The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-10-17
JAPAN THE COMING NATION.
Lecture by . Returned Missionary OF
the Oriental Empires.

Lecture by o Returned Missionary On
the Oriental Empires.
Arthur H. Smith, who has spenttwenty-
one wears in China as . missionary. lee
tured at the Plymouth church last evening
on the future of the Oriental empires. IN
der the auspices of the Young Peoples
Endeavor Mission Extension Society.
brief musical programme preceded the
lecture which included a well-rendered
solo by Mr.. Atkins.
The lecturer was listened TO attentively.
his talk being made more interesting by
rich vein OF humor running through it.
The speaker showed his familiarity with
his subject and gave brief outline of the
various Oriental countries, especially
China and Japan. The latter country. he
said, was the paradise OF the world Its
antiquity was SO great that the Hapsburgs
of Europe were in comparison rs infants.
She was a progressive country and had
opened her doors to the Western civilizs-
ton, to which she had fully adapted
herself. China, on the other hand. had
shut her doors to the Western world. and
when she did open them it was not with
any view to progress. so that China was
today as primitive as she was thousands
of years ago. The progress of Japan had
not been limited. but h ad kept pace with
science. literature and war.
China, nevertheless. was an established
fact. and represented power that was not
TO be denied. Russia was q powerful
enemy to China. constantly threatening
her, and would never be satisfied until
she possessed Korea and Turkey. The
Chinese. the Russian and the Japanese
represented questions of national dis
turbance that would take years 20 settle.
He reviewed the possessions of Germany,
England and France in China and the
Orient All these countries were watching
the war and keeping one another's hands
Oft Japan was the coming power. but as
yet IN its infancy as 10 her internal polit-
ical strength. Korea was a pulling ques-
ton that time alone would solve. China
and Japan both claimed her Russia had
an eye on her. but the result would be
that all would keep their hands off and let
Korea become a recognized indie
pendent country. The result OF
the war would have the effect
OF forcing China to adopt progressive,
modern measures and bring her down in
q measure TO our present civilization.
Chinese have good qualities, individually,
namely: Economy. frugality. obedience.
industry, contentment, vitality. all OF
which will eventually open the door for
great mission work. As q nation they
were superstitious and so thoroughly i'm
bued with polytheism. pantheism and
atheism il would take years TO overcome
them. Truth was an unknown quantity
in China. and the Chinese were contradic-
tory in their charseteristics: outwardly,
yes; inwardiy, no; always self
contradictory, agreeing with every
body and con;radiciing everything.
Hence Ii was difficult for any outsiders TO
control China, either as individuals or a
country. The speaker used these traits of
the nation to show the difficulty for Chris
tianity 10 get foothold among such a
people. Buddhism had q stronghold in
China. and Buddhism was not so bad as
many people believed. IL was a good
religion in its way. aud It had its virtues.
The speaker reviewed the various religious
faiths in the various Oriental countries.
which he said was the coming battlefield
Of Christianity. Mohamedani.m numbered
over 20o, Co. eco souls, who were the hard
est to bring over TO Christianity. The
wedge of Christianity should be in
serted in Japan first, and the
work Of the missionary should be conferred
ity the million of young Japanese who
were learning everything in the way Of
progress. culture, everything except
morality, which throughout Japan was at
the very lowest ehb. especially amongst
the upper classes, and the higher the caste
the lover the standard OF morality.
The Christian Endeavor's extensive mis-
sion society had undertaken noble work
in aiding the missions in these various
countries It was q work so gigantic in
its IN dertaking that few people understood
It's vastness- IL necessitated individual
endesvors to do something for the
good cause. Intellectual knowledge
was necessary on the part of every
member Of the society; knowledge
Of country. people and habits. This will
awaken an interest in missionary work
that will strengthen the hands Of the men
and women in the field and help TO in
crease their number and Gil the held OF
China and Japan with missiona aries and
spread the Gospel in every corner Of these
heather countries.