The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1913-04-14
Miss Lester Says Mission
Schools Are Responsible
For New Ideals
GRADUATES NUMBER
ABOUT 5000 A YEAR
Dynasty Used to Regard Converted
Christians as COuntry's Enemies.
Now They Are Considered
the Most Loyal

"China is in the throes of a social. re-
igious and industrial revolution and is
looking to the United States for instruc-
tion,'' declared Miss Emma Lester of
Soochow, China, missionary attending
the session of the Woman's Missionary
council, yesterday Miss Lester talked in
terestingly of conditions in the world S
baby republic and was very optimistic as
to the future of China.
Miss Lester has been In China six years
as a teacher in the school operated by the
council at Soochow, and returned on fur
Tough last Au-ust.A She was very reluc-
tant to speak of her own personal expe-
rience but talked freely about general
conditions in China.
when the Empress Dowager and EN-
peror died in 1908 under peculiar condi-
TONS" said Miss Lester 1.-THE whole ma
ton went into deep mourning. The red
buttons worn on the caps of all Chinese
We're changed to white. White strings
were plated in their queues instead of
the black tassels ordinarily worn All
the high officials wore their fur coats
wrong side out, which was great con-
cession for them.
For 100 days there was not funeral in
the empire. And for the same period all
scheduled weddings were postponed. Not
a man in the empire shaved in the same
period of mourning.
Anti-Dynastic Talk Begins
Immediately after the mourning had
passed the revolution was begun The
anti-dynastic talk was heard and some
of the newspapers came out openly with
it. 1t has been said that the Chinese are
not democratic and>were untitled to gov
ern themselves under republic. but in
reality the Chinese are the most demo-
cratic of nations in their government.
II believe the missionaries are respon-
sible for the downfall of the Manchu dy-
nasty in China. For the past 10 years the
mission schools have been turning out
graduates at the rate of 5000 per year, and
it is the influence of the principles inn
planted in their hearts that has brought
about the great changes that are in prog
ress in China today.
Discarding Old Ideas
China is discarding old ideas The po-
litical revolution has been accomplished
and the nation is in the throes Of a So
cial. industrial, educational and religious
reformation. The former hatred OF the
foreigner has changed to eagerness to
learn from him. They want everything
we have In the west.
They want Christianity and dimy
realize what it means. They realize that
the underlying principles of Christianity
are the foundation Of the constitutional
goverpments OF the world
The sales of Bibles in 1872 was unprece-
dented. Not only are the leaders In the
progressive movement strong in their po-
sition for the necessity of the teachings
of the Christians, but the common people
say, Let us have the Bible for tins Is
the book which will teach US how to be
citizens in our new peoples Kingdom
ihat Is what they eau the repubilc--the
peoples kingdom
II is now the settled policy of the GOV
eminent TO turn the temples into schoois
and the bronze idols are being made INTO
copper coins. The idol makers have aoah-