The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-11-20
BUDDHISM IS WHINING
CHRISTIANITY RAPIDLY GAINING
CONVERTS IN JAPAN.
Government officials and Newspaper
Of Their Fathers TO Professionalism.
Special to the indianapolis journal.

Special to the indianapolis Journal.
NEW YORK, Nov. 19-Rev. Naomi Ia
mura, pastor II &. large institutional church
at Toxic, japan. and head Of a boys school
there, has just arrived in this country for
the purpose of studying US and our ways.
He is 20 visit Chicago, st. Louis and other
cities and sal from San Francisco for home
early in January An original man, and
graduate of Princeton University here, he
owns fealty to no sect, but maintains an in
dependent Christian congregation, which
numbers among its members a very large
number Of prominent Japanese, including
some present government officials.
Buddhism growing?" he asked, in re-
Spouse to the question put him by reporter
the day he landed from England, having
come from Japan that way. "Nonsense!
he exclaimed. 'It is not growing in Japan,
whatever it may be doing elsewhere. Chris
tianity is increasing faster in Japan than
any other religious body. Government off,
Gals are rapidly becoming Christians. Even
the proprietors Of the newspapers are turn
ing Christians, so that to-day in Japan
nearly all of them are active in Protestant
church work. Every japanese newspaper
considers it necessary to have Christian
upon its staff.
are carrying on the largest work in Japan.
Episcopalians are slowly gaining ground,
though they are not able to get hold of
many prominent people, most Of whom were
already in other churches. Unitarians are
doing poorest, I think. / do not belong to
any of your American sects. My church is
simply Christian. Too many young men
come to Japan from this country as mis-
sionaries. We revere old men, but young
men we are apt to turn our backs upon.
There is the Young Mems Christian Asso-
citation. 1t teaches ali about the Bible, but
teaches very little Bible itself, and young
men do the teaching speak of it in Japan,
not in America Missionary boards in this
country ought to send able, experienced and
orthodox men, and members OF churches
here ought to see that their money sends
only such. We get too many seminarians,
who have had no experience at pastoral
work. 1 am amused at representatives of
American mission boards who visit Japan,
spend three or four weeks in the company
of foreign missionaries resident there, and
return home to write books about what
Japan needs. If Americans have false no.
tons of Japan there is little wonder.
1.-The fact that the Philippine islands are
likely to come under the control or the
United States, and that mission work is to
be undertaken there leads many Japanese
to emigrate thither. Great numbers are al
ready there. The largest sugar imports of
Japan come from the Philippines. Japan is
ready to join hands with America. The par
tition of China is likely to result in war. If
Japan had been stronger it would have been
at war with Russia before now over the
seizure of Port Arthur and for other causes.
When England and America join hands
Japan will come with them, and together
we can control the whole world. 1 have
many government officials in my congrega-
ton. All of them heartily welcome the
in he ia aSf al FRY
ing in all ways they can think of to help
along an Anglo-American alliance"
Rev. Loyal L. Writ. missionary of the
Congregational Home Missionary Society in
Alaska, appeals to Christian Endeavor and
other church societies in behalf of men at
Juneau, the hub Of the Territory, during the
long approaching winter. He says there are
seven thousand men there, stormbound for
five months, condemned to suffer from three
causes: Cold, darkness and idleness. Suf-
fering from cold will be met by local charity
and the sixteen to twenty hours of dark
ness each day is to be overcome in part
by an immense electric lighting plant. Sew
en- thensanc IDLE men In mining camp
in finding things to- do. He is starting
sort Of Young Mems Christian Association
and his appeal is for books for these idle
men to read. He says the average intelli-
gence is very high and that many college
fraternity pins seen within the saloon
and brothel. He asks churches to hold book
socials, or better yet for individuals to send
books prepaid by mail direct to him.
Tie few sociologists who are active just
now in an effort to help Count Tolstoi raise
q large sum of money to pay for the trans
portation Of ten or twelve thousand mem
bers of a prosecuted sect from Russia to
this country are meeting with criticism from
conservative men who point out the proba-
BILE failure Of the scheme at wholesale colon
ization. Several places are said to be Of
fered for the experiment, one as far north
as Manitoba and one as far south as Texas.
The sect is said, though not on good author
ity, to have been started by a follower of
George Fox, but its doctrines are not those
held by the Quakers of this country. 1t has
been prosecuted for above a hundred years,
and now $4,000 is wanted to get its men,
bers, or what are left of them, out of Rus
sia. About 100000 is wanted in American
money The critics referred to are men
tioning the uniform failure at colonization
schemes such as this one.