Editors’ Table

Editors ^Table Bok's American Peace Award The winning plan for this award was released for publication early in January, and in brief, is as follows: I. That the United States shall immediately enter the Permanent Court of International Justice, under the conditions stated by Secretary Hughes and President Harding, in February, 1923. II. That without becoming a member of the League of Nations as at present constituted, the United States shall offer to extend its present co- operation with the League and participate in the work of the League as a body of mutual counsel under conditions which 1. Substitute moral force and public opinion for the military and economic force originally implied in Articles X and XVI. 2. Safeguard the Monroe Doctrine. 3. Accept the fact that the United States will assume no obligations under the Treaty of Versailles except by Act of Congress. 4. Propose that membership in the League should be opened to all nations. 5. Provide for the continuing development of international law. This plan is now submitted to the American people to be voted upon. The name of the author has not yet been divulged. It will be remembered that $100,000 was offered to the person who should submit the "best practicable plan for the establishment and mainten- ance of international peace," as above stated. This brief summary as well as the extended plan printed in the daily papers of January 7, is remarkable, in our opinion, chiefly for the utter absence from it of any new and original suggestion whatever. The awarding jury has worked diligently for months on a total of 22,165 communica- tions, besides in the neighborhood of 100,000 suggestions by letter, and have finally chosen one that appears to us to leave the entire question in chaos, or about the same uncertainty in which it has rested heretofore. To us it seems very clear that the entire wisdom of the world is not sufficient to build up the kingdom of the Prince of Peace. Undoubtedly peace will come, but evidently, not through the wisdom of the world, but rather through the proclamation and adoption of the gospel of Jesus Christ, which, though counted, it may be, as foolishness by the world, is the power of salvation from war as well as from all other evils, because it eliminates selfishness and establishes love of God, neighbor, and fellowmen. In the meantime, the effort of Mr. Edward Bok to make the people think in a practical way about the means to bring God's family of nations together is commendable. The people of the nation, including the readers of the Eta, are

3 82 IMPROVEMENT ERA invited to vote "Yes" or "No" on the proposition. Our readers may use the blank in the advertising pages of the Improvement Era for February, in expressing their opinion which, by the way, we trust, will be well seasoned with a reasonable understanding of the problems involved before the vote is cast. The vote should be sent to the American Peace Award, 342 Madison Avenue, New York City, where, it is also stated, expressions of fuller opinions are welcomed. — A. The Reclamation of Palestine According to magazine articles and newspaper advices great activity is being carried on in the Holy Land where engineers are establishing power stations on the Jordan with a web of transmission lines from Dan to Beersheba, and from the Mediterranean to the eastern edge of the Jordan valley, to serve a coming prosperous Palestine with electric light and power. A great dam is being built that will make a natural reservoir of Lake Tiberias, or Gennesaret, or the Sea of Galilee, where Peter cast his fishing nets. The first electric power station was recently finished at Jaffa (Joppa) north- west of Jerusalem, on the Mediterranean. Similar plants are nearing completion at Haifa, east of Tiberias, and in Jerusalem, the Holy City. These plants are expected to supply electric current for muni- cipal, industrial, agricultural and domestic purposes, and also, it is designed, will operate an electric railway from Jaffa to Jerusalem. The river Jordan power and irrigation project, now being constructed in the valley of the Jordan, it is intended, will harness the power of that river, and in less than four years will be completed, generating one-half million horsepower, at a cost of $5,000,000. Ultimately over twenty times that amount will be required for the contemplated developments. Recently the Duke of Sutherland, in a debate before the British House of Lords, called it "the most substantial contribu- tion so far made by Judaism to the restoration of prosperity to Palestine." The introduction of these modern methods will be revolutionary, because the civilization of Palestine has changed but very little since Biblical days. Wooden plows, water wheel irrigation, donkey transportation, carrying of water in hide sacks from streams and old wells, are still in vogue. With electricity available, the swamps drained, and the fertile land of the valleys irrigated by modern methods, the neglect of centuries will likely be repaired in a compara- tively short time. Electricity can thus be cheaply provided, so that each home may have it for use, and with a modern industrial awakening, with irrigation as introduced and practiced by Ephraim and Manasseh of western America, with agricultural implements of the United States, and the construction of modern machinery, effective aid will be

EDITORS' TABLE 3 83 rendered to better the condition of life in the Holy Land. These developments of Palestine are being conducted by Pinhas Rutenberg, civil engineer, under the licenses granted by the British Government. He has prepared the plans, after much investigation and study of local conditions, and has received concessions from the British Govern- ment, and obtained the financial assistance of Baron Edmond de Rothschild. These concessions are said to have been taken over, under ?. deed of trust, by the Palestine Development Council of New York. These contemplated developments cover the whole of Palestine from north to south, and will keep pace with the upbuilding of the country. The power plant is located about eight miles from Jordan's outlet from Lake Tiberias where a dam, similar to the Roosevelt dam in Arizona, is being built. This will make Lake Tiberias a great natural storage reservoir to contain about ten billion cubic feet of water available for irrigation and power. Canals will be dug, it is said, on both sides of the Jordan, paralleling its course, to carry water to 650,000 acres of arid lands. Water for power, after passing through the turbines, will be returned to its course in the Jordan after generating a 666,000 volt system for Haifa, Jaffa and Jeru- salem. The rain fall in Palestine is about twenty-five inches and occurs principally during two months in winter. Lake Merom is located about nine miles north and above Lake Tiberias with a fall of the Jordan of about 600 feet. It is here that an ideal situation is offered for power development which will undoubtedly be taken ad- vantage of in the future. The fall of the Jordan from Lake Tiberias to the Dead Sea is about 690 feet. The first power plant has been erected below Lake Tiberias and the present flow of water in the Jordan at Lake Tiberias ranges from about one hundred to six hundred cubic feet a second. This flow will be increased by storage, to a regular flow of about three hundred cubic feet a second. While this is small compared with projects in Am- erica, it is adequate to serve Palestine and to develop a garden of the present desert, one-sixth the size of England. These projects are very important as preliminary developments of the Holy Land, but ultimately, it is estimated that over $100,000,- 000 will be spent in the restoration of Palestine. Power stations, a veritable net of irrigation canals, electric railways, dams, houses, manu- facturing plants, wharves on the Mediterranean, ware houses, drainage of the marshes, etc., are already planned and wait the adjustment of the population to the new order that will soon be ushered in by the operation of a power station on the Jordan and the reclamation of the waste lands of the valley. However these projects may turn out, many are viewing them as a first step toward the realization of re- establishing Palestine as a fatherland of the Jews, a dream that has sur- vived the centuries. The contemplated reclamation of Palestine, the home of ancient

3 84 IMPROVEMENT ERA Israel, may well be heralded as a further fulfilment of Old Testament prophecies. We indeed behold in these preparations and activities for the redemption of that land, the beginning of the fulfilment of the prophecies of the holy prophets: "And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: Thou sbalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in." (Isaiah 58:12). He hath sent me to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, * * * to comfort all that mourn, * * * to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. * * * And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations." (Isaiah 61:2-4). And again, Ezekiel's prophecies wherein he says: "Thus saith the Lord: * * * O mountains of Israel, ye shall shoot forth your branches and yield your fruit to my people of Israel ; for they are at hand to come. "For I will take you from among the heathen and gather you out of all countries and bring you into your own land. * * * "And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God. "Thus saith the Lord God, * * * I will also cause you to dwell in the cities, and the wastes shall be builded. "And the desolate land shall be tilled, whereas it lay desolate in the sight of all that passed by. "And they shall say, This land that was desolate is become like the garden of Eden; and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are become fenced, and inhabited. * * * "So shall the waste cities be filled with flocks of men, and they shall know that I am the Lord." Scores of other prophetic utterances are familiar to all Bible readers concerning the restoration of that land, and many are living who will doubtless witness the literal fulfilment of Isaiah's words in the anthem we have sung for so many years: "For the Lord shall comfort Zion: He will comfort all her waste places; And he will make her wilderness like Eden, And her desert like the garden of the Lord; Joy and gladness shall be found therein, Thanksgiving, and the voice of melody." — A. Greetings President Charles W. Penrose, hale and hearty, and in full force of ripe manhood, enters upon his 93rd year on February 4, 1924. He was born at Camberwell, London, England, February 4, 1832, joined the Church May 14, 1850, and on January 19, 1851, he was ordained an Elder, and two months later entered the mission field where with much success he rendered gratuitous labor for over a decade. In 1861, he was released and after several months' toilsome journey

EDITORS' TABLE 385 arrived in Salt Lake City, and settled in Farmington. In the meantime, on January 21, 1855, he married Lucetta Stratford. He has been a beloved leader of the valiant type among the people of Utah and the West for sixty-three years, and the tens of thousands of his friends gladly extend to him their love and good will, with heartfelt praye.s for his continued health and happiness, in all of which the Irn provement Era heartily joins. The M. I. A. Slogan, 1922-23. We here acclaim that sincere document, The slogan, this year, of the M. I. A.. These simple words: "We stand for a pure life, Through clean thoughts, ever backed by noble acts." That legend: that the devil has to do With all the good things, is an evil lie, Concocted by the enemies of right; Or that the chaste and pure must lead a life Of dull asceticism — is not true. There is no sweeter pleasure, in this world, Than that which comes to him who bides his time, And. in the hour of triumph over sin, Reaps the reward of virtue. He is king Who, having strong desires, can ever be Courageous in temptation. Strength he has And power will be added unto him. "Oh, but," I fancy you are whispering, "The romance is all gone. If we should lead The life you recommend, we should be dubs." The romance that is born of chivalry Surpasses, leagues and leagues, the kind that springs From low desires. The strength of being clean, And whole, and well, and free from any blame; This, and the confidence of some pure girl, Is such a romance as the gods would wish. Adventure, did you say? How can we fail To see how action, life, and manly brawn Are needed in defense of womankind? There never was, nor e'er will be again, A time such as this present furious age. When all men should be pure as well as stiong. O, that this generation may surpass Its predecessors, if an acid test Should needs be made, and purity of life Be placed upon the balance! We are safe, If every man will think clean, wholesome thoughts And keep himself above vain, self-reproach. James H. Moore.