The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-10-06
MR, FOSTERS ADDRESS.
IA Interesting RerietC of the York ,
Foreign Missions.

AH Interesting RerietC of the York of
Foreign Missions.
MINNEAPOLIS, MINI, Oct. 5. - The
Lyceum Theater was packed in response
to call for mass meeting in behalf of
the missionary movement of the Episco-
pal church. Upon the stage was seated
members of the House of Bishops, which
body had adjourned for the purpose imme-
diately upon organizing in order to mani
fest its sympathy with the movement The
opening hour was occupied with brief adj
dresses from missionary Bishops from
China, Japan and Africa.
Ex-Secretary of State Foster was given
cordial reception. His address was an
epitome of Mr.. Fosters observations dur
ing a tour around the world made last
year, in which he visited the Holy Land
and Syria, Egypt, Ceylon, India, Burmah,
the British STRAITS Settlements and the
Malay Peninsula Tonquin, China, Corea
and Japan, as we'll as his recent visit TO
Japan and China in connection with the
peace negotiations between those two ma
tons. In these journeys Mr.. Foster made
1t point to inquire into the work of the
Christian missionaries, and also gathered
the testimony of the official and non-mis-
sion elements of the various places visited.
The work in the Turkish empire was
surrounded by unusual embarrassments
and slow progress had been made in reach
ing the Moslem population, but some sue
cess had been noted. After hasty glance
at Egypt and Ceylon considerable por-
ton of the address was devoted to India. a
country which the speaker described as
one of the most INTEREST," and important.
both to the tourist and the student of the
social problems of the human race.
Christianity had here to contend with one
OF the oldest, most intellectual and best Or
ganized religions in the Notwithstanding
ism. Its progress had been slow when its ad-
herentS were compared with the vast popu-
lation of India, which numbers near 3OO.-
oOO,0O0, and has increased 100, 00O, 600 since
the advent of the missionaries.
But at the end of the hundred wears,
which had elapsed since the first mission
airy landed In India, more converts were
gathered in the churches of that country
than at the end of the first century of the
Christian era throughout the whole
world.
Credit was given the missionaries as the
direct cause of all the moral reforms which
have been brought about by the British
Government. While that Government
sought TO be impartial in its administra-
tons of religious affairs its indirect in
fuence was on the side of Christianity.
The missionary and the Government COM
hined were slowly but surely undermining
the old faith and superstitions of the
people and bringing India to a great So
cial crisis.
In discussing the mission work in China
reference was made to the late war with
Japan, and the belief was expressed that
Its ultimate effect would be the greater
opening up of the country to the mission
aries, and that while in the present and
immediate future disorder and riots might
be expected, the country would resume its
normal condition with greatly increased
facilities for Christian evangelization.
Reference was made to the exercises at
tending the opening of the new building
OF st. Johns Episcopal Church in Febru
airy last, at which Mr.. Foster was present
and which he described as a most interest
ing and notable event, attended bv the
native Chinese aristocracy ard high of
fcials of the province. In this connection
the. educational and medical work of the
missionaries was highly commended. No
backward step should be taken in China.
as the speaker regarded it as the most
hopeful field for mission effort to-day in
the world, notwithstanding the present
disturbed condition of the country.
Christianity had made considerable
progress in Japan, but it had not kept pace
with the other elements of Western civ
ilization. Its partial failure in this re-
spect was attributed to the opposition or
indifference of nominally Christian people
whom the japanese were brought in con-
tact with in commercial and official life.
An encouraging feature of the missionary
movement in that country is that it has
reached much larger proportion of the
higher and influential classes than in any
other country in Asia. japanese patriotism,