Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-20
Keynote of Opening Address at
Presbyterian Meeting.
RICHMOND DIVINE SPEAKS
Two Days Session Of Convention Be-
gun at Greensboro, N. G..
PART OF LAYMEN MOVEMENT
Delegates Present From States in the
South-Visitors From New York
and District of Columbia.

GREENSBORO. n. C.. May ~ ne
Presbyterian mems convention. part OF
the great laymen's missionary movement
assembled in this city yesterday after
noon for a two days session, preliminary
to the meeting of the general assembly OF
the Southern Presbyterian Church. which
will open here tomorrow morning.
The mems convention was called to Or
der at O'Clock yesterday afternoon by
| the Rev. A. l.. Philips. ID, of Richmond,
Va. who stated that this was the first
meeting OF the kind ever held by the
Presbyterian denomination.
Rev. Russell Cecil, DID, of Richmond,
Va. delivered the opening address. max
ing a forcefu argument for higher
standard of religious life among men: that
present conditions do not require as high
standard of Christian living among men
as among women: that this is wrong and
should he changed as speedily as possible.
Following the first session a fellowship
meeting was held. during which old ac-
quaintances were renewed and new ones
formed.
Representatives are in attendance from
Texas. Tennessee, Virginia. North Caro-
lima. South Carolina, Georgia. West Vir-
ginia. Kentucky and Alabama. and visit
ors from New York and the District of
Columbia.
Observation-Disclosures Banquet.
Last night a banquet. interdenomina-
tional in character, given under the aus
pices of the local chamber of commerce,
complimentary to the mems convention,
was attended by about 400 men. The prin-
cipal addresses were delivered by William
T. Ellis of Philadelphia press correspond
ents. and j. Campbell White. New York,
general secretary of the interdenomina-
| tional laymen's movement.
Mr.. Ellis gave an account of his OBJ
servatlons as newspaper correspondent
among the missionaries in foreign lands
the conclusions arrived at as to the signs
of the times and their relative impor-
lance upon the effort of the laymen's
missionary movement to Christianize the
| whole world, within the present genera
ton
Mr.. Ellis said he had travelled $4,000
miles. in steamships. railway trains. on
horseback. camel back, elephant back,
donkey back. in hand carts and in va
rious other ways. interviewing one thou
sand missionaries. statesmen and diplo-
the profound conviction that there is
| something doing in the world.
Something Doing in the World.
You may call it the waves of social
ism. the tide of democracy, or anything
else you may, said the speaker, but
you can't escape the conviction that there
is something doing in the world
1t is the conclusion of Mr. Ellis that
the twentieth century will make the en-
tire world one brotherhood.
He said this meeting here is
part of Gods great something that is
doing in the world. God is over it all.
His bells all chime in the tune. A great
revival is in progress in this country-a
revival religious. civil and political
There is something doing in America. A
man who is interested in China and not
in America is not a true missionary.
Mr.. Ellis told of the great interest in
Germany. Spain. Portugal and other for
eign lands a s evidence of great world
uprising that would in his opinion bring
all humanity closer together for the bet
| terment of all the people of the world
He said that he was an anti-imperialist
until he saw what the United States is
doing in the Philippines America has
done more for the Philippines in the last
| ten years than England has done for In
dia in the last hundred years. You are
not up-to-date unless you are up on Chi
| ma Napoleon said: There sleeps China
| let her sleep
Il say today said the speaker. China
| is awake and facing the western world.
China is going the way of the west. and
| the greatest problem before the civilized
world is putting a new mind in China
Then there is Korea. Who knows but
that God has set apart the people Of that
country, with their attitude for civiliza-
/ ton that they % ba ~
| the orient
| Mr. Ellis was followed by Mr.. White.
who spoke in part as follows:
Responsibility With America.
america mast accept the primary re-
| sponsibility for making Christianity uni
versal. No other nation has the same
| opportunity. influence or resources for
| this task. Already we are doing A. per
cent of all the Protestant foreign mission
work of the world Not only must the
whole machinery of missions be al least
quadrupled, but our country must do a
much larger proportion of the whole work
that we now doing.
We have more influence in all the great
mission fields than any other nation
This is not strange in countries like Japan
ana China, but IT is somewhat surprising
to ind it true even in India. This is
not because our missionaries are any
better than those of other countries but
largely because it is perfectly clear to
tht natives that We have no connection
Will! the ruling power and have no po-
ltical axes to grind.
one denomination after another has
beer taking official action with reference
10 It's missionary responsibility and pol
.cr. Although several important branches
OF the church have not yet taken Of
fetal action. il is very striking and sug-
sestlve that six denominations have al
ready declared themselves as having an
aggregate of over 100000 900 of people
in their distinctive fields When all the
churches have taken similar action the
aeSreC non-Christian population for
which the American church is responsible
Will be found TO be at least 60.UtO,tO0.
Small Average for Mission Gifts.
Since last October the representative
men of twenty-four cities in the United
States and Canada have faced the ag-
s.onary purposes. and found 1t to average
only % cents per church member.
They also come to see the entire force
of American and Canadian missionari
from 5000 to at least 25NO and the
funds from less than ten millions year
to at least forty millions. These cities
have decided, one after the other to be-
gin to take this missionary business
seriously.
Strong men, bankers lawyers mer-
chants. doctors and men of every pro-
fession and trade have taken hold of this
task as something worthy of their best
adopted policies involving the quadrupling
in the aggregate. of all their churches
ever gave before for the exploitation of
Christianity in the ends of the EARTH