The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-12-26
DR.. ". B. LAFORCE
\ GOING TO CHINA
We and His Wife VIII 90 Into Medi-
cal and Missionary Work In the
Picking District, Feb
ruary First.
FORMERLY LIVED HERE
Money for This Work Comes From
the Fund Which Grew Out of
the Boxer Uprising In the
Celestial Empire.

the Boxer Uprising In the
Celestial Empire.
Keokuk people will remember DR..
and Mrs. w. B. LaForce, and will be
interested in knowing that they are
leaving February l for medical work
in China. They will go into the work
near Picking. The Ottumwa Courier
prints the following article concern
ing them: :,
Dr. and Mrs. W. B. LaForce will
leaye> for Picking, China, about Feb
ruary /, where the former has been
appointed a member of the faculty
of the American Indemnity college
and physician in charge OF the col
lege hospital. Also physician to the
faculty and students. The length of
their stay in China depends entirely
upon how they like the country.
They plan to remain for three years
mr. longer. They go as missionaries.
The American Indemnity college.
situated in a princes palace. outside
Ithe northeast wall of Picking. China's
capital. is one of the best admins
tered educational institutions in the
whole of China, according to DR.. La
Force.
Compete for Entrance.
The money for the running of this
college is that portion of the Boxer
Indemnity fund which was returned
by John Hay in, 1900. The students
are selected by competitive examina-
finn from the length and breadth of
China. Only the very brightest enter
the college. The work is done partly
lin Chinese and partly in English.
There is an American faculty OF some
twenty teachers, carefully selected
from the best high schools and col
|leges in the United States. There are
about forty native teachers. Inc
teachers are both men and women.
The American members of the fac
.ulty are selected by the international
committee OF the Y. M. c. A.
All the students Of the higher
GRADES know English very well. The
Iwork carries the students to what
|kwould correspondent to the end OF
1.-The sophomore year In an American
Icollege. There are six grades in the
|school.
II Not MISSION Goleae.
\ Although the school is not mis-
sion college, it is strongly CHRISTIAN
lin Influence. The American facuity
tare all men and women OF cnrlstlan
purpose and ideals. The students
\ have a strong school Young Mems
Christian association. There is no,
lhindrance put on American teachers
Il or other teachers in exerting per-
sonal christian influence.
\ Every year from fifty to loo OF
these students come to America 10
Ienter selected American universities
land to spend from five to six years
lin this country preparing themselves
for places of large leadership on
their return to China.
\ The school is not only one when
eprepares men for American uniyeri-
tiles but the plan is to develop it into
la full-fedged university, including a
medical department.
II am assured that there is no
school in China that has better
past or a surer future than the Amer
Iican Indemnity college," said DR.. La
Force.
Go as Missionaries.
.eWhile the duties are chiefly med1-
ical. | am very free to say that our
purpose in going is chiefly mission
airy. There are about 600 students,
the brightest young men of the coun-
try, and as they are selected ana
educated for the purpose OF serving
their country after they have com
pleted their education, there will be
at least many of them in high posi-
tions of great responsibility.
small percentage of these young men
are already christians, but If we can
influence more Of them to become
christians and the rest of them TO
look upon christianity with favor, we
feel that we will be doing very
great service not only for them but
for the country and the world.
"This is matter we have had
under consideration for several years,
but had almost given up hope OF
going owing to the difficulty of &C
|quiring a new language compare
'tively late in life, but this oppor-
stunity solves that difficulty as the
Istudents all understand English.
eve realize that it will necessarily
|be considerable sacrifice in taking
this new line of work. Not the least
will be the leaving of friends and
patients. But we have come to real
lie that the best things in life are
5generally associated with more or
Hess sacrificial spirit.
Some of our friends may think
THAT a physician ought not to leave
the country at this time when there
lis so great need. This has been
1.-THE hardest question for us to settle
lin our own minds. While our coun-
try with most of the nations of the
world is engaged in the greatest war
of nations ever known and with
very high motive of making the
world safe for democracy yet there.
has been and is and after peace has
been declared there will be going on
la greater war between the forces of
good and evil, and believe the high
lest patriotism is in perfect harmony