Birmingham state herald., 1896-05-23
CROSS AGAINST CRESCENT Crusade of inc Nineteenth Gen.
 U y at Hand. TURK M ST BE SCOTCHED Sordid lnteres Stays the Hands of the Great Powers-Japan to the Rescue-A
 Great Missionary Speech.

missioners to the assembly, visitors and citizens of Birmingham, gathered at the Cumberland Presbyterian church last night to hear Rev. pr. D. M. Harris, edi. tor of the St. Louis Observer, on sub ject of which he is master in every de- tail-"Missions. pr. J. ". Laughlin introduced the speaker.
 Dr. Harris said, in substance:
 The field of discussion of missions was so vast that he could only give a faint outline The solution of the worlds prob lems rest upon the Christian religion. This IS the most tumultuous period of the worlds history. All the great nations are in commotion. All these problems re- Volye around the cross of Christ We in this happy land are in measure isolated rom these problems, and yet they deeply concern us. The eastern question is sepa- rated into two parts-the near eastern question and the far eastern question. It is the struggle between the Turk and the Slav, between England and Russia, between the cross and the crescent, be- tween Mahommedanism and Christian ity.
 The center about which these questions gather is the city of Constantinople This is the most magnificent site for city in the world. This city wielded power in the world a thousand years be-
 
 modern cities were known. The Elm peror Constantine gave this city it's name It dominated the east and the west. From 1t the edicts of the church were issued for thousand years. 1t was the center of the Christian religion.
 When the crusades arose they weak ened this part of the world. Constantino- pie Tell an easy prey to the Turk. It seemed at one time that the Turks would conquer all Europe, but the king of Po- land bravely stemmed the tide and set back the Turkish power. For 200 years the whole Christian world has been strug- gling against the Turk. The Turk has plunged southeastern Europe in war and blood In 1921 the Greeks threw off the Turkish yoke. Over 250 900 brave Greeks fell in four years.
 Austria is Interested in this question be- cause of the Danube river This river was once great artery of commerce, but the Turk.got control of it's mouth and now it is comparatively abandoned by the ships of commerce. Austria is against Turkey for commercial reasons.
 Russia is the greatest empire in the world. It is three times as large as the United States. It is the great dominat- ing power of the world. All the other powers dread Russia. An English states man has prophesed that Russia will con- trol all that part of the world. Russia is complete despotsm. All the nations have sent representatives to the crowning of Nicholas the despot. Russia has tried for 300 years to get Constantinople. It is her determination to make this city her commercial capital. Russia is land locked, and needs harbors.
 Great Britain Is interested in Constanti- nople because it is the key to the Medi- terranean. England is the great shop of the world. The British navy is stronger than that of Germany, Italy, France and Russia together. Nearly every sea is con- hn lxntr fn a1 Europe is the Mediterranean, and Eng land controls 1t and Gibraltar. She con trols the Island of Malta, the Dardanelles and the Suez canal Seven out of ten ships in the SueZ canal are British, and she has four-fifthS of the trade of the east. She has twenty-five of the great coaling stations of the world, and Amerl- ca not one. England has determined that Russia shall not control Constantinople.
 At Jerusalem there was a quarrel be- tween the czar and the pope over the holy sepulchre. The czar told the sultan to stop the riots. In 1854 came the Cri- mean war. England and France united with Turkey to drive back the Russians. After peace was declared the powers ex- acted of the sultan. a promise that he he broke his promise.
 Tn 1876 there were terrible outrages in Bulgaria by the Turks. A reporter for the New York Herald investigated these OutrdPeS, d1u IL WdS tITOuRl tfle I1etdiu that England got the full particulars. Again Russia swept up to the gates of Constantinople and England called halt. A solemn contract was entered in- to that Turkey should keep the peace. But thousands of Christians have again been slaughtered. Over 50.000 have been destroyed in the past few months. These Christians died rather than surrender their faith. No Christian nation has said these outrages must stop. These atrocious scenes are enacted where the apostles walked. The time is at hand when Chris tian missions will pass through a great crisis. The crime of non-interference lies first at the door of Russia and then of England.
 What did our country do? Our mission aries were there. We stood with folded hands. John Sherman said we can't do anything better than bring our mission aries home. Russia holds the destiny of the world in her hands. Russia is reach ing out for control of the east. She now has her clutch on China.
 But there is a power that will stop Rus sia. It Is Japan, the island empire of the east, as England is the island em- pire of the west. Japan has been touched by Christianity. Our missionaries in Japan are to have part in reciaiming the east to Christianity. Japan is the only power in the east with representa- tive government, as England was the on- ly empire in the west with representa- tive government. It is Christianity that gives a representative government. Con- modore Perry opened the doors of Japan in 1854. and at a bound it leaped from the fifteenth to the nineteenth century. The Japanese can make anything. They are selling bicycles in San Francisco for VIZ. They buy our cotton and spin 1t into fine cloth They are our competitors. They are making China wake up. We have 3O,00O converts in Japan. They were the first to volunteer in the war Mrs. Hale said the women among these converts offered their services as nurses. When the war was over the feeling against foreigners died out. In less than six months the Bible society has sold 100000 Bibles in China.
 In Russia they allow you to have any religion you want, but you can't teach 1t to others If you try to preach you do 1t at the risk of your life. But the Method ists and the Baptists have their missions in Russia. If Russia controls China what will be the fate of our missions in China?
 Our government once protected its missionaries; rcv 1t doesn't. If the pow CTS withdraw their protection what will we do? The spirit of Christianity tells us that men will go in their own right. will these masses of the east drag us