The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-03-21
Missions Have
Wrought Marvellous
8 Change in China

With so many of the churches of this
city interested in foreign missions. the
following article from the Union Sig
nal, on China, will be of interest:
China is a land of surprises. Yester-.
day 1t was an absolute monarchy OF
the most extreme type. Today 1t is a
republic with increasingly liberal ideas.
Is of little value except as the mother
of sons The other day native chi
nese woman, q convert to the Gnrlsllan
faith, was granted audience by Presi-
dent Lii Yuan-hung of China. She rep
resented a large missionary organiza-
ton meeting in Pekin and was dele
gated by it to present to the cn1eI
executive of the republic the question
OF the state religion. But in addition
TO being q missionary enthusiast. she
lis an ardent. advocate OF temperance
and made IL a point upon the same
occasion to prgs, tae ref9sing TO
slider the passage of a bill through
parliament providing for the opening
of wholesale breweries in China as
means of revenue. Such bill is now
nending, Only a few short years ago
no woman would have been allowed
to even enter the presence OF the heao
of the Chinese government and the men
who were allowed that privilege as
sumed an attitude of groveling in the
very dust in the presence of the august
:.But to begin at the beginning. The
woman who has so admirably dis
tinguished herself and her sex is Mrs.
Mel Rem Yien. Some years ago Mrs.
Mel spent some time in the chicago
missionary training school and since
her return to China she has given
most of her time to missionary en-
deavor. She is, however, in the words
OF one of the missionaries, reo-noC
enthusiast for temperance: and never
loses an opportunity to push the cause.
Al convincing and eloquent speaker, she
is absolutely fearless In denounclng
the evils of strong drink.
Mrs. Mel was chosen from amons
large company of men delegates, at
district missionary convention OF work
ers from many provinces, to interview
the president on the subject or the
state religion. In describing the IN
terview Mrs Mel insisted that she was
not at all frightened at this most IN
usual opportunity. She spoke OF the
cordiality of President Lii. who when
she entered the room, Immediately
asked her to be seated.
"The sequel to this eventful interview
with the president is even more re-
markable. She had the JOY OF having
her persuasions resulted in promise
by the wife of the president to stop
smoking and abolish smoking and the
drinking Of wines at her own table;
Regarding religious liberty, while
President Ii said this was question
for the people to settle, he added that
Mrs. Mel might say that there would
be no worship at the Temple of Heaven
this year! II the president adheres
to this. 1t will mean a marked adj
vance for Christianity.
"At a recent missionary conferences
at Kiukiang, DR.. Mary Stone. president
of the w. g. I. u. of China, planned
a fine temperance evening program
She saw to it that the church was
decorated with temperance banners and
posters and made a magnificent APP
peal for temperance carrying convic-
tion to the minds of her hearers. keen
minded men and women, representing
in their work in various provinces 81
100000 Chinese. DIR. Stone, needless
to say. was well prepared to meet any
argument in the minds of her audience,
having at her tongues end scientific
proofs taken from her knowledge and
experience as a physician. On. the
tables near her were piles of anti-al-
Fcohol literature, supplied by the Wom-
ans Christian Temperance Union. These
packages were carefully distributed
among the delegates. A missionary
present writes. Pastors and other
workers fairly devoured this 1itera-
ture.' Day school teachers, under Mrs.
Mei's supervision. are planning to or