THE SPIRITUAL FACTOR

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 42, 13 November 1917, Page 4

THE SPIRITUAL FACTOR

The suggestion of His Majesty the King that the first Sunday in the New Year should be observed throughout the British Empire as a special day of prayer will no doubt find _ ready acceptanco throughout this Dominion. It is a striking fact that the three men who occupy the positions of supremo responsibility in tho British Empiro at the present fateful juncture in its history are mon who place tho highest value on the things of tho spirit. As all the world knows, Mr. Lloyd George, the British Primo Minister, has for many years been an ardent .and trusted leader of tho Wolsh Nonconformists. He can speak the language of religion as well as the languago of politics. Admiral Beatty, tho Commander-in-Chief of the British Fleet, is also a man of strong religious convictions. His stirring declaration of belief (made during the _ early stages of tne war) that a revival of religion would very materially assist the Empire in tho successful performance of the tremendous task it has undertaken leavcs_ 110 room for. doubt regarding his viows as to the fundamental importance of the spiritual factor in warfare. The Commander-in-Chief of the British Army (Sir Dqdglas Haig) is a member of tho Presbyterian Church, and few men make fuller use of

their opportunities of taking part in public worship either at homo or o-t tha.frant, Much .tho. same might

be said of Sir William Robertson, the late Lone Kitchener, and the late Lord Roberts. All these men have rccogniscd that the winning of tho war depends almost as largely upon tho religious and moral qualities of tho men and women who remain at home as upon tho courage, endurance, and resourcefulness of tho soldiers in the tranches. The position at present is one to test tho stoutness of heart of tho nation. As Mr. Bonar Law says, it is now a question of nerve and stayingpower. All the belligerents are staggering beneath the load, and the question ig : Who is going to fall 1 Tho moral stability of tho nation is being tested moro severely than it has ever been tested before. At a time like this it is impossible to over-estimate tho survival value of a firm belief that Justice sits on the throne of the universe, and that in the long run rightmust triumph over wrong. It is this faith in the supremacy of the moral law and tho reality of moral values tliafc load men and women to make groat sacrifices for what they believe to bo a groat causc.

Tho turn which evonts have recently taken in Russia and Italy has sent a wave of disappointment throughout the Empire. We cannot help feeling that if Russia had not collapsed tho end of tho war would now bo well in sight. We now realise that a long and bitter struggle i» still in front of us and that wo must be proparod to make moro sacrifices—and still moro. Wo are disappointed, but we aro not downhearted. The speeches of His Excellency the Governor-General and tho Prime Minister at the Roseneath School memorial ceremony on Saturday last admirably expressed tho attitude of mind of tho people of this Dominion as well as serving to brace and stimulate those who may_ be inclined to take too narrow a view of passing events. The history of our race, as they pointed out, g_ives_ no justification for want of faith in our ability to bring this war to a good end, however far off that end may seem to be. As the Kino's message tells us, the war is now entering on its last and most difficult phase. Our spiritual- as well as our materia 1 forccs and resources are being tested to the uttormost. But we have reason to be confident that they can stand tho strain. Tho object of the proposed day of prayer.is to give the Empire a fresh inspiration—an opportunity of renewing its moral power. If we believe that wo live in a rational world—in a spiritual world; and if wo hold that bracing and stimulating conviction that what we do and say. and think must help or hinder the progress of the world to tho greatest good possible of attainment, then wo should have no difficulty in entering whole-heartedly into tho spirit of His Majesty's appeal for tho observance of January 6, 1918, as a day of prayer—of thanksgiving, too—and no part of the British Empire has greater reason for thankfulness at the present moment than this Dominion of Now Zealand.