Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-02-27
NEW MISSION FIELD
Bishop HartzeII Heads Move
ment Among Mohammedans.
SCHOOLS AND CHURCHES
Work in North Africa by Metho-
dist Episcopal Denomination.
WIDE RANGE OF OPERATIONS
Eleven Missionaries of Experience
to Have Charge-Conditions in
Liberia Outlined.
By WILLIAM z. CURTIS.

By WILLIAM z. CURTIS
Written for The Star and the Chicago Record
Herald.
Rev. DR.. J. c. HartZell, who has been
Bishop of Africa for a quarter of a CEN
fury has recently sailed for Algiers for
the purpose of organizing missionary
work by the American Methodist Episco-
pal Church among the Mohammedans of
North Africa. He Is accompa MED by
eleven missionaries. four men and seven
women, of experience among the Moham-
medan races, and who speak the Ian
guaRe They will establish schools and
start churches in Morocco and Algiers,
and later the work Will be extended along
the entire southern shore of the Mediter
ranean. The United Fresbyterians have
several prosperous missions in Egypt.
and some Of the European denominations
have chapels and schools, but this will be
the first regular organized Protestant
missionary work for distance of 900
miles on the coast of northern Africa.
Two Mission Fields in Africa.
There arc two great mission fields in
Africa said Bishop HartZell the day be-
fore he sailed '"rhe first is among the
one hundred million heather barbarians,
and the other among the fifty-nine mil
lion Mohammedans.
I'm the first of these several of the mis-
sionary societies of England, the CONT
mental countries and the United States
are doing successful work. There are
some great centers. like I0vedale, In
Cape Colony, and Livingstonia I'm British
r.-;o NJ Sosrfl nd
very successful, having the usual indus
trial features. as well as many thousands
Of children i'm their schools. The Wes-
leyan Methodists of England have success
full missions among the natives In South
and West Africa.
MANY years ago, let us say from one
to three hundred years, the Roman Cath
olics. made many efforts along both the
east and west coasts, and did heroic work,
but later on the natives rebelled against
their methods and their missions We're
largely abandoned. In recent years they
have undertaken efforts I'm several CEN
ters. The White Fathers have been work
ing from north Africa southwark. They
have q training school for African mis-
sionaries In Tunis but In many cases the
results are not satisfactory. As yet. how
ever. this vast mass of barbaric human
ity is practically untouched by Christian
activity.
Trade, Agriculture and Education.
European governments has gone forward
until almost everywhere now there is
fairly good administration, there is no
difficulty in the matter Of protection, and
there are various degrees of activity in
trade, agriculture and education. These
facilities are the best under the British
0xlx 7ofi lam IN,
the wealth of the colonies and practical
results in Christian civilization.
THE work of christianizing has an
ticipated the advance of civilization. Mis-
sionaries are the pioneers. But the re-
suits Of trade. the building of railroads
have now gone beyond the church. Take
an illustration. The Cape to Cairo rail-
road. for example, has reached the
Kongo Free State from the south. a dis
lance of over 1000 miles, where there
are vast mineral deposits. especially cop
per, but scarcely a missionary Here is
vast field which the church must oc-
cupy That is only one locality of many
others equally important, and is indica-
tive that while missionaries have led
the way. the rapid advancement of ma
teriaI interests has outstripped and gone
beyond them.
Recently In an address before the
Students Voluntary Mission convention
at Rochester, l made call for 1000
missionaries for Africa. Several times
that number are needed. In the midst of
100 600 600 heathens I'm Central Africa
there are sections where there is no
missionary for a distance as far as from
Austin, Tex. to Portland. Me.
Work Among Mohammedans.
There Is an equally fertile field among
the 100000 Mohammedans. nearly all
of whom are in the northern part of the
continent, between the equator and the
Mediterranean. They represent one-fourth
Of the Mohammedan world. In the sew
enth century the armies of Islam swept
across northern Africa. with hre and
sword, wiping out the western section
of the Christian church. For thirteen
and a half century the Moslem has
held In its grip all that vast area, defy
ing the efforts of Christianity, and re-
sisting all forms of progress. Morocco co,
marvelously rich In natural resources. Tor
example, until now has remained prac-
tically without civilization These are
a migratory population. They have no
towns or villages. following their f1ocks
and herds as they did 1000 years ago.
They have a certain degree of cudture.
however. They have once been civilized.
At one time they wer chiefly Arabs, who
are nomadic I'm their habits.
Among them are several millions OF
white people, but they have adopted
the manners and customs of the Semitic
races They have villages and towns.
They are intelligent, reliable and indus
trious For centuries they formed the
body of the early Christian church. Alex
andria, once was great city of Chris
tian learning. and reached a high de-
gree Of civilization. There St. Mark died
a martyr. The city of Alexandria had
the first school for the training of Chris
tian missionaries, which was established
by Panteus. The Berbers afterward be-
came MohammedanS. but today they are
accessible and through them Is the door
to be opened for the gospel among the
Moslems of Africa.
City of Alexandria the Center.
Alexandria is the intellectual and edu-
cational center of the Mohammedan
world. There Is a great university at
Cairo said to have 1900 students and
to have been founded 1000 years ago
Recently wealthy Mohammedan has
built a large building for the university
in Cairo and proposes to bring the best in
tellectual leaders of the Mohammedan
world az teachers of young men. The
Senusian movement Is to the Mohamme-
dan world, especially in Africa, what that
Of the IcSuitS is to Roman Catholicism,