Los Angeles herald., 1905-09-30
JAP DECLARES He
IS A CHRISTIAN
SURGEON SUZUKI TALKS TO Y.
M. C. A. MEMBERS
Also Points With Pride to the Fact
That His Wife and Five Chill
dren Share In His
Belief
BY Associated Press.

| BY Associated Press.
DETROIT, Sept. 29.-Intensely dra
matte was the moment today whe1
Surgeon General Suzuki of the japanese
army, fresh from the battles of japan
and Yellow sea, declared with sincerity
before the Railroad Y. M. c. A. In
ternational convention that he hat
been for twenty years a Christian. Very
proudly he added that his wife anc
five children shared his belief. Tears
dimmed many eyes when the distln'
guished japanese surgeon told broken
ly of the drowning of another child, his
12-year-old daughter, just two days
before he himself had been called into
the thick of the recent fighting.
He had not urged the question of re-
ligion in his family, he said, having
trusted it to the guidance Of God. His
eldest son had been the first to be-
come convert, having been interested
at first through an accidental visit to
a Christian meeting while walking
along the streets of Toxic. Next the
wife had been converted through the
influence of her son and all the family
had followed in the steps of these two.
Struggling to control his emotion
General Suzuki declared his faith in
the Christian belief of the future life,
saying of his little daughter whom he
mourned, "She has gone to our own
kingdom"
Further evidencing his high concep-
ton Of the beauty and power of the
Christian religion, General Suzuki cred
tied the missionaries of Japan with
becoming broader and broader in their
views.
"Those who came first" he said,
were too deeply concerned about out
ward appearances. 1t was a mistake
for them to ask at the very outset,
DO you smoke? Do you drink? Do you
go to church?' for we know now that
when one has really entered the church
he will naturally give up the things
that are evil. We want you to send
to us good men who will convert our
hearts and show US the real meaning
of Christianity. ...-..-
Japan is supposed to be a nom
Christian country, but there are many
men, women and children in Nippon
trying to be faithful to the right and
to God. I myself was baptised twenty
years ago. cannot say that 1 am a
good Christian, but I am a Christian"
Surgeon General Suzuki's earnest
words electrified the convention. The
audience was wild in outbursts Of ap-
pIause. It was probably the first time
that cheers had resounded in the Cen
trail Methodist Episcopal church, one
of the Oldest and largest houses Of
worship in Detroit. The distinguished
Japanese was the last speaker at the
afternoon session, but the audience did
not turn toward the door when he
finished. With one impulse the crowd
struggled to get nearer to the uni
formed, swarthy fighter, who stood be-
hind the preachers desk. Surgeon
General Suzuki looked about him per-
picked. 1t was necessary for John j.
McCook of New York, who was presid-
ing, to conduct the besieged speaker
through a rear door to the street.
It was through Robert 3. Galley, the
Y. NJ. c. A. secretary at Tien Tsin, that
the Japanese surgeon general was re-
quested to address today's convention.
General Suzuki had related his story
to Mr.. Galley while they were crossing
the Pacific together.