The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1929, Sheet 65

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THE LUTHERAN PIONEER.

many visitors passing through Chicago at that time,
the committee hopes that the exposition will bring
its inspiration into all sections of our Church’s ter-
ritory. The tremendous amount of work in con-
nection with this exposition is cheerfully undertaken
by those in charge with the one hope that enthu-
siasm, interest, inspiration, and zeal for our great
work of missions will thereby be increased.

The promoters hope that many of our readers
will plan to be in Chicago June 29 and 30 and
gain some of the blessings which, they pray, may
proceed from this event.

Diligent in Business for the Master.

At one of our mission-stations a special collec-
tion was being gathered for Africa and other funds.
On the day appointed the men were asked to try to
bring five dollars, the women three dollars, and the
younger ones according to their ability. The day
was set, and announcements of the collection were
made more than a month ahead.

One woman of the congregation gave her three
dollars the week the announcement was first made.
But she did not lay her gift aside to remain there
idle, nor did she bury it so that it would be safe.
No, she traded with it. Every week she doubled her
stock and sold out her goods.

When the day arrived for the special collection,
instead of three dollars, this woman brought in her
twenty-three dollars.

I looked on the roster in her church and found
that from her small earnings she had this year given
over eighty dollars to her Lord. I. D. AtsTon.

The Power of the Printed Word.

The printed Word is of inestimable value in
winning Mohammedans. Dr. James L. Barton, in
urging the translation and wide dissemination of
the New Testament among Mohammedans, says: —

“Tt is a fact demonstrated from experience that
the Mohammedans have been more frequently moved
by reading parts of the New Testament than they
have by the oral presentation of Christianity.” And
Dr. Samuel M. Zwemer, after life service in Mos-
_ lem lands, believes that “the most effective way of
winning the Moslems is the placing of the Bible in
their hands. Nearly all the inquirers in Moslem
lands have first been led to Christ by means of
a book or tract. IfI had a million dollars to give

63

to missions, I would give five hundred thousand to
Bible socicties.” ‘

From a remotely different part of the world
comes similar testimony. Religious workers in parts
of South ‘America have found the Book their most
able evangelist. “It is not easy -to estimate the
value of the printed page,” writes one.

About Negro Americans.

Three thousand Negroes served’ in the Conti-
nental Army.

In the World War 368,000 Negroes were en-
listed, and 200,000 reached France.

The Negro population of the United States is
11,600,000, or nine per cent. of the population.

Only 56,000 Negroes are skilled craftsmen,
while 1,371,000 are employed as untrained or day
laborers.

There are 48,000 Negro schoolteachers in the
United States and 5,000,000 Negro youths under
nineteen years of age.

In America the Negroes have 47,000 churches
with 5,000,000 members and Sunday-schools with
3,000,000 pupils.

The Doctorate of Philosophy was conferred on
Anna J. Cooper, a Negro woman, at the last com-
mencement of the Sorbonne, Paris.

It is estimated that during the three years fol-
lowing America’s entrance into the World War
500,000 Negroes migrated to the Northern States.

While the demand for graduates from the Negro
theological seminaries is hundreds of ministers a
year, the average number supplied is much smaller.

For every 10,000 of white population of the
United States there are ninety students in college,
while for every 10,000 Negroes fifteen are in college.

In a recent survey of sixteen cities, both North
and South, it was found that invariably the Negro
population shifts to sections where good schools and
churches are available.

In America there is one Negro physician and
surgeon for every 3,343 of his people, while among
the white race there is one for every 553 persons.
There is one Negro dentist for every eight to ten
thousand Negroes,

John Stewart, a Negro, with a captive Negro

‘lad as his interpreter, was the first Methodist mis-

sionary to the Indians. About his name, as the
founder of Methodist home missions, the great
Centenary movement of the Methodist Church was
launched in 1919. — Sel. :