High Honors to a Missionary

The Kaiser-i-Hind Gold Medal of the First Class has been conferred on Dr. J. C. R. Ewing by King Edward VII., in recognition of many services, especially in connection with his chairmanship of the Earthquake Relief Fund. This is one of the highest honors the government can bestow, and yet the Hindu and Mohammedan journals say: "The medal itself gains distinction by being associated with the name of our good Dr. Ewing."

Christian Endeavor in India

At a recent Endeavor convention, held in Allahabad, 613 societies with 25,000 members were represented. were represented. Delegates were gathered from all parts of India; from Madura, 1,500 miles to the south; Daska, in the Punjab, another 1,000 miles to the northwest; Barisal, hundreds of miles to the east; Bombay, far to the west, and the intervening regions. The Church of Scotland, the American Methodists, the English Baptists, the English and American Congregationalists, the American Reformed and Presbyterians, the Christians, and the Church of England were the principal denominations which had delegates present. Madrasis, Bengalese, Punjabis, Marathis, Sikhs, Hindis, Scotch, Irish, English, Americans, Canadians, Australians, and New

It

Zealanders formed the audience. was a striking illustration of the interdenominational and cosmopolitan constituency and hold of Christian. Endeavor.

The Great Shanghai Centennial

The Centenary Missionary Conference, which will meet at Shanghai May 1, 1907, will celebrate the completion of the first hundred years of Protestant mission work in the Celestial Empire. Momentous changes have taken place since the last Conference in 1890. The growth and development of the native Chinese Church have brought new problems

to the front. Colleges and schools and organizations to produce and circulate Christian literature have to face fresh conditions. The friendly attitude of officials and literati opens up wider spheres of influence and evangelistic effort. Since 1890 Protestant missions in China have nearly trebled their forces, while the improved conditions of residence and travel in the interior invite a great new forward movement.

The publication of the proceedings may be expected to bring vividly before the Church of Christ the marvelous progress which has already been made, as well as the extent of the field yet to be occupied. There will also be afforded a fine opportunity for forming an opinion as to the true nature of the change which is passing over the Chinese people, and there will be a discussion of the problems confronting missionaries and all reformers in the Far East. The gathering promises to be most important, and we hope that no difficulty will be experienced in raising the funds which friends in America and England are asked to contribute toward the necessary expenses. Rev. Dr. G. F. Fitch, Shanghai, is treas

urer.

A Forward Movement in Shanghai

In December, 1905, an informal conference of 12 leaders of missions

having Christian work in Shanghai, met to discuss the need of a spiritual forward movement. They decided that to be most effective this should be conducted by Chinese. Various members consulted with their Chinese associates, with the result that the Chinese clergymen and other Christian workers met daily for ten days at the Chinese Y. M. C. A. to pray about the matter.

It was finally decided to invite Dr. Y. S. Li and the Rev. B. D. Li, of Suchou, to visit Shanghai after the New Year. Three thousand confession and prayer cards were distributed to Chinese Christians, and on February 13 meetings began which

were strictly limited to Christians. For eleven evenings, in the midst of constant rain, an average of probably 200 church members assembled at the London Mission and Presbyterian chures. Dr. Li addressed the missionary prayer-meeting, and his statement that the lack of spiritual power among Chinese Christians was largely due to the same lack among foreigners, who are the instructors and leaders of the Chinese, was received by an audience conscious of its truth.

Mr. R. E. Lewis writes that Dr. Li's last meeting was largely attended, and for two hours there was a stream of prayer, testimony and confession of sin. The Yokefellows Band at the Chinese Y. M. C. A. planned a series of meetings for English speaking non-Christians. These have just closed, having been addressed by Mr. F. S. Brockman on four evenings. Audiences larger than have ever en crowded into the rooms listened; two after-meetings were held with about fifty inquirers, of whom twelve publicly expressed their purpose be Christians. Some of these wer men of prominent families, and will have opposition and temptation to face, but all of those who definitely decided had been in past years students in Christian colleges, but 1 made no open confession of C. st.-Chinese Recorder.

The Chinese Boycott and Missions William Hancock, for thirty-one years resident of China and Commissioner of Customs, who arrived in America in March, says of the situation in China:

"The principal causes of the unsettled condition are the dissatisfaction in Southern China over the indemnity resulting from the Boxer outbreak which occurred in Northern China, and the outrageous treatment accorded to the wealthy King family of China by customs officer in Boston when ing and his family were en route from England to China. King and his family were

treated as ordinary coolies, and the head of the family was furious over the matter. I think he was the real instigator of the boycott."

W. S. Allen, of Canton, thinks the situation very serious. He says:

"The principal element in the agitation is the Chinese newspapers, which have progressed wonderfully, and are at last alive to the general situation of affairs throughout the world and becoming a powerful weapon. It is foolish to say that the boycott or the reform movement in general is weakening. It is just beginning. I think the whole trouble could be compromised by allowing the coolies access to the Philippines and Hawaii."

It is also said that one feature of the national movement is the establishment of a Chinese independent Christian Church, the plan being to oust all foreign missionaries.

A Chinese Presbyterian pastor from San Francisco is said to head the movement at Shanghai, where $10,000 has been subscribed for the organization of the Chinese independent Church.

A Message from Missionaries in China

The following letter has recently been sent to the members of the foreign mission boards and societies in all Christian lands, and is signed by twenty-two missionaries of various boards with missions in Shanghai:

"The students are the most influential class in China, and heretofore they have been also the most conservative. There is no better index of the change which has come over the empire than the recent remarkable exodus of 8,620 Chinese students to Japan. Probably there has not been in the history of the world any such migration of students from one country to another in an equally brief period. These students are from all parts of the empire and belong to the educated and official classes. They are bound bound in the future to influence mightily every missionary interest throughout China.

"These students are living in Tokyo amid dangerous conditions, tending both toward extreme radicalism and great immorality. The good influences which might come from from Japan are practically shut off from them, because the Chinese students have but little knowledge of Japanese or English, while the Japanese do not speak Chinese. There are in Japan a number of revolutionary Chinese politicians who are filling the minds of the students with fanatical antiChristian and anti-foreign ideas. The students are, therefore, in danger of becoming a real menace to China and a serious hindrance to the missionary enterprise.

"The General Committee of the Young Men's Christian Associations of China, Korea, and Hongkong has determined upon making an effort in their behalf. The Shanghai Missionary Association appointed a committee to call the attention of the boards of missions throughout the world to this great need, and to ask their hearty cooperation with the Young Men's Christian Associations in this enterprise. The recent cooperation of the missionaries with the Japanese Young Men's Christian Associations in the work among the Japanese troops in Manchuria affords a valuable example as to the results of such cooperation.

"Contributions may be sent to the honorary treasurer, Rev. A. J. Walker, Shanghai; or to the National Committees of the Young Men's Christian Associations of England or America."

Dr. Griffith John in America

Dr. Griffith John, who has just completed fifty years of missionary service in China as a missionary of the London Missionary Society, has broken down physically, so that he has been obliged to leave China for an indefinite period of rest. Dr. John is seriously ill, and in order to escape from such calls as would be sure to meet him in England, he will come to

America, where he has a son, with whom he will remain in such quiet as can be secured. The churches of America would welcome this apostolic missionary and gladly listen to his words of inspiration. But this can not be expected at present.

In a letter to Rev. W. Hopkyn Rees, of Chi-chou, this beloved veteran missionary states that he intends returning to China to finish his translation of the Bible. lation of the Bible. Dr. John states that he "can not think of dying anywhere but in China."

A Chinaman on China of To-day

Said Kang Yu Wau recently, the president of the Chinese Reform Association: "China is no longer in the dark ages. She has already reached the point where Japan was only 20 years ago, after years and years of endeavor. This is not because the Japanese were slow in learning, but rather because they were but pioneers. They cooked, we ate. We have now, for example, more than 20,000 Chinese students pursuing advanced modern courses of study. As to common schools, some 5,000 have been started in the one province of Canton. There are now 4,000,000 Chinese who can speak English. Our courts are being remodeled after the English system. The number of books we have translated into Chinese - text-books, technical works, and treatises mostly-indicates how extensively the progressive movement is spreading. We have thus appropriated to our use over 10,000 American, English, and European works. The Boxer troubles are over forever."

Viceroys Crying Out Against Opium

In the Chinese Times of a few weeks since appeared the following: "The viceroys of Chihli, LiangKiang, Liang-Kuang, and Liang-Hu have jointly telegraphed to the Waiwupu (the Chinese Foreign Office), requesting the Board to open negotiations with the British Minister in Peking, with regard to the scheme for

the adoption of an opium monopoly in the provinces of China, and the gradual reduction of the importation of Indian opium, it being the intention of the Chinese government to limit the production of home-grown opium, with the hope of getting rid of the opium-smoking evil in China by gradual steps. The viceroys state that China can never become strong and stand shoulder to shoulder with the powers of the world unless she can get rid of the habit of opiumsmoking by her subjects, about onequarter of whom have been reduced to skeletons and look half dead. Their excellencies add that by adopting the Japanese methods in Formosa, China can be saved in the course of the next 30 years." We wonder what reply will be made by the liberal government now in power.

The Unique Offering in Korea A few months ago we reported the unique offering made in North Korea when some four hundred Christians decided to make a new kind of offering to the Lord, of free, willing service in spreading the Gospel among those of their countrymen who knew it not. Before the meeting closed, two years of free service had been voluntarily offered by those present. The news spread round the district and soon 2,200 days of voluntary service were promised.

Several months have passed, and now within the last fortnight we hear

that 2,000 souls have been added to that Church and the work is still going forward. Notice how the Lord Notice how the Lord blessed that offering of service!

Korea Stirred by the Gospel From Pyeng Yeng Dr. S. A. Moffett writes to the Chinese Recorder: "We are having another great movement this year, not only in the north, but also in the south. Here we have just set our fourth Presbyterian Church, and still our buildings are crowded. Some 1,000 have professed conversion during the Bible class and evangelistic services held in connection with the Korean New Year's

season. On a recent Sabbath nearly 4,000 attended church services in this city (population, 20,000). In Syen Chun the annual winter Bible and training class for men enrolled 1,140."

Christian Endeavor in Korea

In the Presbyterian mission at Seoul, at the request of the women, who wished to be organized for more active work, a young men's association previously existing having been given up, both men and women have organized a Christian Endeavor Society, the the word "young" being dropped. Some definite work is given to every member, and there are committees for preaching, visiting the sick, attending at the hospital, looking up delinquents, distributing tracts, etc. Every Sunday different sections of the city are visited by companies of these Endeavorers, who go forth to preach and to teach. At the recent coming of the Japanese prince and the opening of the Seoul-Fusan Railroad, they were most faithful and enterprising in preaching and distributing tracts among the thousands gathered.

The Psychological Moment in Japan

A Japanese lady who understands the Y. W. C. A. work there, says that, now the war crisis being past, the great problem needing solution is that of Japan's young womanhood. More and more young women are entering the fields of higher education or business life, leaving the protection of the home for the life of

large cities with their temptations and dangers. Many of these risks could be lessened by the establishment of Christian dormitories, the present capacities of school dormitories being utterly inadequate for more than a fraction of students.

A Converted Buddhist Evangelist Mr. O. Imahashi, a converted Buddhist priest in Japan who is now a Christian evangelist, some time ago spent a full month in the Buddhist college in which he had been trained for the priesthood. His one hour lec

ture on Christianity three times a day to the 600 students soon lengthened to two hours each, and he was invited to deliver a special course to the professors and to those doing post-graduate work. At the first the hall was well filled; and at the end of the month it was packed. After he had been lecturing two weeks, many of the priests began to meet him privately to inquire the Christian way of salvation. More than 60 of these priests said to him: "We are not satisfied with Buddhism and we desire to know the consolation there is in Christ." Among these many have already given up the priesthood and have become attendants on Christian services.

AFRICA

Belgian Atrocities Again Denounced Three of the religious weeklies of Belgium, all Roman Catholic, have finally found themselves compelled to cry out against the atrocities committed in the Kongo Free State, for which King Leopold is evidently responsible. Among them L'Ami de l'Ordre has printed an interview with the president of the royal commission, in which it represents him as saying that he went to the Kongo expecting to find everything flourishing and instead found everything decaying. These same papers assert that after the withdrawal of the investigating commission new violence broke out, and at one point the natives had slain the agents of the gov

ernment.

The Gospel in the Kongo Valley

In the middle of the last century Victor Hugo uttered that singular prophecy that in the twentieth century "Africa would be the synosure of all eyes." At that time the continent was unexplored. Now, in the Kongo Valley alone-then an unknown district-8 Protestant societies are working with 40 stations and 300 outstations. They have 180 missionaries, nearly 9,000 church-members, and 2,000 in classes preparing for church.

membership. Perhaps the grandest results are seen in the missionary spirit of the converted natives. There are nearly five times as many native evangelists and teachers as there are missionaries. Nearly 22,000 pupils are in the mission schools, and 6,000 in the young people's societies. And yet there are those who think that missions do not pay, altho it is as yet less than thirty years since that Kongo Valley was first opened to Christian effort.

Eastern Sudan to be Occupied

Within a few months the first party of Church Missionary Society representatives set forth to occupy a portion of the Upper Nile Valley. And now an appeal is made by numerous well-known leaders of the British Free Churches to send missionaries to that region. The protectorate has a population of 10,000,000, one-half Mohammedan, and the other half Pagan. The Pagan tribes are asking for the white man's teachers, but Mohammedan traders and missionaries are pushing forward with such energy and zeal that they are flooding the country with their influence, and at the present rate of progress it is computed "there will scarcely be a heathen village on the banks of the Niger by 1910." This means that they would all be Mohammedan. The High Commissioner, Sir Frederick Lugard, strongly encourages missionary effort among the heathen tribes. The people themselves are actually asking for Christian teachers.

Dutch Reformed Missions in South Africa

The mission work of the Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa is directed by a General Mission Committee of eleven members, appointed by the Synod triennially. The mission field is divided into three dis

tricts:

I. Home Missions. There are 50 established native congregations within Cape Colony, 30 of which have constituted themselves as the Dutch Reformed Mission Church, while the