Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-04-25
ACCUSED OF DIsnoYALTY


The Boston Transcript publishes re-
ports to The American Board Of For
eign Missions, from the Caroline Isl
ands. containing complaints against an
American missionary and native con-
yerts. The specific charge is disloyalty
10 the German government.
1t appears that one day last Decem-
Der a German warship anchored on the
south point Of Uela, The next day
Rev. stlinBon, the American mission
airy. ,vas ordered on board to answer
to charge OF dlsloyalty made against
four boys The accusation was brought
It seems, by some pagan traders who
were hostile 70 the mission.
Mr.. stlmson received very scant cour-
tesy on board the ship. He was or
dered about as II he had been under
accusation himself. He was not even
permitted to speak TO the boys, so 1t
appears that the only reason why he
was summoned to the ship was that the
captain desired to show him as much
dlscouriesy as be dared to. He claims
that the charge IS false and palielous'
The missionary further relates that
one day mock trial 'gas held by the
captain The boys, he says, were ar
raigned and they denied the charge
Then twenty heather men, servants OF
the trader and adherents Of his, testi-
fed against them and against Mr.. slim
son to the effect that he and they con-
stantly preach against the German
government. A man who went TO the
ship and wished to speak to the captain
in their defense was driven away, so he
says, with gun. Testimony for the de-
Tense, offered under oath, was refused.
Another report agrees with the state
ment of Mr., stimson. Miss Jennie D,
Baldwin says:
"These boys are anxious TO preach the
gospel and months ago begged permits
sion to hold services on Sabbath morn
ing at villages few miles distant a
| heather chief and a heather white man
we're opposed TO these efforts, ana the
| chief would not permit him to preach in
| his Village. Work was then started IN
| a village beyond. where they were well
| coined. and nearly a hundred people
| gathered 10 hear the Word. The powers
| of darkness seemed determined 10 blot
| out this work. and when the warship
| arrived the two men previously men,
| toned charged these boys with preach
| ing that the American Board was
| great factor IN these quarters, and that
| the German government occupied an in
| ferior position A trial was held where
| MI Christians and missionaries were
| ruled OCT. and OF course, It was not
| difficult An a heather land to obtain
| false witnesses. SO far as we hear the
boys are guiltless. The people testify
that they preached simply from the
| Book. The boys realized that II was
persecution for the faith, and told my
| sister when she visited them that Il was
| because OF the name Of Jesus
The Germans have at times
proved that they value mis-
sonary very highly, We believe
large piece of Chinese terri
tory was taken as an equivalent for
one few years ago, An American
missionary cannot be worth less than
other missionaries, and they should
therefore be treated with courtesy, even
II accused, by enemies. Of dlsloyalty.
Then. the story points moral. II
proves that when people desire TO
rersccute, they will always find
some excuse for It. It IS even easy TO
produce false witnesses, when a false
charge has to be sustained. The Lat
ter-day Saints have but too often ex-
rerienced this They too have been
falsely accused Of disloyalty and that
not by pagans,
our state department has asked for
an explanation Of the matter and that
IS wen. Tor missionary labor should not
be less free under German rule than II
was under the Spanish regime. The ex-
PLANTATION, no doubt. win be forthcom-
Ing, but IT devolyes upon the govern
ment 20 see 10 It that the explanation
really explains, or else that an apology
Is rendered,