4The Daily Reflector, Greenville, N. C.Wednetday, December 24, IMS

Glorifying And Praising God

Luke 2:1*20

And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that ^ the world should be taxed.

(And this taxing was first made when (^yrenius was governor of Syria.) ^

And all wen| to 1^ taxed, every <me into his own c^y.

And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the dty of Nazareth into Judea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, (because he was of the house and lineage of David.)

To be taxed Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

And so it was, that while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.

And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them; and they were sore afraid.

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.

And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of heavenly host praising God, and saying.

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. '

And they came with haste, and found Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

Stars Seem To Shine Brighter

': By WILLIAM A. SHIRES

RALEIGH-The an ;* nivereary of Christs birth i? comes quietly, gently.

bringing its message of * everlasting peace, eternal J and joy.

In the evening darkness a

sighing in the pines.

Outdoors the stars somehou shine brighter.

J choir sings and candlelight I gleams on an altar and

* illuminates a cross. It is the ' light of the world.

J Worshippers come and kneel there in wonder and ' adoration, not unlike the

* shepherds on a starlit night ^ long ago in the hills of Judea. ; In the home, a Bible is

* opened. And there, in the : second chapter of Luke, is the I eternal proclaiming of the I good news which shall be to ; all people.

WILLIAM

SHmES

Finally there is sleep, a peaceful rest. It is dark and quiet across the land, in the villages and hamlets, but everything is radiant on this night.

The Prince of Peace is bom again in the hearts of men.

When morning comes the peace of Christmas lies over the land, be it cold, bare and wintry.

In many places there is snow and it is white Christmas beneath the groaning pines.

Breath is frosty in the morning cold. Birds ruffle their feathers. Where snow has not fallen, the fields lie brown and with patches of ice crusty and glistening wi the dark ground.

Smoke curls upward from the chimneys of small farmhouses and inside the fire is bright apd warm. Coffee bubbles on the stove and bacon is frying.

It is the Christmas story to be read again.

I Now it is still and calm as I Christmas comes.

! " Before bedtime, colored lights twinkle on the freshly : trimmed Christmas tree and * red candles glow in green ' wreaths, reflecting in the ' misty eyes of loved ones gathered round, t There are soft sounds of : carols and hymns and sometimes the wind is

Christmas morning belongs to children. Who can fcnrget the Christmas of childhood?

There is a tingle of sleepy-eyed excitement and then the happy sound of children laughing. There is a rustle (rf paper as ribbons are untied and gifts are opened. /

The gift is a symbol of Christmas, the giving of the greatest gift of all.

Christmas means the gift of love that brings peace, happiness and good will to men.

The Daily Reflector

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And when they had seen it, they made kno^ abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.

And all they that kcRnl it wondered at those things whkh were told them by the shepherds.

But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.

And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

A Happy Time In Our Land, And A Birthday

As Christmastime comes again nothing tells us more what this holiday season is about than Luke, Chapter 2, Verses 1 through 20.

Christmas is a happy time in our lan||. It is a time for giving gifts and joining with friers in celebration. It is a time when separated families get together again for once-a-year reunions.

But above it all we should always remember that it is a time for observing the birth of Christ, an event that changed the world almost 2,000 years ago. It is a time for rededicating ourselves to the (Tiristian principles of peace on earth and good will toward men.

McCormack vs. Birth Control

UNITED PRESS INTERNATIONAL

A4vertistag rates and deadlines available upon request Member MR Bureta af CirculatkMi.

By ROWLAND EVANS and ROBERT NOVAK

WASHINGTON - Just as President Nixon and key Republicans in Congress are energetically boosting government aid for birth control, Speaker John W. McCormack of Massachusetts is dragging his feet in the habitual way of big city Democrats worried about Catholic constituents.

McCormack has been quietly stalling Mr. Nixons plan for a specialand long overdue Presidential commission on the populatim explosion. The fact that pressure for action is now mounting against McCormack from both Republicans and a wide cross-section of Democrats in the House is another sign that the venerable ^aker is out of touch with the times.

Indeed, the history of the Population Commission resolution provides at least one concrete piece of proof for White House charges of foot-dragging.

It was sent to Congress in early August, backed by the entire Republican leades^ip and the powerful chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, Rep. Wilbur Mills. Almost five mcmths laterand three months after it passed the Senate without oppositionthe resolution languishes in the House Rules Committee.

To crack the McCormack -imposed delays on the resolution, President Nixon (hatched his ace domestic troubleshooter, Daniel (Pat) Moynihan, to Capitol Hill to persuade McCormack to change his mind about having the resolution consigned to the House Rules 0>mmittee.

But Moynihans effort was no more successful with the Speaker than an earlier at* tempt by Rep. William L. Dawson of Illinms, chairman of the House Government Operations Ck)mmittee and an old McCormack ally. Dawsons committee, after hearings in mid-November, reported the resolution Dec. 10 and had it placed on the Consent Calendar routine device allowing non-controversial bills to be brought straight to the floor.

bypassing the Rules Committee.

The Speaker, who has close ties to the Roman Catholic hierarchy, decided the Population (^mmission does not ^ fit into the non-controversial category. Despite Cliairman Daws(mi( decision to place tjie resolution on the Consent Calendar, McCormack had it removed on Dec. 12 and sent to the Rules Committee. McCormacks letter to Dawson informing him of this action stated flatly that as a controversial measure the resolution had to go through the time-consuming routine of the Rules Committee, which will not meet again until mid-January.

By contrast, the Senate Government Operations Ck)mmittee held hearings on the resolutim on Sept. 15, reported it to the Senate Sept. 24, and got Senate approval five days later.

McCormacks delaying tactics on Mr. Nixons landmark decision to set iq> the first Presidential commissioi in U. S. history on the dangerous p<^lation crisis is in sharp conflict with actions by the Presidents own party in the House.

A Republican task force assigned to study rampant population growth, both here and in the wwld, will soon publish findings that place the crisis in stark terms. Boiled down, the task force warns that, at the present rates of increase, the worlds population will quadruple from the present 3.5 billion to 14 billionin just 45 years.

That staggering statistic is based on testimmiy from a wide range of witnesses who ai^)eared before the task force (headed by Rep. George Bush of Texas) in hearings that began last June. But the Bush task force (set up by Rep. Robert Taft of (Hiio, chairman of the House Republican Research Committee) went well beyond technical experts to probe political and racial implications of government population control

measures.

One witness was Rep. Shirley Chisholm, of

(Continued On Page S)

Strength For Today

THE WONDER DAY One (tf the great statements about the significance of Christ and his ministry to humanity was written by Isaiah who declared that when the Messiah came his name would be called Wonderful.

The Nativity stories, found only in Matthew and Luke, are beautiful beyond description, and the Church as been wise in making these superb narratives prominent in the celebration of Christnpas.

Christmas is for all of us a wonder-day. Its gaiety has be^ increased by the giving and receiving of (Htsents. The joy of childhood laughter rings through the house. The Babe is exalted in our thoughts. Christmas is a wonder-day.

But why? Because (M camctoatithonttiat daylna fashion un|Hvcedented. The

power, personality and love of God were incarnate in a human being. And who was he? A humble carpenter living in the despised town of Nazareth, having a ministry oi only a few years and performing during that time miracle of such nature that the wwld has been glowing with wonder ever since.

What a 'marvelous thing it is to ponder the fact that at,

one time in a quite unprecedented way God came into human life, filled it with life and power, and make it the center and starting point of a new order of living.

Blessed be (kxl for the loving care He takes of us every moment of our lives! Blessed be the coming of the Babe. Blessed be his power almost two thourand years later.

Blessing. Thankqgiviiqi. Joy. /

<MC^

By ART BUCHWALD

The Moon Is Expendable

WASHINGTON - The trouble with scientists is that they cant leave well oiough alone. They were able to get a man to the moon and that was a good thing. They had man bring back rocks from the

moon to examine, and that was certainly a noble endeavor. Then someone thought up the idea of having a lunar module crash into the moon to see how much the moon would quake, and while

Other Editors Say

Parental Example

(Christian Science Monitor)

In the crescendoing concern over drug use by teenagers, more and more citizens committees and parents groups are usefully getting into the act. As President Nixon has said, the answer to the drug problem isnt law oiforcement alote; education is vital, and where teen-agers are c<mcerened this means education supplied by parents, teachers, churches, and local and federal agencies.

But one point is being insufficiently stressed in this aroused opinion over use of marijuana, barbiturates, and even heroin by teen-agers. And that is, very plainly: parental and adult example!

The adult community in America is waking up to the drug problem in the schools and among teen-agers. 0|Hni(Xi polls show that from 80 to 90 percent of the public is concerned over teen-ager use of marijuana, (^pose its legalization and believe that this socially mild drug is harmful. And they rightly regard as stupidly permissive those who argue that since pot is not as dangerous as heroin, and only psychologically habit-

forming, all penalties for its use should be dropped.

So the buildup of alertness goes (Ml. And everything that can be donewith printed materials, films, invited speakers and other forms of straighforward warning should be done.

Still, adults could be far more concerned about ttieir own example, which they set before the eyes of watchful teenagers. When parents take the cocktail hour fcH* granted, when they drift into alc(ri)olism, when they look daily to cigarettes for stimulation, when television commercials push pills of all sorts on the publicfor stimulation and tranquilization and sleep ability, this has powerful impact on community thought and atmosphere.

Children imitate. They respond to the prevailing mental climate. America has been called a nation of drug takers. The crusade to educate youngsters about drugs and their harmful effects, and to enforce penalties, should go urgently forward. But adults can also help mightily by ending their massive reliance oh stimulants and narcotics.

that was sort of messy, it vras smnething most people went along wiUi.

But apparently it was just the beginning. Last wedc at a meeting in Los Angeles a scientist named Gary Latham proposed that we fire off an atomic bomb on the dark side of the moon to find out what the core is made of.

I am certain that if this idea is finally agreed to, our scientists will not be satisfied to stop there. I {Hredict that if we go ahead with an explosion on the moon that this will eventually happen:

ART

BUCHWALD

Gentlemen as you are all aware our atomic explosion on the moon was tremendously successful. We now know the core of the moon is composed of hard rubber, similar to that used in a gdf ball. The question today is what do we do to the moon next?

Professor, my department has been making studies and we believe it is feasible to knock off a large section of the moon with an intercontinental ballistic missile, and then, with a giant magnet, which we would build in Nevada, attract the piece of moon to earth. Thus we would be able to study the mowi in an earth environment and not be

(Continued On Page 5)

By LOUISE COOK Atsialed Frew Writer NEW YORK (AP) - Christmas in the country. Tramping through the fields to chop down a tree. Loading H >n a Jiorse-drawn sleigh for the ride home over snow-covered la^.

Christmas in (he city. Pounding the concrete pavements in search of an apartment-sized pine. Trying to find a taxi that will take passenger and tree home through slush-covered streets.

Buying a Christmas tree in (he city is enough to shake the faith (rf even the most ardent believer in Santa Claus.

Theres no lack of trees. Streetcorner stands spring up in almost every neighborhood In the weeks before Christmas.

The problem is getting the tree home. Unless you pick a three-feet-or-under size, coping with the springy branches and sharp needles on public trans-poriatiwi can be a nightmare.

Try taking a bus for example. Dont forget to have the exact fare20 centsready lo drop into the coin box. Clutch tree in one hand, money in other and try to scale the distance to that first high step. Give up. The bus driver probably wont let you on anyway.

Maybe youre brave enough to tackle the subway. Drop token in slot. Enter turnstile, pushing tree ahead. Go back to booth; you forget a token for the tree. Forget it.

Taxi drivers, capricious in the best of circumstances, will slow up long enough only to laugh. Even if you find a friendly soul, the tree probably wont fit.

Having a tree delivered is <me solution, but most places wont deliver anything less than a 10-foot, $15 tree.

Unwilling either to pay the price of a tree in the city or give up the fun of a real tree, my husband and I decided to venture forth this year to the country. Not the country, actually. Just the suburbs.

We rented a car, fought our way through city traffic and arrived at the border, intent on finding the perfect tree. It had to be a Scotch pine, about 6 feet, perfectly shaped. And cheap. Not too much to ask.

The first store had only balsam firs. The second featured 9-foot trees unadaptable to 8-foot ceilings. The third offered a scrawny selection (tf dry pines.

Hours later, muttering under our breaths.about the benefits (rf an artificial tree, we hit paydirt. A perfect little tree, well shaped, still fresh, just 54 feet. And only $5.

The tree, compressed with string to a manageable size, was loaded in the trunk of the car. We ventured back through city traffic and, with the aid of a friendly elevator {q>erator, got the tree into the apartment.

Total expenditure? About eight hours time. Two sets of frayed nerves. And only $22 including the $17 for the car rental.

QUOTE

We are not sure how the human race was propagated before we came along and discovered sixit may forever remain a

mystery. Cottonwood (Minn.) Current.

Wagered Sums Run Into Billions

By ELMER ROESSNER Recent developmoits indicate that the gambiing^total in the United States may be billions more each year than previously guestimated.

The series of indictments in New Jersey alleged close ties between government officials and the Mafia, and while some of the profits from this association came from rigged contracts by cities, much of it also came from the numbers game and other forms of gambling.

ELMER

ROESSNER

In probably every ity in the country the numbers game flourishes. It supports thousands of runners rd bet collectors, and the pnrfits enrich the operators. Of every cent bet, the organizers

By EARL L. D0UCLASS8 take per cent and in the

past the operators have been able to rig the winning numbers to increase their odds.

The betting on sports events also runs into the billions. Hiere are enormous sums bet on professional baseball and football games, on college football and basketball games, on hockey, boxing and other sports.

The Unplayed Game

A clue to the great betting interest in sports may be sera in the fact that the National Collegiate Athletic Association's basketball schedule erroneously listed a game between Harvard and Boston University for Dec. 11. ^ The next day the Harvard switchboard was tied up by calls from all over the country askin what the score was and the New Y('k Times repwted it received 100 similar inquiries and not all of the callers sounded like (xrflegiate alunni. <

The main reaspis ior the normous growth of

professional ^>orts in recent years is due to the great increase in leisure time and the rise in spendable income, which provides the money for seats and for gambling on results.

That the fix is in many of these games has been frequently demonstrated. At the moment, the New Yoit district attorneys office is investigating possible fixes in two recent fights. From time to time bribery in other sports has been disclosed. Basketball has been a favorite target of fixers who have bribed superior teams to hold down their margins (rf victory because most of the betting has been on points scared.

The Legal Betting

On\top (rf all this is legal betting. Most states allow betting at race tracks. This encourages off-track betting among th(pe who cant get to the tracks. In New York state alone $810 million haa bMO wagered at tracks this year.

giving the sUte a take of $8 million.

Off-track betUng, like thi part (rf the iceberg unde water, may have been aeve times as much, may hav been more than $5 billion.

Ihere is legal betting i Nevada, with a handle ( about $1 billion a year, an from every large city [Janf fly to foreign spou wher there are casinos. It wi reported here that a chai tered plane flies from N York to St. Louis and bac evenings solely for the era game aboard. No one ver gd off in St. Louis.

New York State and Vet mont operate lotteriea. 111 odda are tough, the players i New York, ^for examph setting only 30 cents of ever dollar back. The number (game pays twice these odd and betting at the track thre dmes as much;

But attracted by the fa< that lotterira provide mone for school- and Jobs fo politicians. Nmv Jersey I starting a lottery next^ yeai