The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-09-11
The Island World in General Micronesia in Particular
u % q % % a a % a.

"a "a ~ "a "a 81 81 "a - ca -
! the work just re-opened at Ponape re-
ceived a serious check: the heather
party everywhere waxed holder as
they felt that the Christian work was
losing its support, and the Roman
Catholics, seizing this golden oppor-
tunity, poured in to take advantage OF
1t. There was steady retrograde
movement. The English Commissioner
In the Gilbert Islands sent a sharp
message, If your Mission Board can't
look out for its work, II would better
! drop it, and let some one take II up
who can do it,"
LAST MORNING STAR
AT last. after an interim OF five
years. Morning Star" No. appeared,
Ia full steamer. which. proceeding
from Boston by way of Suez, In June.
1904, was welcomed in Micronesia by
those who so sorely needed her help
with thankful joy not to be dascrib-
ed. Never was the touring done so
successfully as that year. with the
quick passages from island TO island.
and the consequently greater time
possible for the work at each station.
But to the dissnay of every one Il was
found impossible to arrange for a coal
supply for the steamer except ar a
prohibitive price. The last mission.
vessel, therefore, although more sue
cessful in her service than any of her
predecessors, ran her brief course more
like meteor than an orthodox Star.
and dropped into oblivion. to the great
grief of those who watch in vain for
her appearing.
And what of the work at present?
The close of 1905 showed 20 out-sta-
tons, with 119 native helpers, $500
scholars. and As self-supporting
churches, with more than 1000 MEM
hers, who out OF their poverty made
an offering of s2.12i. A great improve
ment in conditions in the Gilberts Is
resulting from the work of the English
Commissioner. in making and enforce
ing wise laws. A fine work is being
DONE in the southern part of the Gill
bert Group by the London Missionary
Society. OF the mission-work at
Nauru and Ocean Island, which have
recently so gained in commercial inn
portance through the discovery of vast
deposits of phosphate, you already
know. Work was begun, in 1900, on
the large, fertile island of Guam, the
southernmost of the Ladrones, which
came into the possession of the United
States at the close of the Spanish war,
and Is now important as naval sta
ton; but this new field is at present
without workers.
The yearly mail, which, as one OF
the early missionaries quantity put It,
was "a blessed privilege, but a sad
shock" is a tradition of the past, ow-
ing to the bimonthly calls of a Ger
man mail steamer plying between sgd
ney and Hongkong.
WORK NOW CRIPPLED.
But what Of the outlook? The work
is in a state of transition. Since the
cyclone which swept part of the
Carolines in April, 1905, and wrought
such terrible devastation, the few
workers still on the field, housed in
mere shanties pieced from the wreck
are holding together the remnants OF
our training schools as well as they
may. At Ruk, a few weary workers
have long called for help, that they
may have a sorely needed rest. With
no provision yet made for a mission
vessel the whole work is crippled.
But the American Board have no IN
IGNITION of dropping Micronesia. In the
future the work in the
Marshall and Caroline Islands may be
to the Germans, three
helpers having been already sent out
~ the Christian Endeavor Union OK
Germany, from the Liebenzeller Mis-
sion. This would leave the Gilbert Is
ands still to be cared for. The whole
natter is now under consideration
We can only walt and hope.
We are sometimes met with the
question "Is it not strange that Micro
lesia, after ali this time, and so many
ives spent in her service, still needs
I would answer. it 10
lot to be wondered at that Micronesia
3 not yet Christianized. The wonder
s, that in spite of a background or
centuries of the lowest type Of saw
lgery, in spite of all lack of inspira-
ion of natural environment, or the
Uplifting power of any civilization, in
,pite of the drawbacks OF many up
leavals and much consequent neglect.
10 many souls should have blossomed
rom such a soil into the full flower Of
beautiful Christian manhood and
This Is the marvellous
power of the grace of God. Our hope
or Micronesia lies in our schools; and
We pray that this work may be speedi-
v re-estabiished and reinforced. until
hese still waiting isles" shall have
become a part of the Kingdom or
,hrist.