The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-07-26
Stress Work in Near East


 This distinguished Christian leader Is politician in the best sense. He is alive to national questions and also po- litical limitations of European states. At home in Constatinople surely as fin London, he has been urging upon Chris tian leaders of America while here this
 time, and especially those leaders in charge of missionary plans, to stress work in the near east even if by so do- ing they must neglect work elsewhere.
 You have no idea unless you have been there and learned at first hands" observed Dr. Meyer. how implicitly America is trusted by all parties in the near east. The reasons are the record America has made there, and the known lack of political designs upon them. We in England cannot move without being suspected of ulterior motives. Church and state are so mixed up that Moslems re- fuse to distinguish between them. The American board in Turkey, the Presby- terian board in Syria and some others in other parts of the near east, have done such credtable educational and mis- sionary work, have influenced conditions there to such extent. that it seems to me
 that Americans ought if need be to quit some other fields, leave them to us perhaps, and mass their strength in the near east.
 Tremendous developments are just ahead in the Balkans, in Syria. even in Palestine and Persia. There may be some
 more outbreaks, but they are not to last Servia, Bulgaria, Greece, bringing men back from America to fight, and al- lowing them to return to America after the war, have come nearer to America than to any other people. and feelings | exist impossible ever to obtain toward England. There will arise great states in these regions in the near future. America has here a great opportunity which she alone can meet. In large
 measure the same thing Is true of India. Egypt and North Africa Why don t American missionary leaders realize these facts? Others of us can work in China and Korea. in South Africa and South America. Pray let us assume these bur dens and the United States assume those I have named, which Europe cannot as-
 sume."
 Impressed With Moody's Wisdom | Free churches of England have named commissions on possible world confer 1 ence on faith and order. This Is an American project, and a prime mover in
 it, the Rev. Dr. William T. Manning. | rector of Trinity church, New York, is | about to sail with others to lay the 1 project before the pope of Rome, the patriarch of Constantnople and the met
 ropolitan of St. Petersburg. "Of course
 everybody desires unity among Chris 1 tieflS, sdlu liit INtN+ UT. MtJti. Dul l
 am sure Americans do not understand | church conditions in Europe. In America | there is so much liberty. everybody has such opportunity to push forward on his | own lines, that you Americans mistakenly imagine that Europe can do the same thing It cannot It will not for gen erations to come.
 There is talk in free church circles in
 England that New York will be selected as the city for the holding of the con ference. I think 1t well that 1t be held in America at any rate, but unless 1t is postponed for a generation it would bet ter be an informal conference merely, it seems to me, and not one expected to bring in union. conference to further education looking to union Is the most that Europe expects in this generation. Still, we live in wonderful age God rules and so l may be wrong. I hope ann
 This remarkable and far sighted leader said in conclusion that the more he stud fed the work of the late Dwight l.. Moody the more he Is impressed by that lead er's wonderful wisdom. He declared that conditions in spiritual ways steadily i'm prove in this country, as he sees them. He has lately looked into the Moody In- stitute in Chicago, has been at the In- ternaitnola Sunday school convention, has spoken dt NOrtnHelO ana mas gone tnOr- oughly over evangelistic conditions and outlook in England and America. On the whole he took 0 most hopeful view of Christian conditions in all lands. This view extended to foreign mission fields, to religious education, to new diversity of study courses in Bible schools to i'm provement in conditions in colleges in America, England and German on the continent of Europe, in Australia and South America.
 The Rev. pr. Meyer was much im- pressed. he said, by the union of all wom- ems missionary organizations in Amer ica. He rejoiced that downtown difficult ties obtaining in some American cities have not yet extended to London. He described new and successful social and religious centsrs founded in East Lon don, and most of all he thought much is to be expected from union of evan gelists, who he said are more numerous than ever, and have better methods of work. He saw nothing to fear from high CT critics. He took no minimizing opti- mistic view, but reminded that he spoke only after thorough knowledge of con-