The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1916-09-16
Missionary Tells How
Province Was Evan
gelized
PAID PUBLICITY
HIS BIGGEST AID
Many Inquiries Follow
Innovation In
Far East
~ the RELIGIOUS RAMBLER.

nv THE RELIGIOUS RAMBLER,
81 The most remarkable instance OF
(, tho use OF paid publicity Ia religious
YORK ia 10 be found in japan. ana
not In any of the American cities
which have used display advertise
y n.ents of the church. For three
. years The Rev. DR.. Albertus Pieters,
Wa Oita. Japan, missionary
"a the Dutch Reformed church, has
S beon Systematically using paid space
"a the native press OF his province
10 carry the Christian message TO a
nublic which. for the most part, Is
Sutterly ignorant of the most ele'
: 1Anfsl facts of the Christian re-
NSfe DR.. Peters has kept a care
'Efuf record of the expense and re-
(, 1ults Ct this work, and he acts The
story forth In the September issue
q "The Missionary Review OF the
4 world" CT New York. the first issue
- this famous magazine under its
\ NV management. Robert K. Speer
AeipR president OF the company and
UelAvon L. Pierson being editor.
* DR.. Pieters modesty prevents him
7Uolf from telling the whole story OF
!; DaiA publicity ON the mission field
- Il has spread especially thruou:
\ 11Dan and China. Ten years ago, In
1npan, heard Or. Pietcrs expound
\ - principles Of publicity IN the
ocrm of paid advertisements to a
oumpany of missionaries, and now
4 the method 10 becoming recog-
n1pod evangelizirg agency We
hall one day hear OF American Civ
- paying for all the gospel adver
tlg1ng In the newspapers of a given
Eooction OF the non-Christian world,
ovun 90 we now are used 10 their
.pnyinG for a new school or hospital
4: md for the salary OF missionary or
3 ~ Z native worker.
In not few respects the church.
. ON the mission field are more
3 progressive than in the homeland.
Being unhampered by tradition, this
h easy and natural for them. The
4 missionaries have taken 10 the pub
Ncity plan. because 1t does the very
\ thing they have gone abroad 10 do
B carries their story 10 the greatest
number OF persons. Relatively, mis-
scenarios are so few, and heather
\ IRE 30 many. that the task OF reach
1ng the latter by word OF mouth be-
comes practically impossible.
1.-THE thing TO he remembered. +"
says Dr. Peters, lis. that in the
vast majority OF the village commu-
mites thus reached IT is not choice
between this method and some 9TH
n, but this or nothing"
The one factor that makes feast.
bic this publicity method in mis-.
sions IL the recent rapid multiplied
\ ton Of daily newspapers in Japan
and China. Japan is even more
devotedly addicted 10 the Newspaper
\ habit than Is America. Even the
\ coolies and the farmers read the
daily papers. some Of which have
calculations con mensurate with the
4 circulation OF the most popular
Gailies In America. In China, there
are now hundreds OF daily newspa-
pers, where. 10 years ago. there
were none These have become the
Instruments 81 all the new popular
: movements In the east. Since prac-
fioally everybody reads or hears the
newspaper. with an open-mindedness
due TO the newness OF the expert
ence. the missionary's opportunity
was patent. Here was a new door
into the mind of the east.
Ofta province. Japan, contains. ap-
Z fortunately, a million souls. Il has
eoen rather fsmousiy anti.Christisn
having only one adult Christian CON-
uunicant TO every three thousand II
! NE population, whereas the proper,
tion In Japan rs whole is one In
eight hundred Outside Of the limit
ID Christian circle. even the sim
plest historical facts concernins
Christianity were unknown. How
meet these unfayorable conditions
N DR.. Peters tells the story
"First. we obtained space in IN,
& secular press at advertising rates
and printed brief articles on the o.
oentisls of the Christian religion. Al
Invitation In given to apply for fire,
literature. When applications com,
IN they are carefully recorded on
Gard index. and small package o
tracts. including annotated selee
tions from the New Testament, 4
sent 20 the applicant. with lette
encouraging him TO read them wit
car~. His name Is also placed OF
the mailing list, and he Is informe,
that he will receive a certain Chris
IAN monthly magazine. free o
Nharse. for six months. After
mcnth has elapsed. another le'te
= - lam, With . frssa psclas'