in Minnesota may have been cold and at times it certainly did
go down to 20 degrees below zero. There was nothing cold, however, in the
response the Minnesotans gave to the message of the Christian Anti-Communism
Crusade. Mrs. Birnie and I enjoyed six weeks of ministry in that state with
a response that left our hearts gladdened. Well, I centered the campaign
mostly in the Twin-City area. Mrs. Birnie traveled around the north and
northwest and enjoyed a remarkable hearing. There are indeed many highlights
of our sojourn in the northwestern state. The number of civic groups that
showed an interest in the message and who were prepared to commit themselves
to sponsorship was remarkable in the extreme. I cannot omit a grateful
mention of the American Legion in this capacity. They sponsored rallies in
both Minneapolis and St. Paul and without hesitation warmly identified
themselves with the message and ministry of the Christian Anti-Communism
Crusade, though typical of vast sections of the community who were prepared
to clearly and unequivocally take this stand in opposition to the malignant
force of Communism and foursquare for God and the principles underlying
American liberty.
My Minnesota sojourn
culminated in a fitting climax. I was privileged to be the speaker for the
Winter Shows sponsored in Crookston each year by the University of Minnesota
College of Agriculture. The weather was not propitious as a blizzard had
taken place the previous day, blowing great drifts of snow in every
direction. Nevertheless, the meeting which was held in the Crookston High
School Auditorium on the evening of Tuesday, February 22, was an
unprecedented success. The crowd was greeted than anything this function had
known previously and the response was warm-hearted and tremendous. I will
simply quote from a letter that Mrs. Birnie wrote to me. She writes:
"Dr. Dale says your meeting made history. It was the biggest and finest
the farmers ever have had."
It is a healthy
exercise to pause at periodic intervals and take stock of the progress being
made in the battle against Communism. In one of the earliest letters of this
Crusade, written about twelve months ago, I outlined certain priorities of
the Communist program. These were as follows: 1. An advance into Southeast
Asia with the prime target being Indo-China; 2. The driving of a wedge
between America and her allies, particularly between American and Great
Britain; and 3. The discrediting and character assassination of those who
dared to raise their voice in the conflict against Communism.
A moment of
consideration will reveal the tremendous progress that the Communists have
made in each of these objectives. The northern half of Indo-China has been
openly surrendered to the Communists. There is to be an allegedly free
election for all of Indo-China next year to determine its fate. It will not
be difficult to determine the outcome of this election when we realize that
the Communists already have more than half the population under their
control and that there has never yet been an election in an area controlled
by the Communists when the Communists did not receive 90% of the total
votes. The situation in Indo-China today is one of total victory for the
Communists in that regard and any attempt to hide this conclusion is
dishonesty and self-deceit.
At the moment there is
open division between America and Britain as to what should be done with
regard to the off-shore islands of Matsu and Kumoi in the Formosa straight.
The Communists are threatening the immediate attack on these islands. Many
authorities of Great Britain are urging that they should be surrendered
without a fight to the Chinese Communists. It is remarkable that there is no
mention of simultaneously surrendering other territories which are even
closer to the Communist mainland than Matsu and Kumoi. This disagreement
between America and her allies is a great comfort and consolation to the
Communist conspirators in their continuing campaign of world conquest.
In America particularly
the campaign to discredit the fight against Communist has reached a
crescendo. More than twelve months ago when vicious newspaper attacks were
launched against those men and women who had forsaken the ranks of the
Communists and repented of their various crimes and endeavored to bring
forth fruit meet unto repentance, they came and gave evidence for the
government to indicate the nature of the Communist conspiracy and its
prevalent danger. This campaign has reached its climax with the case of
turn-about witness, Harvey Matsuo. The prime object of the Communists in
this campaign is to discredit the ex-Communist witnesses, to break public
confidence in their veracity and to bring pressure to bear upon the
government prosecuting officers that they will not in the future use with
confidence the testimonies of the ex-Communists. The necessity of achieving
this result is desperate for the Communist Party. The Party has been
seriously inconvenienced in its conspiracy of conquest and death. Were it
not for the evidence of the ex-Communists, there would not be a single
Communist in prison today under the Smith Act. They have been convicted of
conspiracy to overthrow the government of the United States by force and
violence and teaching to overthrow the government of the United States by
force and violence. The evidence had to be provided in court that they had
thus conspired and thus taught to conspire. The only evidence that would
stand legally was the evidence of those people who had actually heard them
to thus teach and been present at the conspiracy. This evidence was provided
by the ex-Communist. On this evidence they were convicted and many are in
prison at present. If this process continues, the Communist Party will
continue to suffer and desperate measures were necessary in an effort to
muffle and stop the testimony of the ex-Communists. When we understand the
dilemma of the Communist Party, we can understand the position of turn-about
witness Harvey Matsuo.
It is a deliberate
Communist conspiracy to destroy the effectiveness of the ex-Communists
against the Communists. Many newspaper columnists and dupes have fallen
victim to this Communist conspiracy. It is heartening to note that the
authorities have not been thus easily taken in. The Texas judge has
adjudicated that Matsuo was not lying in his original testimony but that he
is now lying when he says that his original testimony was incorrect, and by
sentencing him to prison for conspiring now to defeat the ends of justice by
lying about the original testimony, a great blow has been delivered against
this subtle Communist conspiracy.
The Christian
Anti-Communism Crusade is proud to number in its ranks Mrs. Helen Birnie.
Mrs. Birnie was once a devoted Communist. She is now a devoted Christian.
She is endeavoring to repay her debt to society by exposing the menace of
that which she once served. She has had a most wonderful experience of the
transforming power of Christ in regeneration and her messages are stirring
and challenging to whoever hears. Naturally, she would also be a target for
the slander of the Communists. During the recent months in the north of
Minnesota she has been the target for such attacks. However, it has been
most heartening to mote that whenver she has been under attack, the
Christian friends of the Crusade have rallied most warmly to her support and
the enemy has been utterly overwhelmed and defeated. It was my privilege to
go into the northern Minnesota area where Mrs. Birnie has been proclaiming
the message and find the wonderful, loyal, warmhearted support of such
Christian brethren and members of the Crusade as Gus Kveen, Mr. and Mrs.
Barney Anderson, Dr. Dale, and the Botham Brothers, and we rejoice in the
extension of the ministry into these strategic farm lands. A visit to this
area just causes one’s heart to overflow with the warm, loving support
that these folks have manifested both to Mrs. Birnie and to myself as well
as to the overall program of the Christian Anti-Communism Crusade. As we
band ourselves together in enlightened, intelligent, dedicated Christian
service against this Communist monster we can anticipate the blessing of God
and signs and wonders to be accomplished in His name.
Our radio ministry
continues to expand. We are now broadcasting from KXEL, Waterloo, Iowa; from
WCBC, Anderson, Indiana; and from Juneau, Alaska. We rejoice that the
message of the Crusade is now going out twice weekly from the station WCBC
in Anderson, Indiana. It was my privilege some time ago to be associated
with the Rev. Billheimer of Great Commission Schools and the manager of the
radio station WCBC which is run by the Schools, and I found them to be some
of the finest Christian gentlemen it has been my experience to meet. It is a
challenge to see what has been accomplished in that area of Indiana. At
present, a television station license has been granted to Great Commission
Schools and to Rev. Billheimer, and this project deserves the support of
every Christian and every citizen throughout the land. It is, I believe, the
first television license that has been granted to an evangelical Christian
body. The Christian Anti-Communism Crusade warmly support this project and
we would urge anyone wishing to support them to write to Rev. Billheimer,
Box 77, Anderson, Indiana, as we feel that this is a project worthy of the
whole-hearted support of every Christian throughout the entire land.
I wish to express my
thanks to the many Christian friends who are so loyally standing by the
Crusade at this time. Every day the mail brings evidence of those whose
hearts have been touched and who desire to associate themselves with us in
the ministry. We do appreciate hearing from you and welcome any suggestions
or questions that you may have. We particularly urge every member and friend
to recruit others, that our ministry may grow and expand as it is
tremendously necessary, confronted with the hideous growth and expanse of
Communism. At the moment I am in the Dallas-Fort Worth-Houston area. The
Lord is opening many wonderful doors and as we continue to pray and be
faithful, we believe great things will yet be accomplished. I do covet the
prayers and support of every Christian friend. At this moment I have ben
wonderful delight of having the companionship and presence of my wife,
Lillian. Through the generosity of one of the friends of the Crusade, Dr.
George Westcott, of Ypsilanti, Michigan, it has been possible for her to
come on a short visit to the United States. Unfortunately, it cannot be as
long as we would like as there are three children, John, Rosemarie, and
David, needing her care back in Australia. Nevertheless, we are very
grateful for the short time that she is able to be with me, and together we
are enjoying the weather, the friendliness, and the sense of God’s
presence in this great land of Texas.
I would covet earnestly
your prayers for Dr. and Mrs. Pietsch and Mrs. Birnie. Dr. Pietsch is
feeling the burdens of his years and his labor for the Lord very much. He
has been carrying burdens that would break the back of many men. Physically,
he is suffering severe strain at present and really needs a prolonged rest.
We would commend this thing to your hearts. Praying God’s blessing upon
everyone, I am
Yours sincerely in Christ,
Fred. C. Schwarz
W. E. PIETSCH, D. D.
PRESIDENT
Dear Friends and Fellow Members:
"If God be fore us, who can be against us?" Ro. 8:31
"Behold, I am
against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshek and Tubal: And I will turn
thee back, and will leave but the sixth part of thee, and will cause thee to
come up from the north parts, and will bring thee upon the mountains of
Israel: And I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand, and will cause thine
arrows to fall out of thy right hand. Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of
Israel, thou, and all thy bands, and the people that is with thee: I will
give thee unto the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the
open field: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord God. And I will send fire
upon Magog, and among them that dwell carelessly in the isles; and they
shall know that I am the Lord. So will I make my holy name known in the
midst of my people Israel; and I will not let them pollute my holy name any
more; and the heathen shall know that I am the Lord, the Holy one in
Israel." Ezek. 39:1b-8.
We rejoice in the
privilege of sending another one of Dr. Schwarz’s vital reports as to the
work of the Christian Anti-Communism Crusade. God in His matchless love and
grace has been giving blessing, yet we have had to fight the forces of
darkness and evil. Your prayers at this time would be greatly appreciated
for divine wisdom and guidance, that we might do God’s work, God’s way.
How good to know that we are on God’s side, and the Communists do not
realize the power of prayer and the blessing of having the assurance that if
God be fore us, who can be against us.
The verses quoted above
from Ezekiel 39 give a graphic description of God’s ultimate dealings with
atheistic Communism, headed by Soviet Russia.
You will be happy to
learn that God is blessing the radio ministry, and we are hoping to have a
coast-to-coast chain as soon as the Lord has raised up sufficient friends so
we can carry out our fixed policy, "pay as we go." We trust you
will continue to join us in prayer and with as liberal financial support as
possible that we may go forward unhindered in these critical days, carrying
forth our fixed program of education, evangelism, and dedication. We would
appreciate it if you would send us ten names of friends to whom we could
send the News Letter and list them as prayer partners. We are enclosing an
envelope for this purpose, and we trust we may have the joy of hearing from
you this month.
Again, that you for
your special cooperation, and we covet God’s very best for you and your
loved ones.
Yours in Him because of Calvary,
W. E. Pietsch
|