Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-07
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

News that American missionaries in
China are remaining courageously at
their posts of duty. despite the i'm
pending clash of arms In the center
and north of that war-racked realm,
revives interest In the extent of their
activities. Today there are in China
more than 1000 Christian mission
aries, chiefly from the United States
and Great Britain. Their work has
been going on for 120 years, dating
from 1907, when Robert Morrison of
the London Missionary Society en-
tered upon his pioneering work. 1t
was not until 1874 that liberty was
given to preach Christianity in the
treaty ports of China. and not until
1860 was 1t permissible to preach in
the interior. The strength OF the
Christian Church in China, authorities
say, cannot be estimated today by the
number of missionaries. In a growing
degree 1t is becoming a Chinese
Church, with a large number of or
dained Chinese ministers who are
steadily becoming Independent of for
eign mission control. No fewer than
6.374 organized Protestant Christian
churches exist. and there are 1881
other places with regular services.
The Roman Catholic Church has in it's
so Chinese missionary jurisdictions
nearly 1000 Chinese priests working
with 1900 foreign missionaries. There
are said to be 100000 Chinese Cath
olics. In 1926 the Pope created six
Chinese bishops, who were consecrated
in Rome itself.
Democratic 1928 ticket makers are
restlessly on the job. Reed and
o,.1t L.. -
nation. 1t originates in Delaware.
where talk of its senior Senator as
a vice presidential nominee next
year appears to be rife. If the
second Thomas Francis Bayard and
the fifth member of the Bayard
family to sit in the United States
Senate should become the Demo-
cratic presidential candidates run
ming mate. it will be the first time
that a Delawarean has ever been on
a national ticket. Hardly week
goes by that some Southerner,
usually a dry, is not touted as a
prospective tail-ender on "the Al
Smith ticket" The Democrats
haven't monopoly of the 1928
ticket business. From the Frank o.
Lowden camp emanates the sug-
gestion that a second-place man has
of the farm gods In the person of
| Col. Theodore Roosevelt of New
York
Albert J. Beverage, historian,
former United States Senator and
one-time boy Demosthenes. OF Indi-
ana, comes to Washington period
ically for data for his new lie OF
Lincoln. Recently Beveridge had
access to a remarkable collection of
letters from his constituents, which
had been carefully filed and indexed
by q pre- Civil War member of Con-
gress. The statesman author piled
! through the letters for the purpose
| Of surveying popular sentiment on
the eve of the mighty struggle be-
! tween North and South, Beveridge
| told friends that he was astounded
| to discern that up to the very hour
! Of the firing upon Fort Sumter there
| appears to have been far less popular
| agitation about slavery among the
! Northern people than any number or
| political controversies during the
| living generation have aroused.
| X ~
/ Tardy recognition is proposed in
| Congress for one of the brilliant
officers of the United States Navy
| Capt Reginald Rowan Belknap. re-
! tired. The House naval affairs COM
mittee has reported favorably a bill
authorizing the President to appoint
/ Capt. Belknap rear admiral on
| the retired list of the Navy. The
| bill was introduced by Representa-
tive Burdick, Republican. of Rhode
| Island. 1t seeks to honor 1.-The ex-
ceptionally meritorious service of
Capt. Belknap while commanding the
| United States Navay Mine Squadron
during the mine-laying operations in
the North Sea in the late war, and