CORRESPONDENCE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 1488, 21 December 1915, Page 3

CORRESPONDENCE.

THE WAR,

(To the Editor.) Sir, — I should like to draw attention to what I am convinced is the supreme duty of these sad days. Day after day we scan our newspapers to find signs of coming victory for the Allies, and each day we turn away with a sigh and say, “To-morrow perhaps.” Sir, I believe victory cannot come until the people desiring it have gone on their knees before God in humble confession of sin. I believe victory lies in our hands. When we, as nations truly turn to God, so soon will the tide of battle turn. I cannot but believe that this awful war is chastisement of unfaithful nations. The hands of the Allies are not clean from past sin. England, the greatest Christian nation on earth, cannot forget her iniquitous opium traffic, whereby she enriched herself at the expense of the souls and bodies oi those committed to her care. She cannot forget her callous indifference to the piteous appeal for help in past days, from the persecuted Christians in the Balkan regions. Is it a concidence that this war ostensibly started in those very regions? France cannot forget her ruthless persecution of the Christian Church, her treatment of Christian schools, her birth rate. Belgium —we weep for the atrocities done by her on the Congo, Russia, great and devout nation, we cannot forget her horrible persecution ot God’s own chosen people. “ Touch not mine anointed,” yet, she has touched, and she as others, must pay the penalty. Now, until the nations repent of these, and many other sins, it is vain to look for victory. And what ot New Zealand, “ God’s own Cotfntry ?” We must not forget the contemptuous, almost insolent disregard of God, His Church, and ordinances that characterises vast numbers ot people. We' cannot forget her inordinate love of pleasure. Our sons are dying on the battlefield, mothers are weeping, wives are desolate, but the racing and gambling goes'merrily on. Judges still comment on the frequency of horrible crimes against purity. The public houses still pursue their devilish trade, we have rejected the word ot God from our schools —equivalent to saying “depart out of our coasts,” and many of our churches are half empty. Repentance, this way lies victory. —I am, etc.’ War.