The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-23
TROUBLE WITH JAPS,
American Missionaries
Are Driven Out of
Kumamoto.
A DELEGATION Is SENT
To Make an Investigation of
the Opposition to Chris
tianity.
A DELEGATION IS SENT
FOREIGNERS COMPELLED TO 90.
Homes and Lands of the Civilizers
Are Claimed by the
Natives.

NEW YORK, N. Y, June PIN few
weeks deputation. consisting of officers of
the American Board of Commissioners for
Foreign Missions and Others appointed by
the board for the purpose, will sail for
Japan, with full authority to examine
into the condition of the missions which
that organization has maintained there for
many years.
Disquieting reports of the state of affairs
existing in Japan among the native Chris
tians with relation to the missionaries,
missions and schools of the American
board have been prevalent for the last two
or three years, and have recently been the
cause of much anxiety to the friends of
missionary work in that country. In con-
sequence, the work there has suffered to
some extent, and, it is asserted, will con-
tinue to suffer until the elements of dis
cord which have arisen-either real or
fancied-have been allayed.
1t is with the view of obtaining the
exact facts in the case and in order that
the officers of the American board may be
correctly advised as to the nature of the
situation in Japan that it has been de-
cided to send a deputation to institute a
sists of William P. Ellison of the pruden-
tial committee, the Rev. DR.. James L. Bar
ton, one of the foreign secretaries OF the
board; Rev. DR.. James G. Johnson, pastor
of the New England Congregational
Church, Chicago, and the Rev. DR.. A. H.
Bradford of Montclair, n. J.
The difficulty existing among the Jap
anese Christians with relation to the mis-
sionaries has arisen from various causes, as
it was explained by a prominent minister
yesterday, the chief one being the inde-
pendent feeling among the former which
has prompted desire to get rid of the lat
ter and to run the machine alone" In
one instance quoted in recent report to
the board all the missionaries in the Ku,
inamoto station had their passports re
turned to them and were told to vacate the
houses the board had built for them.
'sFor more than year." the report con
tinues. "there has been trouble between
the missionaries and the principal of the
boys school in Kumamoto. Our mission
aries were located there at the earnest re.
quest of the Christians and houses were
erected for them there just as in other sta
tions.
"Since Kumamoto is not an open port
foreigners cannot live there without being
in the employ of the Japanese, nor can
they hold any real estate save in the name
of a Japanese. Our missionaries were EN-
ployed in Christian school and ouI
homes and lands were held by the officers
of the school. The present principal of the
school has become very pronounced in his
liberal views, widely differing from the
missionaries. Cooperation in such work
gradually became more and more difficult
cat the same time cry against the for.
eigners living in the interior in houses
held in private names was loudly raised
throughout the country, so that the Jap,
anese who held such property everywhere
naturally desired to be relieved from the
odium of helping foreigners in evadine
the treaty obligations.
ITO make long story short the princi