The Detroit times., 1912-07-27
INFLUENCE IN AMERICA
DEMAND PUBLIC HEARING
FOR ACCUSED KOREANS
Japan Is Anxious To Drop Plot
Charges Against Converts
and Christian Workers.
BRAND ACCUSATION FALSE
Lack of Investigation Would BE
Blot on Christianity, Argue
Mission Leaders.
BRAND ACCUSATION FALSE
BY THE RELIGIOUS RAMBLER.

Since nearly score OF leaulhB Amci
lean missionaries have been named
In open court in Seoul as accessories
TO the alleged conspiracy TO assassi-
nate Gov Gen. Terauchi, all reserve
has been thrown TO the winds at the
head1uarters of the Presbyterian and
Southern Methodist boards in this
country and they are openly hghtlnS
the battle of their representatives In
Korea
AS yet the whole public has not
caught the significance OF the fact
that great American religious corpor-
ations, which represent a constitu-
ency Of millions of Americans, and
whose trustworthiness Is not I'M
peached, and whose far-reachlng pow
er Is better understood by Japan than
by many persons In this country,
have publicly and unqauifedly vouch-
ed for the character or the men ac-
cused in the Japanese court and have
vigorously demanded proof OF the
vague charges that have been put
into currency.
Fighting Blood rs Up.
An almost truculent attitude has
been assumed by missionary leaders
that since the names of some OF the
most eminent men in the whole mis-
sionary field have been put on rec
ord and sent TO all corners OF the
world as aiding and abetting an at
tempted assassination, these Ameri-
cans must be given chance to clear
themselves of the heinous charge.
The Korean missionaries, for their
pair, who have been hitherto very
cautious and docile, choosing. as they
say, 70 suffer In silence rather than
10 start any trouble that would alien
ate Japan and America, are now de-
manding a chance to be heard in
court They nd their friends refuse
TO accept a whitewash In the form OF
the polite assertions OF the Japanese
officials, that they do not believe the
missionaries really guilty.
The far-seeing students of missions
are pointing out that II the matter is
dropped now so far as these Ameri-
cans are concerned, then long after
the details of the present case are
/, forgotten, the charge will come up as
a criticism of missions that American
missionaries were accused In open
court OF conspiring against govern
ment. The laymen in this country
and the Korean missionaries have
powerful friends in many quarters
are taking hold of the subject and in
sisting that only an open trial and
legal vindication can clear the mis-
, sionaries involved. Here a delicate
point arises, because the alleged con-
fessions that implicate missionaries
were made under torture, and this Is
a phase Of the case that the Japanese
authorities are most sedulously en-
deavorfng TO suppress. At every o
portunity Japan is expressing real
eagerness to drop the names OF the
Americans, who have been implicat-
ed, but IL seems as If she has got hold
of something that she cannot let go.
for the missionary people, both in
Korea and in America say that that
would be no settlement of the case.
as was the case in Madagascar. u
Some Somber Possibilities.
Everybody concerned Is beginning
to see the most dangerous possibili-
ties in this Korean conspiracy case.
1t is quite likely that Ii will get TO
be a main issue in the discussions OF
the church folk everywhere. So far
as Christianity is concerned, unless
the projected Japanese course Is met
with sustained and vigorous oppos-
tion, the result might be an anti
Christian dragonnade that would re.
'sult in the extinction OF the church,
the belief becomes widespread
throughout Korea that Christians
must go to Jail simply because they
are Christian-and nobody denies
that the flower of the Christian
church in North Korea is now under
arrest-the inevitable result will be
a elimination of the accessions TO
the church. Ii is one thing TO expect
Christians to stand fast in persecu-
tions; II is another thing to ask non
[ Christians to enter a faith that in
sures persecution There is a sense
in which the very preservation of the
mission field is at stake, and mis-
sionaries say that they are now not
only making the old, old fight for re-
ligious liberty. but they are also Civ
ing heed to their own special work.
Still more sombre is the possible
effect upon other mission lands. II
Japan can prove that Christian con-
verts are dangerous citizens, then
not only japan, but China, India, ant
especially Turkey, will be warranted
in saying that they do not want mis-
sions or missionaries II is only late
Ivy that the missionaries have felt
that their struggle for position and
recognition In China has beSn won.
The case is still critical with them.
The effect upon Chinese officials
would be very bad should they read
in the Japanese literary propaganda
that Christianity is an anti-patriotic
institution, for this is one OF the com.
monest of charges against the west
ern religion.
The Menace To Japan.
There is evidence that Japan is
more perturbed over the situation
than thess missionaries. She never
dreamed of stirring up such a hor-
nets nest as is no wbuzzing around
her ears. The interest OF the world
in this remote corner of the earth
was grossly underestimate. The