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Show ' SAYS CALL OF CflRIST HEAUP Oherammergau "Christ" oi Passion Play Sends Message Mes-sage to America BY BURTON KNISEXY OBER A MMERGAI. Bavaria, July 29. Is the call of Christ to peace still heard In the world still potent ' where war's trenches have scarred deepest the face and feelings of mankind' man-kind' I asked this of Ante.n I-ang. playing tills year again for the third time, as In mOO and 1910, the part of Chrlstus Jn the world-known Passion play at. Oherammergau. As I watched the face which for kindliness and spirituality might have I been the very face of the Savior hlm-self hlm-self as one pictures It. and listened i lo the modest, soft speech, I felt a I new. conviction a mental discovery In the war-tern old world in which the churches of America will be Interested. Inter-ested. During the war and after It world scholars have debated over whether the power of the church grows or wanes, and have held open foruln on the necessity of a religious revival a subject perhaps less exciting than the lat.st murder, but not less Important or truly interesting-. To one witnessing tWfe Passion Play and talking to Its chief figures this question Is no longer a question. The experience begets the conviction convic-tion that beside the endless validity or the religion of t'hrlst and Its plan.' In men's hearts the world war was but an Incident a more trivial thin; than It seenis by any other comparison. compari-son. The beautiful valley of the Ammer.. at the foot of whose encircling hills this famous village nestles. r,.t the war Th. regular decennial performance perform-ance of the fusslon Play In 19ft0 was Impossible. More than 80 sons of the little town had fallen In battle, among them some of the chief performers per-formers New ones had to bo chosen and educated Compared with the Passion Plav spirit even this fact fades. In the future, as In the past, wars may come end wars may go but tho Oberam- ii. rpnii perrormal.ee. vvilh three centuries cen-turies .,f tradition behind It, will g - on forever. It sends to the world the message that the religion of Christ needs no revival to be alive, the greatest single sin-gle force hn white civilization. The world had me shot in war." said Anton Long, who has been "rru- ified" more times than any other living man '1 never hud a gun in m bands. I was in barracks two months, that's all." The simple wood carver whose portrayal; of Christ la moving hundreds hun-dreds of thousands this summer peaks a pleasant English. So It was in their own tongue that he consent ed to write for Americans a message from the heart of one who is trying t.i enter into tho heart of the Prime Of Peace. LANG'S MESSAGE TO MI Pit VILLA DAiiEi.M. Oherammergau Bavaria You ask me for a meesagi for the American people and I , o gh'ol to lake th.- opportunity to II them that i feel the Passion Piair has a new appeal this year, namely to promote peace and K-ood will amongst raon by drawing attention pnee again to th.- meekness and ,-liar-U Of Christ, who died that ail miuht be brothers in love. ANTON LA NO. Oil |