CHRISTIAN EMPIRE.
THE TASK OF THE MISSIONARY.
WIDENING OF SCOPE
"[DY THE BISHOP OF SALISBURY.)
THE HONGKONG DAILY PRESS, THURSDAY, JANUARY 2187, 1926
AKMARKABLE "CHANGE. With this very large development dur ing the past century and a quarter A not less remarkable change has been witnessed in the scope of missionary work. The missionary no longer con- The term missionary" has received
sixlers himself a messenger whose com- a "now connotation within our life-time. mission is at an end as soon as his Thirty years ago Lord Salisbury told an audience at Exeter Hall that missionaries spiritual message is delivered. He finds were not popular at the Foreign Office:himself responsible for the promotion of and that was the view held at the time human well-being in every department of by the average layman everywhere. life. He is called upon ta doctor the Since then, however, a considerable bodies of his people, to educate their quickening has taken place in our moral children, to lead and advise in local self sense, towards the backward races, government, and, in general, to be a sort especially these in the British Common of spiritual lubricant greasing the wheels of the adolescent human society. "Home aum" is his motto, "humani nihil à me alienum puto."
wealth
"WORLD'S WONDER.
AMAZING RESULTS AT RUGBY
WIRELESS STATION,'**
BUSY POSTAL DAYS.
260,000,000 PACKAGES IN 4 DAYS.
62,000,000 MORE THAN A YEAR AGO.
1
Christmas postal records have been broken this year. In four days the Poet Uffice throughout the country dealt with 40,000,000 letters and post-cards and 20,000,000, parcels, comprising the first they were ready to handle the same part of the inland Christmaa mail, and amount again before Christmas morning.
A London report dated December 12th saya;-Amazing success attended the official tests of Rugby's huge wireless station operating on a wave length of 18,200 (1) metres. The first trial was in broad daylight on Thursday, and the
This volume of trafficția one-fifth more results were most gratifying. America
than it was a year ago and seven times greater than at other periods of the year. advised that the Rugby signals" "came
Unoccupied shops, church halls, schools, through extremely well, and were easily. ten times, stronger than those from Lead some cases empty houses served field, which hitherto was Britain's best station The report from South Africa said Rugby was easily the most disticet station in Europe. Since Thursday the tost signals have ranged over the whole 24 hours, and the officials were delighted to learn that today's predawn signals were picked up with amazing clarity, in Australia and New Zealand.
as temporary post offices in London. districts where existing arrangement could not cope with the thousands of letters and parcels that poured in every
hour.
The mandatory clauses of the League of Nations Covenant are symptoms of this change, and the Church Congress And this widening of scope has led to held at Eastbourne last October, though new and improved relations between the on a smaller scale, offered a most signi-missionary and the secular authorities. ficant illustration of the same thing. The subject discussed was "World Problems All over the world Governments have and Christianity," and the calibre and found by experience the value of mis- experience of the great public servantssionary.. co-operation. In the Pacific, only half of the bewildering array of drays hired for the season were larger |
who delivered addresses, anil the wide
interest taken in the Press, very clearly where trader and missionary a generation indicated the importance of the subject in the public mind. The change is mainly go were at bitter lead, there is now due to the development of a world situa-cordial co-operation between missionaries, tion in which the value indeed, the traders, and Government oficials in the necessity of the spiritual forces of life has been thrown into striking and peremp development of the native population. tory relief. The new movements in Asia In India the old mutual suspicion has and Africa, political, economic, intellec- tual, educational, though full of promise, given place to hearty co-operation and are as yet quite ambiguous in their moral frequent cordial expressions of appre tendency. The issue depends on the development of the best ideals of human ciation by Government officials, from the character and human relationships to Viceroy downwards. But perhaps the control the impatience, the head strong most conspicuous illustration of the new wilfulness, and the concentration upon self which are ever characteristic dangers co-operation is to be found in Africa. of adolescente, whether in nations or in Here missionary leaders have clearly seen that the development of the African individuals. And since Christianity more than any other force in the world is able races demands education interpreted in For instance, the to create right character and right rela- very wide sénse. tionships, men's thoughts have turned to epoch-making work of the Phelps-Stokes Commission has set a stamp of broad Christianity and its teachers with a new interest. It is quite easy to over-estimate humanity upon all the educational work the importance of this change of view. of the missionary agencies throughout We who seek to preach Christianity Africa and their aim is not merely to everywhere are moved to do so not be train the mind, but to develop the whole cause of its admitted practical value to nation in which they are working, and human happiness and progress, but be- to supply their educational needs in the cause we believe it to be eternal truth. light of the religious, social, hygienic, Nevertheless we welcome the changed and economic conditions of the country. attitude.
It is not surprising, therefore, that the Colonial Office, in responding to the in- sistent demands of Africa for education, has turned to the missionaries for help..
and yet to be possessed."
Nevertheless there remains very much In their widened outlook and in the appreciation of their efforts by the Governments of the British Commonwealth the mission- ary agencies can indeed show a very remarkable development. Yet we cannot claim to have gripped the beart of the problem. In spite of all this advance, the challenge of the world to the Chris- tian Church is more insistent and peremy 'tory than ever. The issues at stake will not wait upon the leisure of Christen- dom, "but will certainly be settled apart from the influence of Christianity i Christendom fails, to seize the present opportunity. It is for this reason that the Church of England, acting through its Missionary Council, has ordered the preparation of four great reports, on Africa, India, the Far East, and Moslem lands respectively, with a view to a definite statement in terms of personal agents and money of the demands laid upon the Church of our generation. These reports are to be presented at a great Convention in London" next. Janu-
THE FIELD SURVETED.
ary.
The
The success was all the more surprising because only half of the 19 masts and three miles of aerials were in use. remainder of the serials at present are to America, as a result of which, it is being devoted to two-way telephony teste hoped, & London subscriber soon will be able to call up a number in New York. Meanwhile it is thought there is no limit to the Rugby station's possibilities for swift and accurate wireless transmission throughout the world.
A MASTER OSCILLATOR.
It is revealed that the secret of the success achieved is the creation of a master oscillator, produced by the British. Post Office's Research Department, where by the wave length keeps its own path, and overcomes the atmospheres." This is especially important in the case of traffic to Australia, and it is considered that it will permit of ships being in constant touch with the Rugby station from any point of Australia, and also continuously on the voyage en route to London.
One of the great advantages of the Rugby service will be the fact that the steamers on the Australian run will be no longer dependent on the news from the German station at Naven, which hitherto has outdistanced Leafield, by thousands of miles.
The Head of the Post OfEce Ratio De partment, in a statement, said the Rugby transmission would soon be in public ser- vice, and the wirelees would then super sede the cable for ordinary communien tions around the world.
Sir Robert Donald, writing in the Daily Telegraph, states that the range testing stage has been reached at Rugby wireless station, which, early in the new year, will be sending messages to reach very ship on the seven seaa and the re- moetest corner of the Dominions, He also states that within a few weeks the station will be experimenting
with America in two-way telephony.
The 12 masts of the super-power stations at Rugby are each soft, high, while the aerials are about 1 miles long and half a mile wide. The station, which has a power of 1,000 kilowatts, occupies a site i square miles in extent,].
PEARY AND NORTH POLE.
HIS DISCOVERY CLAIM ·
CHALLENGED.
In addition to regular employees 8,000 temporary helpers, mostly unemployedt were working in the Cx-Service men, metropolis as postmen, sorters, porters, or van drivers. London's fleet of mail vehicles, was doubled, and there were approximately 1,200 of all sorts in u Nearly all the 600 trademen'e cars, lorries and horse-drawn wagons and than crdinary mail-vans, so that trans port, facilities are estimated to have been tripled.
"DEAD" LETTERS.. When a reporter visited the great sorting office at Mount Pleasant, B.C... the officials of the Dead-Letter Depart- ment produced bundles of children's missives which they had been unable to
deliver.
It would have been thought that nothing could be simpler than to find the persons, to whom these letters were addressed: FATHER CHRISTMAS, SANTA CLAUS,
Sun-alley, -Rainbow-square, Cloudbank,
Fairyland.
Red Cloak Manor,
Hollyberry-avenue,
Sledgeton,
Everywhere.
Across the face of both these envelopes was stamped in ugly black letters the words "Insufficiently Addressed!" Scores of similar letters had been as ruthlessly dealt with
One child bad sent a communication to Peter Pan in Never Never Land, but a postal clerk with a serious mind had written across it in red ink Try Sir J. M. Barrie, Adelphi, W.C. z, or Miss Dorothy Dickson, Shaftesbury Theatre. " Neither of these places is in Never Never
Land.
LITTLE GIRL'S. APPEAL. DA From Bermondsey a little girl address- ed a sweet letter to Father. Christas asking for a necklace and crackers and mentioned that she had been unable to stamp it because there was little money in the home. The Post Office, however, has afhxed a large mauve stamp and opposite, the name of Father Christmas has stamped the words 3d. to pay on delivery."
In accordance with the regulations of the department "all these letters are opened, and small gifte which the senders have enclosed for, Santa Claus or-stamps they have put in for a reply are gravely returned to them with an official announcement that delivery has not been possible.
The public now wrap parcels so secure- ly that there is scarcely any work for the "hospital" where loose or damaged. packages are repaired.
MOTOR FATALITIES IN U.S.
In the United States last year 15,593 people were killed by motor-car accid-: ents-another world's record. This total does not include deaths from collisiona Is the North Pole still, undiscovered between trains and motor-cars, which The fact of the matter is that the asks the Observer. Admiral Peary's added 1,532. The death-rate by motor Christian Churches are handicapped at claim to bave nailed the Stars and accident for the entire country in 1974 every turn by the apathy and reluctance Stripes to the Pole on September 6th, is placed at 13.7 per 100,000 of the po of the Christian nation behind them. 1800, has been disputed in. America oppulation, as compared with 14.9 in 1923, Beyond question they are doing a great several occasions, and now in the New 12.5 in 1822, and 11.5 in 1921. California work; but, when all is said, the scale York Independent, Mr. William
E.
is utterly inadequate to the demands. Shea, who is described by the editor a headed the list of States with 39 killed
In these circumstances it may be of interest to survey the field and to ask how far the spiritual agencies of Britain are rising to their task; and the first thing to notice is the astounding advance revealed by the mere numerical statistics of Christian missions. In the year 1800, throughout the whole arec stretching from the West African. Coast right across to China and the East Indies, and from Russia and Siberia in the north to the heart of Africa and the bounds of the Indian Ocean in the south, there were not a dozen missionaries of the Reformed Churches. In those days, with a low notable exceptions, there was no sense of missionary obligation throughout Eng- lish or American Christendom. This was probably less true of the Roman Catho- their activities, now so lics, but even
at this strong and world-wide, were
A hundred period comparatively weak. years later, at the close of the nineteenth dentary, 15,000 missionaries of the Re- formed Churches were at work in Africa and the East, and, though statistics are not available, we may conclude with cer tainty that the Roman Catholic mission- aries were at least trebled in number. To-day the total number of missionaries of the eformed Churches in the mission field is no fewer than 20.000, with a com- minicants' roll of 3,500,000 and a roll of baptized adherents numbering many mil lions more; and every year the rate of increase accelerates. In India, Burma, and Ceylon to-day there are over 5,700 missionaries, of whom 2,700 are British and about an equal number American. In Egypt there are 254 missionaries, of whom 936 are American and 102 are British. In the Sudan there are 80 Pro- testant missionaries, of whom, 35 are American and 32 are British. In the rest of British territory in Africa there are nearly 4,000 Protestant missionaries, of whom over 2,000 are British and 664 American.
It will be seen that the American missionary work in. British territory (con- ducted mainly by the Methodist Epis copal Church, the American Presby- terians, Baptists, and Congregationalists) bulks very large. Indeed, throughout these regions America is making a very noble contribution, by its width of eut look and its strong haancial support, to the spiritual development of the people. But British Christendom is very active leo. The great missions of the Church. Missionary Society in Uganda and Kenya "A scheme of insuranc, prepared by the Colony, and of the Church of Scotland Educational Facilities Association, to in Kenya Colony and Nyasaland, are meet the cases of boys whose responsible known and respected by all visitors to
parents die while they are at school was East Africa; while in Tanganyika Terri discussed at the Headmasters Confer tory, Nyasaland, and Northern Rhodesia ence at Shrewsbury School last month. the Universities Mission to Central.
Introducing the subject, Dr. C. A. Africa, and in the South Africa the Alington, headmaster of Eton, said the Methodists, the Dutch Reformed Church, propisal was that on payment of a pre the London Missionary Society, and the mium of £1 per term £40 a term would Society for the Propagation of the Gos be guaranteed from the time of the pel, are doing a great work and the father's death until the boy was 18. The activities of the Church Missionary So scheme was based on the case of a boy ciety, the Wesleyans, and the Scottish who entered a school just before the age Churches are not less important in British West Africa. In India the great of 14, and also rested on the assumption. universities are again prominent in their that in any school which undertook it missions to Delhi and Caleatts and it would be optional for boys at present Chota Nagpur, while the Church Mission attending but compulsory for new ary Bociety and the Society for the Pro entrants, pagation of the Gospel share the work with the missionary societies of the Free Churches in the Punjab, in Bengal, in Madras," and a score of other areas. In the mandated British territories of the Pacific and in islands under British rule the London Missionary Society has done a truly noble work for many years, while the Australian and New Zealand of headmasters should be confined to sub- Boards of Missions represent a moremitting the proposal to parenta and recent but growing contribution in those putting them in touch with the Educa Imany witnesses who can offer first-hand areas from the Anglican Church.
If Curistian England were really true to its beliefs, if only Christian would back their beliefs with practical support, then the whole colour of human progress might be changed and the Peary, who was accompanied on the Christian Church of our generation might last stage of the expedition by only Ress stand out, in accordance with her true Marvin, who was drowned, the Negro, nature and origin, as the supreme con- Henson, and a handful of untutored structive element in the world of to, Eskimos," spoke of the "almost un- morrow; the standing witness among the imaginable unevenness and roughnese pations to the hidden presence, the un-of the surface of the Polar sea, and yet, failing purpose and the changeless Love Mr. Shea points out, Peary travelled under the handicap of these unimagin- which guides human affairs.-Times.
able" conditiona 7 miles a day:
a student of Arctic exploration," sets citizens forth in an article his reasons for be
lieving that Peary did not "reach the Pole.
INSURING BOYS' EDUCATION.
EI PER TERM PREMIUM.
HEADMASTERS
COMPULSION.
AND
In the course of a discussion the opinion was expressed that the premium was much too high for the risk involved, one" headmaster declaring that from La.. to 108.. would cable his governors to give the benefits of the scheme. The idea of compulsion was also objected to..
The conference agreed that the action
tional Facilities Association.
This (says Mr. Shen) he claimed to have done over a course that both he and Ellsworth describe as infernal. Fifty-seven miles a day for eight days for Peary, half a mile a day for four days for Ellsworth. Fifty-seven miles a day for Peary with four men, on the Polar ice; eight miles a day when his expedition (at the start) was at its strongest. These things require ex planation. Till they are cleared up. Peary's claim cannot be taken, serious. ly.
Mr. She also comments on the extra- ordinary attitude of silence which Peary adopted on his retura from bis journey. Here be quotes from Peary's own words as wrung from him by a Congressional Committee in 1911, when Congress was considering whether or not to bestow. honours upon him:
Mr. Roberts: Captain Peary, when you returned from your dash, the first people you saw were those of the ship?
Captain Peary: Yes, pir.
Mr. Roberts You, of course, told them of the trip.
Captain Peary: No, I did not, I did not go into any details in regard to the trip.
Mr. Roberts: Did you tell them you had reached the Pole
Captain Peary: I told Captain Bartletto 'one else........
Mr. Shen says that for the sake of truth in history, if for no other reason, all the facts bearing on the question should be brought to light now while
evidence are alive.
per: 100,000.
Use Electricity for heating-
as it suits your purpose
and your pocket
The extent to which Electric Heat can be used with economy varies in different districts. Electric Heating and Cooking are developing rapidly and all the time becoming cheaper in consequence of the increasing demand. ELECTRICITY is made from coal, often too poor in quality for any other use.
ÉLECTRICITY brings direct to you the heat of the coal, in a form ready for use without dirt or labour.
ELECTRICITY IS replacing all other means. of 'Lighting and Power..
Electric Heating can be used to supplement older methods or in place of them, accord ing to local conditions and to suit the user. National Interests will NOT be endangered by the wider use of that universal carrier - of Light, Heat and Power
ELECTRICITY.
ALIGHT & POWER CO. (1918), LTD.
Showroom: 62, Nathan Road, Kowloom.
Telephone No. K. 677.
ASAHI BEER
·SPECIALLY BREWED FOR EXPORT
DAI NIPPON BREWERY CO.
LIMITED.
TOKYO JAPAN
MITSUI
SOLE AGENTS:
(CP)
BUSSAN KAISHA! LTD.
HONGKONG
FIN
THE HONGKONG & WHAMPOA DOCK Co.,LTD
TELEGRAPIO ADDRESS: “MANIFESTO," HONGKONG.
CODES Uazz: A1, A.B.O. Fifth Edition, Engineering First and Becond Edition-
Western Union and Watkins, Bezson's, Marconi
rock Owners, Ship Builders, Marine and Land Engineers, Bailer Makers, Iran | and Brass Founders, Forge Masters, Electricians.
OIL TANK STEAMER “FALUDINA
...„„,427′ 0′′ X 53′ 1′′ X 81 01 : 8,400 lana dw: × 8,100 ILP
Built by THE HONGKONG & WHAMPOA DOCK 00., LTD,. at KOWLOON DOOKS to l
of THE ANGLO-SAXON PETROLKUM'00" LTD,, being one of four, similar vossals built in. bem WORKS to the same, urder
Please address enquiries to the Chief Manager.
RM DYER BBC, MLNA KO
DOCK HONGKONG