The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-12-05

To the Editor of the indianapolis Journal:
1 write to call attention to the want of
consistency in the different parts of Mr.. F.
Hopkinson Smiths interview in the Boston
Herald which was printed on the editorial
page of the Journal on Monday last. Mr..
F. Hopkinson Smith proposes i'm his inter-
view to give perfectly easy explanation
of the whole Eastern question, which has
always been SO perplexing and so exasper-
ating to statesmen and humanitarians Of
the Christian variety. At the outstart Mr..
F. Hopkinson Smith tells us that s'the root
of the trouble lies in the missionaries" He
says yet further on this point of the mis-
sionaries: I'VE send out the most incapable
specimens of our rural population.
Now and then we hear Of some girl in a
country town who thinks she has mission
to the heathen You can picture to
yourself the amazement ana disgust with
which the Turks regard such missionaries.
Colonies of such Doors and cranks
go over to Armenia or somewhere else and
found schools
Now, let us see how Mr. F. Hopkinson
Smith was treated by the Turks. who had
seen much of American missionaries for
many years. The artist-author says:
when 1 have been painting in the streets
/ have never been subjected 10 discourte-
sizes from the crowds which always assem-
BILE to watch me, except two or three times;
and on these occasions the reason was that
they supposed that / was an Englishmar,s
When they learned that was an American
they ceased to annoy me, and even apollo
this esteem for Americans to the point of
sparing our missionaries ETC., etc.
1t is clear that Mr. F. Hopkinson Smith
tells the exact truth when he describes the
high regard in which America and Ameri-
cans are held, and IL Is just as clear that
he does not tell the truth when he de-
scribes the men and women as Doors and
cranks who have gone as missionaries to
the Oriental churches within the Turkish
empire ts'pn ., and beyond; My DO the Turks
they give such decorous attention to the
person of Mr.. F. Hopkinson Smith? The
fact that the choicest men and women OF
America, and especially OF New England
have been sent as missionaries into the
Plny Fish and Levi Parsons embarked at
Boston for the Sultan's dominions in 1919
ar dr. w We NJ k,dt wan ao ~ ,r S
sionary In 1894. He died recently at the
home OF his daughter in Denver. DIR. c.
A. Van Dyck, who died within month, was
Arabic dc He Went out as missionary i''i in
1870 In the same year Samuel wolcott left
ator Edward o. woicott. is the son of that
missionary. Robert College, at Constants
nople. is the first light OF Asia on the Sui
great lights in the other colleges and
schools OF the various missions scattered
throughout the Mohammedan countries II
sion favorable to America and Americans
could be made by incapable specimens OF
our rural population and by colonies of
Doors and cranks." We have. ON the con-
trary. sent the. choicest product OF our
best homes and our best schools. Mr. F.
Hopkinson Smiths value as a witness TO
the truth is shown in the declaration which
he makes without hesitation that '.the
typical Turk is civilized. humane, intelli-
gent. cleany. pious and chaste."
In Mr.. William Ewart Gladstone's speech
at Chester, on the 9Th of August last. he
declared that the acts of violence commit
ted by the Turks In Armenia may be truth
fully summed up i'm the four awfnl words
s.plunder. murder. rape and torture
Evidently IL Is not pure bumptiousness"
to propose TO teach religion TO this Turk.
whose present religion jusfifies him in
'plunder murder. rape and torture" but IL
Is the most arrogant bumptiousness" 10
cali this typica! Turk humane and pious
ard chastc'' HENRY A. BCcHTEI@
indianapolis Dec. L