THE pledge by Mr. John D. Rocke

feller of $75,000 to the American Baptist Home Mission Society, on the basis of one dollar for every dollar contributed by others for the purpose of rebuilding our Baptist church edifices in California, is another characteristic act of generosity on his part that is highly appreciated by the denomination, and that imparts new hope and courage to our brethren in California. It will be remembered that Mr. Rockefeller also gave $100,000 immediately after the great disaster for the relief of the temporal needs of the people.

The response of those who have not yet contributed for this purpose should be quick and generous, for a considerable sum must yet be secured to obtain the whole of this pledge. The amount received by the Home Mission Society to November 15th was $47,000, and by the Baptist Relief Committee of California, $16,300; or a total of $63,300. The whole $183,000 originally asked for is needed; but at all events $150,000 must be secured. Let it be done before January, for after that the Society's urgent claims must have right of way.

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It was feared that the financial losses of Baptists in Northern California in consequence of the earthquake and fire. would so seriously impair the resources of the Convention that the Society would be required to remit a very large sum due to it by the Convention for missionary work under the plan of co-operation. Happily, however, under the able leadership of Rev. C. W. Brinstad, the Baptists of Northern California have quit themselves like men in this matter by providing for the larger part of the obli

gation. When it became evident that they were doing their best and yet could not do all that was required, they received with enthusiasm at the Convention in November a telegram from the Corresponding Secretary of the Society that he would recommend to the Board a concession of $1,000 when the balance should be provided for, and they quickly met the conditions. Remember that this was done when the Society itself has a debt of over $200,000. But to give heart to a struggling body in a crisis like that is worth more than a thousand dollars; and we believe that the denomination will express its approval of such action. by generous offerings to the Society. We are sure, also, that it will appear that our brethren in California are not "lying down on the denomination," but are heroically addressing themselves to the difficult tasks before them and so are most worthy of help.

Already the work of rebuilding in California has begun; $12,000 having been appropriated to the First Baptist Church of Oakland, to enable it to rebuild the lecture room, which it is expected to occupy about the holidays.

a great awakening of the Baptists in these and other New England States in regard to their duty toward these peoples, and it is gratifying to note the heartiness with which the representatives of the State Conventions are addressing themselves to this problem in co-operation with the American Baptist Home Mission Society, which for a long period carried the work almost singlehanded. The total expenditures by the Society and the Conventions for this work in New England are about $30,000, of which the Society pays somewhat more than one-half. There are now 59 mission churches or stations among these peoples, and it is estimated that there are about 7,500 members in these churches and in American churches, with which many have become identified. Taking those of foreign birth and their descendants who are now Baptists, it would be found that probably they constitute about one in twelve of our entire constituency in New England. It is becoming a serious question, however, whether this old power-house of Protestantism is to be possessed and run in the interests of Romanism, which has made remarkable gains there in the last generation.