Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-06-09
A Nl]lorAs0 EgEunnG
W NME

from several widely-separated missionaries
l have heard the complaint that portions of
the Bible are being used to make soles for
Chinese shoes, since they can be purchased
donors to the Bible societies never intended
to help Chinese soles after this fashion.
am assured by the agent Of the American
Bible Society for China that, speaking only
for his own society, this abuse has never
been charged against any Of his more than
100 colporteurs, who are not paid by COM
mission, which Is the root of the evil. Less
than one per cent of the total annual cir
CulatiOn of more than half a million copies
Is given away; the cheapest New Testa-
ments and gospel portions, on native paper,
are sold at one-third the cost of manufac-
ture. Whatever evils exist in connection
with the distribution of the Bible In China
Will probably be corrected in connection
with the forthcoming Robert Morrison CEN
tennial in Shanghai.
The great gathering, converting April %
May 5, which Is the event to which all
missionary eyes are turned, promises to be
a memorable milestone in missionary his
tory. Committees of experts have been at
work for twelve months preparing deliver
ances upon all the big problems of Chinese
missions. AT this time the three committees
which have been at work upon the new
TRANSACTIONS of the Bible, mon Lmental I'M
dertaking, will offer the fruits of their la
bors. These versions will be High Wenli
Easy Wenli and Mandarin, and they should
bring to a consummation a hundred years
of Bible translation in China
~
This Shanghai conference will give a de-
cided impetus to the union of all missionary
work. The biggest blunder of the mission
airy movement has been perpetuation of for
eign denominational lines in the mission
field. AS the Shanghai Mercury recently
said. in an editorial upon Chinese Chris
tianity:' IF 1t depended upon the Chinese
vote, the Christians would all unite to-
gether in one national Chinese church, with
out any of the sms' of the west, which
ought not to be imposed on them and which
mayhap they will one day cast off,
A rather careful inquiry among leading
native Christians reveals definite tendency
toward the assertion of Chinese natOnalism
in the native churches. This nowhere as
sumes the proportions or the anmus SO
marked in Japan, but the independence
movement is a real factor in the Chinese
missionary situation. The foreign workers
seem well aware of it and hospitable toward
it, since the missionary is not wholly sue
cessful until he has made himself unnec-
essary The number of self-supporting Chi
nese churches is quite considerable, and a
few are self-governing. They are uHdoubt-
edly more in favor with the people gener-
ally than foreign-manned and foreign ain
tanned churches. So earnest are many ma
tive Christians in this direction that they
have organized a missionary society of their
own to open Christian work In hitherto I'M
touched Chinese villages
While on the subject of union and comfy,
frank criticism must be made of some of
J the smaller and rather peculiar American
sects, which, like many Independent mis-
sionaries plant their enterprises under the
shadow of long-established missions and
steal away the converts of the latter. This
sort of PROSECUTING is not uncommon In the
mission field on the part OF these smaller
bodies, although by all standards 1T Is dis
honorable. GverS to foreign missions should
assure themselves that the work they sup
port is not Of this sort. There is small eX-
cuse for these new undertakings going to
terror cities and towns where not a single
missionary has ever gone.
The disproportion in which many matters
Chinese have been viewed in the occident is
Illustrated by the foot-binding practice
Westerners have been led to believe that
| this has meant constant agony and hard
| ship for the Chinese women and girls, and
| the subject has been a stock argument In
arousing sympathy for the poor Chinese
! One is therefore unprepared to find these
''lily-footed women such a merry, lively
| lot as they toddle about the points OF
| their distorted feet. In answer to a remark
upon this, an experienced missionary said
| 'There is no doubt that the suffering Incl
| dent to foot-binding has been greatly exag-
| gerated.' If China had no worse evil than
| this one she would have small need for mis-
sionareS.
| Not that the foot binding is other than 6
| bad practice; it is needless, stupid hurtfu
| and probably worse than the tight lacns
of the white woman. Progressive Chinese