The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1900-11-22
THE MISSIONARY
CONTROVERSY.
A Clear Statement Of the Anti
Missionary Side of the Case,
and Their Relation With Pub
lie Affairs.
A CHINAMAN'S VIEWS.
The Result of the Observations of Our
Own Correspondent On the Ground.

Special correspondence TO THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE
SHANGHAI. China, Oct. 10.
The Chinese Empire has 10 times the
popuation and 26 times the area of Japan.
1t has five times as many people and one
sixth more in square miles than the United
States. The Chinese Empire at the eX-
IRENE south is about five degrees nearer
the equator than the southernmost point
of the United States, while its northern
most point is about j3 degrees north lati-
tude The northern boundary of the
United States is at 40
While Hong Kong and Canton. which
are in about the same latitude as Havana
or Honolulu. have no cold weather, Shans-
hal has considerable Winter weather. &c
king and Tien Tsin experience Winters of
long duration and the severcst kind.
There are hundreds of languages and
dialects spoken in China proper, as well
as in the dependencies that make up the
Empire The people IN one province may
not be able to converse with the people i'll
the next.
The Chinese business men, servants and
others in the principal ports have come
into contact with foreigners from almost
every nation of the world. \ Chinaman
whose lot is TO be placed with the French
people is taught a ''pidgin'' French;
those coming in contact with the Ameri-
cans and English speak a pidgin'' Eng
fish. and so on, including the Germans,
Russians, Italians and others.
MISSIONARIES IN THE FIELD.
Now come the French Catholic mis-
eionaries. the German Lutheran mission
aries, the English and American mission
aries: the Russian Church missions; Swe-
dish Missionary Society, Norwegian Luz
theran Missions: Ranges Synods Mis-
sions, China Inland Missions, Brethren
Missions Spanish Augustinian Missions,
Seventh Day Adventist Missions, Society
for the Diffusion of Christian and General
knowledge Among the Chinese, the Chris
tan Alliance Missions, Allegemeiner Mis-
sionsoverein, the Chinese Young Mems
Christian Association Missions, the Wom-
ems Foreign Missionary Society, etc, with
the several different kinds each of the
Methodist, Presbyterian, Baptist and
other denominations.
This array is not presented in any spirit
of criticism of the missionary or the prin-
ciples he represents.
The methods may be justly criticised.
Many old missionaries in both China and
Japan have repeatedly. told me that the
confusion, the unwhOlesome rivalry and
the jealousies caused by the great multi
lUe NUIlSlldu UllSSiOHS were
serious hindrance to their work. In
few instances, like that of the Methodist
Episcopal Church and the Methodist Epis-
copal Church South, territory has been
agreed upon for each Church in different
sections, SO there will be the least dupli-
cation of work and less conflict and con-
fusion.
Under the treaties with the United
States the Chinese Government guaran-
teed the Chinese convert of an American
mission would have the protection of the
United States Government in their re-
ligious rights. The same is true of the
treaties with England and the other Gov
ernments.
The French Jesuits and Lazaristes have
the advantage of the Protestants in that
the Bishops of the order named have Sc
cured through the influence of their Gov
eminent the same standing before the
Tsung Ii Yamen as the Ambassadors of
the powers at Picking.
Sometimes it would happen that a con-
vert Of one of the orders named above
would get into a business or other CON
troyersy with Protestant convert The
case would go before the Chinese officials
The missionary from the chapel where
each belonged would, of course. be called
into the case TO protect their respective