Semi-weekly herald., 1913-07-07
PROGRESS OF CHINA
UNDER THE REPUBLIC


year China mas been a republic. Since
the overthrow Of the Manchu dynasty
there has been revolution among
the people of the country almost as
proneunced as the change from i'm
perial to republican rule. In many
sections they appear to be as ready
to adopt western styles as Chicago
women are to follow the dictates of
the modes of Paris. With the new
China has come a demand for things
beftting new era. Not the least
of the changes is turning toward
Christian missions, told so interesting
ly in a report of the Shanghai agent
of tho American Bible society as to
throw light on the new conditions.
''Tbe haughtiness and overbearing
Mariner Of the old mandarin has been
replaced by democratic spirit which
is traiy commendable," says this re-
port. "Our representative in the cap
ital had some business with an Off
cial high in one of the principal de-
partments of the central government.
He called several times at his office
and found him out, but left his card.
One day he met him riding up one
of the principal streets of the city in
brougham The official saw the
foreigner walking in the opposite di-
rection, stopped him, got out of his
brcugham and attended to the busi
ness on the street. Such thing was
unheard of under the old regime. The
new officials are courteous, easily ap-
preached and prompt in the dispatch
of business.
"With the new China has come a
new era for Christian missions. The
profession of Christianity is no long
e. bar to official employment. Many
high offices are filled by earnest, ac-
tive Christian men who live their re-
lie;on and make no secret of it. The
ban on Christianity has been removed,
and it looks as if the most perfect
religious liberty will be accorded to
all classes of the people. The Gre
gorian calendar has been adopted and
all public Offices in Peking are closed
on Sunday. This recognition of the
Sabbath as day of rest is distinct
Influence in our favor.
perhaps the most notable and re-
markable change is in the attitude of
the common people toward the for
eigner. In the old days one could not
put his head out of his house without
being reviled as foreign devil or
worse, and on a journey the ring of
epithets was never out of ones ears.
Now it is the rarest thing possible to
hear a single disrespectful word even
when travelling in the interior.
"On the streets, in the markets, at
dented This is perhaps due to the
fact that for the first time the peo-
pie feel that they are perfectly free
to buy if they want, and the posses
tai: any trouble. AT one of the great
fairs in Peking, Mr.. Strong sold on
ar average of 1000 copies day for
twelve days.
"Another very remarkable thing is
tn. demand for Bibles and Testa-
ments from students-not only those
in the mission schools, but those in the
government schools as well. In some
cases this may be accounted for by
the influence of Christian teachers
in the government schools. In SOME
cases these pupils go so far as to
demand to know the teaching of the
to add the Bible as a textbook to the
curriculum. Literally hundreds of
copies of the Bible have been sold to
these students, who before the revo-
luton would have been conspicuous by
their opposition to Christianity.
"On New Years day the Temple
and Altar of Heaven were for the
first time freely thrown open to the
public. Mr.. Strong was given place
on the balcony of the Temple of Heav-
en-, directly opposite the main en-
trance, for selling scriptures. This is
the first time anyone has had off
cial permission to sell Bibles and
preach the gospel from this sacred
place. He and the colporteurs con-
tinued his work for ten days.
"The fact of the matter is that all
of the barriers have been broken down.
China is open, as never before. to the
gospel. The attitude of the people is
that of honest, interested, receptive
inquiries after the truth.
"Chinese have ways that seem odd
to us for judging whether they want
book or not. Rev. w. S. Strong of
Peking reports how people used to
smell the book to detect its foreign
source. They no longer do so.
"As to our own work, these condi-
tons show themselves in many ways.
We take Peking alone. The hundreds
of small alleys which to such great
extent are occupied by families Of all
classes have in the past been practi- |
cally closed to the colporteur. He
would never in the past have dared to