The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-04-29
PRoTEcTIyG MISSIONARIES.

The little diplomatic passage between the
United States and Turkey growing out CT
a claim for damages sustained by mis-
sionaries near Smyrna led a Washington
correspondent to gather some datarespec.-
ing the care Uncle So is called upon TO
take OF his missionaries in foreign Ian Is.
He learned that never day passes but the
state department receives one or more pro-
tests, by mail or otherwise, from mission
aries. alleging that they have been mis-
used and calling upon the government for
protection. A department official placed
the cost OF looking after the missionaries
at not less than $1,000 600 a year, exclusive
of the value OF the time Of consuls taken
up in hearing complaints which they regard
as being too trivial to include in their
officials reports.
Nearly one half Of the letters opened at
the consular bureau of the state depart
ment in Washington contain com
plants from missionaries, either through
the consuls or from the missiona-
ries direct. I'm nine cases out
of ten" said an Official of the
bureau, land ! say il without preJudi-e e
the protests filed with the 81 ate Depart
ment are unjustifed, almost puerile. re-
lating to trivial Incidents which are not
worth the trouble of even invest eating.
The official then went on to instance two
cases which had recently come 10 the bu-
reau through the mails. In the first
missionary In Korea had invented crude
and simple spinning wheel and was doing
well with the manufacture and sale OF IT.
when a native Korean invented a similar
wheel, and, being able to manufacture Z
cheaper than the American, was playing
havoc with the latters sales and profits.
The American complained to the Unitei
States government and asked that the
Korean be prevented from competing WIN
him in the spinning wheel market, mas
much as his wheel had been invented nrst
and the profits of the enterprise were de-
voted to the support of the mission. Inc
second case was from Siam. native
bull had wandered into the missionary s
church and upset some furniture and brok-
en- a small statue. The total damage was
probably SO. The missionary complained
to the American consul that he had not
been afforded proper police protection, ana
asked that a demand for indemnity be
made upon the Siamese government. Thu
consul declined to take any offic' al notice
of the matter and the missionary not only
complained to Washington direct, but re-
ported the consul for being inattentive to
his business.
The majority of the complaints come
from China, Korea, Turkey and the Arme-
MAN districts, in the order named. ia
pan gives very little trouble since the reo-
pie Of that country are more enlightened
than those of either of the others mention
ed and have government that is liberal.
Intelligent and honest. The policy OF the
state department is never 10 make any
definite forward move until 1t is absolutely
convinced that 1t has some reasonable
ground upon which to base a protest.
When II knows that Ii Is right, II goes
ahead and makes its demands, as has been
done in the pending matter with Turkey.
Meantime, it is to be borne in mind that
| II is q part of the duties of the depart
ments representatives abroad to hear the
complaints of the missionaries, to afford
them whatever protection may be neees-
sary and to insist that justice be done
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