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Show THE BULLETIN MORAL RE-ARMAM- 3 ENT ADVENTURERS' CLUB The Neivest Force at Work in the World Is Based on the Oldest Rule of Living g HEADLINES FROM THE LIVES OF PEOPLE LIKE YOUKSELFI "A Lightning Shave' By Frank Parker Stockbridge HELLO (Kclfaied by Wtiiera Ntwspaptr Union.) an with banners to war, a comCEpanyarmy of men and women from every part of the nation and of the world has lately been moving across the length and breadth of the United States. Their banner bears a strange device, four straight lines tapering upward toward infinity, crossed with the letters "MRA." That striking symbol stands for "Moral I first encountered the new ban- ner last spring in Washington, and later at a great meeting in Constitution hall. Senators, representatives and high officials of the federal government sat on the platform and in the audience and listened while Americans, Englishmen, Irish, Scots, Finns, A Call to the Nations for Moral Bowl. Calif., July 19, 1939. The four Danes, Swedes, Norwegians, beams of light behind the platform signify the four Hollywood of MRA Honesty.Unselfishness, Purity, standards Netherlanders, French, Australitiove. an, Canadian, Japanese, Chinese, Burmese, Swiss, Indian, Egyp- perience to be suspicious of any trained, worker ready to Jukes, president of the Vancou tian and South African men and thing new which he does not un- teach himwilling or her how to seek and ver Stock exchange: Gen. C R. women told what MRA meant to derstand, especially in a racket-minde- obtain the Divine guidance to P. Winser of Great Britain, whose them personally and to their age, to look for the con- bring about the change. There is record in the Boer and World countries. cealed motives behind all human nothing new about this. It is wars is well known; Ruth St I met this army in action In actions. merely a return to the fundamenDenis, the celebrated dancer: Madison Square Garden in New tal principles of Christianity and Mildred Powell, city councillor of Buchman the Dynamo. York under the same banner. I Seattle; Rev. Samuel M. Shoe I finally caught the eye the ways of the first apostles. saw the flags of every nation pa- of When And that, I learned, is the foun- maker, rector of Calvary church. vigorous-appearithe alert, raded by the youth of those na- man who had acted as master of dation of MRA. New York: Wilber B. Huston. tions, young men and women ceremonies, though he let others It is not a new creed or a new whom many will remember as dressed in their national cos- do most of the he greet religion. No one "joins" any- having won the first Edison prize tumes, singing their stirring call ed me as an old talking, ("Bunny") acquaintance. He thing. It is not an organization scholarship; H. W.British to human brotherhood, "Bridge was Davis Austin, Dr. Frank N. D. Buchman, but a fellowship of Builders." Two special trains had founder of the Oxford Marion and not to is effort Claycup an It player; people. the Group, brought Canadians to New York dynamo of Moral take people away from their ton, motion picture actress. to take part. How It Began. relations, but rather to "I want to learn more about church After the Canadians had MRA has all come about because and try to write the 'in put more people into the churches It marched out of the hall and the side story1 of and to help those now in the Frank Buchman, a Pennsylvani-an- , it," I told him. audience had begun to disperse I churches to live in their daily met some men in Oxford uninext to "Our the Pa lives the jump is tried to get up to the platform, teachings of the church. versity in 1921, and was able to cific "Come he coast replied. I met Catholics, Protestants of show them the wajr to put their seeking more information about out and join us there." A thousand others, it MRA. every denomination, Jews, even lives under God's guidance. Some So, as soon as I could arrange some Buddhists and Mohammeseemed, had the same idea at the of them went out from Oxford to same time. All around pie men it, I hopped a 'plane at New dans as well as many with no the message of this new York one landed in and evening and women were asking eager church affiliation, among the carry of life to young men in way San Francisco the next morning. hundreds of active workers and South Africa. . questions of the hundred or more in turn, sent who had taken a leading part in I traveled up and down the Pa the thousands associated in the some of their They, to other number cific coast for a month with the fellowship. the evening's ceremonies. countries. The snow movement MRA International Team of "How many people are there balled. Leaders of nations What Is MRA? many sat in inner coun their workers, who have the MRA way saw in it the solution of national "You've got something that I cils, learned their inmost secrets. of life?" Iaccepted asked Dr. Buchman. problems, joined and encouraged haven't got," I heard on every which turned out to be no secrets "We have no record," he re- it I have seen thousands of let side. "What is it? I want to at all, and mingled with the thou "but the number is in the ters, telegrams and cables from plied, know more about it Where can sands of Westerners who flocked We work in 60 nations, national leaders and heads of I get more information about to the dozens of public meetings. millions. and in each country they know governments acclaiming MRA as MRA?" large and small, and came that the number is growing." the greatest force for good their All they had heard from the around afterwards to seek more "Are there many backsliders? nations had ever known. platform had been a very simple light, to find guidance to enable Do they all stick?" President Roosevelt Herbert message indeed. Only that if them to live the happy, un worOne of the other workers an- Hoover, almost every governor, everybody lived honestly, decent- ried lives which those who flew swered. "There were twelve dis- scores of senators, hundreds of ly, unselfishly and lovingly there the MRA banner enjoyed. ciples and one went wrong. That's representatives in congress, thouwould be an end to the world s The Hollywood Bowl holds 30, 8 ft per cent We have not heard sands of other Americans in pubtroubles. Most of them had heard 000 people. Forty thousand clam of a than lic life have joined in endorsehigher .percentage that simple program of living ored for admission at the first that." ment of the efforts of MRA to from their youth up. It had been MRA meeting in California. The No Racial Distinctions. bring back into American life preached at them from pulpits. San Francisco World's fair on the spiritual values and outlook I flew from San Francisco to taught them in Sunday school and Treasure Island set apart two upon which our nation was at home. But here they had days in August for special MRA Hollywood with Takasumi Mitsui, founded. On Frank Buchman'a heard it in a way that made it gatherings. Monterey, Pasadena, brother of the head of Japan's sixtieth birthday 45 members of leading industrial family. He told the British sound not only true but possible parliament gave him me that not only himself but They had not been preached at. testimonial dinner, in apprecimany other influential Japanese aation but had heard a score and more of what MRA under his were living the new life of MRA. of men and women, upstanding, had done for the leadership I met a considerable number of clear -- eyed folk, some young. men and who Chinese, some with graying hair, tell sun' women, Frank Buchman is still the acare giving their whole time to ply, briefly and convincingly how leader of the move knowledged the teachof the promulgation they, each individual, had learned ment which he started, though of MRA to live by the ancient, accepted ings among their peohas dozens of able lieutenants ple. Titled men and women from he code in which everybody believes a dozen European nations were ready to take over. He has no for the other fellow but an appallHe draws no salary, nor working side by side in the In- title. ing few adhere to for themselves, does else working with anybody ternational level on terms Team, But here were people of every him; a bachelor, he has not had with slum dockyard laborers, land, intelligent people, many of dwellers from East London, manu a home, an office or even a desk them leaders in their respective al workers from Scandinavia, of his own for 15 years. He lives spheres, giving tangible evidence school teachers from Burma, and in suitcases, mobilized like hunof the fact that their lives had dreds of others in the MRA people from all walks of life in been changed by acceptance of MRA there are no "teams," ready to jump to the America. In the principles of MRA. There of the earth at a moment's racial, class, social or national ends was nothing sanctimonious in notice. distinctions. stone Its foundation their manner, no cant, no rant is belief in the Brotherhood of Source of Income. ing; just straightforward recitals Man under the of Fatherhood Where does the money come of personal relationships re God. from? Many have asked if there of adjusted, quarrels and dis I rode back from Hollywood to is not an "angel" somewhere in trust between employers and San Francisco with Bill Rowell the background, putting up funds. workers changed to mutual conn and Tod Sloan, some of the I was convinced before I came fidence and respect, of racial inDR. FRANK N. D. BUCHMAN who had been sent over back from California that there tolerances and hatreds laid to by the sacrificial giving of their is no such angel, no pool of funds rest, of class antipathies vanish- a dozen smaller cities in the Gold- labor friends. Bill told me how to be into at will. When ing, when the speakers had en State turned out thousands to the Hon. Miles Phillimore, young the calldipped to service comes, those learned to be absolutely honest hear the message. MRA was son of a British peer, had come who have share with those who in all their human relations, to front-pag- e news in the daily pa to his because Bill was have not Nobody active in the discover and admit their own pers all up and down the coast the mosthouse, notorious revolutionary work of MRA is allowed to suffailings before blaming their from Seattle to southern Califor trouble-makin the crowded for lack of immediate materitroubles on someone else, to ac- nia. Newspaper reporters who slums of East London, and lived fer al but there is far necessities, cept all other human beings as came to scoff returned to their of with him for three weeks, sleep- more giving than receiving. Most brothers under the fices to write sincerely enthusias ing on chairs because there were of the International Team crossed and to strive as far as was hu- tic articles about the movement not enough beds, until Bill had the oceans in third-clas- s manly possible to lead personal and its people. The movie colony discovered the basic principle of tourist and traveled across and the lives under the direction of God. in Hollywood developed an amazMRA, that the troubles of the continent in tourist trains oi The interest radio carried And they were nappy. It was ing world begin with ourselves. When busses. Others, as occasion dethat note of happiness, unmistak- the story of MRA literally to the one changes his own life he be- manded, used airplanes and able and sincere, which impressed four corners of the earth; on one gins to change the world. Bill stopped at hotels according to everybody who heard them, more day from the World's fair grounds changed, his neighbors were their means. was continuous broadcastthere than what they said. While the I have been a changed, and now the London po man rest of us were vainly striving ing by short waves, with men lice do not have to double their for 50 years, and newspaper have "covered" in the pursuit of happiness, these speaking in their own languages night patrol in West Ham. The all the great social and revolufolk had found it. I wanted to to their compatriots across the city council found a new spirit, tionary movements of my time know more about MRA. How did seven seas. hundreds of families found a new Take it from a veteran reportei they do it? How did these people Change Tour Own Life. unity, and the power to change who knows his way about, there learn this new way of life? Could The public meetings of MRA, others. has not been a movement which anybody do it?. Did you have to with their crowds and their pagIn Hollywood I met and got to held so much hope for the futuu join anything? How much did it eantry, are all for the purpose know well such devoted workers of the world and its peoples a& cost? It occurred to me, as I of stimulating individual inquir for Moral as MRA does, not since the Great approached the platform, that ies. The answer every inquirer George Eastman, former presi- Teacher laid down its fundamen nobody had "passed the' hat." I receives is, in effect, precisely dent of the Los Angeles Chamber tal precepts 2,000 years ago. I, thought of a thousand questions, the answer which Peter and the of Commerce, one of those whose is leading more rjeoole than of sort the questions which nat- other Apostles gave. Each one staff of employees are demon- before to apply those it precepts urally occur to a newspaper man, must first change his own life, by strating the vital relation of MRA their daily lives and to find happi trained by temiernmrnt and ex- - the grace of God; and there is a to the world of industry: John ncss in their Dractice. d ng like-mind- All-Fath- this is the story of a close shave the closest shave John Pisano of Clifton, N. J., ever saw in his life. If I'd said it was the closest shave I had ever seen well that might not mean anything at all. But when Johnny Pisano says it he speaks with the authority of a man who has been seeing close shaves all his life and giving them. You see, Johnny is a barber. Johnny has been a barber for the last 17 years, but he says he'd never had anything exciting happen in his shop until the summer of 1934. And how come Johnny waited until now to tell us that story? Well you see, Johnny was just a bit skeptical about us. Here's how he explains it: "My wife," he says, "has been buying your paper ever since we were married, but neither one of us ever believed in contests. We thought they were all faked. Then, my wife tried one and won a prize, so we had to change our minds. Now she wants me to try my luck in your department." And now let's take a look at Johnny's yarn. He says it wasn't as terrifying as some of the stories he's seen printed in this column because it happened so fast and was all over so soon. But Just the same, it was a bird while it lasted, and it left Johnny in such a state of jitters that he didn't want to do any work for the rest of the day. Back Door to Shop Brings Bad Luck. Johnny's shop has a front and a back deor the back one leading to a pool nam that Is ae longer nsed. That back door, lohaay says, Is always kept closed in winter, but In the summer when It's warm, he opens It to give the breese chance to circulate, Johnny wed to keep that back deor open all rammer long daring boslness hoars. Nowadays, though, there are times when he keeps It closed. The mlaato more than two small elands appear fat the sky together, Johnny shots It and It takes a darned good easterner to talk him into epealag It Bp again. Johnny's wife is a little bit afraid of lightning. She had often told him about that door. She said lightning followed a draft, and that he ought to keep the back door closed whenever it began to thunder. But Johnny never paid any attention to her. It he had well-th- en he'd well-know- n ed work-ingme- er EVERYBODY: A Mower of his rssor. bright yellowish sparks earning eat of the end of never be telling this ysm to us today. And take my word for it If a the thing that ever happened to any barber while at work at the tonsorial art It was along in the afternoon, and the sky was cloudy. There was no one in the shop but Johnny and his helper, and they were tMnUng about sitting down to a game of checkers until the sky cleared and the customers came out of their holes again. Thunder wss rumbling In tho distance and coming closer with every rumble. It started to rain and Just as it did, a man came in. He sat down in the first chair and ordered a shave So Johnny forgot about the checkerboard and began working up a lather in the. old shaving cup. Before the soap had began to cream np, the storm broke. The rain came down, In sheets, and the thunder, which bad been a distant ramble before, now sounded like the report of a gun going off right alongside year ear. Bat that didn't bother Johnny. His wife might be afraid of lightning, but he wasat He scooped op a big wad of lather on the brash and began nibbing It ever his castomets face. He spread the lather and rubbed it In. His helper was at the window, idly watching the water collect in the gutters. standing There was another crack of thunder louder and closer than any that had come before. Imperturbably, Johnny finished lathering the man In the chair and picked up his sharpest razor. st lS-in- ck Customer Becomes Rigid, Unconscious. Johnny picked ap the raior brought It down on his easterner's face for the first long, sweeping stroke. Then, In the next second. . erery thing la the world happened! Johnny felt a sodden, numbing sensation In his right arm. A bright light blinded him momentarily, bat as It died oat a bit he coold see what had caused it A shower of bright yellowish sparks COMING OUT OF THE END OF HIS RAZOR. The next thing Johnny knew, the razor was wrenched from his hand. It fell clattering to the floor. Johnny looked down at his customer. He lay In the chair rigi-d- tiff and totally unconscious. And Johnny stood beside him, his face white, his whole body shaking-feel-ing as if he'd like to pass out himself. He stood trembling until his helper came and ted him to a chair. Then be sat dazed, while the helper soaked a towel In cold water and applied it to the face of the man la the chair. la a few minutes the customer opened his eyes. He looked around the shop, and then at Johnny sitting In the chair. He sort of looked as If he expected Johnny to finish shaving him but not for Johnny. For aD the rest of that day he couldn't hold a razor la his hand. Ilia helper finished the Job be had started. So now, whenever the sky begins to cloud up. Johnny shuts that back door. And one of the things he and his wife agree most closely on Is that little matter of lightning. (St leased by Western Newspaper Union.) Inventor of 'Death Ray Refuses to Reveal Secret It Is possible that "death rayk" blood to a useless substance as may some day be used as an awful light changes silver salts in photogweapon of war. but Dr. Antonio Lou. raphy. But I don't like to talk about goria. wealthy Cleveland. Ohio, sciit because It could wreck civilizaentist end inventor, who in 1823 tion, m have nothing to do with it perfected a "death rev" BDoaratiu. My hands will be clean." will have nothing to do with recreat Dr. Longoris ssid he first demon-strste- d ing iucn a machine. his ray while In This Dr. Loncoria made olaln In a California on a colored working motion picrecent Interview. He recounted that ture process, showing a group of his apparatus hsd killed pigeons on scientists that the ray could kill rabthe wing at four miles, snd that he bits even when the animals were then destroyed the machine because encsied In a thick-walle- d aluminum of its dsnger. case. 'It's quite Doasible that someone Later, In Cleveland, ho demonmay stumble across the particular strated that the ray would kill electric wave I used." Dr. Longoris pigeons, he added. aid. "I found it accidentally my "I could assemble such s machine self, and I certainly am not oroud again." Dr. Longoria ssid. "but I of the discovery. The machine never shall. I hsve no drawings. killed small animals, and it could The plans are in my head alone. kill human beings My inventions have brought me just ss easily. ine ray lies in one of the unes wealth. I am interested now only plored frequency bands in the vlcln in doing something to help civilizaIt kills painlessly, tion, which seems to be going backtj of the without burning, by changing the ward instead of ahead." |