The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1920-02-20
HEATHENISN FOUND
IN JAPAN even nov
Some Things an Interchurch
World Movement Inves-
tigator Discovered.

The Review Of the World, the
great missionary organ, in recent
issue contained the following articles
which will be interesting to Fairmont
people who are helping in the miss
jonary movement:
Impressions Of an American In Japan
Dr. Cornelius H. Patton, Home Sec.
rotary of the American Board, who
visited Korea, China and Japan in
. 1918 to gather material for interchurch
World Movement surveys, found
theathenism a staring reality every
where in Japan; and this in spite OF
her modern educational system, with
q high degree Of literary and scien-
'tific learning among her people. The
word heather Is supposed to be taboo
sin cultivated, beautiful Japan, one OF
tho five great powers, but the de-
.nunciasory Psalms which inyeigh
.against idolatry might apply there
with startling yividness. In Toxic
f5r. Patton witnessed two temple
,pgocessions. In one Of them the god
iof hideous form, was being carried on
a platform by company Of sake
filed youth, who transported the d .ity
from side TO side of the street alter.
.nateiy lifting 1t up and down and all
the time yelling like demons. al
Kobe there is Shinto shrine deyot-
ed to The rice god, guarded by two
foxes; a very popular deity, where
sworshipers are to be found at all
hours, pilgrims, farmers. and especial
Jy the rice merchants Of the city, who
seek the favor of the god in their
transactions of the day, and go through
their rigmarole with great assiduity.
But Or. Patton is convinced that
this is not the Japan which is to be.
Two great movements are sweeping
across the land, and the people of
Japan are discovering their close re-
lationship. They are Democracy and
christianity, and they are taking pos
session of the Japanese mind.
Japanese Christian Laymen.
One of the hopeful indications tina,
Japan will some day measure I'D to
the idealism Of the new era is the
, 9act that Christian business and pro-
fessional men are taking the lead in
.. important undertakings. Mr.. Suzuki
, the Gompers of japan, is a Christian,
and is the head of Society number
, ing 10000 working men. He was
technical advisor to the Japanese
delegates atsthe Paris Labor Congress
The Japanese chief engineer cooper
ating with the American engineer in
charge of operating the Siberian
/ railways is an earnest outspoken
Christian gentleman. The effort of
such men supplement the direct
I preaching of the Gospel, and have a
I. vital influence in interpreting the spl-
! hit of Christianity; and because of
the prominence and ability Of these
Christian leaders, the newspapers are
eager to give full publicity to their
pctiytties. Thus the rural districts
are impressed, and encouraged to at
: tempt reforms in their own commune
! ties.
Christian; Community at Pompira.
Two or three Christian families of
Sapporo, an island OF Japan. united
with three or four more families from
Japan proper and pushed into the re-
mote and undayeloped region of Pom
plra, where they drove their stakes
in the forest and founded new homes.
Among the company of pioneers was
ia young man who had been Bible
Student in Sapporo. No sooner had
the little colony formed in Pompira
than this young man began to or
,ganize the children into Sunday