The farmer and mechanic., 1912-02-27
THE YELLOW PERIL
AND CHR|ST|AN|TY
Christian Converts Are Being
Prosecuted by the Japa-
nese Government
TORTURE OF KOREANS
STIRS THE CHURCHMEN

Chi Ho. Who Is Well Known In
America. Is One Of the Victims OF
the Anti Christian Yellow Race.
American Missionaries Threatened;
Attack On Them Would Clarity the
Situation. Possibly. Eli. Mr.. Taft?
(By THE, RELIGIOUS IsAHiBLER.)
The most sensational religious
news on the days horizon is that
Christians in Korea are being perse-
cuted, imprisoned and tortured by
the japanese government. For sew
eral months past, Americans with in
side sources of information from the
East have known this, but now the
facts have become public and are
supported by the evidence Of Ameri-
cans. Six thousand Korean Christians
are said to be in jail, charged with
having plotted against the life Of the
japanese Governor. From Toxic has
some the statement that the mission
aries themselves may have to
suffer for this agitation, and
friends and relatives of the
latter in this country feel some alarm.
This, say the best Informed persons,
is needless for Japan will not do any
harm to foreigners. however much
she may annoy them. It is known,
however, that despite their treaty
rights, the homes of Americans have
been entered and thorou~hly search
ed. including their private papers.
The mail sent by Americans and re-
ceived by them is examined bv the
Japanese authorities before deliy-
cry.
The reason these outrages have
taken special hold upon American
imagination is that Korea is peculiar
iy an American mission field and that
1t today the most successful mis-
sion field in the world The story of
Korea has been told over and over
again at all these Laymen's Mission
AIRY meetings and the other mission
AIRY meetings that have been so great
ly in vogue for the past few years. II
is common to ailude to the Korean
church as fairly apostolic in it's char
acter. Missionaries say that their
converts teach them much about the
Bible and the Christian life. Thes.
people, for centuries dOwntrodden
seem to have a genius for Christiani
ty. In personal work for the win
ming Of converts, in Bible study, il
the giving of money and time, and il
church organization. the Korean
Christians surpass the Christians O.
the United States and Great Britain
A Nation Made New.
Now it is this very religious de
votion of the Koreans that is gettin,
them into trouble. Two years ag,
the inaugurated what they calle,
the Million Movement" an effort t.
bring million converts into tn
church within IL year. There wa
naturally much talk about gettin
people into the Kingdom, and abou
war against the evil one. Th
Japanese spies. unversed in the Ian
guage Of christianity. did not under
stand this to be the Kingdom O
lleaven, but a new independen
Korean Kingdom. and the evil on
30 b. fought they assumed to b
Japan. I4udicrous stories are told b
missionaries OF blunders made by tn
japanese along this line.
The Korean Christians refuse t
observe the Japanese heather fest
walls. They will not worship the pic
turc of the emperor or his table
They will take off their hats in re
speCt and bow as they pass the I'm
perial picture. and the preachers a
pray for the emperor, but they r.
fuse TO do actual obeisance In tn
they are stubborn. The Japanese fin
that they can break other Korean
and make them conform to the
regulations. but the Christians chee
fully face prison rather than viola,
their conscience. Their faith in &C
is SO primitive that it is said tn;
many of these who are at present
prison expect God to open the
prison doors for them. The new il
dependence Of character, and Il
awakened Intellectual life Of IL
Christian Koreans is the amazeme
of all who knew the national ty]
before Christianity entered. tt
first man to go to Korea as mi
siOnary was DR.. Horace n. Allen,