Chapter 45—Labors in Central Europe

The second session of the European Missionary Council was held in Basel, Switzerland, May 28 to June 1, 1884, Elder George I. Butler, from America, presiding. At this meeting, resolutions were adopted, requesting the General Conference to ask Mrs. E. G. White and her son, W. C. White, to visit the European missions. At the General Conference held in Battle Creek, Mich., the following November, the request was acted upon, and they were recommended to go.

In harmony with this action, Mrs. White and her secretary, Miss Sara McEnterfer, and W. C. White and his family, left America August 8, 1885, sailing from Boston on the steamer Cephalonia, and arriving in Liverpool August 19. Two weeks were spent in England, visiting companies of Sabbath keepers at Grimsby, Ulceby, Riseley, and Southampton. Several addresses were given in public halls.

Leaving London September 2, the party arrived in Basel, Switzerland, the following morning. Here the annual meeting of the Swiss Conference and the third session of the European Missionary Council were soon to be held.

The “Imprimerie Polyglotte”

The Basel publishing house, afterward named the “Imprimerie Polyglotte” (the printing house of many languages), was just completed. The land had been secured and the building planned during the visit of Elder Butler early in 1884. The structure had been erected under the watchful supervision of Elder B. L. Whitney, the superintendent of the European Mission; and its equipment had been purchased and installed by Brother H. W. Kellogg, for many years the manager of the Review and Herald Publishing Association at Battle Creek, Mich.

The new publishing house was a large, substantial building, 46 x 76 feet, with four stories above the basement. The upper stories were so constructed that, until required by the growth of the business, they could be used as residence suites for families. It was in one of these suites that Mrs. White made her home during a greater part of the two years she spent in Europe.

Publishing Houses in Many Lands

When Mrs. White and her party reached the publishing house, Elder Whitney said, “Look at our meeting-hall before going upstairs.” It was a fine room on the first floor, well lighted and well furnished. Mrs. White looked searchingly at all features of the place, and then said: “It is a good meeting-hall. I feel that I have seen this place before.”

Not long after this, those parts of the building occupied by the printing business were visited. When the pressroom was reached, the press was running, and Mrs. White said: “I have seen this press before. This room looks very familiar to me.” Soon the two young men who were working in the pressroom came forward, and were introduced to the visitors. Mrs. White shook hands with them, and then inquired, “Where is the other one?”

“What other one?” Elder Whitney asked.

“There is an older man here,” Mrs. White replied, “and I have a message for him.”

Elder Whitney explained that the foreman of the pressroom was in the city on business.

It had been a little more than ten years since Mrs. White, in relating before a large audience in the Battle Creek church what had been shown her in vision regarding the work to be done in many foreign lands, had said that she had seen printing presses running in many foreign countries, printing periodicals and tracts and books on present truth for the people of these countries. At this point in her narrative, Elder James White had interrupted her, asking if she could name some of these countries. She said she could not, because they had not been named to her, “except one; I remember the angel said Australia.” But she stated that although she could not name the countries, she would recognize the places should she ever see them, because the picture was very distinct in her mind.

In the pressroom of the new publishing house at Basel she recognized one of these places. A few months after this, during her visit to Norway, she recognized in the pressroom of the Christiania publishing house another of these places; and six years later, during her visit to Australia, she saw, in the Bible Echo Office in Melbourne, still another pressroom where she recognized the place and the presses as among those she had seen in the vision at Battle Creek, January 3, 1875.

The Sale of Literature

The Swiss Conference was held September 10-14, 1885. There were about two hundred in attendance. This meeting was immediately followed by the European Missionary Council, which continued for two weeks. At these meetings very interesting reports were received from Scandinavia, Great Britain, Germany, France, Italy, and Switzerland, where the cause of present truth was beginning to gain a foothold. The reports elicited some animated discussions of such subjects as these: The most effective plans for the circulation of our literature; the illustrating of our periodicals and books; the use of tents; and the bearing of arms.

The Scandinavian brethren reported that the sales of literature in their conferences during the preceding fiscal year had amounted to $1,033. The delegates from Great Britain reported sales amounting to $550. The Basel office had received on its German and French periodicals $1,010.

Much time was occupied by the colporteurs who had been laboring in Catholic Europe, in relating their experiences and in telling the Council why our literature could not be sold in Europe on the plans that were very successfully followed in America; and it was urged by them that the colporteur must be given a salary, as was done by the leading evangelical societies that were operating in Catholic countries.

During the nineteen days covered by the Conference and the Council, Mrs. White was an attentive listener to the reports, which were given mostly in English. She spoke words of encouragement and cheer in the business meetings, and in the early morning meetings gave a series of instructive addresses, dealing with such subjects as love and forbearance among brethren; manner of presenting the truth; unity among laborers; courage and perseverance in the ministry; how to work in new fields. Addressing the missionary workers, she said:

“Remember, brethren, in every perplexity, that God has angels still. You may meet opposition; yea, even persecution. But if steadfast to principle, you will find, as did Daniel, a present helper and deliverer in the God whom you serve. Now is the time to cultivate integrity of character. The Bible is full of rich gems of promise to those who love and fear God.

“To all who are engaged in the missionary work I would say, Hide in Jesus. Let not self but Christ appear in all your labors. When the work goes hard, and you become discouraged and are tempted to abandon it, take your Bible, bow upon your knees before God, and say, ‘Here, Lord, Thy word is pledged.’ Throw your weight upon His promises, and every one of them will be fulfilled.” —Historical Sketches of the Foreign Missions of the Seventh-day Adventists, 153.

When the discouraging reports of the colporteurs had reached a climax, she would urge that notwithstanding all these difficulties, the workers must have faith that success would attend their labors. Repeatedly she assured that disheartened colporteurs that it had been shown her that books could be sold in Europe in such a way as to give support to the workers, and bring to the publishing house sufficient returns to enable it to produce more books.

The Training of Colporteurs

Encouraged by her assurance that special help would be given those who would persevere in faith, a number of young men were persuaded to make another effort to do self-supporting work in the sale of literature, but they pointed out that they must be furnished with a better supply of salable books.

Elder J. G. Matteson testified that he had made every effort to encourage and train colporteurs, and that they had succeeded in selling the periodicals and smaller books; but the returns were not sufficient to support them properly, and he was in great perplexity to know what could be done to bring better results. He said that, with the encouragement received from Mrs. White, he was resolved to try once more.

Accordingly, during the winter of 1885-86 special efforts were made in Scandinavia to educate and train colporteurs. Training schools were held in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark. The school in Stockholm continued four months. Twenty persons were in attendance. Six hours in the middle of the day they spent in canvassing; the mornings and evenings were spent in study. The sales of books and tracts in Scandinavia in 1886 amounted to $5,386, and subscriptions to periodicals to $3,146.

Years afterward, Elder Matteson declared that in his efforts in behalf of the colporteur work soon after his return from the Basel conference, he was so fully convinced that his workers must live on a very meager income, that he persuaded each one to keep a strict cash account, and to let him examine this account once a week, and advise economies. Soon the scale was turned, for the colporteurs were spending less and earning more, and a number earned enough to support themselves without drawing anything from the conference treasury. [Note.—The earnest endeavors put forth to establish the canvassing work on a substantial basis in Scandinavia, bore early fruit. At the 1889 General Conference, Elder O. A. Olsen was able to report fifty canvassers in Scandinavia, who were having good success. (See 1889 Church and Sabbath School Bulletin, 4.) The book sales for 1889 amounted to about $10,000, and in later years these figures were swelled to upwards of $20,000. During the 1891 General Conference, the general agent for Scandinavia declared: “The canvassers are supporting themselves, and besides this, are helping to support the cause by their gifts. Several hundred kroner have come into the treasury of the Swedish conference through the donations of our canvassers, and I presume this is also true of Norway and Denmark.... The more our canvassers sell, the more they can sell.... Many have already accepted the truth by reading our publications.” (Church and Sabbath School Bulletin, 1891, 84.)]

In central Europe the canvassing work waited for books and for a teacher and leader. The “Life of Christ,” which was proving to be a popular book in the Scandinavian countries, was translated into German and French, and was ready for the people early in 1887.

Elder L. R. Conradi had come from America early in 1886, and having visited the churches and companies of Sabbath keepers in Germany, Russia, and Switzerland, he reported that one of the most urgent needs of the European fields was books on present truth, carried to the homes of the people by consecrated and well trained colporteurs. He saw clearly that our literature must be used to carry the advent message to the multitudes of Europe, and that because the mission funds would not make it possible to pay even a small salary to colporteurs, an effort must be made to inaugurate in central Europe what had been begun in Scandinavia,—the education of colporteurs to sell the literature and live upon their commission, without salary. He also saw that our young men needed employment of a character that would educate and train them to become efficient workers in the cause of Christ.

Beginning at Basel, Elder Conradi gathered a group of six or eight young people, and began to train them for success. He declared that the people needed the saving truths in our books; that Mrs. White said that with well trained effort these books could be sold; that Elder Matteson had proved this true; and that he and his young associates must find the way. They studied their book until they were enthusiastic about its great truths, and then as they went out under his encouragement and instruction, they met with success. [Note.—At the General Conference of 1887 it was stated: “The publishing work at Basel has steadily increased. From the very first, it was evident that our publications must act a leading part in the Central European field. The denominational books, tracts, and periodicals issued in various languages are having a powerful influence for good wherever they are circulated.” —S. D. A. Year book, The Ellen G. White 1888 Materials, 120.

So prospered were the workers for the larger books and for the periodicals published at the Imprimerie Polyglotte, that in 1889 elder O. A. Olsen was able to report a substantial gain in its operation. “The publishing house at Basel ... has done a good business the past year,” He declared to the delegates assembled at the 1889 General Conference. “The annual report shows a gain of $1,559.55 for the year. When we consider the fact that this office has never before been self-sustaining, this report is very encouraging. The aggressive work of the Central European conference this year has been largely in the direction of Germany.” —General Conference Daily Bulletin, 1889, 3.]

Development Through Faithful Service

The action of the General Conference Committee in making liberal appropriations for the translation and printing of several large books in German and French at Basel, had given much work to the Imprimerie Polyglotte. This opened the way for the employment of a score of young men and women who were very glad to connect with so educational a work.

Seeing that the young people were eager to study the Bible and the languages, the management arranged classes in Bible, history, Bible doctrines, and English grammar, for those who wished to attend. These classes were usually held from 6:30 to 7:30 in the morning. With marvelous rapidity the French boys mastered both the German and the English language, and the German boys both the French and the English. At the same time they grew in stature and in wisdom.

Several times the morning classes gave place for a week or ten days to a series of religious meetings. In these Mrs. White took a leading part, and she seemed never to weary in her efforts to encourage the young people to fit themselves for efficient service in the cause of Christ. She urged them to improve their opportunities, to be diligent in work and in study; and she told them that it had been shown her that if they were faithful, God would use them to carry the truth to many people near and afar off; that if they kept near the Lord, they would become mighty in His work; and that some of them would be called to positions of large responsibility.

There are many who can bear witness to the remarkable fulfillment of this prediction. In later years, one of these young men held for several terms the presidency of the Latin Union Conference; another, the presidency of the Swiss Conference; another has been superintendent of the Levant Union Mission. Others have been preachers, translators, editors, teachers, and managers of large publishing interests. [Note.—As reported in 1915, the following positions of trust were held by some of those in that company at Basel, Switzerland:

A. Manager of publishing work in the Latin Union Conference.
B. Manager of the Gland Sanitarium.
C. President of the Latin Union Conference.
D. Superintendent of the Levant Union Mission.
E. Director of the northern France field.
F. Teacher in Latin Union School.
G. Matron of the Gland Sanitarium.
H. Editor and evangelist in Quebec.]

Visits to Italy

November 26, 1885, Mrs. White left Basel for Torre Pellice, Italy. She was accompanied by her daughter-in-law, Mary K. White, and Elder B. L. Whitney. Regarding this trip she wrote:

“It was my fifty-eighth birthday, and surely it was to be celebrated in a way and place that I had little dreamed of. It seemed hard for me to realize that I was in Europe; that I had borne my testimony in England, Switzerland, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, and was on my way to labor in Italy.”

“Our course over the Alps lay through the great St. Gothard pass. We reached Torre Pellice Friday, about 9 A.M., and were welcomed to the hospitable home of Elder A. C. Bourdeau. The next day, Sabbath, I spoke to the brethren and sisters in the hired hall in which they held their regular Sabbath meetings.”

Mrs. White remained in Torre Pellice three weeks. She spoke to the people ten times, and visited some of the noted places where the Waldenses, fleeing from their persecutors, had been followed and captured, tortured, and slain. Referring to these experiences, she wrote:

“If their voices could be heard, what a history the everlasting mountains surrounding these valleys could give of the sufferings of God’s people because of their faith! What a history of the visits of angels unrecognized by these Christian fugitives! Again and again have angels talked with men, as man speaketh with a friend, and led them to places of security. Again and again have the encouraging words of angels renewed the drooping spirits of the faithful, and, carrying their minds above the tops of the highest mountains, caused them to behold by faith the white robes, the crowns, the palm branches of victory, which the overcomers will receive when they surround the great white throne.”

Twice after this, Mrs. White visited the Waldensian valleys,—once in April, 1886, when, in company with her son and his wife, she devoted two weeks to speaking to little congregations in many places; and again, in company with Elder and Mrs. Wm. Ings, in November, as they were returning to Basel after laboring two weeks at Nimes, France.