The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-10-11
CHINA'S DOOM.
Rev. JudsOn Smith Tells Amer
lean Missionary Board
That Old Order Can Never Be
Restored.
CRISIS is REACHED.
Destinies of All the Nations Are
Involved.
Powers Will Fight Against an
Irresistible Fate.
CRISIS is REACHED.

st. Louis, Oct. 1.-THE attendance at
the ninety-first annual meeting of the
American board of commissioners for
foreign missions, which is holding a
three days session in Pilgrim Congrega-
tional church, was considerably increased
today by the arrival of a number of be-
lated delegates Previous to the conven-
ing of the morning session a well attend
ed prayer meeting was held.
Great interest is being shown, judging
from the attendance in the board work
in China and when the discussion of that
subject began today the church was
crowded. After devotional exercises Rev
Judson Smith, d. D., foreign secretary
of the American board, read an interest
ing and somewhat lengthy paper on
China. the Situation and Outlook
The following is an abstract of the re-
port:
China's millions alone but also on the
fortunes of the whole world. The old
time conflict of heatheniSm and Chris
tianity is here renewed; conservatism
and reverence for the past struggle
against progress and the forces that an
innate and unite the western nations A
world crisis has been reached, the des-
TIMES of all the nations are involved ana
China. is the theater on which the great
drama is enacting. England, Russia
GERMANY and the United States are
safeguarding their own future while they
doom of the dynasty, and of the anti
foreign policy it embOdies,is pronounced;
no diplomacy, no force of arms can save
them; the powers, even if they should
wish to prolong their life, will fight
against an irresistible fate The future
will reveal new China and that VIII pc
a new world, with glorious destiny De-
fore it.
Missionary work in every form and IN
every place is at an end. The mission
property together with the personal Ell
fects of missionaries has been destroyed
at Tung Chow, Pekin, Kalgan, Paot!ng
and Lin Ching. Undoubtedly everything
in Shan ST is gone; one missionary resi-
dence in Tien Tsin has been burned;
chapels by the score in our stations have
been destroyed. The total loss, at low
estimate must amount to hundredS OF
thousands of dollars. For the loss of mis-
sionar+v life there is no money value For
the wholesale slaughter of the natlVe
Christians there is also no compensatory
The awful fact that confronts IS the
death of thirteen Of our missionaries
with five children, involving the eXtlnc-
ton of the Shan 81 mission.
There are not wanting those VINO
would trace this outburst of boxers rage
and anti-foreign fanaticsim to the mis-
takes and miSdeedS of the missionaries,
or to the mere fact of their presence IN
China I speak for protestant mission
aries and particularly for those OF our
own board, when l reply that the ms
sionaries are not the cause of this out
break They are in China with China 8
knowledge and virtual consent, enjoying
plainly stipulated treaty rights. China
has made no complaint of them; she mas
not asked for a revision Of treaties IN
order that she might be freed from their
presence. But missionaries. we are tod
have no business in China forcing a for
eign hateful religion upon the people;
their very presence and work naturally
arouse resentment and hatred rms
charge strikes back to one who brought
a heavenly glory to the earth which re-
r4-ffN a
thorns. and charges Him with folly and
seems to cover with shame the brightest
pags of Christian history, the noblest
names upon the roll of the ages.
''What is now to be done? Are our
missions to be closed up and the work
Of evange1izing China abandoned? Not
unless we have decided to give up all
missionary effort. For much as has
been destroyed, there is much more that
remains. Our two missions in the south
are essentially intact And in the north
there are still native Christians who
have held their faith, who are now in
hiding but with peace will come forth to
form the nucleus of the new churches
and Christian communities The Bible
and Christian literature and text books
remain.
UNLESS signs fail, this day of blood
shed and loss is sure to be followed by
an immense enlargement of our mis-
sionary operations in China
DR.. Smiths paper was followed by a
general discussion of the subject by a
number of missionaries and officers of
the board. Among the missionaries who
spoke We're a number who passed
through the recent boxers outbreak in
North China and some of the hair rails
ing experiences recOunted by them seem
beyond belief.
Those who spoke were Rev.C. A. Stan
ley, Rev G. Henry Ewing, Rev E. F.
Aiken, Willis G. Noble, NJ D., Rev. l.
IL n.-Aa IT