New Britain herald., 1921-05-26
CHRISTIAN CHURCH
 HAS GREAT CHANCE
World Now Ready to Take Up
 Religion Seriously

| l Presbyterian Board of Foreign Mis- 1 sions has total missionary force of 1 l."2S. n net gain for the year of loo. 1 according to the annual report to | general assembly as submitted by Dr. Robert r. Specr. secretary. The boards report gives an interesting re- Niew of conditions in many countries and follows. in part:
 There is an attempt to revive Eastern religions and claim for them responsibility for the worlds welfare AS a result of the war there probably
 has never been ;satime when the whole world was studying and thinking aoout religion as ii is now. The Christian church is standing face to face with an opportunity SD marvel ouS mat II cannot be recognized as
 anything else but a gift of God.
 Tn Africa. the French government
 now in occupation Of the Cameroun district. will not permit the German
 or SwlsS missionaries to continue
 thcir missionary work. and this entire
 section has been turned over to the
 Presbyterian church as far as Pro-
 testant work is concerned. with the
 assistance of the French Evangelical
 society. Tn this new territory there
 were found to be f.l19 baptized Chris
 tians. i.01s catechumens, 6155 pupils
 in the schools. q great burden to place
 upon the already overworked mis- sionaries of our West Africa mission. This new center of mission activity
 brings the West Africa mission into direct contact with Islam The Hausa tribe. the most virile of the Moham- medan adherents on the west coast of Africa. is everywhere in evidence The history of missions in Bululand give evidence that where the gospel pre- cedes the false prophet. there is little danger of Mehammeda nism making serious headway. but where the pagan tribes come first under the spell of the Islam the task becomes most diff | cub.
 1.-Two new stations have been added | to the Syria Mission since the close | Of the war. at Aleppo in Syria and i Marcfin
 An entirely new obligation has | been assumed by the board in Mes ! opotamia. It is proposed to have a union work of the Reformed Board. | the German Reformed. the Southern. | the United and Northern Presbyter- ' ians. each board to furnish at least | one missionary for three stations. | probably Mosul. Bagdad and Kerbela. The Reformed and Presbyterian Boards have voted to occupy this ter ritory and it is hoped that the other | boards will do so also.
 The onc-time secluded land of | China is fast being opposed to the penetrating influences of modern civil Zation.
 'The total area in China for which our church is solely responsible eN- ceeds a1 900 square miles, with a m In ins, in nf ono About five-ninths of the Presbyterian work is in Mandarin -sr,eaking China. Six out of every hundred of the members of our Chinese church are employed in some capacity as church or mission workers. Four teen per cent of the male evangelistic Chinese force is fully ordained. Ap- 70 per cent of male com of the Presbyterian church in China are literate.
 All, through the east the Chinese lead as gamblers. But they are people who can he reused against any evil. and the crusade against gambling is taking hold.
 The dark clouds setting over India | have not been lifted. Nowhere have the reactions Of tho war combined with the general forces of world un- rest to create more unhappy or disturbed condition than is found in India. The measures used by some of the British 'li,.ri;ics in the Punjab | Tn represSiAsa tt::,trt!er in the spring of | 1920 aroused deep anger throughout India.
 An event of outstanding interest in Siam is the completion of the long desired new treaty between America l and Siam. II has not vet been rati- fled by the United States senate. but there are strong hopes of early favor able action.
 The crying need in both the Cen tral and South Brazil missions is for \ steady growth is re- ported where the missionary has been ! able to visit
 Tpe task of the missionary in Colombia and Venezuela has been most difficult. but there are some | bright sides tn the picture.
 The chief industry of Antioauia. in colombia. is the making of Panama ! hafS. It takes the full time of one 1 person to make one hat a week and | ho weeks wages has not passed 70 rents.