DR. HORTON'S VISIT TO INDIA.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1728, 19 April 1913, Page 9

DR. HORTON'S VISIT TO INDIA.

UNITED MISSION WORK AXD ITS 'RESULTS. After an absence from London of almost five months, Dr. B. F. Horton, of Lyndhurst lioad Church, Hampstead,' returned to London early in March from his Indian, tour. Accompanied by Mr. Nat.-Micklem, son of Mr. Nathaniel Micklem, IC.C, and a former president- of the Oxford Union, Dr. Horton has visited practically every centre of tho work of the London Missionary Society in India, and in addition to attending several of Dr. Mott's provincial missionary conferences was present at the great national conference' at Calcutta in December. "What impressed hi-j more thon anything else in India," said Dr. Tlorlon io a "Daily News and L«ulcr" representative, "was the immense value of the ISrilHi administration. It is so much better than one ever knows at- Home. The'men in the Civil Service have the English characteristic of not talking about themselves, and so there is a tendency to pay tea much attention to critics who do talk and spend their time picking-.holes. "To find in every centre honest, cap-, able, enlightened officials, .men whom everyone looks up to, doing tho work with a real sense of responsibility—that is a tremendous thing for Indin. Of course, vou find men who are below tho standard, but even in those cases the excellence of tho svstem seems to make the best of them "in spite of- themselves." . '" " "\nd what is your opinion of the Indians in tho Civil Service?" Dr. Horton was asked. . "I think that in the position-they have renched-as judges, for examplc-they have thoroughly proved their capacity. How far they will be found to be fitted for the higher administrative posts • is another matter. One would hesitate'to pronounce n definite opinion on that, but I cannot help fooling: that there mny be some disappointment in store." The national missionary conference at Calcutta, Dr. Horton described «s a gathering which would inlltte'nco' (lib whole future of mission work in India. Every Protestant mission was represented, and a special effort was made to send as many native delegates as possible. Tho special objects were the 'furthering of co-opera-tion and the building up of a nativo Indian Church. "But co-operation," Dr, Horton pointed out, "alttftdy exists ja India far xo/n\

than we roaliso at Home. At Delhi, fot example, the S,l\G. nnd Ihc Ibiplist Mission unite in their educational work, uml cany it. on jointly in perfect harmony. That kind of thins is happening '.oiul it must react fa tiuieVn I ho'churches at Home.. If. it. is possible to work together, harmoniously m India,' it coiinot.be impossible to-work together here.", "'-,- Dr. Hortoh Was much struck by",' tho subtle penetration; of Christian thought and ideals among- Die higher classes 'in India.- ~ . ;; '■' . ~. "Many of the educated classes," ho said, "liavc been through mission schools, .and, without ■professing; Christiniiity, ,ho,vc':iabsobed Christian teaching and allowed it to modify their own beliefs. For that reason statistics of conversions nro 'an utterly misleading index of the .progress of Christianity in India. What is eoniing into sight.ns a really practical ideal is the gradual conversion of a whole pco. pie." , " ; ■ In Dr. Hortan's vieiv the future of tho native Indian Church is bright. The consecration of Dr. Astariah, the first Indian Bishop, has mado a deep impression, and cannot but fo.ster a spirit of Eclf-rcliancn and conlidenco anion? Indian Christians as/au organised body*.