78 M. TONDINI on tne 



" two calendars, the one solar for civil usages and the other 

 " lunar for determining the epoch of movable feasts as well as 

 ^' of many national feasts and customs, is a sufficient caution 

 " against unfounded or purposely excited alarms. As long 

 *'as there shall be on earth Israelites, tracing the origin of 

 ^' their rites to Moses and Sinai, the Israelite calendar will 

 " not cease to exist ; as long as there shall be Christians 

 *' considering the Synagogue as an image and preparation of 

 " the Church, and anxious to keep, in the distribution of their 

 " solemnities, the order of those of the ancient law, the lunar 

 " calendar of the Jews will always be used. Let the same 

 " be said of the religious and national feasts of Musselmans, 

 " Chinese, and other people, distributed according to lunar 

 " calendars. Experience alone will by and by lead them to 

 " consider in what measure it would be for them more 

 "advantageous to adopt for civil usages the universal 

 " calendar. But before deciding on this point they must 

 " be led to feel its necessity or, at least, become aware of 

 " its utility, and this of course depends on local circum- 

 " stances and concerns every State in particular. No 

 " reflecting man will ever expect from a Chinese labourer 

 " who, living in the interior of the Empire, does not come 

 " into contact with foreigners, and who also feels thoroughly 

 " satisfied with the national civilisation, that with regard to 

 " the unification of time he should partake of the ideas of an 

 American or an Englishman."* 



IV. 



The wisest course to be taken for hastening the said 

 unification is to support the general existing movement in 

 favour of the so-called "universal hour" or "universal day." 

 A Calendar equally universal will come as the necessary 

 result of the adoption of a universal unit of time. 



" The Fifth Resolution of the Washington International 



* Unification du Calendrier. — pp. 14-15. 



