Father Divine to Rebuild The Ulster Sub-heaven

Manawatu Times, Volume 62, Issue 98, 27 April 1937, Page 7

Father Divine to Rebuild The Ulster Sub-heaven

MORE ELABORATE THAN BEFORE United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright. Received Monday, 10 p m. NEW YORK, April 26. Father Divine’s secretary expressed the belief that the Ulster lire was the work of an incendiary. He said Father Divine would build a more elaoorate structure to replace it. MAN OF MYSTERY. RISE FROM OBSCURITY. Short, stocky, bullet-hoaded, and expensively dressed, Father Divine, a former negro parson, might bo mistaken for just another of the prosperous negro “professional gentlemen’' whoso cars flash country wards each week-end through Harlem, New York « dingy Black (Quarter, let, by millions of Americans, black and white, tho iittJc man is fanatically worshipped ns Go 6 returned to earth. His colossal poiiti cal and social power sends the United states Government into uneasy lidgote und the average citizen wonders appre heusively whether the idea of a black

“Emperor of America’’ is quite so fartastic as it oflee seemed.

During the past few years the cult of Father Divine's simple roligicu* teaching—a mixture of Christian Science, Theosophy, and the Bible— ha* ► wept the States. Already ho claim.* between 10,000,000 and 15,000,000 sup porters to whom his boast “God ia again walking the planet Earth in « Holy Body known to the world Gather Divine’' is the solid foundation of a now philosophy of life ana religion. Recently there have been indications that the little “black god” of Harlem is planning to extend his kingdom aero?* the Atlantic. Already he has five “missions” in {Switzerland and ho plans to establish similar missions in Franco, Italy, Scaudiuavia, Had Britain. Freni these centres, the little negro believes, his doctrine will spread through Europe, soothing tho bitter animosities of the unhappy Continent with its slogan, “Peace! Pea-el Father, it’s wonderful.” Value of Publicity. The story of Father Divine’s rapid rise to power is as strange as that of any dictator. Six years ago his uaino was unknown, though in 11161 the little Long Island town of Sayville became indifferently aware of an eccentric uegro ex-pastor, calling himself the Kev. Major T. Divine, in its midst. Ho had arrived, nearly penniless, from Brooklyn and opeuod a small struggling employment agency which—in that year of unparalleled depression and unemployment—soon shut down through lack of stock. Divine's next move was dramatic. Though apparently penniless, ho suddenly bought a Hue, largo house iu Suyvillo’s best residential area, paying for it in 500-doJlar bills. Sayville society was bothered. The First *’Heaven.” Worse followed, for Divine appeared to be taking in boarders. Twenty more of them, all black and mostly noisy, and every night twice as many visitors would flow in a black tide from Manhattan and Brooklyn. By day the odour of clam powder and fried chicken titiluted bay ville’s nose; by night raucous singing of negro psalms and the shattering laughter ot roformed negro singers battered at its ears. Father Divine’s first “Heaven,named the House of Joy, was in full blast. Within a few weeks Father Divine had shuffled into the fierce light of New York publicity. Complaints were made to the police, who instituted Inquiries and a young coloured girl detective was scot to seek aid from tho House of Joy. Divine took her in, fed, and housed her. bhe found him living in all respectability with a wife, Mother Divine, and a collection of discoples, or “angels,” with names like ‘‘Sweet Sleep” and “Wonderful Joy.” She could find nothing else. Allegations of immorality havin’g failed, Divine was summoned to court as a “public nuisance” and he smilingly paid a seemingly impossible bail of 1000 dollars. At tho court similar scenes occurred to those reported in recent cables and the publicity brougnt thousands of adherents to Father Divine, who shortly afterwards moved to the first of his city “heavbns,” a five-storey building in Harlem, which is now his headquarters. A large banqueting hall is on the ground floor and three of the upper floors are given over to dormitories for homeless negroes.