The Washington herald., 1911-01-02


tary representing the Washington YOUNG
Men'a Christian Association In China
was In the city Thursday. as the gues
Of S. w. Woodward. Mr.. Brockman sail:
for China next week. He stated to
Herald representative that officers OF
American missionary societies having
work in the Orient express fears thai
the change from autocratic to representa-
tive government in China may not bt
brou,sht about without bloodshed. They
point to the clash that has already come
between the half Of the assembly, OF
lower house at Pekin. that is elected
by the people, and the half appointed
by the throne 1t is learned from these
missionary officials that the revolution ir
Portugal had tremendous effect II
China.
It happened that at the moment the
King of Portugal was driven to Eng.
land the Chinese throne had in its hands
the demand for constituent assembly
that should come together at once Such
assembly had been promised in 1917. and
a compromise was suggested for 1913. TIC
that the progressive party would not lis
ten, and an immediate assembly was Sc
cured. Now the two elements, the elec-
tive and the appointive. have arrived a,
the parting of their ways.
The same officials say that in all prin-
cipal Chinese cities to-day news of oc-
currences in Portugal. in England. and
in America is read each morning the
same as it is in an American city. and
that the circumstance of Portugal chang
ing governments when it did had an
efrecs far beyond anything Portuguese
dreamed. The missionary societies ex-
pres. the hope that sufficient change In
sentiment in China has taken place, and
sufficient knowledge Of the futility of wal
has spread through China, to make war
preventable. To this end the societies
having work in the kingdom are in
creasng their efforts in favor of peaceful
changes.
Neglected Home Fields.
Three different organizations. two of
them with efficient State branches, have
been for a year or more investigating re-
ligious conditions in cities and in coun-
try towns. Much has been heard for
twenty years and more about over
churched conditions. how in suburbs
of great cities the overzeal of extension
societies plant missions too close to-
gether. and that in country villages, with
few hundred inhabitants, from two to
four times as many churches are estab-
lished as ought to be.
Four cities and four States have now
been studied with much care. These in
clude Colorado. and Wisconsin. Maine and
Vermont. and the cities within them, be-
sides New York. Boston, Chicago, and
Detroit. officers Of the investigating or
ganizatio say they selected some Of
these regions because Of complaints from
them, and others because mission funds
had long been poured into them on the
plea that there were churchless people
there
1t is admitted now by all three organi-
cations that they find rather more over
looking than overlapping. While there
are instances, they admit, of more
churches in rural towns than there
ought to be, the appalling situation is
of small communities and rural settle
ments and cross roads, where practically
nothing is done. In cities the need for
religious work among foreigners is a
crying one, they say. Indeed. in place
ot work being entered upon to stop over
churchinG. appeals are making in all di-
rections for societies and churches to en-
ter neglected fields.
Churches and World Peace.
The gift of SO, 600. 900 by Andrew Carne-
gle to further world-peace plans has
spurred the committee on peace, appoint
ed by the last Mohonk Conference. to is
sue. while commencing the gift. an an
peal to the Christian ministers Of America,
Roman Catholic and Protestant alike. to
do what they can to create sentiment in
favor of establishment of the arbitral
court at The Hague, as proposed by the
nations and put forward by Secretary
Knox. The committee consists of a Luth-
eran, a Reformed, a Presbyterian. an
Episcopal. and two Congregational min
listers, who say, in their appeal, that not
nearly enough work has as yet been done
by ministers of America to bring them
into line with ministers Of England and
the Continent, nor yet to put the Chris
tian church into its proper place of lead
ership in the cause of peace.
1t is the belief Of the chairman Of the
committee that sufficient will have been
done when the arbitral court shall have
been founded, and that then, without
much additional effort, armies and navies
will melt away as being no longer needed.
He is not in favor of a campaign against
of armed forces, although
privately saying that he does not take
sides in favor either of an army or Of a
navy because he feels that neither one
ought to be afforded. Many ministers are
calling attention Of their congregations to
Mr.. Carnegie's gift. the plans for the ar
bitral court. the part Mr.. Knox is taking
in putting America in the lead, and the
folly of spending billions of dollars upon
war ships when there are so many
worthier uses.
Reception to Pastor.