The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-01-28
JAPS STILL HEATHEN
AMERICAN MISSIONARIES LOSING
POWER IN THE MIKADO's LAND.
DR.. Berry Ousted from Control Of the
Hospital at Kyoto, by the Doshi-
sha, Who Have Rejected God.

BOSTON, Jan. 27.-The prudential COM
mittee OF the American Board of Foreign
Missions has made public the report Of it's
recent deputation to Japan, composed of
Rev. DR.. Secretary Barton. William p. Eli
son, member of the committee, Rev. DR..
A. H. Bradford Of Mt. Clair. N. j., and Rev.
DR.. James Johnson, of Chicago. Its salient
points follow:
I'VE were absent from home about four
months, seventy-two days of which were
spent going and coming and In actual trav-
the deputation. nine of which were by the
Japanese. The different members OF the
deputation gave an aggregate Of sixty-hve
addresses and sermons. We met in confA-
ence with 154 japanese, some of whom are
connected with the work of other mission
boards, some in government employ, and
some in Independent Christian work. The
deputation travelled in Japan by rail over
1,5O0 miles, by water S75 miles and by jinrik-
sha over $50 miles, in addition to the near
ly 1900 miles of water and 7,400 miles of
from the field OF investigation.
The American board owns both houses
and lands in Kobe and Osaka, besides leas-
ing other land in the former place. 1t also
holds two houses in Nilgata these being
treaty ports, where foreigners are allowed
TO either own or rent real estate. The nurs-
es' training school and hospital at Kyoto
were organized by DIR. J. C. Berry, NJ. D.,
or Bath, Me-, a missionary Of our board,
held in the name of the Doshisha because
the mission board can hold no property in
kyoto. DR.. Berry, up to his departure for
the United States, in the fall of 1893, for his
furlough, was the managing director of
both hospital and training school, acting in
conjunction with a hospital standing COM
aries, in accordance with the mutual UNDER
standing of both parties. While DR.. Henry
was in the United States 1t was learned
that the japanese members of the hospital
committee, without consultation with Dr.
Berry or the board or mission, or even the
standing committee Of the hospital. decided
10 terminate this mutual re.ation. They
voted that II DR.. Berry returned he should
not hold his former position as director
but that japanese shapld occupy that
place and DR.. Berry hold" the position of
advisor. The name of the nurses training
school is the Kyoto Nurses School, while
the hospital bears the name of Dosbisha
Owing to the difficulty of harmonizing
the present desires OF the Doshisha and the
motives prompting them, with conditions
necessary for harmonious and successful
cooperation, We hesitate to recommend
DR.. Ierry's return to japan or the continu-
ance of the hospital or nurses training
school work by the boards in Kyoto be-
yond what may be necessary to finish with
the present class of nurses during the year
1890 we recommend that the prudential
committee indorse the proposition OF the
Doshisha trustees, which pledges the return
or the property TO the donors in case the
hospital and school are not successfully
continued by the Doshisha. There was
marked concurrence in the opinion that a
change had taken place in the spirit of the
Doshisha 1t was quite generally affirmed
mat the Christian character and spiritual
tone OF the university is far less pronounced
than formerly. We asked if they would af-
firm as among the beliefs for which the
God, the divinity of Christ and the future re
life: They declared they could not
Careful inquiry showed but small num-
| who held such agnostic position in regard to
| the fundamental truths of Christianity. con-
| corning which the Ossisha trustees were un-
| willing to speak. Among the mass of pas
tors and evangelists the testimony was gen
| eral that a change for the better had al
ready begun. We recommend that after
| the reduced appropriations asked by the
| mission for the Doshisha for the year 1896
! Is paid, the sum given by the board to the
university be reduced annually. so as to
! cease at the end of the year 1898. Kuma
| Mota should continue to be the center for
| evangelistic work for the western portion
| of the island; the mission has also voted
| concur.
"Other religious bodies, as various sects
| of Buddhists, are fioodi the empire with
cheap books and arguments in favor of
| their religions. There is need that the best
| thought Of the Christian world be brought
WaS Of meeting OF that att fhe miss
sion has already taken the preliminary
| steps for starting a review, the same TO be
shall be published in the vernacular. and
| which shall aim to provide, by original ar
| tices and by translations. the best results
! of modern Christian scholarship. We ap-
prove this action OF the mission, and recon-
mend that the project be financially aided
| by the board. Concerning the subject of CO.
| operation between the mission and the
| Kumi-Ai churches. your deputation. is of the
| opinion that such cooperation is desirable
| Kobe College, in building and equipment
| in courses OF education, i'm mana cement, is
| unsurpassed as Christian school for girls
| In Japan.
| "We would recommend that when the
/ &s,l ,rS,st yA1 hat &t.A
| Doshisha is the positive force in Japan for
| evangelistic Christianity, for which il was
| founded and so largely endowed, and that
/ II will continue to be so, 1t will do all in it's
| power under its rules to strengthen and
| aid it,