The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-01-29
THEATRES
OF The WAR n
Korea Will be Important, stra-
tegic Point If There Is 9 4
Clash iii the East. ~
OUR MISSIONARIES Their 1: ! /
Or. George Hcber Jones, Just
Returned, Tells Of Work and
What the Land Is Like.

TO the man who has. with any degree
Of care, given his attention to South
ern affairs, and particularly to him VINO
has studied tho rapidly increasing lit
oraturo upon tho questions that now
stare the citizen Of this section IN the
fuce, 1t is truly a notable and remark
able change thnt las come over one OF
the great magazines Of the North In Its
attitude toward these mighty problems
The Independent, Of Now York, IS a
nigh class weekly. whose opinions upon
most subjects nre carefully weighed and
N many cases shared by q largo Glen
tele Iii this city. But upon TINS vexco
Southern Question tho Independent mas las
been rabld to high degree, Its voice
carried that Inevitable far-away tono
that has been 50 generally characteris-
tic of the utterances Of the Northern
nress and public upon a matter concern
ing which tllcy were densely anu seem
ingly irrecovably ignorant.
Srt the editor Of the Independent has
nj last como South, and when ne ."en wei,
back ho wrote an article. Ihe peopie
~ richmond have been reading 1t; the
ter portion Of, it; widespread attention
ms been attracted to It US monumen.
TAI indication of change OF sentiment
that 10 now said to be sweeping over
the North. Thus speaks the lndepeno-
ent: 7,t =
,rhe Rev. George Heber Jones, IN. -,
of Chemulpo, Korea, a missionary - e..e
Methodist Episcopal Church to that couil-
try since 1855, is now In the United SUITES
on furlough, making his home a. l uuua'
n Y. Dr.. Jones began his work IN Korea
-, ,ft
onened TO mission effort. In response 70
n request. he has made the fiioWihs
statement concerning foreign missions
and missionaries In that empire;
THE present missionary forces IN horea
ore grouped into four bodies: a. Prespy-
terians. (o) Methodists, 60 Angllcans. la)
Catholics. These four bodies main tam q
largo staff of American and European
workers, with widely distributed natlVei
church Of fully 600 professed con-
yerts who, with the adherents, eni
bracinE inquirers and seekers after Ctr's-
tlan truth, attendants on the various
congregations. relatives ana Ilenus "
Christians not yet in the church, put
favorable to Christianity, make up total
Christian population4of zoo, 600, or approx
mately two per cent. of the entire popu-
lation of tho empire. The greater por-
| ton of these have been won to Chris
| tianity since 1890, the Christian popula-
| ton previous to that year numbering
not more than $4,000 all told, so that the
growth numerically has been unparal-
lcled by any other mission field during
| the same period of time.
SPIRIT OF CO-OPERATION.
The various miss ons Of these Christian
bodies carry on work along all the lines
OF Christian activity. a large proportion
= ~. .,I,o ,f ol,traSr
work of preaching. large numbers OF the
Korean people being open to approach
and disposed to consider the claims OF
Christianity upon them Schools are
| maintained ranging from the primary
day school, carried on by native churches
in the villages and hamlets, up to the
higher semnarics and institutions Tor ad-
vanced education. AS there are no public
schools these institutions have a. large
| field Of usefulness This has been par
| tcularly the case In schools for girls, the
| Christian schools icing the, only ones
| where girls may obtain an education.
Hospitals and dispensarles to the num-
| Der OF twelve are maintained by the va.
rious Christian bodies, where $4,000 pa
tients are treated every year. Special
| corps OF trained workers, teachers. doc
| tors, nurses and various slsterhoods
| carry on large work among Korean
| women and have had gratifying success.
| A large and poular Christian literature
! ic being created by the missionaries.
their writings and publications in va
rious forms exceeding the output of all
| other literatur In the empire.
Tho missions In Korea are dominated
| by the best spirit Of friendliness and CO.
| operation. Sectarian strife Is virtually
banished, and denominational peculiarl-
| az. Lall Lot t,xr p1,,nH CfrnS
| is laid on the many and fundamental es-
sentlals of religious truth. which all share
| II common. AS far as the nome Christian
Korean can FEE, the Christians appear
10 consist Of only three camps-the Evan
| gclicals, the Roman Catholics and the
Greek Catholics. The missionaries Of all
the evangelical churches maintain va
rious INSTRUMENTATION organizations
such as the Korean Religious Tract So
canty and the Bible Committee OF Korea.
where the missionaries meet as brothers
In one great work. The Tract Society Is
now soliciting funds to erect a building
In Seoul for its expanding and important
work. a project worthy of the hearty sup
port of all lovers OF Christian unity.
1 KOREA WILL BE INVADED
The Koreans, as a rule, make earnest,
sturdy Christians. There are not lack
NE biS'olISal ana tiIchS lcllOWSI WIN
manage to deceive the churches for q
time, and get enrolled as converts but
they are few in number. are soon dis
covered, and as soon expelled. for the
Korean Christians Try to maintain a
:fgh, level of discipline In Ile local
churches, There is much petty perse-
! cution because the conversion OF a Ko'
sean very often results in a serious dis
location of the clan as well as Of So
cia and religious relationships OF the
community, but 1t Is rarely that ko-
rean is forced To apostacze, once he has
taken the step OF destroying his house
l.old gods and fetiches. and this all con,
yerts do before they are recognized even
as catechumens. The dominant charac-
teristc Of the native church Is that OF
large and successful activity In spread
ing the gospel They do this voluntarily
and to them must be accorded some OF
The praise for the wonderful spread OF
Christianity among the Koreans.
1t Is to be hoped that war between
3 Russia and Japan may be averted, fol-