Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-11-20
THE FOREIGN FIELDS
Plea Made for Greater Liberality by
the Churches.
CONSIDERABLY METHODIST COMMITTEE
Reports Heard From Those in
Charge of Appropriations,
CAUSE IN EASTERN ASIA

The fifth days session of the general
missionary committee of the Methodist
| Episcopal Church was begun this morning
| at 1880 o'clock in Foundry Church. 14th
! and streets northwest. Heretofore the
usual hour for beginning the sessions each
day has been o'clock. but as there were
| several committees to meet to consider the
| appropriations for work in various foreign
| countries it was decided to defer the gem
| eral meeting until later hour There was
| a good attendance of the members and
| they took up with renewed vigor the work
| which had been dropped Saturday at noon
BISHOP Warren presided, and the devo-
| tlonal exercises We're conducted by Rev
| Mr.. Burt of Rome, Italy. who deyiated
| somewhat from the usual form by asking
| the audience to join with him in the re-
| sponsive reading Of a Psalm. This was
| done with much heartiness. and similar in
| terest was shown in the singing which fol-
! lowed, and which was led by the voice of
| Bishop McCabe
| me number of spectators at this stage Of
| the sessions OF the committee has never
| been very large, and this morning proved
| to be no exception, but the few present
| joined in the devotions which preceded the
| consideration of the business. The SpeCta-
| tors Increase in number, as n rule as the
| time goes on, and before adjournment quite
| a good many are in the space reserved for
| the public.
| Reports of Special Committees
| The consideration of reports from special
| committees to which were referred the ap-
| preparations for certain foreign fields was
| at once begun and the recommendations
| made were adopted. Before the vote was
| taken Bishop Thoburn was called on to
| give some account of the situation in the
different fields for the information of all,
TO which request he responded.
| A resolution expressing sympathy with
Rev Mr.. and Mrs. Lee. missionaries in
| India, whose family of six children lost
| their lives in a food. was offered. The
pathetic circumstances of the case, as re-
lated by Bishop ThOburn. seemed to appeal
to the members of the committee, and the
| prayer which was offered for the af-
Hicted parents made the incident rather
| striking one, coming as it did in the midst
| of the transaction of business.
discussion involving to some extent
| the functions of the committee was brought
| out by resolution. offered by Rev DR.
Leonard, recommending TO the favorable
consideration of the board that a portion
Of the contingent fund be devoted to re-
ievinS the distress from famine in the
CTuJerat district, India. 1t pointed out
by Rev DR.. Buckley that this was a
proposition which tended to corrupt the in
tellectual Judgment of public bodies, be-
cause under the guise of sympathy a rule
was to be broken and principle departed
from. II asserted that the work of
the committee was to sustain missions al
ready established, to create new ones. and
to discontinue missions The funds at the
disposal Of the committee were TO be used
for such purposes, and not to crafty i'm
pulses Of sympathy.
Gen. Rushing of New Jersey was of the
opinion that as the resolution simply rec
commended the matter to the consideration
Of the beard, it only an expression Of
sympathy on the part of the committee,
He therefore favored it.
In the view of Bishop McCabe, sympathy
should be also expressed for the sufferers
from the bubOnic plague in China. He was
opposed to the resolution, as he thought
the funds should be devoted purely to mis-
slonary work. He offered as a substitute
that the board be asked to make a public
appeal for the sufferers in India, and this
was accepted by the mover of the original
resolution and was then adopted.
On motion of Rev. Mr.. Goucher. an ap-
preparation Of $4,000 in the event that
such amount be donated, was made Tor
the Madras press.
Plea for Eastern Asin.
An earnest plea was made by Bishop
Joyce for increase in the appropriation
for the work in eastern Asia, which, he
said, was less than l per cent. as recon-
mended by the committee, more than what
was given last year He said that the
growing Importance Of these fields made it
necessary that larger provision should be
made.
Rev. DR. Buckley said the Methodist
Church vas now in this situation. 1t had
spread all over the world, and one result
was that the distribution of the funds
seemed in places rather Scanty. However
in the case of the missions in eastern Asia
there was a small increase this year. and
that was something to be thankful for
AS Grover Cleveland once said. the speaker
observed, il easier to confront a sur
plus, however small than a deficit. This
was the situation at present.
The opinion was expressed by Rev. DR..
Leonard, the secretary of the committee.
that this year the entire increase ought
to have been given to the foreign field, and
not an additional dollar to the home field.
He believed the church would sustain such
a course. 1t was probably too late now,
but he did not see how the course pursued
by the committee could be defended. The
reason why more adequate support could
not be given to the foreign work was be-
cause of the increases made for the home
work.
This view was indorsed by Rev Dr. Bald
win, the corresponding secretary of the
committee, who said that. in view of the
prosperous conditions in this country he
thought the committee had made a mis-
take in voting such increases in the ap-
preparations for the home work as to
make it impossible to provide but for
small additions to the funds for the for
eign work.
Appropriations Made Today.
AT 12:3o o'clock the committee adjourned
for luncheon. The appropriations made
during the session this morning We're as
follows:
India-North India. S57, 1856; northwest
India, $26,612; south India, 2o,694; Bonn
bay, S23 1874; Bengal-Burma S16315 Total
sl4341 Increase over last year, S31. $50.
Eastern Asa-Foochow. S21, $50; Hinghue
SG,S6S central China, $50 .106; north China
81 .2G9: west China, $13,544. Total, $l19,-
316. Increase over last year 81 122
1t is expected the committee will finally
adjourn tomorrow.