Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-30

Mr.. John II. Slcman, jr., who is one OF small
party OF Washington business men on journey
the orient, has written the following letter to
The Star
HONOLULU, February 81, 1907.
The arrival of our steamer at Honolulu
affords good opportunity for an introduc-
tory letter, in which the objects of our
journey may be stated
Our going to the orient is in pursuance of
a plan by which during the present year
nearly 100 laymen of various denominations
will visit the mission fields of the world and
report the results of their study to the
Christian church in North America. We
are in advance of the main body of this
commission which will leave in the latter
part of the summer and make the tour
round the world. We go at this time in or
der to be present at two very notable gath
erings in Japan and China, which occur
within two weeks of each other. The first.
the conference of the Worlds Student
Christian Federation in Toxic. April 81
the second the Morrison centennial of
Christian missions in China, to be held in
Shanghai, April % to May 5.
The conference in Toxic will be the first
worlds gathering of any SORT religious or
secular, ever held in the orient. 1t is a
matter of unusual interest that this con-
ference should he held in Toxic at this
time when it's 5000 students in higher in
situations of learning make it the leading
student center of the world, and when,
moreover, the great empire of China is
going to school in Japan by means of the
more than 1000 Chinese students now IN
Toxic. representing the very flower of Chi
nese young manhood from every province.
When one considers that modern educa-
tion has been introduced into China only
during the past few years, the significance
of this great body of Chinese at work in
.JaDan becomes rent. They
TO be future leaders of China in government
tai. professional and business circles.
At the Toxic conference the Christian
students and professors of thirty nations
will be represented. and its close two
weeks will be spent by the leaders In
evangelistc tours which will reach every
college of Importance in Japan.
our steamer will reach Yokohama March
IL, and the time between our arrival and
the opening of the Toxic conference will be
spent in tour of Japan and Korea, with
especial reference to the needs of the Young
Mems Christian Associations of those
countries,
After the Toxic conference the mission
field OF north China will be briefly visited.
after which we will go by the railroad from
Peking to Hankow and by river steamer
from Hankow to Shanghai, arriving in time
for the opening of the Morrison centennial
April -. At this gathering Mr.. Woodward
will be one of the representatives of the
American Baptist Missionary Union. of
which he is vice president and the writer
will be one of three delegates representing
the American board of commissioners for
foreign missions the foreign missionary or
ganZarion of the Congregational churches.
At this Shanghai conference most of the
leading missionaries of all denominations
in China will be present, as well as repre-
sentatives of the missionary boards in
North America, Great Britain Germany
and other countries After the Shanghai
conference closes we will visit HongkOng
for day or two and then begin our home
ward journey May IL on the steamship
Minnesota. which is due to arrive at Seat
tie June &.
Throughout the entire journey we will
have especial interest in the work of the
Young Mems Christian Associations in these
lands because of the fact that the Wash
ington association supports the national sec
rotary of Japan. Mr. Galen VI. Fisher; the
national secretary of China and Korea Mr..
Fletcher S. Brockman. and the secretary at
HOngkong. Mr.. c. G. Rutledge.
our trip as far as Honolulu has been. with
the excel tiOn of pleasant visits with friends
at Los Angeles. San Francisco and else
whore, comparatively uneventfuL We were
interested as we entered southern California
I'm seeing the Salton formed by the
breaking through Of the waters of the Col
orado river. The break was closed several
days before we passed by, and the sea has
therefore reached its maximum area of 445
square miles and must gradually reCede.
The southern Pacific railroad has had
serious problem TO contend with, having had
to move It's tracks three times to escape the
advancing waters.
Los Angeles is city of marvellous devel-
opment commercially, but we were glad to
note that with IT there had been an equally
marked development in the things that
make for righteousness.
Indeed it is TO be doubted if anywhere in
the United States has the moral element in
a city greater influence than here This is
exerted in part through a federation of the
churches and other organlZa tons interested
I'm a pure civic life. A club is maintained
IN the center OF the city where daily men
inc III 1T.
luncheon and thus keep in touch with each
other and with the needs of the community.
one Of the most interesting of the new
things in Los Angeles was the Temple Au-
d!tuTium, in which Robert J. Burdette
breaches. This great building seats 1905,
and We heard Or. Burdette speak to an au-
dience OF that size. visit TO Occidental
College gave us a chance to DR.. John
Willis Baer, the new president, who is
known TO SO many Neutrality-suspicious. Many
OF the good people OF Los Angeles were
seen at the banquet OF the Baptist Social
Union on Monday evening.
At San Francisco we We're delightfully."- en-
tcrtained at luncheon arranged by the
Young Mems Christian Association, at
which its general secretary, Henry J. Nc
Coy, presided.
On the good ship Siberia, sailing February
81, We found many congenial and interest
ing travelling companions, of whom Bishop
Earl Cranston Of the Methodist Church. Dr.
Henry &. Mabic, secretary of the American
Baptist Missionary Union. and Prot. Ed
ward l. BOSWOrtn OF ODeTiln were the most
prominent Miss Bertha Condo, Mss Har-
riet Taylor and Miss Isabel Sheppard of the
National Young WOmen's Christian Asso-
citation were also among the passengers, as
were many outgoing missionaries OF various
denominations.
At Honolulu we Were met by a reception
committee. headed by Rev. Doremus Scud-
der chairman of the Hawaiian board: Mr..
Paul Super, secretary of the Y. NJ. c. A. :;
Miss Meyer of the Y. w. c. A, Mr.. Frank
Damon and Mr. George Castle. A whole
days enjoyment was planned by them, of
which there is no opportunity OF speaking
before this letter is mailed. 1t suffices to
say that II was true Hawaiian welcome.
We sailed for Yokohama at o'clock.