vention was held in Chicago in July. Resolutions were adopted endorsing the fight on the liquor traffic, the promotion of international peace, the use of the Bible in the public schools, better Sabbath observance, and a pronouncement on strikes and lock-outs. The number of registered delegates exceeded 10,000.

Bible Class Movements, Laymen's Missionary Movement, Missionary Education Movement, and various other bodies. After discussion it was agreed that in order to save effort and expense, particularly in projected movements and programmes, there should be established a commission under the auspices of the Federal Council of the Churches of Christ in America, to be known as the Commission on Federated Movements. outcome of the conference was an agreement that such a commission should be created for the purpose of conference concerning projected campaigns or movements that harmony of action might so far as possible be secured. The Commission was organized with Fred B. Smith as chairman, and Rev. Curtis Guild as secretary.

The

A Sacred Book of the Mormons Subjected to Scientific Examination.What is known to Mormons as the "Book of Abraham," claimed to be a translation by Joseph Smith "of some ancient records that have fallen into our hands from the catacombs of Egypt; the writings of Abraham while he was in Egypt, called the 'Book of Abraham,' written down by his own hand upon papyrus," has been submitted to archæologists for examination. The documents prove Religious Instruction to Publicto be genuine, ancient Egyptian School Pupils.-The Commission on hieroglyphics. When Smith's transla- Religious Education of the Federal tion was made, no man could prove Council of the Churches of Christ in that it was not correct for the hiero- America has suggested a plan for reglyphics could not then be read. Two ligious instruction of public-school years ago Bishop Spalding of Utah pupils. It proposes that pastors of persuaded the Mormon leaders to sub-churches organize a staff of trained mit the "Book of Abraham" to the inspection of Egyptian scholars. An examination of the inscriptions, which are not upon papyrus but upon small clay objects, show that the Smith translation was purely imaginary. The inscriptions make no mention of Abraham in Egypt, but are merely short prayers to the Egyptian sun god.

Federation of Interdenominational Organizations.-There was held in Atlantic City, in June, a Conference on Inter-Church Activities, including representatives of the International Sunday School Association, the Sunday School Council of the evangelical denominations, the International Committee of the Y. M. C. A., the National Board of the Y. W. C. A., Christian Endeavor, Epworth League, Baptist Young People's Union, Brotherhood of St. Andrew, Brotherhood of Andrew and Philip, Brotherhood of

teachers for the purpose, secure suitable rooms within easy distance of the public schools, and join with the parents in a request to the publicschool authorities to release pupils for religious instruction one-half day a week, pupils who do this work not to be retarded in their advancement in the grades. The Commission represents the 30 denominations which are constituent bodies of the Federal Council. The feeling is growing that religious instruction should be given to public-school pupils on week days but in such a way as not to violate the non-sectarian character of the schools. The Gary plan (A. Y. B., 1913, p. 817) appears to lend itself to the suggestions of the Commission, and a trial of it is being made in New York City, both Protestants and Roman Catholics taking steps to provide rooms and teachers for religious instruction.

JUDAISM

ABRAM S. ISAACS

Progress in Palestine.-Henrietta | the latest American Jewish Year Szold, secretary of the American Book a clear and full account of JewJewish Publication Society, gives in ish progress in Palestine, for which

the Zionist movement has been large- persecution, and death. Full data are ly responsible. The Jewish popula- still lacking, but the bloodiest records tion in 1914 amounted to 100,000, of of the Middle Ages are surpassed in whom 15,000 were in the rural set- horror. It is peculiarly tragic that, tlements, about 14 per cent. of the as fully 400,000 Jews fought in the entire population-a very rapid rate Russian army, their relatives and of growth in 30 years. The chief friends at home should have experistreams of Jewish population flow enced hardships at the hand of the from Yemen, in Arabia, and from Government and its subordinates, eastern Europe. Owing to the new while occasional rumors of effective Turkish constitution, which imposes reforms were rarely realized. Hapmilitary duty upon all classes, emi- pily the whole world of Jewry arose gration has increased considerably, to the work of relief. In the United especially among young men. Through States, in addition to Jewish contricooperation the colonies, after fluctu-butions to the Red Cross and other ating fortunes, have shown marked funds, about $1,400,000 was raised by growth. Fully 500,000 boxes of or- the American Jewish Relief Commitanges, at the last estimate, came tee and the Central Relief Fund. from Jewish plantations; the wine Further amounts are being collected trade, too, is promising; the Anglo- and will be continued until the war's Palestine Bank exerts a salutary in- end. On March 14 the Navy collier fluence, aiding many mutual loan as- Vulcan sailed from Philadelphia with sociations, while the credit and edu- 1,000 tons of food and supplies purcational system maintained by the chased by and donated to that comJewish Colonization Association (Bar-mittee for Palestine; 70 additional on de Hirsch's benefaction) has tons were taken on board at Alexanbeen of great advantage in purchasing land and solving the labor problem. Among other helpful societies are the Palestine Land Development Co., Tiberias Plantation Co. (experimenting with cotton), and the Irrigation Society, with its plant for irrigating some orange plantations. The trans-Jordan region is said to be most promising for settlement. There are reforestation stations, an industrial colony of Yemenites, and an agricultural experiment station, with a system of plant exchanges between Palestine and America. With the rapid industrial and cultural development, the possibilities are many and hopeful, despite numerous vexatious problems that are still to be solved, and others that have been precipitated by the war.

dria, Egypt. The need of relief was emphasized by the commissioners of the Rockefeller Foundation, who on May 21 cabled from Poland: "Conditions in Poland are much worse than the worst in Belgium or northern France, and the population is now actually starving. Its most urgent need for outside aid is for the Jewish population." A resolution has been introduced in Congress requesting the Government to advocate the emancipation of Jews in belligerent countries. A movement to call a conference of Jewish societies in the interest of the Jews abroad after the war with the view to their permanent emancipation and to encourage settlement in Palestine is being encouraged by many, but meets much criticism. A preliminary meeting was an nounced to take place late in November, the Zionist element being its strongest supporters, to organize a congress on the broadest democratic plan.

The War and the Jews. It is admitted that of all the religious groups in the various countries at war the conditions of the Jew has been most pitiable, in Poland, Galicia and Russia. The military zone of occupation The Order of B'nai B'rith.-This in the eastern campaigns included re- most influential of Jewish fraternipeatedly territory where the larger ties in the United States held its Connumbers of Jews reside or are per- stitution Grand Lodge Convention in mitted legally to reside. It is a piti- San Francisco in May. The members ful story of voluntary and forced ex- now number 40,083, with 308 lodges patriation, hurried flight at the point at home and 134 abroad, the district of the sword, poverty, starvation, | headquarters of the foreign lodges be

ing in Berlin, Bucharest, Vienna, Constantinople. The year has witnessed rapid growth. It supports religious schools, charitable work, industrial and manual training, and social welfare. At the San Francisco session it was resolved to create a social-service bureau and to impose a per capita tax on all members for an emergency charitable fund to be distributed by the district lodges. Rev. Dr. Coffee of Pittsburgh has been elected social director.

niversaries of the Baron de Hirsch Fund and the New York Educational Alliance. The lynching of Leo Frank near Atlanta aroused intense indignation, after the governor of Georgia had commuted his sentence to life imprisonment (see also IX, Law and Jurisprudence). The death on Nov. 19 of Dr. Solomon Schechter, head of the New York Jewish Seminary and a scholar of international note, caused much sorrow.

Events Abroad.-Emil Vandervelde, Dedication of Synagogues and Other the Socialist member of the Belgian Institutions. The principal Jewish Cabinet, declared on Feb. 12 that institutions opened during the year when peace terms are negotiated, the include: Samuel Grabfelder Medical Socialists are prepared to demand Building of the National Jewish Hos- equality for Jews of Russia and Roupital, Denver; synagogues at Wilming- mania. In April a Zion Mule Transton, Del., New Orleans, Baltimore, port Corps, composed wholly of JewBoston, Chelsea, Dorchester, Maple- ish refugees from Palestine, was atwood, Mass., Minneapolis, Hoboken, tached to the British forces. Gen. Jersey City, New York City, Rockville Jules Heyman was promoted to comCentre, N. Y., Lima, O., Philadelphia and Memphis; a Y. W. H. A. building at Washington, and a Y. M. H. A. at Louisville; Hebrew Hospital, Baltimore; Home for Aged, Buffalo; Jewish Institute, Brooklyn; B. Gimbel Memorial School, Philadelphia.

Civil Rights.-President Wilson's veto of the Burnett Immigration bill (Jan. 28) was favorably received, many protests against the literacy test having been forwarded by Jewish societies. Further activity against Bible reading in public schools met favorable results in Louisiana, Ohio, Vermont, Michigan and New York. Following similar action on the part of the New York legislature, a bill was introduced in the Pennsylvania legislature on March 12, making it a misdemeanor for hotels, etc., to advertise or circularize that they exclude persons because of any religion or

race.

Events in the United States.-Due wholly to the war, a marked decrease occurred in Jewish immigration. According to data from January to July, inclusive, in 1914 the arrivals at New York, Philadelphia, and Boston numbered 53,349; in 1915, 3,544, of which 3,053 were destined for the north and central Atlantic states. Centenary celebrations of the birth of Rev. Drs. Max Lilienthal and Samuel Hirsch were held, and the celebrations included the twenty-fifth an

mand of a French army corps. The B'nai B'rith lodges of Germany sent a hospital supply train of 28 cars to the front. Fresh restrictions, revival of old anti-Jewish laws, with here and there gratifying efforts to remove harsh measures and secure more civil liberty, were chronicled in Russia. In Turkey early in January, the Government gave to the Jewish community the building in which were housed schools for converting the Jews to Christianity and which had been closed by the authorities. A loan of $120,000 was raised in the United States, France, and England for the relief of orange-growers in Palestine. The schools of the Alliance Israelite continue unrestricted by the Ottoman authorities in Turkey, the Zionist institutions have been less fortunate. Arthur M. Myers was chosen Minister of Munitions and Customs in the new cabinet of New Zealand. Dr. Rudolph Schover was made Chief Justice of Belgium by the German Government and Deputy Aronson of the Prussian Diet finanical agent of Poland. M. Weinstein, an Odessa merchant, was appointed a member of the Council of the Russian Empire, the first Jew to receive such an honor. Lazzaro Frizzi and Leone Wollemberg were appointed to the Senate of Italy. Herbert Samuel was made Postmaster General of Great Britain, and Edwin Samuel

Montagu became successively a mem- the British Cabinet, and Financial ber of the British Privy Council and Secretary to the Treasury.

XXX. ART, ARCHEOLOGY, MUSIC, AND DRAMA

PAINTING, SCULPTURE, AND HANDICRAFTS

WILLIAM B. M'CORMICK

The European War and American | furnishing designs. But the business Art.-The great war in Europe has men had been indifferent to the opreacted on American affairs in many portunities offered. Foreign designs ways but in none with quite so re- were an assured thing; native ones markable and important an effect as would be an experiment, possibly on American art. In a year that has costly and unreliable, and so no heed witnessed the assembling of the paint- was paid to the matter. ings and other works comprising the art section of the Panama-Pacific Exposition, that has seen the opening of the Minneapolis Museum and of the George Gray Barnard Gothic Museum to the public, the addition of the Evans wing to the Boston Museum, the installation of the Riggs donation of arms and armor in the Metropolitan Museum in New Yorkall these are of secondary importance compared with the fact that for the first time in our history industry has turned to native art for help. What museum directors, art teachers and the rare real friends of American art have been working for through long years has come to pass at last. The art of design is being practiced here by resident (if not wholly native) craftsmen for native use.

The cause of this realization is simple. By the opening of the year 1915 firms engaged in making goods in which design was essential realized they were cut off from their usual sources of supply abroad as a result of conditions brought about by war breaking out in 1914. The designers of France had gone to the front; Germany and Austria-Hungary were barred from trade with us in this as in all other branches. Then the manufacturers of textiles, furniture makers, architects and designers, turned to the American art museums for help. Some of the museums were ready, in fact had been trying for years without avail to call the attention of such business to their resources in the way of materials for

But with foreign sources closed the native ones had to be tested. To the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York there came a small army of designers from places as remote as Grand Rapids, Cleveland and Cincinnati, to study designs for furniture, textiles, lamps, architectural and ecclesiastical subjects, every one of which was for practical use. Moreover, the silk weavers of Paterson, N. J., went to the art museums for help in getting up an historical textiles exhibition in connection with the first annual Silk Convention held in that city (Oct. 12-31). As a result of this it is probable that Paterson, the greatest silk manufacturing city in the United States, will in the near future have a permanent textile museum modeled after the famous one in Lyons, France. The furniture manufacturers of Grand Rapids, Mich., also were discussing the establishment of a museum devoted to their craft.

The war closed all the art auction centers abroad with the exception of London where a few small sales were held. New York loomed up as the only important art auction center of the world. Although the few indifferent collections sent from Europe for sale met with poor financial results, there was a better story to tell when the Ichabod T. Williams paintings and the Brayton Ives collection of prints were sold by the American Art Association in February and April. In fact the Brayton Ives prints, with a total of $290,819.50 for