The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-02-23

GSOPl6 SOc16Il6S LOT FEBRUARY So
The Kingdom in the Islands. -
lisa. 42:1e-1s; 16. II.
BY WILLIAM T. ELLIS.
The center of interest in the worlds
history is constantly changing. A hun
dred years ago the Pacific was aside
from the main currents of the worlds
life. Lines of communication We're
few. interests were remote. Today the
development of the commerce of the
Pacific Is one of the subjects that en-
gross attention, and the winning of
that commerce one of the world
prizes to be struggled for. To the west
unawakened forces of the future.
These facts of commerce give new sig
nif1cance to the islands that dot the
Pacific like stepping stones in brook,
It is hard to realize the dimensions
of that Island world. Most of our
maps are printed on SO small a scale
that the islands look quite neighborly
an impression which a salt dash of
statistics soon oorrects. This covers an
area of 100000 square miles. about
one and one-half times the size of the
continent of Asia. On this surface is
scattered a land area of 10000
square miles.
The Inha bitants-The people of the
islands are divided into four races:
Polynesians. Papuans, Fijians and MI
cronesians.
On their isolated island homes these
various races lived for centuries, un-
visited and unmolested by the great
world outside. 1t is probable that the
Islands were peopled by successive
waves of migration from the south
population. longing for adventure,
storm, and shipwreck were among the
causes that drove the primitive boats
far across the wide waters. No savage
races have ever been better navigators
or more fearless seamen than these is
land men of the Pacific. On all sides
of them, source of food and yet their
constant menace, lay the sea. In these
Isolated island homes there no doubt
came degeneration, both physical and
moral to the original stock. There
are evidences both in language and in
archaic ruins that the natives former
ly enjoyed a much higher state of So
cia' organization 'han tIAt Of which
ms first fou1d them. At Pitcairn
Island, long desc; ted by native inhabi-
tants the stone foundations of large
telup.es were found. In this Christmas
ths r. mains oe s.illfully constructed
roads.
AS agricultural and mining enter
prIses developed in South Am aIica ard
A. :sr. ALA, cheap IL Dor was 1aetcd an
ships went out 10 secure la5DrE,sS from
TIN. acific Is1ar6s. Son tines these
W ,Sels were uCder wise and humane
management, nj toek on'y volunteer
lahore rs under {. ea rly underS-ot i e N
tlaets: but mo- often they ware in
T aaI-tS slavers CT the worst ~ ne. They
the natives, hired them into
bondage from which the few who lived
to return came back embittare1 with
inf 10 n q
that stood for civilization. One of the
soldier-saints of the church. Bishop
Patteson, lost his life because one
of these ships had gone cruising among
the mission boat carried. and decoying
the natives by an officer dressed like
the bishop, who invited them Tito the
cabin only to seize and kidna5 them.
The whole population of the Samoan
Islands is now Christian. There is
probably no community in. America
where family prayers are as generally
observed as in Samoa. The people are
eager for the education of their chill |
their churches. and send out their own
to New Guinea and Micro
nesia.
The hand of God has shaken to-
gether in this garden of the Pacific
seed corn from many nations. A
unique opportunity is opened to the
Christian Church of America, in this
youngest of our territories, to pro-
foundry influence the life and thought
Of Asia. The stream of life GIBBS and |
flows between China. Korea, Japan
and Hawaii. Here may these nations
be brought in close touch with Amer
lean life and thought, under friendly
Already the possibili-
ties have been seen and beginning
made. Only the substantial backing
Of wise and far-seeing craftsmanship
the churches of the mainland
is needed to inaugurate a great work.
There are churches already built, filled
once with native Hawaiians, but un-
tenanted now by that diminishing race
Men are on the ground already trained.
The door is open wide. We may re-
peat the words with which Henry NJ. |
Stanley presented to the English world
the wide-open door to civilization and
in Uganda, 1.-THE oppor- |
tunity is before you, gentlemen. en-
brace it,"