Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-02

DR.. Honda, an eminent japanese scholar
and educator, who is now visiting this
country, tells that two native Japa-
nese clergymen have gone to India as Chris
tian missionaries at the request of the Stu
dents Union of the Young Mems Christian
Association Their progress" DR.. Honda
says lis to assure the young men OF Hin
dustan and others that Japan is not going
to discard Christianity as result of her
victory over Russia, but, on the contrary,
is anxious to learn more of the Highest
Religion. This movement was suggested by
people who feared that India, and indeed
the whole non-Christian east, might oppose
Christianity, seeing that a so-called hea-
then nation had beaten a great Christian
power. OF course, the government OF Japan
had nothing to do with this continued DR..
Honda, but 1t was favorable to the idea
That the government of Japan welcomes or
at least is favorable to Christianity can be
inferred from the fact that when President
Yoshi Honda of the Methodist College at
Toxic and President Kajinosuke 1buka Of
the Presbyterian College at Toxic, both Of
them ordained Christian ministers, went to
Switzerland last year to represent the Stu
dents Union Of Japan at the international
conference OF the Y. M. c. A., the educa-
tional department Of the government gave
them part Of their travelling expenses. They
have no official connection with the govern
ment whatever. They are private citizens
and professional educators, but the govern
to encourage the movement by some tangi-
BILE evidence of Its interest
The missionaries to India are DR.. Sakuno-
shin Motoda, an Episcopalian clergyman
and teacher, and the Rev Tasuku Harada
a Congregational minister and writer Both
of them were educated In the United States
The expenses of their mission are paid by
the native Y. M. G. A. of Toxic, and they
are expected to remain permanently IN In
dia carrying evangelical work, especial
ly among young men in connection with the
native organizations of the Y. NJ. c. A.
When Christian nations are just and
kind to them" said DIR. Honda, "all Japa-
nese, whether Christians or otherwise. will
be only too glad to listen to them and well
come the God they worship. With the jap
anese to be moral Is to be religious. They
cannot appreciate the God whose armed
followers grab the territory Of weaker peo-
PIES
This is probably the first instance In his
tory In which the people of one pagan ma
ton ever sent Christian missionaries to the
people of another pagan nation. The Homo
lulu Christians for many years have sup
ported native missionaries among the other
Islands Of the Hawaiian archipelago; the
natives OF Uganda have sent teachers into
the interior Of Africa to convert their
neighbors the Nez Perce Indians once sent
a preacher to a neighboring tribe of In
dams in Utah: and several of the Christian
denominations in Japan have missionaries
working In Korea, but those are scarcely
parallel cases. The Japanese mission to In
dia Is really unique.
Mr.. Willard D. Lyon, formerly secretary
OF the Y. M. G. A. at Shanghai. and Mr..
Burton st. John, from the Northwestern
University and Drew Theological Seminary
of Evanston, ILL.,. are now in Toxic, work
sng among the nine thousand Chinese stu
dents In that city under the auspices of the
Y M. @. A. A large number of Chinese
students In Japan are members OF the or
ganization at their home cities and Ii was
through their suggestions that MIR. Lyon