Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1912-05-07
The Salvation of China and
the Security of Christendom
By Bishop w. 4. Gambler
4 LII men are neighbors now; there are no for
\ eign nations former generations under
A stood the word foreign" The ends of the

Atlanta to Shanghai, China, now thar was required
to go from Atlanta to San Francisco in 1860 Since
the nations of the earth have been brought thus
close together, the wellbeng of one affects the well
fare of ALL and no hurt can come to one which does
not bring injury to all in greater or less degree
In our day the solidarity of mankind has been made
most manifest and a world-consciousness is coming
into the souls of men everywhere.
The revolution in China during the last few
months has fastened the attention of mankind upon
that interesting land it was never fixed before 1t
is well; for in China dwells fourth of the human
race. That vast of people has been Ioosed from
its ancient stationariness and it is floating into the
waters of International life like a huge iceberg
broken away from its arctic hold and drifting down
into summer seas. Some may be foolish enough to
suppose that it can be ignored despised but that
would be mistake as fatal as the folly of them who
undertook to the Titanic at full speed through
seas. China unsaved will wreck the
world.
In recent article Bishop Bashford puts the case
most clearly and strongly in these words:
IF China. attempts to adopt simply the ma
terial civilization of the Western races while re-
jecting the moral and spiritual of that ma
terial civilization, the Chinese race, the
strongest and most numerous race on earth, will
be threatened with extinction. The danger which
threatens China will affect Christian civilization
also; whether we will or no. we are our brothers.
keepers. Just as great plague physical dis
could destroy the Chinese people the peo-
pie of any other nation without spreading to the
rest of the race. so no great spiritual disorder
can destroy one-fourth of the human with
out injecting the other three-quarters Either
must lift the Chinese and the people of India
and Africa up to standards OF civilization
else shah sink to theirs If simply pro-
coed in the development of material resources,
and If the Chinese master this material civiliza-
tion, up their coal and iron resources-the
greatest on earth-and. enter upon manufactur
ing and become masters of material civ
nzaton the time when the yellow
races may compete in a life and death industrial
struggle with the white races of the world IN
measure the triumph of civilization upon
earth and the survival of Christendom depends
upon the intelligence and the heroism with which
the Christian Church meets the crisis which NOW
awaits u.s., well the Chinese, in the far East.
Upon the evangezation of China hinges the safe
ty of Christendom. Everything seems to be
ing into the melting pot and Christianity has 1T
last an opportunity to furnish the rnolds into
which new civilization of one-fourth of the hui
man may be cast OF all times in history,
now Is the time for Christian Churches to put
forth every effort to aid the Chinese people In
remolding their institutions and shaping their
destiny"
These words of Bishop Bashford are the express
sion of wild fear extravagant apprehension. They
are sober words.
We may be sure that China is going to adopt the
arts of material civilization. She is going to
have railways telegraphs cottonfactories furnaces
for making iron and STEEL coal-pits, great army,
and powerful navy. These things are sure as
any earthly events can be; nothing prevent
them if the world stands fifty years longer. Does
any sane man believe that when one-fourth of the
comes into the possession of these titanic instru
of industry and warfare which it never
before possessed the effects accomplished will be con-
fined to the limits of China? 1t is unthinkable. Men
of all classes every part of the world will feel the
results Of China's awakening from her slumber Of
And let no man imagine that the Chinese are
duII et,,rid 0ao0Ia highly intellectual
very Ingenious They, have a genius for industry
Their patient devotion to minute details is marvel
ous and their grasp of complicated conditions is not
less wonderful They live cheaply and labour in
tensey. On a floating raft in canal Chinese
gardener will raise more vegetables than the average
American will produce in garden of ample proper
tions The possibility of industrial struggle be-
tween these people and the white races may well
excite attention.
christian standard ofNife must be set up in
China Christian morality must be inculcated there
as rapidly as the material civilization of the Western
world advances among the Chinese people. Other
wise a vast increment of physical power and indus
trial force will be developed before there is sufficient
moral life to direct it into safe channels To aug
ment the productive powers of any people without
elevating their moral nature is always perilous 1t
must be so in the very nature OF the case LaWless
power is bound to be dangerous power In nominally
christian lands we this fact exemplihed; our civil
lization is in danger from the increase OF material
which has been rapid than our growth
in moral character. By consequence we observe
crimes of capital before known in the history
of the world and we see sins of labour without prece
dent in the records of mankind Trusts unions
strikes lockouts dynamitings, and other methods OF
industrial warfare proclaim the fact tina all parties
believe that there is not enough moral life in the
land to secure right dealing between man and man.
Devices of physical force are the more dreadful
proofs that our people do not trust one another to
deal justly and uprightly.
Moreover, there are classes among US who set all
moral law at nought when they have acquired money
enough to defy the public opinion Of their feowmen
What do certain circles of excessive opuence care Tor
sobriety Sabbath observance the sanctity of mar
riage? Who were some of them engaged in card
playing banqueting, and revelry, when the Inflated
Titanic struck the iceberg which carried them and
her to the bottom of the sea? Were they not men
and women who felt themselves lifted above all moral
lon, hecause thew had wealth enough (as they sup