Fraternity-Testvériség, 1944 (22. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)

1944-01-01 / 1. szám

TESTVÉRISÉG

5

NEY GENERATION

UJ ntnZLDEK

SILENCE, PLEASE!

Rumor-mongering is never a characteristic trait of a gentleman. Gossiping and rumoring have always been the chief occupation and pasttime of empty-headed, shallow-chartered people. As long as gossiping affects only a few individuals and a small locality, it doesn’t create a major problem; at most it is impolite and unpleasant. It does, however, become quite dangerous when this type of emotional excitement becomes general and fashionable.

When our government, our broadcasting stations and our newspapers begin to deal with the problem of rumor, then we can rest ascertained that gossiping has left its small locale and its few local leaders and has become a problem of national importance. When rumors imperil the lives of our youth on the battle- fronts by handicapping the co-operation of ourselves on the homefront, then it is time to deal with the problem and use every means at hand to destroy this most versatile and potential enemy. — What shall we do? Enact laws? establish investigation agencies? betray one another to law-enforcing bodies? These methods are not acceptable insofar as they they are not true to our inherent spirit of democracy.

“Rumoring” has become the fashion of the day! And a fashion still become obsolete only when superceded by a newer and more acceptable fashion. It is readily conceded that our women are our fashion leaders — let them therefore start the glorious fashion of wise silence: the silence of pioneers who built this ggreat nation of ours. Let our mothers, our wives, and our sisters be imbued with the cultural silence of Washington and the sagacious silence of Lincoln. Let the silence of pioneers and builders be our fad and fashion!

That which is prohibited is attractive and by the same measure that which is non-fashionable is unatractive. Americans All! let silence be stylish. What a new world we could create

if we would only learn to listen and to think Impossible? No! An American is first and foremost a pioneer and a pioneer can listen, and think, and ACT.

Are you an American?

Rev. Stephen Sziarto Columbus, Ohio

"I'D STILL RATHER GO HOME, THOUGH..."

— From a letter of a soldier in England —

"Magna Carta Church"

... Our servise least evening in town was very fine, and the men enjoyed it a good deal. The chaplain preached very well, as usual, and the English congregation liked him very much. The church is one of the most famous and historic in England, for in the parish to which this church belongs was signed the Magna Carta. The Church is called Magna Carta Church (Church of England), and its walls are decorated with the colorfully painted crests and shields of all the barons and other nobles who were present at the signing of the document. I noticed the inscriptions which accompanied the panels bearing the names

of these nobles bore the words: So-and-So, Earl of------,

Surety for Magna Carta. In other words, these men were guarantors that Magna Carta would be upheld and put into practice. The actual signing by King John was done in an island in the middle of the river, at Runnemede, jn the parish of this church which we visited. It is a very old and quite large building, and most ornately decorated within. The altar is draped with a huge Union Jack, and there were other flags and Boy Scout and Girl Guides’ banners reposing agajns the walls near the altar. Above it is an enormous oil painting depicting Abraham sacrificing his son to the Lord. It is quite good and really tremendous in size.

"Cherubic countenance ..

I enjoy the services I have visited so far in English churches, for the music is really lovely, and they invariably have a fine choir. The one last night was composed of about twenty young boys and some eight or ten grown men. There was one youngster there who had such typically “choir boy face,” that perfect, cherubic countenance as to look like the perfect choir boy type. They all sang with the detached air whjch youngsters can so well handle, and they seemed to know all the most intricate melodies by heart. The congregation also joins in the singing of many quite complicated but musical songs and anthems. Almost all the singing up to the delivery of