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"Father
THI
HIRTY years ago. a coloured hedge-cutter in Baltimore abandoned a wife and four children. His name was George Baker.
It is this George Baker who became "Father Divine." He claims 30,000,000 followers, who, he imagincs, believe in his divinity.
John Hoshor, who wrote his blography, puts the number of his followers at 2,000,000.
I
Admission Charge
HAD just returned to New York from visiting Ainbama's "Black Belt" when Father Divine broke into the news.
Ifaving seen the way the Negro preachers raise their congregations to rhythmic frenzy with a travesty of religion. I was naturally interested in this man, who seemed to have car- ried the ordinary Negre preacher's art into spheres hitherto undreamed of.
A friend and I seized the oppor- tunity me night after we had been dancing at Harlem's swell tourist "live," the famous Colton Club, to
Visit Father Divine's main "heaven."
It is a five-floor building at 20, West 15th-street, and here Father Diving provides accommodation for 1,500 of his adherents--and charges mission them for it. He has 158 houses all over the United States, and several in Switzerland, Canada, and Australia.
In spite of the size of his “heaven,“ Father Divine, who is short, tick- sel, and very negroid, was outgrow- ing his premises, and before leaving New York was able to witness an unusual scene.
MOST
the
Two "Arks"
JOST of Harlem forgalhired in the early hours one morning on banks of the Iludson two "Arks," in the shope of paddle- up- sicarers, were moored at an
food in town pier, truckloads of hunpars kept arriving and were taken on board.
Meantime the frenzled singing and the din of instruments, mostly ixinjos and guitars, was (ercife. Sellers went round among the crowd offer- ing one-dollar tickets in the "pro- mised land."
This "promised land," to be reach ed for the sum of 4. was 1,000 1 acros of farm land 100 miles river, at Kingston, New York State. for Father Divine had bought it 232,000, and he proposed to setule there as many of his followers as would leave Harlem.
What with the singing and excite ment, the stamping, trucking, and gesticulating, the time passed quickly until six in the morning. A ery went up of "Here comes the body!" and to my surprise, out of a luxurious! English cor stepped a little black man with arms which were too long for his body and swang in gorilla fashion as he walked. This was Father Divine.
-By
LORD DONEGALL
WEEK-END
SECTION
وو
Divine'
perties, which include boarding-houses, coal yards, laundries, restaurants, and garages. They are stuffed by his followers, who have surrendered nil their worldly goods as well as their souls to him,
He also has a Political Department and a Re- stuЛed search Department, touring-cars, and white dove on the radiator cup pf bis English' limousine.
He testifled In court that he was born in 1800 and that his notae was Major Morgan J. Devine. Actually, he is George Baker, of Savannah, Georgia, And he is 50.
After the episode of abandoning a wife and chlidren in Baltimore, he learned some theology, from a Negro preacher called Father Jehovin.
At this time he called himself "The Messen- ger" and went to Brooklyn, where he became as- Foelated with another prencher.
Banquets
HE changed his name again from
Devine to Father Divine, and moved to Sayville, Long Island, where be established bla first "heaven."
This was a sort of boarding-bouse, where he took over it property of all those who juined him as "angels," and everybody worked except him self.
Pilgrimages used to be made from Harlem to Sayville, where farge banquets were served. So popular did this form of entertainment be- come that he win given à year's Im- prisonment and Aned £100 for creat- ing a nuisance.
has 00 He Dow "heavens' those in Harle afone costing him £6,000 a year in up- kerp.
Futher Divine meddles in polities through what he calls his Righteous Government Movement, and wants to have "Pence" substituted for "Hullo" on the telephone.
He fles about in an aeroplane, carries round wads of notes to avold ecounlaney, and appears never to have paid any income tax. This has led to a certain amount of trouble.
Mystery of Death Ray
came
The vast possibilities of the exten- ure obvions, sion of this invention Greatly strengthened, it would make an object while hot and thus proxiuce disintegration We can conceive the time when rays of this nature would put tanks and artillery out of action, Une and bring town planes from skies.
PROBABLY more has been heard,
of the so-called "Death Ray" during the past five years than any other Invention under the sun, and reports come of secret devices a
whole armies, able of rendering navies, and air forces immoblic,
A report
from Budupest, stating that two young electriral However, that possibility is in the engineers of Szered have been de- very far distance. and one of cur monstrating before a group of ex- most eminent scientists, Professor perts a machine of their own: Inven- A. M. Low, is very sceptical of any- on, by which rays of extraordinary thing yet achieved. He says that us strength can be emitted,
yei it is not possible to take enough energy by means of radio to any ap- preciable distance with the releney small feather. required to move a The actual power a few miles from
is the largest transmitting station exceedingly small. At present the almost insuperable problem is how to convey energy to a distance with out wires.
These rays, called DDX, boll water in half a minute, light a gas jet from a distance of four yards, light fuses, stop motors, and kill small animals. The inventors are being assisted to continue the experiment on a larger scale, and hope to construct an ap-
which pllance
would operate on objects at a distance of six kilo- but metres.
A bus travelling from Baltimore to New York loaded with his "angels" ran Into the ear of a woman, who was awarded £1,000 damuges. All the "angels" strenuously denied that their leader had any money, Inter, several disgruntled ex-follow- ers signed affidavits testifying that they had given him various sums,
His Mission
Us
This is not to say it wil never be possible. Those pioneers who first Similar stories are reported froin tried to fly and to invent submarines maniacs. The were derided time to time from the United States Italian inventor, Marchese Marconi, Germany, Russia, Italy, and France,
wus, it is well known, alsorbingly asserting, among other things, that interested in the subject. A short possession of time back Signor Mussolinl said that their armies are in mysterious rays capable of, wiping just before his death Marconi was
With officially out large numbers of men."
engaged in researches in two fields strange unanimity, officiat quarters the utilisation of the waters of the all deny the reparts, but there is no sen, and the development and appll- Ex- cation of wireless short waves. smoke without fire, and it is un-
1 over the periments of a "military character" doubtedly true that
had been conducted in Rome in his world government scientists and in-
(the Duce's) presence, and he had viptors are bending their energes 1wards the discovery of rays of been kept periodically informed of hitherto unheard of “powers. Whethe results, which-had-taken-Huly ther they have yet succeeded in pro- the beginning of the road which will When his followers die they are ducing apparatus capable of Irans be followed." Marconl's researches dollur gold piece fashioned us a tie-burled in a Poor Law graveyard. He mitling power over a considerable are being continued. pin. Father Divine led the way to enjoins this on the pretext that if distance is another question. wards, the "Arks" and they tien
they had not been sinners they chugged away up river.
would not have died.
He was accompanied by his "white angel," known as Sister Fair Angel, and wore grey suit with a ve-
The party reached the "promised land" seven hours later and was led ashore by n band, the female "angels," and a troop of coloured horsemen with tenthers glutic in their hair.
It appears that the members of the party had to pass through white gales representing the pearly gates of Heaven, and after a prayer meet- mythey lolled about in the fields and swam in the lake,
When night fell they "returned to earth," this, they were told, had been only a trial trip.
Goods Surrendored
THE blographer,
FATHER Divine has a wife now, his business organiser, called Faithful Mary. She was pronounced an inebriate and weakly subject some years ago, But her husband is against medical treat ment, and the authorities are greatly exercised because he has persuaded a large number of people not to at- tend the hospitals for treatment of fatal diseases.
Theoretically Father Divine's mla- aton is to establish peace between all the nations of the worki
Checkmating the Bomber
A short time ago a lecturer, speak- Ing at the annual meeting of the Bri- lish Association of Chemists, staler! that, so far as he knew, no means
For Defence Only
Another, piece of evidence of the limitations of rays as means of attack Dr. Nikola in their present state, comes from the United States. There Testa, of New York, was reported to have discovered a death ray capable of projection over long distance of of wiping out whole armier, high frequency rays has yet been
Professor his achieved. But it may well be that
So much is known about the doubt ful history of this man, and so much has been published, that it is beyond English comprehension That followers should still be beguiled.
Puzzle Corner
Puzzle Cornièr
Nu hints, to-day, just make it a bit more dcult;
Darsonval, however,
the perfection of such an invention denied it, saying although scientists will save civilisation from complete know of the existence of such a my, annihilation, for the world would it has not been discovered. In any realise that war would only result case, while a death ray of this kind In the complete breakdown of com- will make a nation safe from attack, merce and transport, followed by the it is useless as a weapon of offence, since it must be generated in large destruction of entire nations.
plants. Thus it stationary power seems that if this ray is perfected, it will be more of a "life" ray than a death ray, and may help to bring about the abolition of warfare.
L. O, Manners
Thus it is most likely that death rays will be of more use as methods of defence than of attack. They are Hoshar, John
"ZYXWVUTS“ RQUXV "PQS-bkely to be of greater value in sur- reckon that Father Divine
SYONQ NYMUSZ." QUSNYQVP rounding cities by impenetrable bar- spends £350,000 a year on his pro- LXWKX ZYXWVUTSV NYJQZ riers rather than distributing them
UowTr PKW ITXZSQZ RYN-along a fighting line. Many experts! NYWX HQUSV UFW,
are of the opinion that nothing else will be able to stop the modern bom- ber fleets.
Permanent Waven'
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A Charade
Ky FIRST implies equality: My SECOND, inferiority; My WHOLE, superiority.
Letter Changing
So far, we are a long way from being able to project powerful rays over great distances, but this is not to sny man will never be able to do
Driver In Crash Vanishes
MISS IRENE RICE WADE, 4 Lon-- don variety artist, who was suffering
It. The possibility has strendy scen from head and leg Injuries, stagger-
considered for peaceful purposes, and such revolutionary schemes aged from her car after a night colli- sion on the Scunthorpe rond, sear making the Polar arcus inhabitable mare, Yorks, to help the driver of by conveying vast quantities of heat the other car. by wireless have been suggested.
Following the usual rules, which call for the changing of only 1 letter at a time, making no transpositions, and each time forming a word, try Conversely. Dr. Debenham, the com-I changing MINE to OURS In 6 moves,
How High?
But the other vehicle was driver- panion of Scott on his last trip, has less. Recently the West Riding pollee visualised the time when the bliz- were seeking Mr. E. Norrington zards of the Antarctic will be har Young, radio engineer, of College nessed to produce electricity, which Alde. Camberley, Surrey, the owner, A certain room is 20 feet long and
will be conveyed to the temperate who has not been seen since 12 feet wide. The walls and ceiling
crash. of the room together have an area of regions of the Southern hemisphere.
752 square feet. How high in the ceiling?
Eplihets from The Odyssey This list is shinred by a Fennimore, Win,, render.
ben
$
15 | wine-da
Garoniapped
ship
[8] arook=bar ond
BOL
the
- (Answers Appear on Page 3)
Weather Control
the
He had started from his lodgings in In Scunthorpe to visit friends Doncaster. One theory is that wandered away after the neeldent
he
Again, Dr. Fournier D'Albe once stated that the problem of control suffering from loss of memory and of weather would only be solved by wow taken to hospital, unnble to re-
veal his identity.
the application of great sources of
energy at strategie points. Enorm
women
⇓
car
BEE CAUSES ACCIDENT ous heat on, St. Kilda might help-to deffect an advancing depression that'
Two
were killed while would cause heavy rain in Britain, walking on the main London-Worth-
when road recently tonised air pumped into the atmo- ing sphere on the const might disperse swerved across the rond and mounted fog banks In the vicinity of the re- a grass verge after a bee had slung driver. The occupants of the the car escaped serious Infury,
sorts. It is interesting to note that a ray has already been produced which can generale heat some dis- The victims were: Mr. Fallh tance away. In a modified degree Whitworth (76) nrul Mrs. Annie tlich a ray directed nl n potato Turnock (78), visitors to Worthing. several feolaway would start to cook who had been staying at a house In it from the outside.
Findon Road,
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1939.
STORIES OF CHURCHMEN Lord Carnarvon To VEN preachers have their folbles., famous travoller to meet some friends Marry Tilly Losch
Lyman Brecher was one of the at breakfast, but received no reply.
The Earl of Carnarvon is to marry great men of the American pulpit, When they met soon afterwards the Miss Tilly Lasch, the dancer, accord- remembered now perhaps chiefly as shop expressed regret af not seeinging to noilce given at a London He
him at the breakfast.
"WES traveller.
A Viennese, aged 37, she made her Arst appearance on the stage aga child dancer. Her marriage, to Mr. Edward Frank Willy James was dis- solved in 1935.
the father of Henry Ward Beecher
not Invited," sald theater Office. Miks Lasch's Christian and Harriet Beecher Stowe,
names are given as Ottilie Ethel, and Not long after Lyman Beecher had
fer address as Claridge's Hotel, received his D.D. degree, he was on "Oh, yea," retorted the Bishop. "I his way to the Sunday mornint ser- left a note with my own hands,' vlee when, he eroased a trout But the other persisted: "I received stream, he saw a big trout jump. Hie no note from your lordship, 1 did knew there was a pole and tackle receive a note from some impertinent under the bridge, so he ran down the fellow signing himself, "S. Oxon,
for the pole, and but I make it a rule to take no notice bank, reached secured the Nah. Having no time to
of these impertinent invllations." pure, he slipped the trout into the
Many are the tales of oratorical tail-pocket of his coat and hurried on
word-confusion. An eminent Scots- renching the church just as the bell man has told how he heard an stopped.
Anglean preacher end a sermon on the earthly life of Our Lord:
"And thus this noble life was spent
He forgot all about the fish, but on
the next Sunday morning when his wife went to the press to brush the coat, she found the smell before sheasing, the devils and casting out found the fish.
Methodism once had a remarkable preacher and lecturer named Peter Mackenzie, a real original. Seeing a man with an enormous mouth, Peter said. "My word! That man could sing a duct by himself!"
One of the greatest and wittiest of English prelutes was Samuel Wilber- force, a son of the honoured Aboll- tionist orator. The Bishop had many admirers amongst whom was a lady who, at a dinner tuble, turned to him and unctuously inquired, "What have you found the most difficult thing in
tez"
"Ok," was the quick and jocular Leply, "I have no doubt on that point, It is to keep a table-napkin on a silk
upron."
i
M
People don't sleep in church now as they used to do, which may well be set against the fact of smaller Rowland Haw congregations. some persons asicep, and paused: "1 have heard," he said, "that the miller can sleep while the mill is going on, but that if it stops it awakens hini. will try this method," and sat down in the pulpit. It was not long before he had a roused congregation.
Here is another story of the anme eminent cleric. It is well-known that the Bishops of the ancient English seen use the Latin title of their diocese Instead of their surname for
That was a story of Andrew Bonar ofetal signature. When Wilberforce who, when a lady of his congregation was Bishop of Oxford, he invited a remonstrated with him on his habit
given as the Ritz Hotel, in 41. He is Lord Carnarvon, whose address is the sixth Earl. His marriage to Miss Catherine Wendell, of New York, in 1022 was dissolved three years ago.
Of this marclage an heir was born, the present Lord Porchester, aged 15, and a daughter, Lady Anny Penelope Marian Herbert, aged 14.
of dropping his voice, and said how provoking it was to thus lose some. of his best things, pawkily replied, "And how do you know they are the best things if you don't hear them?"
One comes *across unconscious humour in other churchmen than prenchers. We have heard of a Sun- day school superintendent who made grent point of regular attendance on the part of the scholars. One Sunday he made this announcement: "Out of the entire school only one person is absent, little Maggie Brown. Let us hope that she is lil?
Two parish clerks of Anglican churches mel together.. One sald lo the other, "Do you have mutins in your church?" and received the un- expected reply, "No, we prefer Uno- leum!"
I'm nearly 40.
AT THE
Frank Scot
what's going to happen to me?
The firm's cutting down staff. I don't like the look of it
Neither do I... (THINKS)
THAYKE SURE TO PICK ON ME. MY WORK'S NOT BEEN TOO GOOD LATELY.
THEY'LL PUT ONE
OF THESE YOUNG FELLOWS WITH
MORA`DRIVE ́A
IN MY
DOCTORS My dear Mr Jones-
a man shouldn't jeven begin to feel old until her 60.
I feel done-in Bil the time, doctor. I even wake tired. Sign of old age, I suppose
You've got your best years in front of you. No, from what you tell me, I'm pretty sure your
trouble is
Hight Starvation..
LA PLACE
AT HOME
But Betty, what would we do ? We've nothing behind us. If only 1 were five years younger! Oh, this qhastly tiredness
always...
You see, even at night you go on using up energy in heartbeads, breathing and other automatic actions, In your case, this has also led to an excess of acid waste products in the blood. All this causes you to wake fired, feel run-down. So of course you can't do your best work. Now recent tésts have proved that it's Horlicks people need for this condition. Start tonight
SIX WEEKS LATER JONES FELT ON TOP OF THE WORLD AGAIN
Take
·But darling, anyoned think you were an old max. It's absurd - this tiredness of yours is something to do with; your health, not your [age! You ought to
TEG A
doctor
2828 under 40
40-50
BEC 50-60
OVER -60
MRS. JONES SAW TO IT THAT HER HUTBAND HAD HORLICKE EVERY NIGHT
SIX MONTHS LATER
Guess what, Betty! They he rending me to Singapore for
a very special job. Old Smith said I was the only man who could handle it
Ch, darling!
(THINKS)
NOW WE'RE SAFE -- THANK "GOODNESS FOR A
HORLICKS
Do you feel worn out, depressed and nervy?
Do you even wake tired?
HORLICKS
Guard Against
NIGHT STARVATION
Then you will sleep soundly - wake refreshed—and have extra energy all day.
K3