Evening star., 1909-05-16
MISSIONS MAKE WORK
FOR OUR GOVERNMENT

can prestige They are on the frontiers
Of civilization's progress; that Is why
they are the first to fall in every re-
dictionary movement or outburst OF fanat-
icism. The authorities upon things
Turkish give the American missions
credit for much or most of the new ma
tional spirit which has ended the reign
Of Abdul Hamid and the spirit Of the
dark ages which he has perpetrated.
For nearly a hundred years American
preachers and teachers have been work.
ing in Turkey The amount Of money
invested by a widely distributed Ameri-
can constituency in this enterprise has
been enormous.
In all this slow, insidious leavening
up Of Turkey the rule has been to alb
stain from all direct political activity
Yet the 200 Protestant churches and
more than 600 mission schools have ex-
dissemination Of the principles Of lib
erty, justice and fraternity. Careful
observers are pointing out the stgnif-
cant fact that the unrest which today
marks most Of the older nations is an
outreaching after the ideals which are
peculiarly American, and that it is
direct outcome OF the work Of the mis-
sionaries There are important political
and commercial advantages In being the
country whose emissaries penetrate far
thest into the land and life and SYM
pathy Of the awakening people. who
afford the great markets OF the future,
even If they do not constitute the doni-
nant world powers OF fifty years hence.
Americans at the Front.
A Philadelphia theologue. Herbert Glib
bons. has sent out the most vivid and
valuable information from the region
Of the Turkish massacres. wherein two
American missionaries lost their lives.
He is a young missionary. 1t was
American women Of the Mennonite and
Congregational churches who were shut
up in Hadjin. American missionaries
are in the midst Of the present Armenian
massacres- which are in part
due to political and racial jealousy, as
well as to antipathy TO the ancient Ar
menian Christianity. American mission
aries are calling the attention of civil
lization to the horrible conditions which
Moslem fanaticism has created, and at
the same time these missionaries are
on the spot organizing relief for the suf-
fering.
This aspect Of the missionaries pres
upon the government. Shrewd states
men are not blind to the advantage OF
being the Good Samaritan among ma
ttons. Even the case OF young Basker-
vile, who perished in a vain sortie which
he led from the beleagured city Of Ia
briz. rebounds to the credit Of his coun-
try, for the patriotic Persians have al
ready cabled that q monument will be
erected to his memory, and he will be
enrolled among the nations heroes.
Baskerville had to relinquish his mis-
sionary post before he could join the
fighting nationalists. whose. cause had
appealed to his chivalrous instincts; for
missions are strict in observing the rule
that none OF their members shall take
any part In political movements. The
missionaries are confined to the work
of inculcating new ideals Of character,
though, naturally, these ideals inevi-
tably work out in the creation OF new
social and political conditions.
There have been numerous conferences
at the State Department lately over the