The Maccabaean

a better place for the children of God. The autocratic Church and State systems of the German Kaiser and the Russian Czar showed this tendency in Christianity at its very worst, with a corresponding intense development of Anti-Semitism; while, on the other hand, the Constitution of the United States, with its provision that Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, moves by gradual and irresistible momentum toward the destruction of theological aristocracy and the progress of democracy in the spiritual field.

But this aspect of religion is a long and vitally interesting story, whose technical aspects are so complicated that we cannot go into them in a brief article. All we can say here is that within the last generation there has been a great revival of scientific investigation into Hebrew history and

religion, both among Gentile and Jewish scholars. If our religion is only an intellectual philosophy, which does not inspire us to fight the evils of monopoly and graft opposed by the great prophets, then we have not learned the lesson of the Bible, and we cannot be first class Zionists.

It ought to be clear, then, that Zionism is not a Jewish problem alone. It is a problem for both Jew and Gentile. Hebrew culture is one of the most important elements of modern civilization; but the potentialities of that culture have been imperfectly realized thus far. There should be established as soon as possible an International Hebrew Institute, under the equal auspices of Gentiles and Jews, to promote a world-wide understanding of this question, and to develop an intelligent public opinion which shall sustain Zionism as a contribution toward universal democracy.

THE Jews are to have Palestine. The joy over this is not confined to the children of Abraham. It must be shared by everyone who can sympathize with a sublime ideal held faithfully for many centuries, in the teeth of oppression, injustice and unspeakable suffering. The fulfilment of this great hope comes like a token to men and women of all races and religions that other long-cherished hopes may yet find their fulfilment, after many days.

We need this encouragement, at a time when the world is in chaos, and when, among the manifold crimes and cruelties that fill the daily papers, come reports of more Jewish massacres, in many different lands.

Perhaps there are even more women than men whose hearts are wrung by such news. Long ago Elizabeth Barrett Browning wrote a great poem, "A Curse for a Nation." It was pronounced upon the United States, in the days of African slavery. An angel comes to her, and bids her write the curse. She begs to be spared the task, because she loves the guilty nation.

"Therefore," the Voice said, "shalt thou write My curse tonight. From the summits of love a curse is driven As lightning is from the tops of heaven."

She pleads that she is too much ashamed of her own country's sins, and she names over a catalogue of England's offences. For that very reason, the angel says, she must write the curse:

"Because thou hast strength to see and hate A foul thing done within thy gate."

"Not so,' I answered him again. 'To curse, choose men; For I, a woman, have only known How the heart melts and the tears run down.'

"Therefore," the Voice said, 'shalt thou writeMy curse tonight.Some women weep and curse, I say,(And no one marvels) night and day.

"And thou shalt take their part tonight, Weep and write. A curse from the depths of womanhood Is very salt, and bitter, and good."

Then follow the tremendous lines of the curse. It has often seemed to me that a like curse rests upon all nations while these Jewish massacres are permitted. What business have we to allow such things to go on! It is to be hoped that the combined force of the civilized world will now be brought to bear to stop them. The restoration of their ancient homeland to the Jews is only the payment of a part of the great debt of reparation that the world owes them. Sooner or later it must be paid in full; and the longer the payment of any debt of justice is put off, the higher the interest mounts up.

Let us hope, for everybody's sake, that the settlement will come soon. We need not be discouraged by the difficulties in the way. Many years ago I was present at a celebration in Boston of Harriet Beecher Stowe's seventieth or seventy-fifth birthday. There was a brilliant gathering of distinguished authors; and after they had given their greetings in prose and verse, the little old lady stood up to respond. Speaking very simply, she told us how firmly entrenched, how utterly impregnable, the institution of human slavery had seemed in her youth, yet now it was completely swept away; and she bade us never to lose heart while attacking any other great evil, no matter how strong it might seem. "Remember," she said, "whatever ought to be done can be done!"

These are times in which we need to remember those words.