Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-12-14
TAKES COLLEGE
POST IN CHINA
DR.. w. 3. LAFORCE AND WIFE
WILL BECOME MISSIONARIES
IN PICKING.

Dr. and Mrs. w. B. LaForce will
leave for Peking, China, about Febru-
airy I, where the former has been ap-
pointed member Of the faculty of
the American Indemnity college and
physician in charge of the college
hospital. Also physician to the facul-
ty and students. The length Of their
stay In China depends entirely upon
how they like the country. They plan
to remain for three years or longer.
They go as missionaries.
The American Indemnity college,
situated in princes palace, outside
the 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-
ton from the length and breadth of
China. Only the very brightest enter
the college,. The work is done partly
in 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. The
teachers are both men and women.
The American members OF the faculty
are selected by the international COM
mittee of the Y. M. C. A.
All the students Of the higher grades
know English very we'll. The work
carries the students to what would
correspond to the end of the sopho-
more year In an American college.
There are six grades in the school.
NOT A MISSION COLLEGE.
Although the school is not a mis-.
sion college, it is strongly Christian
in influence. The American faculty
are all men and women of Christian
purpose and ideals. The students have
a strong school Young, Mems Chris
tian association. There is no hin.
drance put on American teachers or
other teachers in exerting personal
Christian influence.
Every year from fifty to 100 Of
these students come to America to
enter selected American universities,
and to spend from five to six years in
this country preparing themselves for
places of large leadership on their re-
turn to China.
The school Is not only one which
prepares men for American universe
ties but the plan is to develop it into
a full-fledged university. including a
medical department.
81 am assured that there is no
school in China that has better past
or surer future than the American
Indemnity college," said DR.. LaForce.
GO AS MISSIONARIES.
while the duties are chiefly med
ical, am very free to say that our
purpose in going is chiefly missionary.
There are about 600 students, the
brightest young men of the country,
and as they are selected and
educated for the purpose OF serving
their country after they have complet-
ed their education, there will be at
least many of them in high positions
of great responsibility. A small per-
centage of these young men are al
ready Christians but if we can influ-
ence more of them to become Chris
tians 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 a matter we have had un-
der consideration for several years
but had almost given up hope Of going
owing to the difficulty Of acquiring
a new language comparatively late In
life but this opportunity solves that
difficulty as the students all under
stand 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
ise that the best things in life are gen.
orally associated with more or less
sacrificial spirit.
"Some of our friends may think that
physician ought not to leave the
country at this time when there Is so
great a need. This has been the hard
est question for us to settle IN our
own minds. While our country with
most Of the nations Of the world is
engaged In the greatest war Of nations
ever known and with a very high mo-
tive OF making the world safe for
democracy yet there has been and is
and after peace has been declared
there still will be going on greater
war between the forces of good and
hn natYIRf.