Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-10-02
WOMEN MEET TO
PLAN MISSIONARY
WORK IN FIELD
26O Delegates Here For Big
Four-Day Con
ference

With delegates constantly arriv-
ing of which there were a total of
260 to-day besides number of un-
official visitors, the second day of
the four-day conference marking the
forty eighth annual meeting of the
Woman's Foreign Missionary So
ciety of the Methodist Episcopal
Church, Philadelphia branch, open
ed this morning in the Fifth Street
Methodist Episcopal Church of
which the Rev. A. e. Pyles is pastor.
The meeting was auspiciously IN
augurated yesterday afternoon and
evening, the program at the latter
meeting being of a stirring, patriotic
nature, featured by an address Ivy
the vice-president of the Woman's
Foreign Missionary Society. Mrs. E.
r. Graham, who spoke on Mission
ary Patriotism"
This mornings session got under
way at O'Clock with a devotional
service followed by the conference
report read by Mrs. A S. M. Hopkins.
After the minutes of the Philadelphia
branch were read by Mrs. w. T.
Cooper, branch corresponding secre-
tary, a resume of the years offering
to the foreign field was given by Mrs.
One missionary of the church and
one outgoing missionary, Miss Au-
gusta Dickerson, of Hakodate, ia
pan, and Miss Grace Kilburn, whose
contemplated field of activity is In
dia, addressed the meeting briefly
this morning, their talks probably
being the programs most important
contents.
Miss Dickerson, who gave the Yong
er address of the two, brought a
message of appreciation and hope
from the Mikado's empire signed by
the president of. the Board of Edu-
cation of Hakodate, which city has
been the scene of the missionary's
labors for IL number of years.
Think twice." urged this speaker,
before you accept as true the criti-
clsm you hear of Japan particularly
as to its real feeling towards this
country. Most of it which touches
its regard or rather disregard for the
United States is of German origin"
Other salient points of this in
teresting address We're that 80 per
cent. of the inhabitants of Japan
are minus any religion at all though,
said the speaker, this 80 per cent.
patronizes, with due formality, the
temples of their native land. Such
II,
or the most perfunctory kind and
lacked the sincerity of the real
thing. This, she said, was obvious
to the foreigner who studied the
spiritual habits of that people. That
Japan as whole is financially poor
and not rich as commonly under
stood was another statement Of the
missionary Only a fraction of one
per cent of it's inhabitants are
wealthy, she averred. That there
was pressing need in Japan for
physically and spiritually virne
American manhood and womanhood
was the concluding statement of Miss
Dickerson.
Waiting Multitude" drew, for her
audience, the vivid expectations she
entertained of her future missionary
labors in India. One community
alone in that country, she said, num-
bering $4,000 souls, had repeatedly
asked for the ministrations of the
Christian religion but We're unable,
collectively, to get it.
The picture of India's greatness as
field for missionary activity, this
speaker said, was quite too great to
describe
Concluding the morning session,
the church communion was observ-
ed' which function was in charge of
the Rev. Morris E. Swartz, district
superintendent, with local Methodist
pastors assisting. Adjournment OF
the session occurred at 1880.
o'clock.
Interesting elements of the pro-
gram of the society for this after
noon are addresses by Mrs. William
FRAZIER Mcdowell, president of the
Woman's Foreign Missionary Society,
and wife of Bishop Mcdowell, who
speaks on THE Greatness of the
TASK" and Miss Helen r. Pershing,
or Williamsburg, Pa, branch secre-
tary of special work, a second cousin
of General Pershing, the topic of
whose address is From the Least to
the Greatest"
To-nights meeting viii be devoted
TO the young people lG the society
Deslnnlng at 7.45 o'clock. Mrs. H.
II. Camppell, branch superintendent
or young peoples work, will preside
The special program provided for
tonight includes an unique partici
patton bf The Standard Bearers -
prominent young woman's society
existing within the larger organIza-
ton. Boy Scouts of Harrisburg of
the Methodist communion, will act
as ushers At this service.
Noteworthy among the "by-pro-
duets" of the annual meeting Is an.
exhibition of Chinese handicraft and
other things Chinese in the parlor of
the church brought from Western
China by Miss Lena Nelson, a church
missionary who addresses the con-
ference ut tomorrow afternoons
session, Miss Susan c. Lodge is pre-
siding officer at all meetings of the
conference.
The Committees
The local committee handling an
nual meeting of the missionary So
ciety are.
Chairmen. Mrs, II. L. Yost. 1927
Susquehanna street; Mrs, e, "A.
Pyles, Mrs. ]. r. Smith, Registra-
tion, Mrs. Percy McGinnis;' informa-
tion. Mrs. w. Zeigier; Courtesy, Mrs.
Harry Leonard; decorations, Mrs.
Seth Barnhart; reception, Mrs, d,
Wiser music, Mrs, Frank Smiley; en-
tertainment, Mrs. w. Yocum, post
office, Mrs. e. Wood. check room.
Mrs. Violet seidleI rest room. Stan