EASTERN SIBERIA.

Evening Star, Issue 16852, 30 September 1918, Page 4

EASTERN SIBERIA.

TIENTSIN".. September 29. Chinese -and Japanese troops have disarmed 1,5C0 Austro-Tlungariana in the vicinity of Blagovestchensk (011 the Amur). IN THE CITY CHURCHES. Yesterday was observed at St. Matthew's Church as a day of thanksgiving for the victories in Palestine, as suggested by the Archbishop of Canterbury that yesterday should he so observed. At the evening service, as Canon W. Cnrzon-Siggers began his sermon, a copy of the 'Star' message announcing that Bulgaria was out of the war was handed to him, and it was worked into the sermon as a- very pointed illustration. After the sermon the Doxology, followed by 'Rule, Britannia,' were sung most lustily by the congregation. At AH" Saints' on Sunday evening, preaching on the groat battle of the nations—Revelation svi., " And he gatliered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon"—Dean Fitehett said that geographically the place, called Armageddon was the Plain of Megiddo. stretching across Northern Palestine from the Mediterranean coast to the Jordan, a famous battleground throughout Jewish history, which fact may explain the reference to it in the Apocalypse. It wa-s on the Plain of Megiddo that Barak defeated the kings of Canaan, and Gideon the swarms of the children of the East. In the later Jewish wars the Plain of Megiddo often resounded with the tramp of armies and the din of bnttlo. The s-amo Plain of Megiddo wan the scene of General Allenby's recent victory, liberating Palestine from the dominion of the Turk—the victory of the Cross over the Crescent. The level reaches of this great plain permitted the movements of British cavalry, which, sweeping round the rear of the Turks, completed their disaster. As wo speak of the Battlo of the Marne, the Battle of Ypros, the Battles of the Sommo, taking the geographical name, with equal accuracy mklit we speak oi General Allenby's'battle as the Battle of Armageddon. That is literally so. Whatever view be taken of the Apocalyptic prediction, this coincidence is striking. British warfare in Palestine is part of the world-em-bracing battle of the nations, and General Allenby's force is but the wing of a greater army. The subject of the Rev. R. E. Davies's discotirse at Knox Church last night was ' Victory and Song.' Taking Psalm exxiv. as his text, the preacher pointed out that j this national lyric, frequently sung by pilgrims to and from the Holy City, refers to a period when a band of' 50,000 men, under the leadership of Zerubbabel, crossed the deserts to the wasted land of their ancestors. The Persians, under Cyrus, had conquered the great military power of Babylon,, thus bringing freedom to the captive Hebrew people. The sense of release from oppression, sudden and unexpected as it was, is evident .throughout the poem. These words have become dear to many an oppressed and afflicted race,

and at this time they fittingly express the deep sense of gratitude, il not exultation, in view of the decided turn events have taken in Europe. Mr Davies reviewed briefly the vicissitudes of our national fortunes during the period of the war, pointing out that • again and again we have been saved from defeat when circumstances seemed overwhelming. Well might we say with the poet: " Thi* was the Lord's doing, and it was marvellous in their eyes." Reference was made to the Somme battle in 1916, when the large armies of Britain were put to the test. What the enemy thought a mere improvised mass of men—" a loose rabble"— undertook the most stupendous enterprise ever tackled by any army in war. Three million men wero engaged in this battle, while the casualties were over three-quar-ters of a million. Still, the armies and the nation stood the test. The defection of Russia snatched victory from our grasp in 1917. The Central Powers, with a great acquisition of strength, braced themselves for the 1918 campaign, and _for a time victory appeared to be almost in the onemy'a grasp. The advent of powerful American armies enabled the Allies to attack much sooner than was generally anticipated, and for some months wo have had a succession of victories, with a gradually decreasing morale on the part of the enemy. It is a problem in psychology as to when the enemy will reach that suicidal point to which Sir Gerard refers in his second book. Having re counted the good news of recent days, tlio speaker said there were evident signs of collapse. The world was not going to slip hack into barbarism. The philosophy of materialism, long since proved bankrupt in the schools, is now discredited beyond measure. We can see that it is a blind alley that ends in death to all who place their faith "in. it. Let there be no mistake about it. Our men are fighting to end this business of war. Nover again shall the destinies of a nation, or anv group of nations, lie in the hands of a iew men. The world will be a more wholesome place to live in. We may have to pass through a period of unrestindustrial, social, political, and religious. There has awakened in the heart of humanity a strong spirit of discontent. This discontent, if it be large and liberal, will spoil life. So we raise our Ebenezer '■Hitherto hath the Lord helped us." We must not rest on it, but, having acknowledged God, let us go on and finish the business.

RED CROSS WORK. Mr Montague W. P. Las-cellos, special commissioner for the Y.M.C.A., who recently -rotamed from the fighting fronts, will leotiuiro ab Kaitan.ca.ta. to-morrow night, and at Mosgiel on Wednesday night. The lectures arc in connection with the Red Cross copper trail campaign.