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Show The Missionary Herald VOLUME CXII JANUARY 1916 NUMBER 1 WE voice again the customary New Year wishes, but with a catch in our throats. How can it be "a New^ear' naPPV new year " in a world so desolated and defiled? It seems almost monstrous to talk of being happy when so many of our fellowmen are caught, more or less, in the far-spread misery of this war. As we look back over 1915 and on to this unrevealed 1916, we cannot be light-hearted. But if we can be happy only superficially, or while we are looking on our own things, we can cherish a deeper and more sustaining joy as we recognize that with all its woes and its wickedness this is also one of the years of our Lord; that he is not defeated or discouraged; that in even more desperate situation he could calmly say, "Be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." Certainly, to those whose eyes are upon the missionary enterprise, who see the unmistakable signs of Christ's coming in many lands, who note the quickening steps of his advance, who marvel at the way barriers go down before him, and the weak and the base and the despised things of the world bring to naught the things that are, it is possible to look out upon this untried year of 1916 with heart of hope and with wonder what new tokens of his its days are to witness. One word more-a sobering word. The calendar year and the church year do not correspond. It is the beginning of the calendar year, but the year of church activities is almost half over. It starts in September, it slackens in May. Has your church accomplished one-half what was planned for this current year ? It is a time to gird ourselves for the unaccomplished tasks. If they be achieved, it will be in some real sense a happy year. WORD comes now more rarely and more irregularly from our Turkey fields. And what is written Turkey86'" iS V e l l e d I n lanSUage a n d only hinted in thought. It appears that the Turkish government is keeping the screws on, perhaps tightening them a bit; that it has an eye on American schools and their premises; that it would like to rid the land of the inconvenient Americans; that every success of Turkish arms or of those of Germany and Austria makes more arrogant the behavior of officials and more uncomfortable the situation of the missionaries. In the midst of the uncertainties and threatenings, our missionary force at the several stations holds bravely to its task, safeguarding the property, conducting schools of lower and higher grade wherever possible, and dispensing relief funds received from America. In addition to those sent by the American Committee for Armenian and Syrian Relief, the Treasurer of the American Board is constantly receiving and forwarding to Treasurer Peet, at Constantinople, such funds from generous friends in our constituency. NOT all the Turks, nor even all those in high place, approve of the way Turkish Critics t h i n S S a r e g°in£ i n * at of Turkish empire. The Near East Affairs reports Ahmed Riza Bey, first president of the Chamber of Deputies and now a senator, as submitting an interpellation to the senate containing some pointed questions and declaring: "I accuse the government of the Armenian massacres and of the |
