Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-31
Glimpses Of the terrible Dew
astation Chinese Officials
Are Untrustworthy and
the People Turn to
Missionaries.
BY WILLIAM T. ELLIS.
Rntrlna \

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Copyright, 1907, by Joseph B. Bowles)
SHANGHAI, China, January 81, 1907.
The whole world has heard of Chinas
great famine, but there are no evidences.
from this viewpoint, that the world knows
of the connection Of the missionaries
Herewith which is an interesting story by
itself, although it cannot be separated
from the warp and wool of the tragic
tale Of this overwhelming calamity. By an
interesting coincidence, just at the mo-
ment of Sir Ernest Satows attack upon
missionaries in China, the latter are silent
ly answering his and kindred criticisms,
and 1ustifying their presence in the in
terror of this enigmatical country, by saw
ing the lives of thousands, ten OF thou
sands and hundreds of thousands OF starry
ing Chinese. 1 have returned this week
from a months tour of the Famine dis
trict, which is so remote from the treaty
ports that 1 was informed that no other
traveller had ever been there oe1ore US, aa nf
1 am prepared to say that the presence OF
the missionaries alone makes 1t poSslple 1or
the worlds relief to be administered, ana
that were 1t not for these Americans most
Of the myriads OF starving people "ouio NC
permitted to perish.
In this correspondence many sharp
criticisms of missionaries nave peen WITT
ten; here, however Is a state Oh anails
aries by the far east speaks for itself. me
simple fact that the north China FAMINE
relief committee, composed or the consuls'
leading merchants, government ef sh eI,gts
has pledged it's word to distribute all Its
Immense relief funds exclusively through
the responsible hands Of the MISSIONARIES
shows what the settlement residents really
think Of the missionary body. For by in
trusting this gigantic task Of relief distri-
button to the missionaries the business
community here indicates plainly It's conn
dence in the capacity as well as the 1nteg.
rity Of the foreign missionary. shanghal
may not like the missionary's views or
work, but it really trusts him.
~
Not all people in America clearly under
stand that there are practically no white
men, except missionaries, living in China
outside the treaty ports. They have no
right to reside or do business elsewhere.
The foreigners in the interior, with the
exception Of few working on concessions,
are only missionaries. These latter are
likewise practically the only ones who
spend laborious years in learning the Chi
nese language; the foreign mercantile
ing Chinese "shroffs'' or "compradores." 1t
is as true as most generalizations to say
that the missionaries alone among the for
egners understand the Chinese.
80 IL was, quito hdtui any, TIC HissioH-
aries who first called attention to the i'm
minence of famine in Kiangpeh or North
river country. During the spring and sum-
mer heavy rains fell throughout Kianspu
and Anhuel provinces. and in the adjacent
parts of Shantung and Honan provinces.
The Yellow river overfioWed it's banks, as
did the Grand canal and lesser streams,
bikes breaking in many places. Since the
land is at many points lower than the an
cient canals, the country was long time
submerged remaining SO In numerous
places until this day.
Despite the foods, the missionaries con-
tinued to traverse their fields. one of them,
at least, nearly losing his life by drowning.
Miss Read for example, of Antung, timer
ated among the sufferers for six and seven