The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-01-28
CHINA NEEDS OUR
CHRISTIAN WOMEN
THESE MOST IMPORTANT SAYS r.
VIII AT MISSIONARY
MEETING.
WORK HERE PLANNED
MRS. J. p. THOMAS SAYS RICHMOND
NEEDS MISSIONARY ASSISTANCE
AND GIVES OUTLINE
OF PLANS.

Three well attended and enthusas-
tic meetings, held in the FIRST Bap-
| fist church. marked the twenty-ffth
anniversary of the woman's Mission
ary union auxiliary to the Southern
Baptist convention held in Richmond
| Yesterday. At each of the meetings
| there were speakers OF prominence
! who made addresses on various phases
| Of the foreign missions work, and
specially selected choir and chorus.
While both the morning and AFTER
| noon services were important ana at
| tended with considerable interest by
| large congregations, the evening SER
vice. at which f. W. Ii. a Chinese
| Baptist, engaged In mission work in
his native country. made the principal
| address. was to the minds of many
the most important.
| The speaker said that he was par
| ticularly struck with the contrast be-
| tween the positions which the women
of his native land occupied, and those
| of the women OF America. Ours Is
| land of freedom, where the woman
| lis allowed to expand to her fullest,
where in. many cases she becomes
a leader and always has voice
| in the administration of affairs.
| In China. said the speaker, the
| women are held down to a subordi-
| nate position by custom. and a thou
! sand traditions. They have no indi-
| yidual life. and are uneducated, the
| fathers refusing to give them the
| benefits Of education because marriage
| will allow the husband or another
| family to benefit rather than the faith
| er OF the girl.
Missionary Aid.
! For reasons such as these, the
| speaker said. the missionary work
| along educational lines had proved of
| the greatest aid. and In II lay the
| hone and the possibility of Christian
izing China. The people must be
! reached by educated natives, he de-
| clared, and by way of the mother.
whom he characterized as the greatest
! factor in the home. He said that
many of the former customs were
! changing. and that he hoped to see
woman come into the position which
| she should occupy. We look Tor
| better things" he reiterated. but we
/ will need further assistance; and the
greatest help which can be given us
| is several thousand Christian women.
/ who will come to China and teach in
| our departmental schools, and In the
j schools of the Baptists missions,
! In China, the women attend to the
| education of the women, and the men
| to the education of the men. For this
| reason the men are educated In the
| denominational schools rather than
| the congregational schools, and be-
| cause Of II the women are often ne
elected The education must send the
! natives out into the world with the
] firm determination toward the con-
/ version of others. If the redemption
,of the Celestial Empire Is to succeed.
| This Is not possible In the congrega-
| tiouaI schools, but Is in the denomf-
| national schools, and in this regard
! the institutions of the Baptist in Can
! ton and other sections OF CHINA are
I doing the best of work. He asked FOR
| the additional prayers OF the Baptist
| of Richmond and America
| Mrs. Thomas Address.
/ Another address Of Importance,
| which was made during the day, was
| that OF Mrs. Julian L. P. Thomas.
corresponding secretary OF the Wo-
! mans Missionary union of this city,
! who spoke at the morning service on
IAN Opportunity to Serve Our City"
| She spoke of the relation or man TO
| God. and his fellowmen at first, and
| after showing the growth OF ideas
which sends people OF education
| among men who are less fortunate
that they may better understand and
help them. took up the relation OF
| the missionary societies as a body. TO
/ the needy of the country and their
own cities.
Mrs. Thomas said:
| For seventy five years VIC did uncr-
| ganlzed mission work, and at the end
| Of the time had only 1000 w M. s.
and our contributions we're only $780,
! 600 a year We organized. and in
! twenty-five years We counted 1900
| societies, with contributions amount
| ing to 100000 a year. We have done
/ personal work without organization.
| and have scarcely realized any de-
/ finite results Now we propose to or
/ ganize, and in doing so we hope to
! carry out and make real the second
! clause of our religion--love for our
/ neighbor AS we read Spargo's Bit
/ ter Cry Of the Children and Jane Ad-
dams The Spirit of Youth and the
| CITY Streets, and Jacob Ris' Peril
| and Preservation of the Home and
| innumerable other such books, we
| shudder and say. Such things happen
| elsewhere but not in Richmond-not
| In Richmond
| But They Are Here.
! but they do happen here at our
/ doors. 1t has been but few months
| since one who sought to find II con-
| ditions were so evil asked police
| man X children were ever without
care and shelter at night. and he
showed them two boys who slept out
| In a dry goods box. We all kno-
! the dreadful revelations as to the
lack Of protection for young girls
made In a trial last winter We can
! not say our city is free from the same
blots on her fair name that we shud-
| der at in larger centers OF popula-
ton. And now We are coming to-
gether to try to do thing to
| help.
Our plan is to select some location
which shall give up an opportunity
to get in closer touch with those liv
ing in a different social environment
from ourselves. to help them to hap
piness and so to goodness. We shall
not choose the location without the ad-
vice OF experts, and when We have
I chosen we shall have one trained In
ouch work to lead. while many volun-
| teers will help. We shall In this way
! provide, occupation for numbers OF
+, our young people who come into the
I church full OF enthusiasm. which soon
dies out because it is given nothing
4 to do.
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