Evening star., 1939-11-22
Missionary Forces
In Orient Cut a Third,
Baptist Women Told
Secretary Expects
Wars End to Bring Quick
Conversions, However

Missionary forces in the Orient
are now depleted by nearly a third
but at the end Of the Sino-Japanese
war a quick conversion of Oriental
populations to Christianity is to be
expected, DR.. Charles E. Maddry OF
Richmond, executive secretary of the
Southern Baptist Foreign Missionary
Board, Richmond, Va, declared
today. .
Speaking before the Women's Bap-
tist Missionary Association at the
three-day annual of the District of
Columbia Baptist Convention. DR..
Maddry reported that hardly a week
passes when he does not receive q
message from China that one of his
staff has collapsed from the strain
OF working under bombardment.
But I feel that in both Japan and
China every heart hungers for a
gospel of love. We should have sent
Christianity into Japan in 1854
when Perry forced that island to
accept our sewing machines and
Kentucky whisky" he asserted.
Nigeria Gets Citrus Industry.
Americas great debt" to Nigeria
for robbing it of large part of its
population in the days of the slave
trade is now being paid back by
Baptist missionaries. DR.. Maddry
said. TN 1912 we introduced grape
fruit and orange growing into that
African colony. and the citrus in
dustry is now proving a great boon
there" he declared.
A valuable technique for introduc-
ing Christianity among the Assam
tribes in the Caro- hills, in Northeast
India, was described by Miss Verna
Blakely, just returned from 10 years
Of service there.
when I arrived I found that the
Indians killed all infants whose
mothers died, by leaving them un-
protected in the jungle. I set up a
hospital and cared for them during
the nursing period and then re-
turned them to. the happy tribes
men," she reported.
These people did not wish to
slay the children but were simply
incapable of caring for them and
are glad to adopt them when older.
They are slightly hesitant, however,
to adopt boys, since according to
custom the womenfolk inherit all
property
Manv Converfed
When Miss Blakely first arrived in
the jungle the natives retained a
portion of old headhunting habits,
made blood sacrifices, worshiped
evil spirits and kept rice beer jars
by every doorway. At the time she
left for her American furlough, she
said. large numbers worshiped in
thatched bamboo churches, had
given her their rice beer jars to be
destroyed and claimed as their IA
vorite song "Halleluliah, Thine the
Glory" They put garlands of ma
tive wreaths upon her as she left,
she said.
Mrs. George A. Ross. president OF
the Missionary Association, and Mrs.
j. M. Rissler, treasurer, made an
nual reports in the morning session.
This afternoon report of the Com
mittee on Resolutions, election of
officers and changes in bylaws were
scheduled in business session.
The sessions of the three4day
meeting are to close tonight with q
session on Men and Missions" I"
Speakers will include DR.. L. r. Scar
borough of Seminary HILL. Tex;
Charles E. Hassrick, president of the
National Council of Baptist Men of
Philadelphia, and DR.. E. Pitt Beers,
executive secretary Of the American
Baptist Home Mission Society, New
York City. A Thanksgiving service
at l0:30 am. tomorrow will follow
the annual meeting, held at the
First Baptist Church, Sixteenth and
o streets NV.