The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-01-08
suez Canal's Eject.

were made.
suez Canals Effect.
with the opening of the suez canal a
severe blow was struck at the com
merce of America with India. because
the route from England to Bombay.
Madras, and Calcutta was shortened in
EngIand's favor by the distance OF
from 1900 to 1000 miles. AS IL to
compensate in part for this and to hold
America to intimacy with the Orient.
the great American trans-continental
lines Of railway from the Atlantic to
the Pacific, now six IN number, were
laid; so that now from our Pacific sea-
board we are from 5000 to 5000 miles
nearer to the lands beyond the Pacific,
especially to Japan and China, than
England and Germany are.
a still further move is on foot where
by the commercial interests of our At
lantic ports are to be yet more especial
ly favored over Europe. Senator Frye
has recently stated that in the opening
of the new NIcarauGuan canal. the
distance from New York to Shanghai.
China would be reduced to the disad-
vantage Of Liverpool by one days sail.
New York would be brought nearer
than Liverpool to North China ports
by 1000 miles, to corean ports by 1850
miles; to Yokohama by 1900 miles; to
Melbourne by LOCO miles; to Sydney by
1000 miles. and to New Zealand by 1000
miles. New York would be from 5000
to 5000 miles nearer than London to the
west coast Of South America. Thus,
with the shortening of distance, and
the lowering Of freight rates, the ad
vantages Of a commercial sort to the
United States win be Increased to a
degree which most people in this eoun-
try have never imagined. Now add to
this the latest achievement Of our d.
plomacy whereby an open door is
guaranteed by the world powers to our
trade interests with China. and the in
creased commercial intimacy Of Ameri-
ca with the east surpasses even the
dreams Of decade ago.
The Philippines.
Now place with this the most provi-
dental and unlocked for incident
whereby the Philippine Islands came in
to our hands. and remember that we
control a port only two days sail from
Hong Kong, China, and we fnd our
selves stationed in the world of trade,
potentially where London has long been
in the matter of finance. at the very
front. The trade Of one-third. nearly
oue-half, OF the human race, centera In
Hong Kong. and we are next door
neighbors to It.
II begins to look rs II William h.
Stewards prophecy was about fulhlling.
AS far back as 1852 Mr.. Seward. stand
ing up in the United States senate. ut
tered these words: "HsnceEorth, Euro
pean commerce, European politics. Eu-
ropean thought and European activity,
although gaining force, and European
connections, although actually becom-
ing more intimate. will. nevertheless.
relatively sink in Importance: while the
Pacific Ocean, It's shores, It's islands,
and the vast regions beyond will be-
come the chief theater OF events in the
worlds great hereafter"
Now, what has all this 10 do with
American Christianity? It bears
nightly on the question of our. rellg-
ious and Christian relations and obll-
cations to these ancient lands, which
despite all their vast national resources,
and qulekened activities. and yet for
the most part idoiatrous. swallowed up
in superstition. moral corruption. and
social wretchedness. speak whereof
know. and from personal travel and
observation In those lands. In 1890, up.
on being elected to my Office as field
secretary OF the Oldest missionary or
Eanlzation OF American Baptists, was
Immediately sent to these Oriental
lands. Japan. China and India, for
trst hand view Of the situation. For
the greater part Of n year Travelled
in those lands, and saw them In their
representative features.
Lack Of Missions.
OF one thing 1 became well assured,