THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 1907. MISSIONARIES IN THE FAR EAST.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8539, 20 September 1907, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 1907. MISSIONARIES IN THE FAR EAST.

+ Two remarkable religious gatherings liave taken place in China and Japan, which afforded opportunities for the expression of Chinese and Japanese opinion on missionaries and their work. Shanghai has been the centre of a remarkable Centenary Conference, whilst at Tokio the seventh conference of the World's Student Christian Federation has also attracted much attention. Nearly 1,000 missionaries and visitors were present at the former gathering, which lasted two weeks, and decided to recommend the formation of a Federal Union, under the title of the Christian Federation of China, with the ultimate object of securing a united Christian Church in China. His Excellency Taotai Tong, who attended the conference as the accredited representative of the Imperial Government, in a written speech, obviously sanctioned by his superiors, asserted that the general tendency of mankind was towards good rather than evil. Difference in ideas, he urged, should not, even in religious matters, exclude charity and toleration. To the Chinese, as well as to the non-partisan foreigner, the outstanding fact in connection with missionary effort was the too great dependence on the arm of flesh | rather than on the arm of the Lord. ! To suffer injustice uncomplaining!}' was more Christian than to exact treaty rights; to suffer injury than to claim pecuniary indemnity; to pardon the offender than demand chastisement. Until convincing evidence was given the Chinese people that methods pursued in the past would not obtain again an overwhelming negative influence must be felt on missionary efforts. Other features militating against the achievement of missionary ideals wee, he said, the lack of social intercourse between Chinese and foreigners, and the assumption of superiority by the latter. Again, missionaries were often deficient in knowledge of Chinese classics. Over 600 delegates, representing organisations in 25 coun-

tries, assembled at the Tokio gathering, the first of its kind to be held in Japan. The delegates received many messages of greeting from officials of high station. The meetings were thronged by 10,000 students, mainly Japanese and Chinese. The press of Japan was emphatic in its expression of goodwill. The Koke Herald, a newspaper printed in English, but edited by Japanese, has this to say: "The fact is, we believe, that, both the authorities of Tokio and the nation at large are coming more and more to recognise the need of encouraging the spread of spiritual and ethical influences to act as steadying and inspiring forces in the transition from the old ideas ro the new through which Japan is passing, and this nice particularly among the rising generation, to which the Student Christian Federation especially appeals. . . . The very fact that

Japan is so ready to welcome with pleasure and friendship a great Christian organisation and to encourage its work among the youth of the land, is in itself the strongest of proofs that the Christian missions in this country -have in general performed their tasks in a wise, tactful and beneficient manner."