Recently I had the privilege of speaking to the boys in the camp where Elder V. P. Hulse is located as chaplain, with the rank of lieutenant, in the Reforestation Camps of Northern Michigan. I was with him over one night, and spent another half day in the other camps near the one in which he is guaranteed. In these camps there are about two thousand men. Brother Hulse wears the uniform of lieutenant when in camp, and has complete charge of all religious services in seven camps. Presbyterians, Methodists, Baptists, Catholics, and all come under his jurisdiction.
The boys gave splendid attention. He talked to them in a very friendly way, and they all obeyed orders at once. They came forward, sat down on their bunks in the barracks, and when he gave out the hymn, they sang heartily. Brother Hulse closed his prayer with the Lord's prayer, and it seemed to me that almost every boy in the whole camp joined in the prayer.
When Brother Hulse introduced me as the speaker of the evening, he told the boys that I was the "Bishop" of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the State of Michigan, and the man under whom he worked; that he was at my command as to where he was to work and what he was to do. He requested me to talk on "Order," bringing out the thought of being loyal to the government and loyal to God. I spoke of the loyalty of Christ to His Father,—how that when He came to the place of crucifixion, He gave up His life, went into the tomb, and came forth,—and stated that He was the only man who had ever made a promise to mankind and come back from the grave to fulfill the promise.
I spoke as a Seventh-day Adventist, and was introduced as a Seventh-day Adventist. As I met the boys in the various camps and he introduced me to some of the men whom he knew, without exception he told them that I was a Seventh-day Adventist. I really felt proud of the definite stand he took with regard to our faith. One minister came to speak in the camps a few weeks ago. He said to Brother Hulse, "I am sorry to know that you are a Seventh-day Adventist." Brother Hulse told him he hoped that before they got through he would change his mind and be pleased that he was a Seventh-day Adventist.
Brother Hulse very frankly told the minister that when he talked to the men he should answer their questions from the Bible. Elder Hulse took him out to one of the colored camps, and the minister took occasion to make a thrust at Brother Hulse in public, although the boys, of course, did not recognize it. The minister said, "You boys, I suppose, know that the old ceremonial law is done away with. We are not living under that anymore." But he said that the ten commandment law was still binding. One of the colored boys pricked up his ears and said, "Sir, does you-all say that the ten commandment law is still binding?" "Yes, sir," replied the minister, "it is still binding." "Well, sir," said the colored boy, "one of those commandments says that the seventh day is the Sabbath. How do you handle that?" I needn't go on with the rest of it, but the colored boy had him in a corner. He went away good-naturedly, but the lad assuredly left an impression on the camp that clinched the point.
Brother Hulse told me that some of the boys had asserted they did not believe the Bible. "Well," he said, "boys, if you will come over to — building at 7 this evening, I will tell you why I believe the Bible." He said that instead of going into the usual arguments we so often hear, he preached a sermon on Daniel 2. And when he had finished he said, "Boys, the fulfillment of this prophecy makes me believe that Daniel was a prophet of the Lord, and that at least that much of the Bible is inspired. If you want to know about other books of the Bible, I have just as good proof."
I was interested in some of the letters the chief of chaplains wrote, and I must say that he has sent out many good things. He wishes all chaplains to be in good standing with their churches, and does not wish them to give up the work in their own churches. He asks Brother Hulse, as well as all other chaplains, how much time they spend in their own church work. So Brother Hulse finds it to his advantage to be in our churches on the Sabbath, and he reports the same to Washington. I am really impressed with the work that is being done, and, it, seems to me it would be well if we had doctors of the right kind who could go into these camps and work.
Brother Hulse preaches at his home church every two weeks, and other churches in the vicinity the alternating week. In other words, he has ene certain pulpit to fill, and on the other Sabbaths he follows a kind of circuit. I listened to his talk at one camp that had just been opened. The lads were all attention. He had asked me to speak, but I felt that it was not best until he himself had made contact. The men were respectful, and he spoke to them in such a pleasing and straightforward manner that it seemed to me no one could fail to be favorably impressed with the sincerity of his message. When it comes to court martial and discipline, he seldom takes part, as that is not his work.
I will conclude by giving you a paragraph from a letter by Dr. J. E. Yates, chief of chaplains. It is entitled, "Camouflaging Your sob:"
"One chaplain who should know better, writes, 'Too much pure religion or meetings labeled as religious are not to be commended.'
When a chaplain—or for that matter any professional man—feels that he must camouflage his job, common decency and a dignified respect for that profession seems to indicate that he seek some other calling for which he does not feel he must apologize. A chaplain's supreme job is religion, spiritual ministration to wayworn, tempted, and perplexed men. When he envisions his task as that of a cheap entertainer, this office would welcome his resignation from the ranks of men who feel they have a call to a higher mission."
Lansing, Mich.
