The evening Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1918-1920, 1919-02-21

are ready to herald the story, and no
community will fail to hear the mes
sage. 1t is now four years since the
movement was first under way, in
ltiated by DR.. S. Earl Taylor, exc
cutive secretary of the Joint Centen-
airy Committee of the Methodist Epis-
copal church, who began survey of
world-conditions, religious, sanitary,
educational, etc.
The Times points out that not the
least important field of the work will
be home missions. 1t seems that
there are three important phases of
this: First, the treatment of the de-
prest, belated, or so-called inferior
classes; secondly, the teaching of
religion to the laboring classes, and
thirdly, the activities with the Indi-
ans, negroes, Mexicans, Alaskans,
and similar groups of the country.
On the subject of those DR.. Tay-
lor's survey bears the following mes
sage:
"The biggest piece of missionary
work possible would be for the people
in every Christian church to start to-
morrow and be friendly, cordial, and
helpful to the immigrants living at
their doors.
This would mean decent houses and
more schools for them, and it would
mean almoral education which so far
they have not yet received. They
are brought in touch with the worst
side of American life, and that is the
side that is uppermost in letters to
their friends and in conversation
when they return home. The failure
so to apply Christianity is almost IA
/ tai. The cost off the Allies of the
detection of Russia is incalculable.
That detection is due to many causes
but to none more than to the stories
of exploitation told by returned Rus
sian immigrants from America. In
tensive home mission work on Man
haitian Island, south of Fourteenth
street, would have more than paid fol-
itself at this juncture.
"There is every indication that the
laboring classes of the world are to
be very much more influential today
than they have been up to now, anc
the gravest question today is whether
their leadership shall be sane, in
elusive, and religious, or whether i
shall be characterized by narrowness
! eccentricity, and contempt for thu
: church. In America alone do you fine
a free church, supported only by thu
voluntary contributions of peopl'
who like that sort of thing. In fact
it is a most significant Lrlpute to tn
: vitality and power of Christianit.
that there have been started and ar
now being maintained in the Unite'
/ States more than 175,000 churches
; not one of which receives any sub
: sidy from the state. The religion
leadership of the world at the presen
l moment rests unquestionably wit
the United States.
"In smaller but in somewhat NOR
: concrete fashion, specific home mis-
:, sionary activity has international i'm
plications. Money spent on Italia
work in the United States bears
s very intimate relationship to ths
f spent by the Foreign Board in Ital,
: Money spent for the benefit of Mex
: can refugees makes more valuabl
: every dollar sent to Mexico by tn
e Foreign Board. The thousands c
). dollars used for oriental work on tn
n Pacific coast and Hawaii are prt
S Japan, Korea, and the Philippine
+ foundry helpful to the work in Chin
i world when in the cdupup
S 1t is mistake to talk about sAmerie