Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-06-09
China, Awake, Is Showing to
the World Her Power.
Radical Action With
Respect to Opium.
BY WILLIAM T. ELLIS.

SHANGHAI, China
Whoever gets a square look at the real
China knows that he has seen the theater
and actors Of great events that are immi-
nent and impending. The Importance, the
far-reaching Influence and the amazing
rapidity of the transformation now taking
place in this country will be learned with
surprise one day by the big uncaring
world outside In the meantime 1t Is the
office of the present Investigator to show
how Christian missions have become in
wrought into every phase of Chinese life
as a shaping influence.
Next to the relation between education
and missions must be mentioned medical
missions, that supreme proof of the altru-
ism Of the west with respect to the east
Here, again, the magnitude Of the material
altogether precludes anything like syste-
matte presentation of the subject, for med
ical missions are found In every part Of
China, from port cities to remote interior
towns, placing the healing arts of the west
at the service of the suffering east, and
thus winning the confidence, respect and
admiration of the natives.
X X
An interesting story Of contrasts is told
in connection with the new American Bap-
fist hospital at Hanyang. Where the i'm
rises, outside the city wall, there was
formerly little temple Of medicine, at
tended by a lone priestess. But the tenn
pie languished, and to win the favor of the
idol and the people the priestess with her
own right hand severed her left hand at
the wrist Now she wears the withered
hand as an amulet around her neck. New
ertheless, her little temple of superstition
has given way to a great temple Of heal
ing, where a skilled missionary doctor min
listers to the sick of that teeming ancient
city.
The magnitude of some of these mission
hospitals is beyond the grasp of the west
erner, who thinks that all big things are
near at home. Not one tourist in 10000
who touches Shanghai knows that out by
the west gate of the city is the Womans
Union Hospital in charge of DR.. Elizabeth
Reifsnyder of Pennsylvania, which last
year treated more than 10000 patients,
preaching to them all, as well as to the
companied them ST. Luke's Hospital of
the Protestant Episcopal mission, in the
same city, is in quite the same class with
it, and both are institutions of which any
progressive city in Christendom would be
proud. Canton. the Chicago or New York
of China, has two notable medical institu-
tions in the Canton Medical College and
the E. A. Hackett Medical College for
Women. Both have hospitals attached
and the latter, in care of DIR. Mary H. Full
ton the only one of the sort in the empire
has received the highest official and public
honors. Everywhere l went in China l
found the missionary doctor, engaged in
manifeStly noble work and earning the
praise of all classes.
Before had got as far south as Shang-
hal the conviction had forced itself upon
me that one of the most potent agencies
that could be employed by the mission
Ri m he stat Of &c
development, would be liberal daily news
paper. actually presenting the whole
| worlds news and at the same time MAIN
' tanning a broadly progressive and Chris
| tan attitude; There are men already on
! the field, with a mastery Of the language
who the equal to this task. When 1 reached
| Shanghai l found the great DR.. Timothy
| Richards, general secretary of the Chris
| the same project. The scheme is rather
outside the scope of any one board, yet it
should not be difficult Of realization.
| Whatever may be the future of the old
| fashioned tract. the place of literature in
| the modernization and Christianzation of
China is obviously of tremendous impor-
| lance. The whole nation is giving atten-
| ton to reading. The work of the Chris
| ton Literature Society has been vastly
| useful. The various mission presses, nota-
| bly, the famous Presbyterian Mission Press,
| Shanghai, have been intellectually infiuen-
| tial.
| An instance of the way Christian litera-
| ture is being read by all classes is shown
| by the wide circulation of Hallack's Alma
| nae, of which this year more than O0C
| copies We're purchased by individual Chi
| nese. 1t is an almanac somewhat after the
| fashion of Franklins Poor Richards AL
! manac," although avowedly used for pur-
poses of Christian propaganda. l watcheu
| a missionary selling these in an inland city
| and his suppy-so large that i. took both
| himself and assistant to carry twas
| soon exhausted In her sudden thirst fol-
| new knowledge, China finds herself pur.
| c. asing by the myriad the books prepared
| by missionaries.
| \
| In the lavish free distribution OF all this lit
erature, il is inevitable that abuses arise