Newspapers Gladly Publish Views on the Eastern Question
By Walter L. Burgan
THE war in Europe has furnished a basis for many interesting articles in the newspapers from a prophetic standpoint in various parts of the United States and other countries. It is encouraging to learn that quite a large number of our ministers and evangelists have taken advantage of this unusual opportunity to tell the world through the newspapers the meaning of this conflict as outlined in the Bible. Clippings of extracts of sermons on the Eastern Question, aggregating perhaps one hundred columns in a large city daily, have already been received from different cities and towns, where our workers have received very courteous treatment at the hands of their home editors. Large and striking headlines have displayed the majority of these reports, indicating that the editors attached more than ordinary importance to them.16 Many of these reports have been the means of arousing further inquiry in the minds of those seeking to learn what next is going to take place in the earth. Some of the reports have been given the leading column on the front page, while others have had two-column headings, and a position in the paper that would attract attention. Many encouraging letters have been received from workers who are appreciating more each day the importance of using the secular press to herald the message of the soon-coming Saviour. There never has been a more opportune time to give the message through the newspapers than now, when men are agitated and perplexed over the conditions in the earth. Since Turkey entered the struggle, our brethren have done considerable in the way of having our views published. The fact that Seventh-day Adventists have for many years been predicting the downfall of the Ottoman power, gives our workers increased prestige when they make this fact known in their articles; and not only do the editors gladly publish such contributions, but quite a number of our ministers have been requested to furnish their home papers with articles on this subject. Others, who have not yet written for their home papers on the Eastern Question, ought not to find it difficult to have such a contribution printed; and the printing of these reports should be the entering wedge for the publication of numerous other articles on the various doctrines our denomination holds. In British Columbia the brethren are using the newspapers to good advantage. One of the workers in Vancouver writes as follows: “I have been looking over your second batch of ‘war sermons,’ and am delighted with the general tone of them and the information they contain. May your good work continue. During the past eighteen months I suppose we have had fifty columns of reading matter in the Vancouver papers. A large proportion has been on the signs of the times in general, but nearly every phase of our message has been touched upon in sermons, general articles, in the forum departments (in the form of letters), and in a local way as news matter, the aim being in everything used to have the name ‘Seventh-day Adventist’ to appear somewhere in the article. The value of this line of work cannot be overestimated. Our ministers used to preach about the marvelous advancement made in transportation and methods of rapid communication, but in many instances the rapid strides in the printing industry and the power of the press were overlooked. Now the press work is being developed in a most gratifying way.” A brother in one of the large cities in Massachusetts is meeting with excellent success in getting articles published. He says he is having long accounts in the leading daily of the city, which circulates in all the surrounding towns as well. Then he adds these encouraging words: “The editor now will publish articles on almost any subject I preach upon. Many tell us they have read my sermon extracts in the paper, and have been set to thinking about the truth. Scores this summer were drawn to our tent simply through reading the paper. I feel sure the influence of our tent effort, which was much more evident this past summer than the previous season, was due to the increased patronage of the press.” Now that active efforts are being held in halls, it is hoped that the brethren will appreciate the fact that the papers are just as ready to publish extracts of their sermons as when the tent meetings were being held, and will do all they can to advance the truth while this golden opportunity remains with us.