Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1909-07-30
with students and civilians. and Mrs.
Winn one with policemen.

The recent war which centered its
most noteworthy features here held
the whole worlds attention. This
present religious conflict, while less
spectacular, is also strategic. Budd-
hism and Shintoism are not here in
force or power. The ancient religious
associations are lacking. The out
ward signs, such as idols and shrines
of the ancestral creeds, are wanting.
Christianity is here and displaying
marked vitality. 1t looks like rare
chance for the latter.
In addition to Mr. WINS work the
being the only American missionary
on the peninsula) the Young Mems
Christian association is serving the
soldiers, who still abound all over
this region. Another laudable enter
prise is that of rescue work, in
which both the native church and the
Y. M. c. A. were engaged, before it
was given over to the Salvation
Army The reader must remember
that the debris of war is the common
est sight here. The stranded camp
followers, and all the harpies that
follow in the wake of an army, are
almost as numerous as the discarded
army mules which trudge patiently
along every road. AS soon as hostili-
ties were over, thousands of young
girls were brought into Manchuria
from Japan, many of them of incred-
IDLY tender years, and most of them
actual slaves. Hundreds of these
poor creatures have been rescued by
the Christians.
Further up the peninsula, and
throughout Manchuria, are the mis-
sions to the Chinese of the Scotch
and Irish Presbyterian churches,
which do not properly come within
the scope of this article. During the
war these men, who are far above
average grade, did such conspicuous
humanitarian service that their praise
was sounded by Japanese, Russians
and Chinese. DR.. Westwater, at Lao
yang, was officially mentioned by
| Marshal Oyama and given substan-
! tial contribution for his hospital. The
war correspondents likewise found
shelter and succor within the homes
of these sturdy Scotchmen and Irish
men.
One branch of Mr.. WINS work ex-
| tends to Port Arthur, where there are
| a number of Christians. l also heard
! that one British Lutheran missionary
is at work there, but l could not find
| him. In truth, war overshadows
| everythin else at Port Arthur. The
| Japanese are pushing work on their
new Notifications, and on the disman'
| Ting or restoring of the sunken Rus
| sian warships that still lie in the
harbor They seemingly have had
no time to patch up the buildings
wrecked in the siege; so that it ap-
pears as if the conflict had taken
place only a week ago. There stands
the hospital, bearing its blazing red
cross, with its corner still gaping
wound. Churches, schools, office
buildings and homes are all SCARED
or broken by the terrible fire. The
spectacle is a notwithstanding one,
making the visitor wish that some
new missionaries of peace might con-
vert the powers of civilization.
The best view of it all is from his
toric 2O3-Meter Hill, whence Port
Arthur is seen as an open book. On
the way thither-it is about three
miles back of Port Arthur proper
passed through a Chinese town, where
1 had my first experience of being
called a foreign devil" Two small
BOYS ran after my carriage for half
a mile, monotonously and spiritlessly
repeating the epithet, as if it were a
religious duty with them. Certainly
they showed none of the signs OF
pleasure that a small boy usually dis
plays when up to mischief. At the
end of the village they waited for my
return and repeated the performance.
Very few visitors go to Port Arthur,
but 203-Meter Hill, which is not now
fortified, is apparently becoming a
Japanese patriotic shrine.
The debris of that terrific assault
is still to be seen upon the mountain
broken gun-carriages, fragments OF
shell, bullets, discharged cartridges
and entertainments. In one of the
little holes which one of the soldiers
had vainly dug for his protection
found part of a mans backbone-all
that was left of once brave soldier.
The very top of the mountain was
blown off by the battle. The whole
country for miles about is pitted with
the smallpox of war-holes torn in
the earth by the exploding shells,
and entertainments dug by the con-
tending armies.
In all these tragic signs of wars
devastation the thoughtful person
must read the story or prophecy of
another conflict. The white man has
passed away from this peninsula, and
the yellow has come in again. Have
the old creeds of heathenism come,
too? That depends, l take it, largely
unon the caliber and number of mis-
sionary representatives who are deal
ing with the problem. The Japanese
Christians on the peninsula have
proved their fidelity and aggressive
ness. They, cooperating with western
representatives of the type of Mr..
VIM. must early plant Christian en-
terprises for the incoming Japanese.
ND as far as Newchang (Which, IN
stead of Dalny, seems destined to G.
main the principal port of Mancnu-
rial and as Moukden.
tEopvricht hv Iosoph 3. Bowles.j