The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1907-09-05

Troubles in the mission have been
almost constant. and now former
members of the mission are out in
public circular, which they are send.
ing widely to America, making vari.
GUS charges against the mission and
its head. 1t is reported that the
American consul general is taking
steps to require Mr.. Houlding to pro-
vide return passage to America for his
missionaries, since number of them
have become charge on the consul
ate. For it appears, according to this
circular, that of the SO missionaries
brought out, three have died and SS
have left the mission in dissatisfac-
tion. Most of these have remained in
China, in connection with other mis-
sions; some have gone into business
here, and some have returned to Amer.
| lea.
The circular charges Mr.. Houlding
with lack of proper qualifications for
leadership, with denying the mission.
aries voice in the management OF
the mission; with running a sort Of
absolute monarchy, all the property
being in his own name and with max.
ing representations concerning the
work which are not borne out by the
facts. The signers of the circular say
that they have made the mildest posi-.
BILE presentation of the real situation.
and they hint at more serious evils,
Some of the many stories current here
are ludicrous. One member of the
mission was British, and liked his cup
of afternoon tea. The mission thought
this a wicked and sinful indulgence.
When he persisted in the practice,
they held mission prayer meeting
over him, to show him the evil of his
course! Another member was simi.
larly disciplined for being too fond OF
peanuts! All this while grave evils
were existing in the conduct of the
mission.
Stranded Missionaries.
One hears many stories in the east
concerning independent missions
without substantial and responsible
cially are tales told of the faith
missions. Jealous and unqualified en-
thusiasts come out on faith" and the
other missionaries and foreigner.
have to support them to keep then
from starving, until they can secure
work or provision is made for theil
return to America. have repeated!
been told instances of this sort con
cerning a Scandinavian mission whose
people come chiefly from Minnesota
Some of the independent missionarie
who do manage to get along, ar
obliged to give large part of thei
time to cultivating their American
constituency.
These missionaries who come ou
with no other equipment than enthusi
asm make strange blunders. On
party of Swedes, whose advent Is
pronounced memory in missionary Gil
cles, bore each a musical instrument
They would play and sing hymn
along the street, to the entertainment
of the Chinese. The young womel
wrote home glowing accounts of tn
crowds they gathered by their stree
meetings, not realizing at all that il
China such performances as theirs ar
always attributed only to evil charac
ters and the basest of motives. In
stead of doing good, they actually di
only harm.
Akin to these, are the religious fad
dists who enter the foreign fields
representing some special tenet o
doctrine. These make no special et
t fort to reach the genuine heather, bu
= confine themselves to proselytin
. among the native Christians. Stil
{ easier mission work is that done by
, holiness sect in America which pull
fishes a paper called THE Gospe
: Trumpet" 1t appeals for funds t
8 eyangelize the heather, and the
spends the money for sending copie
5 of the paper to missionaries OF tn
: various denominations, already on tn
\ field! Thus, every missionary in Js
D nan receives THE Gospel Trumpet,
!, and none, so far as l could learn, eve
!. reads it.
l Copyright, by Joseph B. Bowles0