Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-12-21

69,511, OLA pages were puDifsHed In the Chi
nese language and 102s46e faae'nes of sos
$50 pages in English were issued and sold.
in addition to numerous pamphlets and
tracts in both languages.
The Presbyterians haveH weekly news
paper aid monthly magaHne of their own
and print several newspapers Ion others.
both religious and secular: ~ hens The Meth
odsts are ready to begin#work' these two
establishments will be abl&to supply China
with all the religious literature needed.
Most of their books are religious and edu-
cational. Many of them are original, writ
ten by missionaries and teachers in China,
and are directly applicable to special inter
ests. They also publish large editions Of
reprints of standard works from the Eng
lish The Baptists have printing house
In Canton and the American board has one
at Picking.
Greatest Publication Enterprise.
The largest publication enterprise in
China. however. is "the Society for the
Diffusion of Christian Knowledge" which
has been running for about ten years
with great success under the direction of
Rev. Timothy Richard. 1t is cosmopolitan
and unsectarian It's members represent
several nationalities and religious COM
munities. It's management is supervised
by board of trustees representing the
official, professional and commercial
classes of the Chinese and the several
| missionary boards. 1t is self-supporting.
but its work is extended by contributions
from various sources, native as well as
foreign, Christian and non-Chrfstian. The
estimation in which it is regarded by the
official and literary class of Chinese may
be judged by the fact that last year
Chang Chin Tung, viceroy of WI Chang,
sent check for $4,000; Gov. Mich of Su-
chow contributed 81 900; the governors of
kiang-si and Shansi contributed $500
each the governor of Chih-li $500 and
other governors, magistrates and sub
ordinate officials contributed correspond
Ing amounts The mercantile C0nm1njtv
has also been very generous in support
ing the society, and has thus extended it's
usefulness When Niceroy Liu of Nan
king learned that the society was intend
ing to publish a history of international
law he sent his check for 5000 to assist
IN the payment of the expenses He re-
al1Zed that such q book would be of the
greatest value to all concerned just now.
Work of the Society.
Last year the society published 13,911,-
6o6 pages of new books and 12910,2SO
pages of reprints. 1t employs seventy
printers and -bookbinders, twenty regu-
lar writer's and translators and fifteen
clerks. There are altogether about 100
Chinese on its staff of employees
The greatest difficulty met with by the
managers of the institution is in securing
competent transators of standard educa-
tlonal, political and other works, for which
there is now an enormous demand in China,
ana contributions are needed for that pur-
pose. There Is Just now an extraordinary
need OF and demand for books on history.
politics, geography and science, which must
be adapted to the peculiar conditions exist
ing among the Chinese and very few people
are competent to do the work. The Chi
nese people need books that will teach them
how to live and conduct their government
and how to use modern methods
The catalogue of the publications of the
Society for the Diffusion of Christian
knowledge contains a long list and large
q Jigtn of will
zauon' to Little Lord Fauntleroy," which
has been turned into Chinese by Miss Laura
White. Among other books in the list see
The Lives of American Presidents" Fifty
Years of Science Till the Doctor Comes
(Which teaches how to give first aid to the
inJuredD, The Religions of the World"
Women in All Lands III Hung Changes
Travels" and biographies of Constantine
the Great. Peter the Great George Wash
ington, General Grant, Queen Victoria, D.
l.. Moody, Gladstone and other famous
men.
The value of these publications and their
popularity are demOnstrateG by the fact
that they are pirated and reprinted by ma
tive publishers all over China. From one
point of view this is very annoying, but
from another it is a qualification, for the
circulation of good books can never do
harm. and just now in China they will do
infinite good
Run on Commercial Basis.
The society is conducted on a commercial
basis, and it is not a charitable institution.
although it's object is beneyolence. It does
not give its books away, but sells them at
ordinary prices through its own agents and
through the regular trade, but it cannot
compete with ordinary native publishers,
because it pays better wages to its en-
ployes and larger fees to its authors and
translators in order to stimulate Their in
tereSt and zeal.
Last spring, at the annual examination
of candidates for office, which attracted to
the capitals of the several provinces all
the officials, literary men and candidates
for cffice the society presented a package
of its publications to every attendant alto
gether about 10000 persons, and thus at a
considerable expense and trouble reached
nearly every educated man in all China
with important works upon the burning
questions of the day. This distribution was
made with the approval and cooperation of
the imperial authorities and the higher
officials of the several provinces 1t marks
an epoch in the history of China. If such
thing had been attempted four or five
years ago it would have provoked riots and
massacres in nearly every capital