The Detroit times., 1916-01-22
Foreign Conference
Will Have Far-Reach-
ing Effects
NOTED LEADERS
IN ATTENDANCE
Drastic Effects of War
Have Been Keen
ly Felt

BY THE RELIGIOUS RAMBLER
More significant and compreheR'
stve than any other religious gath
ering which assemblies on this con
tlnent A. the annual Foreign Mis-
sions conference of North America
which met last week in Garden City
Long Island. IL stands for the big
business" OF religion, since the var
ious denominations are represented
by outstanding leaders, who come
from all over the continent; and
the work they consider covers liter
ally the whole earth.
The most impressive meeting Oi
the conference was one held TO con.
slider. with the help OF great map
OF the eastern hemisphere. the un-
occupied fields OF the non-Christlan
world" DR. Charles r. Watson. OF
Philadelphia, was in charge OF this,
and DR.. Robert f. Speer, OF New
York, was the principal speaker. al
though addresses were made also
by men representing Turkey. India.
Africa, China, Korea and South
America. One entire evening was
devoted to the Pan-Americsn con-
ference, TO be held next month in
Panama.
The experts upon foreign missions
OF all the churches are sent TO this
conference. which exerts a large in
huence upon the policies Of all the
denominations. II considers a great
range OF subjects. from the prepara-
ton Of a special cable code for this
largest OF all international opera
tions 20 the providing for the spirit
ual needs OF the Anglo-American
communities East OF Suez,"
where the best is like the
worst,
And there amt no Ten Com
mandments,
And q man can raise a thirst"
II has introduced a scientific
scheme OF preparation for mission
AIRY workers. and, at the other end,
IL considers homes and pensions for
retired missionaries.
Drastic effects OF the war have
been felt in the worlds out-of-the-
way places, as this conference re-
ported Perhaps the religious rep
resentatives OF the Teutonic powers
have been hardest hit, for their mis-
sionaries in India and Africa have
been obliged to quit and return
home. Similarly. missionaries of the
allied nations in the Ottoman en-
pire have been sent out OF the
country.
In all these cases. the fellow mis-
sionaries OF the enemy nations.
have proved the reality OF the re-
lIgious tie by rallying 10 the helr
OF the missions which have lost
their leaders and their income
Even more notably have the Amer
lean missions had to bear the added
burden Of the work OF repatriatec
missionaries. The need for this hs.
been one reason for the increased
contributions of the American
churches to the cause Of missions
Nearly all the boards report theh
best years receipts.
While from Germany comes news
OF foreign mission gifts from sol
diers in the trenches, yet German
missions have, broadly speaking
been put out OF business. The
Lutheran churches in America have
assumed large responsibility for con
tinuing the German enterprises. AZ
ter tho war. IL was said. German
missions In British possessions vii
have To be stated by Americans
The famous London Missionary so
ciety has been forced by a deficit
OF $125,000, 10 close out its great
mission at Calcutta
One entire session OF the confer.
ence was given over 90 missions
and the war. Because OF The con
ndential nature OF the relations be-
tween the leaders Of united reu-
gious work I'm North America ana
the officials Of all watring nations.
most OF the amazing and thrilling
statements made on the subject az
Garden City cannot be quoted.
America viii be surprised 20 learn,
after the war. Of the part this coun
try has had IN impartial ministry
20 the spiritual needs OF the sol.
, diers Of all the nations engaged in
the war and OF the persistence Of
; international Christians relations
in spite OF the political cleavages.
straws which ten the trend o
thihgs are the statements made
anthoritatively az Garden City, thai
the circulation OF Bibles IN Ger
many during the past year has
Jumped from 100000 copies to 8,
oO0. 900 copies Similarly the BRIT
SD report an unprecedented de.
mand for the scriptures. and say
that nearly every soldier carries