all groups may be denied that same right. He also stated that regardless of personal views or prejudice this grant of assembly should be reconsidered. As for the excuse of not having the facilities to accommodate the crowds, that was discounted as not a reasonable answer for denial.

Another letter appearing in the Cleveland Plain Dealer, September 14, 1952, under subheading “Readers, in Letters to Editor”, stated: “Editor Plain Dealer—Sir: You will no doubt be amazed to know that the Watchtower Society tried very hard to obtain the facilities of Cleveland Stadium for an eight-day convention for 1953 at the regular rental rates, but were turned down by Mayor Burke and Commissioner Paul J. Hurd. . . . The mayor of Cleveland well knows that in 1946 the Watchtower Society handled between 70,000 and 80,000 people in an orderly and well-behaved manner, and that it was estimated that between three and four millions of dollars benefited Cleveland merchants as a result of the convention. Similarly a like amount would have been spent had our mayor not refused next year’s convention. We believe Cleveland businessmen have been deprived of this business without warrant as the flimsy excuse that Cleveland is too small to accommodate a real convention, especially in view of the fact that in 1946, during a world war, Cleveland was amply large enough to take care of 70,000 to 80,000 visitors. Are we retrograding or progressing as a city? In 1946 the Watchtower Society paid the city of Cleveland well over $50,000 in rentals, asking no discounts. Is Mayor Burke setting a precedent and does this refusal mean that should other large religious organizations such as the Roman Catholic church desire to have another Eucharistic Congress such as they had here in 1935, would they too, be refused Cleveland’s public facilities? . . . Cleveland’s loss will be New York City’s gain, as the Watchtower Society has engaged Yankee Stadium for the 1953 international convention.”

Clevelanders do well to soberly ponder the prejudicial actions of its mayor before it is too late.

Priest-led Mob in Cyprus Foiled

IT SEEMS passing strange that a religious organization claiming to be Christian, the Greek Orthodox Church, should carry on religious persecution of Christians. And almost as strange is the fact that such should take place in a British colony, when Britain engaged in two world wars and is now supporting the United Nations, all ostensibly in the interests of the basic human freedoms. All of which is by way of introduction to the report received by The Watchtower from the island of Cyprus:

“Our Christian assembly at the cinema at Famagusta, Cyprus, scheduled May 23 to 25, 1952, started off well. On Friday evening we had an attendance of 200 and on Saturday 250. The brothers were thrilled with the release of two Bible tracts in the Greek language and a new ministry school schedule for the congregations, arranging for the study of the Christian Greek Scriptures. The advertising of the public lecture in town was excellent, and the people, for the most part, treated the witnesses well.

“The public talk was due to start at eleven o’clock Sunday morning. Knowing of past disturbance at our public meetings we took all precautions, and instructions were given the attendants not to allow any persons to enter who were suspected to be troublemakers, some of whom were known to us. About ten minutes before the public lecture was to begin, a procession came toward the cinema headed by six priests of the Orthodox Church and followed by scores of students of the secondary school which is controlled by the church. They turned to enter the cinema, but our alert attendants, with the assistance of the police, prevented their entering the building. The priests were told to leave, as they would not be permitted to enter. The leading priest had caused a disturbance in the same cinema in 1948.

“The priests insisted on entering and started pushing the attendants and police. To prevent their entering the doors were closed and locked. This so enraged the priests that they stated that they would enter if killed in the attempt. Police headquarters were contacted and request was made for more police officers, who arrived shortly. With a struggle the priests and the students were thrown off the stairs of the cinema and into the street. By this time the street had become a seething mass of people, and women were shouting and screaming. One of the witnesses was held captive for a time by four of the priests, but managed to free himself after having been struck in the face and having his clothing torn.

“The police told the crowd to disperse or their names would be taken, but the priests refused to move. One of the priests began to lecture on the opposite side of the street and their followers cheered and clapped. For an hour and a quarter this priest hurled abuse against us. The mob listening to him acted as though possessed by the demons. However, with the doors closed the speaker inside of the cinema was able to go on with his talk. He was heard by 330, but there is no doubt that hundreds more would have been present if all had been orderly outside of the cinema.

“The brothers were instructed to remain inside the cinema as there was no way of knowing just what the mob intended to do. At 12:15 the church bells began to ring and the priests led the procession back to their church. After the police cleared the way, strangers attending the lecture were permitted to leave and later on the brothers themselves left the cinema. The attendants, however, still had to guard the doors and more police were sent to maintain order during the afternoon session, as there were still some lawless elements outside.”

It may come as a surprise to some persons to note that clergymen, who appear so sanctimonious in their black robes, would so violently oppose the right of others to worship God according to the dictates of their conscience. But well-informed Christians are not surprised. They know that Jesus stated that his followers would receive the same kind of treatment that he got. And, no question about it, Jesus was violently persecuted by the clergy of his day, the scribes and Pharisees of Judaism. True to his words, his sheeplike followers are receiving the same kind of treatment from certain goatlike elements whenever such elements have sufficient power to give it.—Matt. 10:16-31; 25:31-46.