Bisbee daily review., 1916-02-22
ID ADVANCE RURAL PROGRESS IN JAPAN
 IS MISSION PLAN
Federated Missions of Japan Inaugurate Exhaustive Un- dertaking; Many Move ments for Better.

TOXIC, Feb. 16.-tCorrespOndence of the Associated Press 1.-The Fede- rated Missions of Japan at their recent annual conference decided upon launch ing a widespread movement for the evangelization and social betterment of rural communities of Japan. It was resolved that every missionary should take it upon himself to vegin work in at least one new village this year.
 One of the reports to the conference pointed out the progress being made in industrial welfare in Japan. There was an encouraging number of wealthy native leaders. who were interesting themselves in such reforms. In Ssaka co for a city bhilding for the benefit of the working classes. another man do- a public-spirited man had given S500,- hated S2,50O,00 for a hospital and la boratory for the study and treatment of tuberculosis, and some eighteen pm vate sanatoriums, in addition to gov ernment institutions, were now engag- ed in fighting the disease.
 There was an increasing interest in the establishment of public parks and playgroimds. The Life Boat Society. whose 77,000 members had saved 22,- 000 people from drowning and had prevented the loss of millions of dol- lars in shipping, was commended. Also there was a new factory law which had several excellent features, but in this matter there was still need of further rform.
 Referring to farm life, the report expressed the belief that the Japanese farms were altogether too small and that they were worked too fully by hand labor. ot more than one among 6 farmers had a horse The indebted ness of the peasant proprietors aver aged $50 per family. The system of absentee landlordism was believed to be undesirable, beacUse il admitted of pernicuious practices among heartless agents.
 The Rev. Cooper Robinson. a mem Der of the Canadian Episcopal Mission at Nagoya, discussed at the conference the "superhuman, if not divine" claims that were made much of in regard to the emperor at the recent coronation ceremonies.
 That the congratulations of the conference should have been presented to the Emperor was bat right and fit ting" said Dr Robinson, but at the same time is it not true that amid all the pleasure and interest we may have felt in connection with the coronation ceremonies there was a certain amount of disappointment felt and an anxiety awakened in the hearts of many of Gods people, both Japanese and for eign:
 Have we not felt that tEe claims to something, if not divine at least su- perhuman, expressed in regard to His Imperial Majesty ana the nation were little clearer and stronger than we hoped would have put forth in this twentieth century; and are there not grounds to fear that these claims and the attitude of mind that seems widely to have accepted them constitute a intolerance to the evangelization of Japan which hitherto many have not supposed to exist"
 Dr. Robinson declared that as a result of the war religion would be delivered from the bondage of Ger. man theology" He said that bond age was both intellectual and theolo- gical and he asserted that both British and American scholars have for some time been gradually brought under it He expressed the fear that many per. sons in Japan have been drought into bondage to Germany in many depart. ments - military. educational. theolo gical - and declared that the time had arrived to take a stand against this bondage which seemed "to pose as the very godhead of liberty" He added: And where would the needed revolt against the bondage referred tC commence if not with us missionaries we ought 10 be and I believe are still regarded by the best of Japanese as
 their leaders in spiritual matters. ' Dr. A. Oltmans, of TokiO. a repre- sentative of the Dutch Reformed church of America, and one of the