The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-04-24
THE MISSION CONFERENCE.
The EeumenicnI Council HeIds Its
First Business Session

| First business Session.
| NEW YORK. April 23.-The Ecumenical
Council on Foreign Missions got down to
! business today and meetings were held all
day long. The day wound up with a meet
ing in Carnegie Hail. which was packed
until at o'clock the hall was 50 crowded
| that the officials Of the FIRE department
complained and It was said that they sent
word 70 the management that some Of the
people must be sent out. President A. V,
v Raymond of Union College. as presiding
officer. called on the Rev. DR.. Willingham,
OF Richmond. Va. to make a prayer
The hrst speaker was Mr.. Eugene Stock.
Oh London. editorial secretary of the
Church Mission Society. who delivered a
paper reviewing missionary work for the
country.
Mr.. Stock was followed by DIR. A.
Schneider. one of the German DELEGATES.
and by the Rev. James s. Dennis. who was
TO present Centennial Statistics" to the
conference.
The last address OF the evening session
was made by the Rev. DR. Arthur T. Pier
son. The most remarkable thing he said
was that to his mind this ecumenicaI
conference was the most significant as
semblage that had been held anywhere in
the world since the Ascension of Christ
A number OF overflow meetings were
held.
1t was a crowd generous in its applause
that gathered at Carnegie Music Hall to
attend the first business session OF the
conference in the morning. The programme
provided for a half hour of devotional
service previous to the beginning Of the
days work. and that was conducted by
Walter B. Sloan, Secretary of the Inland
Mission of China
The Rev Augustus H. Strong was in
troduced as the first speaker of the con-
ference. and his subject was the Authority
and Purposes Of Foreign Missions"
The chairman then announced that the
next speaker had come more than 10. 600
miles to attend the conference and he in
troduced the Rev. J. Hudson Taylor. super
intendent Of missions in Central China
The last address of the morning
meeting was made by Robert T. Speer,
Secretary of the Board of Foreign Missions
OF the Presbyterian Church of America.
In the afternoon the delegates took a
survey of mission fields" The idea was.
according to the programme. to consider
the past history and present condition Of
each field, together with the chief problems
involved in the effort 70 evangeIize each
country and the demands for the coming
century. The survey embraced Japan and
Korea. China. Assam, Burmah. and Siam.
India and Ceylon, Oceanica. Mohammedan
lands, Africa. North and South America
The meetings we're held in eight different
churches and in the Chamber Music Hall
Of the Carnegie Hall at the same hour
The South African war added interest 20
the African meeting at the Union Method
list Church, in ty-eighth Street. near
Broadway. Bishop Turner. who is III. was
~ n
mulstto. from Georgia who was born in
slavery. DR.. Charles Phillips. of Johannes
burg. one of the speakers. said that his
work had been among the 100000 half
castles in South Africa. who were the or
spring Of the Beers and the native slave
women. If there were no war there now
/ should speak more freely than | shall
about the treatment of those people. They
have been most shamefully abused. There
is no equality in the Transvaal The
negro and the half-caste are not allowed
in church or on the sidepaths or in the
streets; they may not engage 10 trade: no. |
not even to the extent of buying a basket |
Of fruit and selling in along the streets"
At the meeting devoted to work in Nc |
hammedan lands, President Washbur1. OF |
Roberts College. referred to the presen. |
diplomatic negotiations in which this coun-
try and Turkey are involved. He said |
that the United States policy with regard |
TO missionaries was perfectly satisfactory |
10 the missionaries. 1t had best been ex- /
pressed by Secretary Blaine, when he said |
that to afford protection to a missionary !
that would not be afforded to a merchant |
would be unjust and out Of the quest on. |
and to afford protection to a merchant /
hat would not be afforded to a missionary /
was even more than unjust.
DR.. Grace Kimbau who went through |
he Armenian massacre and was intro
iuced by DR.. Schaufler as the heroine Of
hat episode said that there was a quez-
ion in her mind as to whe Their the in
iemnity which the United States was row
pressing was worth the trouble it would /
,ause to the missionaries in the field by /
irri,r IN nffiriaI n-tnrnrie-.,