Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-06-13
Special Correspondence.

ONDON, June 3,--England has a
strange new missionary, whose
- preaching begins this month,
and IL his hopes are realized
London In the near future win become
the center OF a general mission to the
west-to the countries OF Europe and to
the United States of America.
Dwelling in a small house in the quiet
suburb OF Barnes is n westerner who
has for several years lived the life OF
an eastern monk lii order to be able to
tell to those whose manner OF exist
ence he has abandoned how much bet
ter the world would be. according to his
belief. II they were to accept the faith
which he has now brought back to
them, the Buddhism which he holds
to be the religion of the future for the
west as well as for the east
tall. spare figure. enveloped in n
brilliant orange-colored robe, giving
0iimpses beneath Il of two under gar
ments of slightly different shade
OF orange-yellow; a smooth hollow
checked face, tanned to a hue inter-
mediate between the average white
mans and that which one sees in the
Chnaman and his neighbors in Asia;
pair OF intense. hazel eyes under dark
eyebrows which stand out the more
prominently for being surmounted by n
perfectly clean shaver skull: long. thin,
nervous fingers, slightly stained with
tobacco-such are the most striking
outward characteristics of the Bhik-
khu Amanda Metteyya, the latest
apostle comes to these shores in search
OF converts.
INCONGRUoUS OBJECT.
He looks a curiously incongruous OBJ
1cct aginst the wall paper OF the villa
In suburban Barnes; an oriental
growth torn violently from its soil and
planted amid surroundings which har-
monize i'll with its nature But the
stature and the hazel eyes and a nose
whose contour is strange TO eastern
peoples betray that the Burmese
monks robes clothe no real Burman;
when the voice Is heard the listener
recognizes that he who talks is Brit
on And indeed the Bhikkhu or mendl-
cant monk of today. was until seven
years ago known by the name of Allen
Bennett Macgregor. In spite of his
present appearance he was born in
south London. not many miles from
where he is now spending the Budd-
on him by the rules of his order.
1t is only natural that such n person.
age should have become nine days
wonder and that his temporary mon
astery should be the resort of inter.
viewers. But while receiving them all
courteously, the monk has smiingly
nut lnexorably put aside all inquiries
ABOUT himself. 1t is not the indivi-
duai VINO is of interest, he declares, d.
though he admits that the early press
clippings have amused him. He has "a
sense of humor. 81 do not know where
they got their information from" ne
says, and does not mind admitting that
much OF IL is incorrect
HIS EAkLi LIFE.
His friends. however. who knew him
IN Burma, are not unwilling to tell
what little they know Of his early life.
Born in 1872, the son of civil and cleo
tr1cal engineer, the young Macgregor
went to Bath, in the west of England,
to be educated, and his tastes soon led
him in the direction OF analytical chem
istry. When he grew up he went to the
laboratory of DIR. Dyer, the well known
chemist. Later still he proceeded to
Paris and made researches on his own
account. being particularly Interested in
such studies as the properties of this
Hertzian waves. When he came back
to London he engaged in some journal
istic work in addition to chemistry. and
also was attracted to some extent by
occultism. But his health broke down