The age-herald., 1898-08-14

l am frank to admit that l am not great beliver in foreign missions. Much of the money spent in this work is thrown away, because, In most cases the work Is put in the hands of ncompetents. How ever know personally of one great, and I might say, glorious exception to this statement. He is no less parsonage than Dr. Young J. Allen, whose present home is in Shanghai, China, though today he is in Birmingham. Dr. Allen has been resi- dent of Shanghai for forty years. He has risen above what is ordinarily known a missionary.
 pr. Allen will deliver a lecture in the First Methodist church at Il o'clock this morning and he will deliver another one in the same church this evening. Every man and woman in Birmingham who can appreciate wisdom, eloquence and learning should hear him.
 I have known Dr. Allen for many years. I have been with him in this country, and I have been with him in China. I have seen his work in China-a work which no man can observe but to admire. The per sonalty, the ability, and the courage of this man has impregnated great portion of the Celestial Empire" The adoption of modern methods on the part of the Chinese government are, in a great meas ure, due to him and his work.
 Dr. Allen went to China in 1859. He was a boy 23 years of age at the time and went as missionary of the Methodist church. He went from Georgia, of which state he is native. His first work was to learn to speak the Chinese language. That was 1sra he thought he had mastered it, and on one occasion he assumed the pulpit in one of the missionary sheds and called around him a number of native Chinese, who sat silently and gave respectful hearing. He began by reading to them in Chinese the 14th Chapter of John He got along swim mingly, so to speak, at first. His idea was to read the entire chapter and at it's con clusion explain the same to his audience. To his amazement, however, immediately that he ended the last word, the entire audience arose and retired. Only one man remained. He asked of this man why the audience had left him. Because you told them to- responded the Chinaman. Then 1t was for the first time that pr. Allen realized that the lard words of the last verse of the chapter he had read were: Arise and let us go hence." The China man takes everything literally.
 
 After ten years experience in China Dr. Aliens personality and ability began to im- press themselves upon the Chinese gov ernment, and he was employed by the ep-< peror as instructor 'n I5ngishrfn native college He is president of the Anglo Chinese-161fege, located at Shanghai, an in- stitution which he established He like wise breaches in a church which he located in Shanghai. But pr. Aliens main work is greater and broader Although he bears not the title, he is really the official his torian of China and the leader of advanced thought in the nation. He is the author of the history of the late Chino Japan war. This work consists of seventeen volumes, printed in Jap anese characters, and bears rhe title: His tory of the War Between China and Ja- pan-Irs Origin and Issues, Its Revelation and Lesson" This work was the beginning of the destruction of the imaginary wall which has been about China from time im- memorial. Since its publication Dr. Allen has followed it with books of reference for use by the officials of China, and under him is a corps of learned men who are prepar- ing text books on modern subjects for use in the Chinese schools.