PEACE
Dr. Edward Warner
Pres. International Civil
Airlines Organization (I.C.A.O.)
1529 McGregor Street
Montreal Quebec, Canada
Dear Dr. Warner:—
It has been brought to MY attention that you are the President of the I. C. A. O., an International Airlines Organization, and that there are and have been many different disasters in connection with the airline transportation, through which many lives have been blotted out, even to the most recent crashes here in the States.
At the La Guardia Field, Thursday night, May 29th, 1947 some 42 persons were killed and on May 30th, Decoration Day at Port Deposit, Maryland, a plane crashed, destroying and mutilating beyond identification some fifty-three persons; and many other such disasters have occurred in the aviation field of science. Investigations have been made and no doubt, the whole field of aviation technic is under investigation. Apparently they cannot find the cause for these crashes and disasters in the field of science.
FATHER DIVINE in the Office
It is a definite fact that your concern, of which you are in control, is motivated by prejudice, division and strife. That, as I have long since declared, will cause the airplanes not to stay in the air. It is written:
"Where there is division there is strife";
"Divided we fall."
Therefore, Dr. Warner, I appeal to you, as the representative of a great international enterprise, to take steps immediately to bring an end to all segregation and discrimination and prejudice and selfishness in your field of study, of science and invention; and immediately demand the enactment of the Bill of Rights of the Constitution of the Unite States of America, with equity and justice to be executed accurately in every activity in business, profession, labor and trade and in every activity, even domestically, socially; and even in your immediate lineage, institute equity and justice and impregnate in the minds of all the subjects of those with whom you are concerned with equity and equality for everybody, so that by these means, in keeping with our great national statesman, Abraham Lincoln, the subjects of all of these enterprises and institutions with which we are concerned, might not perish from the earth.
For without a new birth of freedom from all racism, sectarianism, Fascism, barbarism, Nazism, Hitlerism and all other divisions of segregation, Jim-crowism, as it is called, as well as all of the selfish, discriminatory practices of men, shall have been brought to an abolition, this Government and those fundamentals upon which you lean, will perish from the earth, for such cannot continue to have access in the land, for the Lord reigneth and truly,
"Righteousness and Judgment are the habitation of His Throne."
The many tornadoes,floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, volcanoes and other storms, as the cosmic forces of nature, do work havocly and go forth rampant in the land where wickedness, vice and crime abound.
Therefore, as I afore said, the airplanes will not stay in the air and a good many of them will continue to refuse to leave the ground, motivated by prejudice, division, selfishness and strife for the Mouth of the Lord has Declared it! Trains will not stay on the track and ships will not stay on the ocean filled and controlled with and by prejudice, division, racism, Nazism, Fascism and strife with all of the detestable tendencies of men that try to destroy and put some up and some down, all because of the color of their skins and because of their racial or national origin.
Yet, there are many good thinking and just persons who are made subject to vanity unwittingly and at times, forced into tolerating and condoning and endorsing segregation, discrimination and oppression, such as caused the lives of millions to be destroyed.
Therefore, unto you and unto all officials and executives of these great enterprises and even to the national and international traffic commission and all representatives and to each of our great national governments and their representatives, I do appeal and request the honor of your office, your official and executive duty and authority to put into action every ounce of your energy, your authority, minds and attention in eradicating these terrible vices and crimes against humanity that have caused the loss of the lives of millions.
When the nations of the earth were ignoring Mussolini's acts of aggression, I contacted him by communication, protesting his invasion of Ethiopia. He ignored MY request. Later Virginio Gayda, his mouth piece, publicly announced, according to radio and press reports, that the United States could never be the leader of the other nations of the earth because of "FATHER DIVINE and His fifty million followers." Mussolini might have been alive today had he taken cognizance of MY Message to him, but no doubt he may have thought I was foolish. Yet it is written:
"The foolishness of GOD is wiser than men; and the weakness of GOD is stronger than men." (I Cor. 1:25)
Even back in 1932 and '33, I petitioned representatives of government to bring an end to the oppression, suppression and persecution of the Jews in Germany and in all other countries, but they did not take cognizance of it. To ward off the invasion of Czechoslovakia and the onslaught of human warfare, I petitioned the various heads of government by cablegram:
"Why not propose the purchase of coveted Czechoslovakian territory, with Sudatens helping to pay for annexation, substituting cooperation and Peace for terrible inhuman warfare consequences?"
There were many different proposals I made so that our civilization and these democracies in which we live might be saved the cost in lives and in money and in resources of another inhuman war, but they did not take cognizance of them.
Toward the conclusion of MY proposals that were made for National and International Defense, I also proposed the unification of the Three Americas, which would have been much easier than the cost to humanity of the Twenty-two Million, Sixty Thousand estimated killed plus the injured and the One Trillion, One Hundred and Fifty-four Billion Dollars in armament military materials, plus the property damage estimated at more than Two Hundred Thirty Billion, Nine Hundred Million Dollars.
When I proposed the unification of the Three Americas, many asked where would we get the money from to make all of the Americas One Democracy; but where did the United States get the Three Hundred Seventeen Billion, Six Hundred Million Dollars expended for war materials alone by the United States? Such a unification might not only have saved this nation and the allied nations such great expense, but it might have arrested the Axis nations from continuing in the way of aggression and thus saved them from destroying millions of their own subjects and spending an estimated Four Hundred Sixty-eight Billion Nine Hundred Thirty-nine Million Dollars in war materials and the total destruction of property in some areas, many time greater even than the destruction of England, according to the authorities.
Yet, all of this could have been avoided had they taken cognizance of MY Message; but because of prejudice, bigotry, racism, Hitlerism, Fascism and all of the isms combined, such as I have afore mentioned, that create division and strife and cause the loss of millions of lives, they failed to hearken unto MY Voice.
The cosmic forces of nature, the creative forces and even nature itself, work destructively because of prejudice and bigotry. there is no escape for prejudice and bigotry for retribution is sure and retribution is assured for crime does not pay.
Just think of all of the Axis Governments, how the empire they built went down in defeat by continuing their prejudice, division and strife, propagating and advocating racism, in short, races creeds and colors. And not only the Governments were defeated but even the representatives of those respective governments which have fallen for the crimes they have committed, many have been executed. They are held responsible for the atrocious crimes committed by their governments when they were in authority.
I hope the whole world will take cognizance of these thoughts I have conveyed, as well as all who are concerned, for unless they all, who are filled with prejudice, division and strife of any kind, repent and turn from their sins, they shall also in like manner perish.
As with a state or community, so with a nation, as with a nation or country, as mentioned, so with a state or community or an organization and all of its representatives.
Men seek to segregate themselves and place restrictions on deeds and papers and other supposedly legitimate contracts and agreements for the purpose of prohibiting the free access of all citizens to buy property and to live wheresoever they choose, and by such prejudice, division and strife, by making such restrictions in such agreements and contracts and deeds and titles,the very ground itself is cursed, for it is written:
"It shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy GOD, to observe to do all of His commandments and His Statutes which I command you this day;that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee:
"Cursed shalt thou be in the city, and cursed shalt thou be in the field.
"Cursed shall be thy basket and thy store.
"Cursed shall be the fruit of thy body and the fruit of thy land, the increase of thy kine and the flocks of thy sheep.
"Cursed shalt thou be when comest in and cursed shalt thou be when thou goest out." (Deut. 28:15-19)
Then I say, you can see why floods and storms and hurricanes and tornadoes and fire, pestilence and disasters are destroying the lives of increasing numbers, for those who refuse to hearken unto the voice of GOD, it is written:
"His children are far from safety, and they are crushed in the gates neither is there any to, deliver them."
Where prejudice, bigotry, division and strife exist, disaster exists or follows and the Texas City fire, the floods in the Middle West and the many airplane crashes, train wrecks and automobile wrecks attest this fact, for as with a nation so with an individual and as with a place locally, so with a nation internationally.
Then I say, I hope that all who are concerned, as well as all mankind, will take cognizance if this Message, for I have made this appeal not for any benefit that I may derive as a person, but that millions of lives may yet be saved, even as I desired to save the twenty-two Million Sixty Thousand lives reported dead by this last great inhuman World War ; for without a change of heart and mind and characteristics through a new birth of freedom under GOD, for which Abraham Lincoln prayed and which I have come to bring, mankind cannot hope to become to be Loving, Successful, Prosperous and Happy in Spirit, Body and Mind and in every organ, muscle, sinew, joint , limb vein and bone and even in every atom, fibre and cell of MY Bodily Form.
Respectfully and sincere, I AM
Rev. M. J. DIVINE, Ms. D., D. D.
Better known as FATHER DIVINE
Rev. MJD/r
P. S. This is an open letter, and a copy to be sent to the International Traffic Commission and other representatives in federal and state government, so that they may be able to ascertain the cause of these great disasters. such as the different airplane crashes as mentioned in the body of this letter.
Ref. M. J. D.
(Editor's note: Photo added for the Internet.)
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Dear and Reverend Sir:
Dr. Warner has asked me acknowledge on his behalf the letter which you have addressed to him, dated June 12th, regarding the tragic number of accidents occurring in connection with the aviation during the past few days. You will be aware that all possible steps are being taken by responsible authorities, both here and throughout the world, to ensure that the toll of human life shall be reduced to the minimum.
Dr. Warner asks me to tell you that he appreciates the grave concern which you expressed over these incidents and the motive which activated yo ui in writing your letter to him.
I am, dear and Reverend Sir,
Yours very sincerely,
M. H. Higgins
Assistant to the President
Rev. M. J. DIVINE, Pastor
The U.S.A. Northeastern Churches and Connections
Circle Mission Church, Home and Training School of Pennsylvania
764-772 Broad Street
Philadelphia 46, Pa., U.S.A.
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