Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-05-19
The Biggest of Heather Nations
by No Means Crying for the
GospeT-Would 7 brow Out
Missionaries If She Gould.
A FrankCriticism Of Som.
Unloveiy Chinese Char
A.. acteristics.
BY WILLIAM T. ELLIS.
Copy right, 1907, by Joseph B. Bowles.)

r (Copy right 1907, by Joseph B. Bowles.)
:. HoNG-koNG, China.
Exclaims the fervid missionary speak
er: "China's millions are crying for the
Gospel"
Rubbish!
China's millions would like to throw
Christianity into the Yellow sea, and
they would have a fete day In the ban
ishment or murder Of every missionary
within the borders of the middle king
dom, If they had their way. 1t Is only
the fear of foreign gunboats and armies
that makes China endure the missionary.
Everybody in China knows that. be he
missionary, merchant or legationer. The
untruthfulness of the sort of sentimental
presentation Of the missionary cause that
is so frequently INDUCED in throughout
Chrstendom is clearly understood and
earnestly deplored by every thinking
missionary.
China does not want missionaries or
missions Sir Ernest Satow was right
when he declared that China does not
desire the spiritual side of western civ
ilization. Not for a minute. From the
shrewd, unforgetting old tigress on the
throne down to the ignorant, supersti-
tious, ox-like coOlie stratning at a
horses load, the Chinese people may be
said to be practically one in not desiring
the Jesus way" True. they now want
the appliances Of western civilization, to
make more effective their old spirit as
when the officials of North Central China
conspired by telegraph against foreign
administered famine relief. But the
principles Of Christian civilization they
care for not at all.
Il
China does not want the western religion.
But does she need It? All! that is another
story. While there Is almost no basis
for the enormous missionary propaganda In
the desires of the people, there is abundant
warrant for it in their necessities. AS lit
tie as a dirty small boy desires a scrubbing,
he still requires 1t; so with this vast ma
ton. Let me. after a careful investigation
that has ranged through many cities and
settlements in the remote interior which
have no place on the maps, indicate a few
Of the reasons why, In the eyes Of an or
binary man Of common sense. the presence
of the missionaries, those pioneers OF civil
Ezation, Is justiiable in China.
China is dirty. The first day l landed on
her shores 1 said that her greatest appar-
ent and immediate need was 400. 0OOO00
cakes of soap and an ocean Of disinfectant.
On this point l am writing to uncompre-
| bending readers; for America can never
flthiness Of the Chinese in their persons,
in their clothes, in their dwellings and in
their streets. 1t Is almost impossible to
hint at the true state of affairs in any
publication less unlicensed than a medical
Journal.
The tourist who does China by pass
| ing through the port cities, stopping at the
| big hotels-although these are bad enough,
| In all conscience-can have no understand
| ing Of what China's drtiness means. Only
those who live or travel In the interior
can comprehend this. l have found many
reasons for admirfng the missionary body
| as a whole; none of these Is greater than
| the manner In which they maintain, amid
| such miserable surroundings, the ideals and
standards and practices Of cultivated
American life To be . lady in interior
/ China Is to be c heroine.
The germ theory is all upset by a study
| Of China. BY all the laws Of modern medi-
I cal science the country should be continu-
ally ravaged by destructive plaques. The
Chinese seem to grow fat on germs; they
eat them alive. as they also eat. in order
| to get back their blood" certain unnam-
\ able creatures which they pick by the
dozen from their persons and raiment
"China's millions Is good reputable mis-
/ sionary phrase at home: out here 1t Is used
! to designate the uncounted guests with
whom you are obliged to share your bare
| room in Chinese inn. or your sleeping
| shelf on Chinese boat. ! can scarcely
! imagine any power short Of q supernatural
| religion that can clear up the Chinese
| even externally. As for his inward. men,
| tai and spiritual filthiness, that must be
passed over in silence. To hear and un-
! derstand one Chinese as he reviles an