The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-01-23
Christianity Among The CeIeStiaIS
BY FRANK G. CARPENTER.

slowly. As far back as 70 years since they had only six communicants In 1853 they had no more than $50 and in 1865 only 2000. Ten years later their converts had increased to 13.000 and in the next decade that number had doubled At present there are between two and three thousand native Protestant congrega- tions, and their baptized Chinese number about B0.0oo. The missionaries claim that this increase Is gratifying, and say that If they advance during the next generation in the same ratio as in the past they will at the end of that time have over 25.OOO.000 communicants and a Christian community of over 100 GOO OO0. This is one-fourth of the whole Chinese nation. I give these figures from mis- sionary authorities and those of Protest ant Christianity. The Roman Catholics could make much better showing
 School Work Among the Missions.
 The great educational movement which is now going on in China was started by the missionaries and Is largely carried on by them. Many of them are teaching in the Chinese government schools, and most of the text books are of their com- position. The first Chinese English dic- tionary was made by the first Protestant missionary to China. This was the Rev. Robert Morrison. who arrived here in 1897. In connection with Dr. Milne he also made the first Chinese Bible. It was MT. Wylie of the London Mission who prepared the first Chinese school books in mathematics, and later text books on other subjects, including geology. were written by Muirhead, Edkins and Will liamson. The chief authorities on inter- national law and political economy now in use the government academies and colleges were prepared by Dr. w. A. F. Martin, and geographies and other books by Dr. c. D. Penney, the Chinese sec- retary of our legation at Pekin.
 The printing press was brought into China by the missionaries. Dr. S. Wells Williams used the first metallic types at Canton, and the first power press was brought to Shanghai by the Presbyterian board.
 Today the Presbyterian Press at Shang- hai Is perhaps the largest publishing house in Asia It Is pouring forth Bibles. books. tracts and magazines at the rate of 90,000,000 pages per annum, and is dis tributlng them all over China In addi- tion there is the Mission Press of the American Methodists, which is papering the country with Christian literature of one kind and another.
 Both of these establishments are pub fishing school books.
 As to Bibles, they are distributed by the American Bible Society, which first
 
 sends about 750.000 volumes per year. and altogether its circulation has run high into the millions.
 A Great Educational Work.
 But l started to speak about mission schools. They are to be found every where. There are boys schools and girls schools. and kindergartens for both sexes. There are primary schools. intermediate schools and high schools, as well as col leges of arts. medicine and theology. The Catholics have university at Shanghai and a college and industrial school at EecaweA five miles from Shanghai, with 50 other schools near by, having an at- tendance altogether of 3750 pupils. They are doing some educational work in other cities, but as far as I can learn they are by far surpassed by the Prot estants in this branch of mission labor
 According to the latest figures. the Protestant missionaries have over 2000 primary schools and 3S9 high schools and colleges. In the primary schools 35,000 boys and more than 1000 girls are now in attendance and in the higher schools there are 12.000 young men and almost 5000 young women. These seem but small numbers in comparison with the 13.000, 900 or 100000 pupils in our public schools but each of these Chinese students will be working force in the reorganization of the empire, and this will be especially so with the women. The government schools for girls are crying for Chinese teachers, and the missionaries tell me that 1t is almost impossible for them to hold their girls until they graduate. be- cause of the salaries offered them to leave and go teaching outside.
 The Medical Work.
 There Is one phaze of mission work which Is approved by both Chinese and foreigners. The Chinese welcome 1t and contribute largely to It's support. refer to the medical missions. They arc doing an enormous amount of good. They are to be found in all the large centers, and tho doctors connected with them could, if they would, leave and make fortunes by practicing among tho wealthy Chin csc Notwithstanding this, they stay with their work and on pitifully low sal aries wear themselves out. The Prot estants have now in China 16e hospitals