers can be drawn into action when a revolutionary movement seems to have a fair chance of succeeding.

The Reaction

Obviously, established governments and their supporters are not willingly going to give up authority to a revolutionary group. They will react to protect their interests.

In a dictatorial land, reaction can be swift and deadly. Those in authority use every means at their disposal to wipe out rebels. The threat of such crushing force is what has kept armed revolt from gaining ground in Communist countries so far. Still in mind is the experience of Russian troops swiftly moving in to crush rebellions in Hungary and Czechoslovakia.

In nations classified as democracies, governments usually do not take such drastic action. But when the two officials were kidnapped in Canada, and the War Measures Act was invoked, any peace officer was empowered to search and arrest a person without a warrant. They could detain anyone up to ninety days without bail, and for three weeks without any charges being laid.

That a liberal country such as Canada would resort to such drastic measures shocked many. Some felt that this power could be misused. The New York Times said in December: “There is little question that legitimate political dissent in Canada is today much more difficult than it was two months ago.”

Many feel that winning out over terror is of little benefit if it leads to a police state in which citizens have their rights permanently curtailed.

What Is Legitimate?

However, when all is said and done, which is more legitimate: the rebels, or the government against which they rebel? Of course, all governments would answer that the present governments are legitimate.

Yet, how did many present-day governments come into power? The Communist regimes that crush armed revolts in their lands​—how did they originate? Was not Communism brought to power in Russia, China and Cuba by armed revolt, and in Eastern Europe by the might of Soviet armed forces?

How did the government of the United States come to power? By a revolution against the ‘establishment’ of the 1770’s​—the British government. What of France? Is she not the product of the French Revolution of 1789? Many governments in Asia, Africa, Latin America and elsewhere have come to power as the direct result of armed revolts against the previous ‘establishment.’

Facing this fact squarely, editorial writer Sydney Harris, in a San Francisco Examiner article entitled “We Are All Outlaws,” comments as follows:

“There is no world law. Each nation is a law unto itself. This means, in effect, that each nation is an outlaw, in the literal sense of the word.

“If we want something, we grab it, and then we try to justify our act. We go to war when we feel like it, and make ‘peace’ when we feel like it. Self-interest is the sole motivating force of nations. . . .

“There is no difference between a band of nationalist or revolutionary guerrillas and a ‘duly constituted’ government. Success sanctifies legitimacy. When the revolutionary group achieves power (as our own colonists did in 1776), it becomes the ‘established government.’ . . .

“Only the weak appeal to ‘morality’; when they acquire strength, they behave just as ruthlessly as the oppressors they rebelled against. . . .

“Today’s guerrilla . . . is just tomorrow’s ‘patriotic forebear.’

“The world will be rid of war only when we live under equal law. Until then, one gun is as good as another, and the hijacker is no more a ‘criminal’ than any commander-in-chief of a glittering army.”

From the record of history, and from the growing trend toward armed revolt today, it is becoming apparent to more and more thinking people that the system of human rule among the nations has not, and is not working for the benefit of all mankind. Something better is very much needed.

Will there ever be a superior government that can establish righteous conditions, with law, order and justice for all? Yes, and it will happen without fail. Long ago, Bible prophecy foretold that such a government would rule over all the earth, in these words recorded at Daniel chapter 2, verse 44: “In the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be brought to ruin. And the kingdom itself will not be passed on to any other people. It will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, and it itself will stand to times indefinite.” That is the righteous government for which Jesus Christ taught Christians to pray.​—Matt. 6:9, 10.

The time when God’s kingdom will rule without any rival is fast approaching. And persons of honest heart long for it, because under its administration armed conflict will become a thing of the past.​—Ps. 46:8, 9.

Litterbugs

● Litterbugs cost the United States taxpayers about $500,000,000 a year.

The High Way of Life

BY “AWAKE!” CORRESPONDENT IN BOLIVIA

FOR people on Bolivia’s altiplano ‘living it up’ is a daily affair.

Now, if you are like most people, when you get into the thin air much above a mile high you begin to feel somewhat light-headed, even dizzy. But here, on this high plateau well over two miles above sea level, some two thirds of Bolivia’s people comfortably live and work​—their heads somewhat ‘in the clouds,’ their feet on the ground.

The altiplano is a broad, flat tableland, stretching out between rugged cordilleras or ranges of the towering Andes Mountains. Windswept and arid, the plateau is almost treeless. Yet it has its own unusual beauty. The light seems different here in the rarefied air​—so brilliant, making colors stand out with a clarity not seen in lands at lower altitudes. To these Bolivianos, as for their ancestors for centuries past, this is home, and they like its high way of life.

Whatever the altiplano may lack in greenery or variety, the people make up for in their colorful costumes. Ponchos, large square wool blankets with a slit in the middle for the head to pass through, are regular male outerwear. Homemade sandals likely have soles cut from discarded automobile tires. For the women, bright-colored polleras, skirts gathered at the waist and becoming full at the base, reach a standard length halfway between knee and ankle, be the wearer young or old. Some of the cholas (women of mixed Spanish and Indian ancestry) may wear five, six or even up to ten skirts, one over the other. On their backs is a square sack of woven material in which a baby may ride, or perhaps some bedding, or products being carried to the marketplace. Hands free, as they walk along the women can spin thread from sheep or llama wool, using a simple hand spindle.

What part of the country are they from? Their hats usually tell. Cholas living in or around the cities of La Paz and Oruro wear a brown, beige or black derby-type sombrero. Those from the Cochabamba area wear hats of hard straw enameled white with a high crown, tied at the base with a black ribbon. Women with no hats? They are probably from Sucre in the south central part of Bolivia.

Wherever they are from they never need worry about outdated styles for these outfits have remained basically the same for centuries. And they are still attractive.

Few places equal the busy marketplaces for life and color. The cholas squat on the ground or sit enthroned with their goods and wares heaped around them. Fruits and vegetables form neat little pyramids. Buyers haggle over prices with the vendors, who never expect to be paid the first price they quote. When the purchase is made, the vendors follow the Latin-American custom of giving the yapa (or ñapa)​—that handful extra of whatever product is bought. If you happen to be their first customer in the morning, attempts to sell will be strenuous. Superstition has it that the first customer must buy something or business will be bad that whole day. They may kiss the money from that first sale, for the moment idolizing it for what it is supposed to bring in good business.

Nearby, little boys play with simple toys. Bottle caps, patiently pounded flat with a stone, are used in a game similar to marbles. Here comes a lad with something fancier​—a little truck fashioned from some sardine cans with empty wooden thread spools for the wheels and a string to pull it by.

Little cholitas, maybe five or six years old, play with rag dolls made by their mothers’ loving hands. Like their mothers, they wear a complete chola outfit, including the sack on the back, perhaps filled with corncobs, sticks or rags​—anything to make it look like they too are carrying their own little load.

Simple things compared to what many boys and girls in industrialized lands have. And yet these children are obviously happy at their play.

Exploring the Altiplano

Most visitors to Bolivia touch down at La Paz, widely known as “the highest capital in the world” (although Sucre is actually the official capital). Flying in from the north, one may get a view of sparkling Lake Titicaca, its extraordinarily deep blue waters reflecting the clean, clear sky above. At 12,500 feet above sea level, this 138-mile-long body of water is the highest navigable lake on earth.

Over to the southeast looms snowcapped Mount Illimani, grandest of all Bolivia’s peaks. And thousands of feet below its summit, in a deep narrow gorge, lies La Paz.

For travelers by land the approach to La Paz gives just as sensational a sight. For, almost until you reach it, the city is hidden, buried from sight. Then suddenly at a certain point of the road you look down and there, bathed in brilliant sunlight, the city spreads out as if in the bowl of a terrace-shaped crater.

Most persons are satisfied with just seeing some of Bolivia’s principal “high-in-the-sky” cities, such as La Paz, Cochabamba and Sucre. But a trip into the interior of the altiplano can be rewarding​—if you are one who is interested in people and in gaining insight into the varied ways of life of earth’s big human family.

Way of Life

Take the little settlement where a couple named Desiderio and Francisca and their six children live​—simple homes, most of them just of a single room, walls of adobe bricks, thatched roof and floor of pounded earth. This larger home is Desiderio’s. Actually it has one main room with a number of separate adobe structures built around it, all connected together. In the center is a dirt patio with its own well.

“Entre! Entre!” they say, and you go in. The furnishings are very unpretentious. An interesting item is that cow’s tail hanging beneath the mirror on the wall. Its use? Obviously, to hold the comb stuck in it. The simple beds are insulated with sheepskins, keeping the family warm when the altiplano winds blow strong on cold winter nights. There is no electricity, and if you spend the night with them you will find them up at daybreak so that none of the precious daylight hours are wasted. Still feel a bit sleepy? A quick wash in the basin beside the well out in the patio will take care of that​—especially if it is winter and you have to break the ice first.

Now you can appreciate why a favorite spot is the kitchen, a structure next to, but separate from, the main room. Francisca is in there sitting before her small adobe stove, its fire fed with the dried dung of llamas, cows or sheep. At mealtimes the whole family gathers in the warmth of the cozy, though somewhat smoky, kitchen. The menu? Perhaps some of Francisca’s delicious llama meat with rice, followed by soup. But for you, she may prepare a special delicacy: the head of a sheep. Its horns first knocked off with a sharp blow against a rock, the head is skinned and then cooked as is​—so now it sits on the plate facing you, eyeballs, teeth, nose and ears all there. Maybe along with it you can have a more familiar food​—potatoes. But here on the altiplano they grow more than 112 distinct varieties. And often the potatoes are prepared as chuño, alternately frozen and dried by exposure to the cold night air and the warm sunlight and then squeezed free of any remaining moisture. “No preservatives added”​—nor needed! They keep almost indefinitely this way.

People Worth Knowing

You soon find your hosts are not ordinary people. Desiderio explains why he is often up at five a.m. You see, he and his family are Jehovah’s witnesses, part of a small congregation in this area. In their Bible educational work, they often conduct Bible studies very early in the morning with interested persons before the daily chores occupy all the students’ time. Even Desiderio’s eleven-year-old daughter Julia, who regularly leads the family’s sheep and llamas out to pasture, conducts four such Bible studies with some children of her own age​—thus pasturing “sheep” (or “lambs”) of another kind.

Different costumes and customs, simple ways and simple tastes​—yes, but people are people the earth around. And here you see how wholesome and happy a family can be when the elevating effect of God’s Word operates in their lives. Even little four-year-old Adrián, who usually sticks close by mamá in the kitchen, has committed to memory a number of songs from the songbook the family uses, songs with Bible themes, and he sings them for you with gusto​—with a little bit of coaxing first.

True, you can see many of the cholos on the altiplano with an impassionate, rather dull look on their faces. This may be due to the practice many have of chewing coca leaves containing the narcotic cocaine. They believe the plant has magical powers. It dulls their senses to feelings of cold or hunger. But Jehovah’s witnesses here as in all lands find comfort instead in the cheering promises of the Bible. And they find the privilege of showing love to their neighbors by Bible educational work a most stimulating and enriching feature in their lives. On foot or by bicycle they enthusiastically cover a wide area with good news about God’s righteous government, the Kingdom. This, and not just sheer altitude, is what makes their life on the altiplano truly a “high way of life.”

Front-Runners

● Some years ago in England greyhounds and cheetahs were raced together to see if cheetahs were really so fast. During the race the cheetahs jumped clean over the greyhounds’ backs to become the front-runners.

Earnestly Seeking God at Assembly Time

WITHIN a few weeks the “Divine Name” District Assembly of Jehovah’s Witnesses will begin in many cities of the northern hemisphere. Will you be at one of these? If you have attended such assemblies in the past, you already know what a rich spiritual feast they provide. If you have not, you owe it to yourself to attend and find out. The worsening of world conditions and the growth of ungodliness give strong reason for us not to miss out on such a fine opportunity to be spiritually strengthened and upbuilt.

Really, attendance at such an assembly is an expression of faith. It demonstrates that we believe not only that God is, that he lives, but also “that he becomes the rewarder of those earnestly seeking him,” which belief the apostle Paul said is essential for true faith. (Heb. 11:6) For some, perhaps, attendance at one of these assemblies may be relatively easy. There may be one right in your own city. But for many, attendance requires planning, traveling, expense, effort. Nevertheless, sincerely believing that Jehovah God is truly “the rewarder of those earnestly seeking him,” they will be there.

Some encouraging examples of this ‘earnest seeking’ of God were presented in connection with a series of assemblies held recently in the Philippine Islands. Experiences of those attending illustrate what faith will move persons to do to obtain spiritual uplift. We may well think on some of these as we consider the prospect of the coming “Divine Name” assemblies.

Faith Finds a Way

Take the matter of traveling. Up in the northern part of the mountainous island of Luzon, a group of Witnesses living at the foot of Mount Tirad hiked for an entire day just to reach a public road where they could catch a bus for another daylong journey to Baguio City, site of the assembly. On the island of Luzon, Witnesses from the Claveria-Cadcadir congregation spent thirteen hours negotiating a fifty-mile stretch, fording four bridgeless rivers. And this was just the first stage of their trip to the assembly at the city of Ilagan. Would attending one of the “Divine Name” assemblies this summer require that much effort on your part? If it did, would your faith move you to make the same effort?

Since these “Divine Name” assemblies will last five days, there is the matter of arranging your affairs to have the needed time. Vacation time may solve this problem. But what if it is not available? A mechanic in one of the Philippine Islands was faced with that situation. He requested a leave of absence from his employer but the request was turned down. What did he do? Attending the assembly meant enough to him that he resigned from his job rather than miss the program. Not only was he spiritually rewarded by what he heard, but, even before he left home for the assembly, he received a call from another company requesting that he work for them. Really, without problems to overcome, our faith would not have much opportunity to express itself, would it? And if we made no attempt to overcome problems, then, in effect, we would not be providing Jehovah God with the occasion to show what he can do on our behalf.

Perhaps you are a parent with small children. Does this raise some doubts in your mind about going to an assembly in another city? One Witness in the Philippines wanted to attend the assembly at Surigao at the northern tip of Mindanao, about seventy-five miles from her home. Her problem was that she was expecting a baby, its arrival calculated as due the week of the assembly. But she simply prepared well, taking the baby clothes and other needs with her, and made the trip over rough roads to attend. After thoroughly enjoying the assembly, she arrived home on Monday morning, and that same morning her baby boy also made his arrival. Your situation may not be this extreme​—but it illustrates what can be done.

As they regularly do, at this summer’s series of “Divine Name” assemblies Jehovah’s witnesses will try to facilitate matters for those attending by seeking out rooming accommodations at price levels within the reach of most. They will also have arrangements for supplying food at the assembly site at reasonable costs. Still, spending five days away from home does represent a certain expense. But consider this:

A few months before the Legaspi City assembly on Luzon Island, two typhoons raged through the Bicol region ruining much of the rice harvest. Though this was a blow to the economy of the Witnesses in that area, it did not keep them away from the spiritual feast of the assembly. A family in Polillo Island lost their home and farm in one of the typhoons just thirty-five days before the assembly. But they gleaned coconuts from among those thrown down by the storm, sold these and made it to the assembly. Faith does find a way, does it not?

But suppose your funds for attending an assembly this summer were only enough to cover a one-way trip? That was the case with one Philippine Witness, yet he solved the problem. How? By leaving early for the assembly and working for a while as a passenger-tricycle driver in the assembly city, thereby earning enough to cover his expenses while there and also his return trip. And he was among the happy ones baptized during that assembly.

These fine examples are typical of hundreds, yes, thousands of experiences had by Jehovah’s witnesses around the world simply because they love the truth and are willing to ‘move out on faith’ as they earnestly seek Jehovah God and trust in his ability to reward their sincere efforts. True, the experiences of our Philippine brothers and sisters reflect circumstances characteristic of their homeland and may be quite different from those you have. But Jehovah is God of all the earth and his willingness and ability to help are not limited by geography or any other factor. Be assured that whatever efforts you put forth to overcome obstacles and to enjoy the spiritual good things at the assemblies this summer will call forth the same kind of help from the One whose “Divine Name” is honored at these events.

At the Assembly

At the assembly itself, you will see many persons volunteering their help to care for needed services: installation of equipment, the preparing and serving of food, cleaning the assembly site, serving as attendants and the many other things necessary for an orderly, clean and pleasant assembly. In the Philippine Islands, the chief administrator of the Social Welfare Administration lives near a stadium where one of the recent assemblies was held. Seeing the crowds flocking’ to the assembly, some carrying brooms, dustpans and coconut husks (used for polishing floors), he said to himself: “These must be clean and hardworking people.” He was moved to offer to house a number of delegates in his home and attended the assembly program during four days.

This summer you, too, may find it possible to lend a hand in some of the work to be done. If you can, you will find it a rewarding experience.

All the traveling, the expense and the work are for one main purpose: being present for the program of the assembly and receiving full benefit therefrom. Among the 67,580 persons who attended the ten Philippine assemblies, close attention and respectful quietness, even among the children, were notable. Their ‘earnest seeking’ of God’s favor did not end with their arrival at the assembly city, but caused them to be present for the full program, fixing their earnest attention on all that was said. We do well to follow their example.

The program of the coming “Divine Name” assemblies will be faith-strengthening, vital. As Christians we need this information to prepare for what lies ahead in the final years of this fast-deteriorating old system. On the back page of this magazine, you will find the dates for the various assemblies. May your faith in God’s goodness move you to be there when the program begins on Wednesday at 1:40 p.m. and to continue in attendance each day until the program’s close on Sunday at 5:15 p.m. Honor the “Divine Name” of your Creator by your presence at one of these Christian gatherings and may Jehovah richly reward your earnest efforts.

Brooklyn Supreme Court Decides in Favor of Witnesses

THE preaching activity of Jehovah’s witnesses world wide has expanded rapidly in recent years. This has required additional facilities for printing Bibles and Bible study aids.

As part of this expansion, an apartment building located at 1 Clark Street in Brooklyn, New York, was purchased seven years ago. This was to be renovated to house additional members of the headquarters staff who work at the Watchtower Society’s printing facilities nearby.

Years were allowed for the tenants of this building to relocate. They were assisted in many ways, including free labor and trucking. In time, thirty out of the forty-two apartments in the building were vacated. Then, after the needed permits had been obtained, renovation began.

However, the city’s Department of Rent and Housing Maintenance sought a permanent injunction from Brooklyn’s Supreme Court to prevent the completing of the work. It was charged that the work constituted ‘harassment’ of the remaining tenants. This legal action was instituted in March of 1971.

During the court proceedings, the presiding judge, Justice Charles J. Beckinella, continually penetrated to the heart of the matter. When counsel for the plaintiff strayed from the issues, the judge forcefully brought him back: “Let’s get on with this case . . . you just want to waste time.” When the lawyer questioned the overseer of the construction work regarding his education, Justice Beckinella told him to desist. However, when he continued to press the point, the judge stopped him and said: “How much education did Moses have? How much education did Christ have?” He showed that the overseer’s education had no bearing on the case. Other irrelevant matters were similarly handled.

In his final decision, rendered early in May, Justice Beckinella stated: “No evidence was adduced even suggesting that in altering and renovating the building the defendants have committed any illegal act. The proof at the trial showed that all the requirements of the municipal agency having jurisdiction over such matters have been met to that agency’s satisfaction.” He also noted that, had the tenants let work continue, it would have been finished by now and any inconvenience ended. Thus, the complaint was dismissed and renovation ought to be able to proceed.

“Your Word Is Truth”

‘Happy Those Conscious of Their Spiritual Needs’

WITHOUT a doubt, among the best-known sayings of Jesus are those found in his Sermon on the Mount. Regarding them editor David Lawrence aptly observed: “We have never invented a better formula for human behavior than the Sermon on the Mount.” (U.S. News & World Report, January 4, 1971) Well has it been said that no other portion of the Bible is so highly praised and yet so little practiced.

The Sermon on the Mount begins with the nine so-called “beatitudes.” So-called? Yes, for the Greek word here rendered “Blessed” in many translations at the beginning of these nine is makaʹrios, which in a number of modern translations is rendered “happy.” (See Today’s English Version, Rotherham’s Emphasised Bible and the New World Translation.) There is another Greek word for “blessed,” namely eulogetosʹ. So these are nine “happinesses” or felicities that Jesus pronounced at the beginning of his Sermon. They are full of meaning and must be given due thought if their full import is to be appreciated.​—Matt. 5:3-12.

It is important to note that Jesus addressed these happinesses primarily to his disciples, to those who had ‘taken up their torture stake’ and were following him. (Matt. 16:24) “After he sat down his disciples came to him; and he opened his mouth and began teaching them.” However, it appears that crowds of others joined to listen in, as it were, for we read that they were impressed by what they heard.​—Matt. 5:1, 2; 7:28, 29.

The first of these happinesses literally reads: “Happy the poor ones (as) to the spirit.” The Greek word for “poor ones” here used is very meaningful. In the Greek there are two words for “poor.” One is penikhrosʹ. It refers to those who are not rich but have to toil for a living. The other word is ptokhosʹ. It refers, to one who is wretchedly poor, destitute, a beggar. This is the word used in Jesus’ first happiness. Such a one is keenly aware of his poverty. Thus a footnote of the New World Translation (1950, 1963 editions) reads, “those who are beggars for the spirit.” Today’s English Version reads: “Happy are those who know they are spiritually poor.” Most fittingly, therefore, the New World Translation renders Jesus’ words: “Happy are those conscious of their spiritual need.”

What did Jesus mean by saying that these were happy? The Greek word here, makaʹrios, does not mean simply being lighthearted, gay, as when one is having fun. Rather it has the thought of great well-being, for both God and Jesus Christ are spoken of as being “happy.”​—1 Tim. 1:11; 6:15.

Those spoken of by Jesus as happy might be said to be happy in three ways or respects. They are enjoying a measure of happiness now. They are also happy in that they have a happy outlook, a happy hope. And eventually they will realize the supreme and complete happiness.

How does one show that he is a ‘beggar for the spirit,’ that he is ‘conscious of his spiritual need,’ and why can he be said to be happy by reason thereof? There are a number of ways. One is by showing a constant dependence upon Jehovah God, even as Jesus admonished: “Keep on asking, and it will be given you; keep on seeking, and you will find; keep on knocking,’ and it will be opened to you.” Among the things that such ones will ask for is God’s holy spirit. Jesus said that his heavenly Father was more willing to give his holy spirit to those asking Him than earthly parents were to give good gifts to their children. Certainly those receiving the holy spirit can be pronounced happy even now.​—Matt. 7:7; Luke 11:13.

A person who is a ‘beggar for the spirit’ is not materialistic, for the materialist is conscious only of his material needs and desires. Rather, the kind of person to whom Jesus referred recognizes that ‘man does not live by bread alone but by every word proceeding from God’s mouth.’ (Matt. 4:4) So he buys out time from other things, such as recreation, to study God’s Word. The knowledge, faith and hope he gains from his study of God’s Word make him truly happy. He feels like Jeremiah, who said: “Your words were found, and I proceeded to eat them; and your word becomes to me the exultation and the rejoicing of my heart.” (Jer. 15:16) He also shows that he is conscious of his spiritual need by associating with fellow Christians at congregation meetings so that he might be encouraged and in turn encourage others, as well as share in inciting others to love and fine works, all of which makes for happiness.​—Heb. 10:23-25.

Then again, the person conscious of his spiritual need is keenly aware of his sins and shortcomings. He has a tender conscience. He appreciates that Jesus died for ‘the sin of the world,’ and so he exercises faith in that ransom provision and prays to God to forgive him on the basis of Christ’s sacrifice. (John 1:29; Matt. 20:28; 1 John 1:9) His is therefore the happiness of him of whom the psalmist David wrote: “Happy is the one whose revolt is pardoned, whose sin is covered.”​—Ps. 32:1.

Furthermore, he who is conscious of his spiritual need feels also a strong urge or need to share with others the good things of the spirit that he has learned. He therefore looks for opportunities to do this and buys out time from his secular activities to this end. Bringing comforting good news to others is certain to increase his happiness, for “there is more happiness in giving than there is in receiving.”​—Acts 20:35; Eph. 5:15, 16.

It is with this understanding or Jesus’ words at Matthew 5:3 that we must view Luke’s version of Jesus’ words at Luke 6:20: “Happy are you poor, because yours is the kingdom of God.” Obviously, the ‘poorness’ is an awareness of spiritual need. Apparently Luke condensed the wording of this happiness itself even as he condensed their number, listing only four of the nine.​—Luke 6:20-23.

Because Jesus was primarily addressing his footstep followers he could say of them: “The kingdom of the heavens belongs to them.” It is to these that Jesus further said: “I am going [to my Father] to prepare a place for you . . . that where I am you also may be.” Having such an outlook or hope is indeed another reason for these to be happy. And when they realize this hope they will be supremely and completely happy. Other scriptures show that their number is limited to 144,000.​—John 14:2, 3; Rev. 14:1, 3.

Is the happiness Jesus spoke of limited to this small number? No, indeed, for its principle applies to countless others. Today there is a “great crowd” of “other sheep” who also are conscious of their spiritual need and who enjoy the happiness that this brings. (Rev. 7:9; John 10:16) These also have a hope, a prospect, that gives them happiness now, that of inhabiting the earthly realm of God’s kingdom. When they do, their happiness too will be complete.​—Matt. 25:34.

Watching the World

Locust Invasion

◆ The worst attack of locusts in the history of South Africa has stripped two of the country’s four provinces. The insects mutilated crops and other green vegetation in their path. They brought several trains to a standstill by causing the wheels to spin on rails made slippery by masses of crushed locusts. The swarms of insects were in patches over about 100,000 square miles.

Crowded India

◆ During the past ten years India’s population has grown by 24.6 percent. This is an increase of nearly 108 million persons, bringing the total population to a crowded 547 million.

New Layer of Matter

◆ Physicists believe they have evidence indicating that the neutron and proton in the nucleus of the atom are not the end of the line in atomic structure. At one time it was thought that the atom was the smallest particle of matter, but then it was found that the atom was made up of smaller particles a nucleus and surrounding electrons. Then the nucleus was discovered to be made up of still smaller particles, and now these particles​—the neutron and proton—​appear to contain even further smaller particles called quarks. The energy concealed in them is thought to be of awesome proportions. Dr. Victor Weisskopf observed: “We are faced with a realm of entirely new phenomena.”

Flying by Magnetic Cues?

◆ In an experiment with homing pigeons an ornithologist at Cornell University believes he has evidence that birds may use magnetic cues as an aid in navigating their flights. He based his conclusion on observations made of the pigeons when released on an overcast day when they did not have the sun as a reference point. Some of the pigeons had a small magnetic bar fastened to their backs and others a small nonmagnetic bar. When released, the birds with the nonmagnetic bar flew directly homeward, but those with the magnetic bar were disoriented. However, there is still uncertainty as to precisely how birds navigate, as other views may differ.

Runaways Made Prostitutes

◆ New York police uncovered a ring that preyed upon runaway girls, making prostitutes out of them. The Bronx District Attorney said: “The indication is that runaway girls are fair game for people who would make a racket from it.” Four girls were specifically mentioned as having been sold by their “boyfriends” to agents of the ring for $130 apiece. They were transported to an apartment where they were tortured, beaten and repeatedly raped to make them prostitutes. The ages of the girls ranged from fifteen to twenty.

Young Criminals

◆ The rate of crime among young people in the United States is rising almost four times as fast as the youth population. According to an official in the Justice Department, half of the serious crimes in the country are committed by youths.

Amazing Quasars

◆ The discovery of quasars in the 1960’s has proved to be one of the most astonishing discoveries in astronomy in our century. Quasars are objects that resemble distant stars but are billions of times brighter. They also appear to be billions of light-years away. What mystifies astronomers is that their brightness is out of proportion to their distance. Reporting on it, the New York Times remarked that they are “powered by energy sources that have challenged the ingenuity of theorists.”

Faster than Light?

◆ The speed at which light travels has long been regarded as the fastest that anything can go. All the objects in the universe that man has observed up until now have been within this speed limit. But just recently astronomers were shocked to observe by radio telescopes what they believe to have been two components of a quasar flying apart at ten times the speed of light. This was detected by three independent teams of astronomers, and they have no plausible explanation. Further examination of the evidence is necessary to make certain that the observation was not the result of an illusion.

Grooved Highways

◆ Enthusiasm over road grooving has been growing as more and more states try it. By cutting rows of shallow, lengthwise grooves into the concrete on highway curves, automobile accidents have been dramatically reduced. Where this has been done on hazardous, high-skid areas in Los Angeles and San Francisco, wet-weather accidents have been reduced 90 percent. In Milwaukee the decrease in accidents was 70 percent.

Homosexual Marriages

◆ Ignoring the divine condemnation of homosexuality in the Bible, some churches are performing homosexual weddings. In a Methodist church in San Francisco a marriage ceremony was performed in March for two male homosexuals who exchanged rings. Across the country, in New York city, another homosexual marriage was performed in April for two women. It was held in a homosexual church and was conducted by a homosexual clergyman.

Homosexual Priests

◆ According to the Sunday Times from Perth, Australia, homosexual priests in the Netherlands are demanding “the right to carry on their relationships openly and without the condemnation of the church.” The spokesman for the group said: “I do not hide the fact that I am a homosexual. I am still a priest. . . . There has never been any attempt to excommunicate me. The church tolerates me because it knows there are many priests in the same situation.” It tolerates homosexual priests but excommunicates priests who choose the Scriptural course of marriage.

Married Priest Excommunicated

◆ Much to the surprise of the congregation of a large Roman Catholic church in Pacifica, California, it was recently revealed that their priest had been a married man for nearly seven years. He is the father of a five-year-old son. Archbishop Joseph T. McGucken said: “By the law of the church his action involved automatic excommunication.” The congregation is not happy about the priest’s expulsion. The Bible foretold that there would be people today who would be “forbidding to marry” and it says that this would be evidence of their having fallen away from true Christian faith. Read it for yourself at 1 Timothy 4:1-3.

‘Clergy Have Sold Us Out’

◆ In a speech delivered to clergymen and laymen an official of the University of Denver, Dean Edward A. Lindell, observed: “It’s my particular point of view right now that the church has dramatically, drastically, and I think sometimes, thoughtlessly abandoned the basic precepts that gave it the vitality for life it once had. Consequently it has lost its central motive force in our society. And I’ve said this before and I’ll continue to say it, I believe that the clergy of the church in many instances have sold us out. . . . The people the church needs to fear today are the theologians. The places to be feared by churches today are the seminaries. This is where the Gospel is being distorted. . . . This nonsense that there is really no evil, that nothing is really wrong is in the process of destroying our society.”

Pseudo Christians

◆ According to the Ghana newspaper Weekly Spectator, there are more professed Christians than outright pagans who are going to jail in Ghana. It said: “While some said it is a shame to Christendom, others expressed the view that the churches will have to do more to inculcate in their members the need to abstain from crime.” It went on to point out that 18,775 professed Christians were convicted for various offenses during the past three years, which is “9,862 more than the number of convicted pagans during the same period.” In other countries throughout the world professed Christians fill the prisons. However, true Christians are not lawbreakers but follow the Scriptural counsel: “It is better to suffer because you are doing good, if the will of God wishes it, than because you are doing evil.”​—1 Pet. 3:17.

Church of Scotland in Business

◆ According to the Scottish Daily Express of March 27, 1971, the “Church of Scotland is big business​—a £100 million plus concern.” Referring to the church as “the Kirk,” the paper went on to say: “The Kirk owns property all over Scotland with a conservative valuation of £100 million. The Kirk is Scotland’s biggest landlord apart from the State​—an activity that reaps in £400,000 a year. The Kirk runs an investment trust with funds exceeding £10 million, and total investments of £14 million. The Kirk’s congregations alone produce an annual income in excess of £7 million, and with investments the total income is over £10 million a year. Administration costs little over £250,000. It all sounds very healthy, so healthy that one wonders why appeals for more cash never stop ringing in the ears of the people in the pews.”

Unfortunate Orphans

◆ Italian authorities have uncovered a frightful situation in Italian children’s homes operated by religious and lay institutions. A magistrate has closed two homes and arrested a priest and a seminarian. Police are investigating 286 such homes in Rome. Children have been found suffering from malnutrition, tied naked to their beds and being sexually molested by supervisors. Unruly children were locked in rat-infested cellars. In some instances bed sheets were changed only once every two months. There was also evidence of children being tortured. The reason why a home was not closed when local authorities heard about the children being tortured was, as pointed out by the Guardian Weekly, due to “the benevolent protection of a local prelate” or because no place could be found for the children.

Vertical Birth

◆ Contrary to the customary procedure of having a woman give birth to a baby while lying in bed, Dr. Tucho Perrusi, an Argentine biologist advocates vertical delivery. He thinks that birth is made to be unnatural and extra painful when a woman is made to give birth while lying on her back. He contends that the instinctive position is vertical, and so he has designed a delivery chair that is now used popularly in Argentina. In centuries past a delivery chair was a common piece of furniture in a home. There are several advantages of vertical delivery, he contends. Gravity helps by preventing the baby from slipping back between contractions, which is common in horizontal delivery.

“Hooked” Soldiers

◆ Among American veterans of the Vietnam war drug addiction is proving to be far more widespread than had been anticipated. According to officials of the Veterans Administration, the problem is comparable to that of venereal disease and alcoholism among veterans of World War II. An estimated 10 percent of the returning Vietnam veterans have a major dependency on drugs.

Operating Without Blood

◆ In the March 29, 1971, issue of JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association, it was observed that in thirteen patients who had sustained major blood loss Ringer’s solution was given in place of blood transfusion. The results were good. In conclusion the article said: “It may be estimated that the number of transfused units of blood could be reduced by 50% if physicians would use crystalloid solutions for fluid resuscitation in place of the initial 1 or 2 units of blood employed for volume expansion. . . . The fact that crystalloid solution alone, in the absence of artificial colloid solution, was able to be employed successfully in high-trauma surgery of adults with blood loss up to 1,200 ml is offered as support and encouragement for this practice.”

Get the Most from Your Bible Reading

Are you getting the most from your Bible reading? Are you getting understanding? The New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures makes Bible reading a joy and a lasting benefit. Its understandable language aids you to apply the Bible’s sound counsel to the problems of modern life. Strengthen your grip on life. Read God’s Word the Holy Bible daily. Send for the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures. It is available in English, Italian, Dutch, Portuguese and Spanish. You can have it for $1.

Please send me the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures, for which I am enclosing $1. If other than English, please specify here [‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐]. For ordering this Bible I am entitled to receive free the booklet The Approaching Peace of a Thousand Years.

You Are Invited​—To Attend the “Divine Name” District Assembly of Jehovah’s Witnesses

Do not miss this grand faith-strengthening five-day program.

Here is just a sample of its delightful features:

✔ Practical information from the Holy Bible on how to cope with the problems of life.

✔ Two fascinating Bible dramas.

✔ Material to help you to get a clear understanding of the drug problem and how to view it.

✔ Excellent information on the training of children. Parents who wish help in opening the lines of communication between themselves and their children will be benefited immensely.

✔ A marvelous program on use of the Bible itself, how to read and understand it and apply it in your life.

Do not miss one session of the five-day “Divine Name” District Assembly. Mark the dates on your calendar and plan now to be present. The dates and locations are listed below:

UNITED STATES

JUNE 30–JULY 4: Cincinnati, Ohio, River Front Stadium, 201 E. 2nd St. Jersey City, N.J., Roosevelt Stadium, Danforth Ave. & Rte. 440. New York, N.Y., Yankee Stadium, 157th St. & River Ave.

JULY 7-11: Flint, Mich., I.M.A. Auditorium, 901 E. 2nd Ave. Greensboro, N.C., Greensboro Coliseum, 1921 W. Lee St. Jackson, Mich., Fairgrounds Grandstand, 200 W. Ganson St. Jersey City, N.J. (Spanish and French), Roosevelt Stadium, Danforth Ave. & Rte. 440. Lansing, Mich., Civic Center, 505 W. Allegan St. Lincoln, Neb., Pershing Auditorium, 15th & M Sts. Port Huron, Mich., McMorran Memorial Auditorium, 701 McMorran Blvd. Sioux Falls, S. Dak., Sioux Falls Arena, 1201 N. West Ave.

JULY 14-18: Albuquerque, N. Mex., Tingley Coliseum, New Mexico State Fairgrounds, 6715 Central Ave. NE. Anchorage, Alaska, Anchorage West High School, Romig Auditorium, 1700 Hillcrest Dr. Fort Worth, Tex. (Spanish also), Will Rogers Memorial Center, 1 Amon Carter Sq. Los Angeles, Calif., Dodger Stadium, 1000 Elysian Park Ave. Memphis, Tenn., Mid-South Coliseum, Mid-South Fairgrounds. Milwaukee, Wis., County stadium, 201 N. 46th St. Philadelphia, Pa., Veterans Stadium, S. Broad & Pattison Ave. Portland, Ore., Portland Civic Stadium, SW. 18th & Morrison. Pueblo, Colo., Fairgrounds Grandstand, Colorado State Fairgrounds, Beulah & Summit Aves. San Antonio, Tex., San Antonio Convention Center, S. Alamo & Market Sts. San Francisco, Calif., Kezar Stadium, Golden Gate Park, Frederick & Stanyan Sts.

JULY 21-25: Chicago, Ill. (Spanish only), Jehovah’s Witnesses Assembly Hall, 7859 S. Ashland Ave. Corpus Christi, Tex. (Spanish only), Memorial Coliseum, 402 W. Shoreline. Pomona, Calif. (Spanish only), Fairgrounds Grandstand, Los Angeles County Fairgrounds, Cor. White & McKinley. Shreveport, La., Hirsch Memorial Coliseum, State Fairgrounds. Wailuku, Maui, Hawaii, Baldwin High School Auditorium.

JULY 28-AUGUST 1: Atlanta, Ga. (Spanish also), Atlanta Stadium, 521 Capitol Ave. SW. Buffalo, N.Y., War Memorial Stadium, Cor. Best St. & Jefferson Ave. Greenville, S.C., Greenville Memorial Auditorium, 300 E. North St. Spokane, Wash., Spokane Coliseum, 1101 N. Howard St. Tulsa, Okla., Tulsa Assembly Center, 100 Civic Center.

AUGUST 4-8: Lihue, Kauai, Hawaii, Kauai War Memorial Convention Hall.

AUGUST 18-22: Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii, Kalani High School Auditorium, 4860 Kalanianaole Hwy.

BRITISH ISLES

JULY 7-11: Sunderland, Roker Park.

JULY 21-25: Dublin, Irish Republic, Top Hat Ballroom, Dun Laoghaire, County Dublin. Manchester, Manchester City Football Ground, Maine Rd.

AUGUST 4-8: London, Rugby Union Ground, Twickenham.

CANADA

JULY 7-11: Vancouver, B.C., Pacific Coliseum, Exhibition Park.

JULY 14-18: Halifax, N.S., Halifax Forum, 2901 Windsor St. Montreal, Que. (French also), Blue Bonnets Raceway, 7440 boul. Decarie. Winnipeg, Man., Winnipeg Arena, 1430 Maroons Rd.

JULY 21-25: Victoria, B.C., Memorial Arena, 1925 Blanshard St.

JULY 28-AUGUST 1: London, Ont., Grandstand, Western Fairgrounds, Queen’s Park. Saskatoon, Sask., Exhibition Grandstand, Exhibition Grounds. Toronto, Ont. (Italian only), George Bell Arena, 215 Ryding Ave.

AUGUST 4-8: Sudbury, Ont., Sudbury Arena, 230 Elgin St. S.

AUGUST 11-15: Calgary, Alta., Stampede Corral, Exhibition Grounds, 17th Ave. & 2nd St. S.E.

AUGUST 18-22: St. John’s, Nfld., Feildian Gardens, Pennywell Rd.