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“...THE
CHINA MISSION YEAR BOOK
BEING
"The Christian Movement in China"
1911
^ \
EDITED BY V
D. MacGILL)VRAY, M.A., D.D.,
Editor of A Century of Missions in China," Author of
a Mandarin=Romanized Dictionary of Chinese "
etc. etc.
fri wm it
SHANGHAI
CHRISTIAN LITERATURE SOCIETY FOR CHINA
1911...”
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“...2
china mission year book.
will simply confirm previous opinions, though the wrath of
of Mr. Ku Hung-ming and others burns fiercely against
them and all their works.
china's task.
AVe would do well to recall again the weighty words of
Professor Ernest D. Burton, of the University of Chicago,
spoken at the Conference of Foreign Mission Boards in New
York, 1910.
4'Having determined that she will emerge from the
isolation which she has maintained for centuries, that she
will not simply yield as she has for a hundred years to such
pressure as she can not resist, bat will herself actively enter
into the life of the nations and become one in the family of
nations, China confronts to-day one of the greatest tasks
that any nation ever faced. This is nothing less than the
creation of a new civilization * *
The task which China thus confronts is one of tremen-
dous difficulty. Observe what is included in it. A new
constitution, which means in reality a new political system;
a new army, a new navjT...”
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“...1(3
CHINA MISSION YEAR BOOK.
there were signs at one time that the present Empress
Dowager, Lung Yu, would like to step into the shoes of her
predecessor. The Regent has been too strong for her, and
by the aid of his Grand Council, has at least avoided glaring-
blunders. He recently proclaimed himself Generalissimo of
the Army and Navy.- His various Edicts during 1910
indicate that he is doing his best, and under the circum-
stances no one but a Kangsi or Chinshihhuang could have
anything more to show than he has. There is much talk of
welding together Manchu and Chinese, but several recent
Edicts inopportunely emphasize the Manchu overlordship.
During the year the Chinese Christians, as related in
our Appendix, prepared four presentation copies of the New
Testament, one for the Empress Dowager, one for the
Prince Regent, one for the Empress Mother, and one for
the Child Emperor. But as long as the eunuchs and con-
cubines swarm and intrigue in the purlieus of the Palace,
little improvement...”
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“...1(3
CHINA MISSION YEAR BOOK.
Lord High Chancellor, £10,000; Lord President of the
Council, £2,000; Lord Privy Seal, £2,000; First Lord of
Treasury, £5,000; First Lord of the Admiralty, £4,500.
Secretaries of State: Home Affairs, £5,000; Foreign
Affairs, £5,000; Colonies, £5,000; War, £5,000; India,
£5,000.
Chancellor of the Exchequer, £5,000; Secretary for
Scotland, £2,000; Chief Sec. to the Lord-Lieut, of Ireland,
£4,425; Postmaster-General, £2,500.
what is the new chinese constitution ?
We are greatly indebted to Mr. L. R. O. Bevan, Pro-
fessor of International Law, Shansi University, for his able
resume of the new constitution in another chapter. As he
says, there is a certain tentative element in this constitution,
and doubtless changcs suggested by experience, or dictated
by necessity may be made, but the general result of the strict
carrying out of the constitution as it at present stands would
be to centralise power in Peking, and greatly curtail the
power of the provincial Governors...”
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“...1(3
CHINA MISSION YEAR BOOK.
In Shantung, 119,549, members elected, 103.
In Manchuria, 52,679, members elected, 50.
In Hupeh, 113,233, members elected, 80.
Of the 105 members elected in Szechuen, six only were
elected under the property qualification. Christians voted
freety, and in one instance the Vice-President of the
Assembly is a Christian.
The powers of these bodies are nominally advisory only,
but with this they will not long be contented. The discus-
sions were intelligent and dignified, and showed that the
Government has set free an entirely unsuspected power in
the land. The aim is not revolutionary, but to encourage
patriotism, and strengthen the Empire.
the national assembly.
The first meeting of the National Assembly took place
in Peking on October 4, 1910. One hundred of the mem-
bers were appointed by the Government and one hundred
from the various Provincial Assemblies. These bodies
having tasted the new wine of power made haste to agitate
for an earlier summoning of a real...”
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“...1(3
CHINA MISSION YEAR BOOK.
official liabilities. The Provincial mints were forbidden to
coin any save exactly like those issued at the central mint
in Peking, but. it was discovered that to inaugurate this
reform a large supply of ready cash must be available, and
United States, Great Britain, Germany and France offered
China a loan of £10,000,000 Sterling, which will probably
be arranged.
These loans though much detested are now seen to be
inevitable. A National Debt Redemption Society which
made such a stir at first soon fizzled out. Not only did the
National Debt remain unpaid, but more was added to it.
At the same time the Provinces were piling up foreign loans
on their own account, notwithstanding the efforts of the
Central Government to get a monopoly of the foreign loan
business.
Many authorities counselled China to adopt the Gold
standard, but this would require such an immense reserve
that it is practically impossible.
courts of justice.
The new penal code is at last nearly ready...”
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Page 12
“...1(3
CHINA MISSION YEAR BOOK.
The sensation of the year was Professor Ling's speech,
which we give in extenso in Chapter V. It is well sum-
marised by a leading Daily Paper as follows:
" Mr. Ling inveighs primarily against the lack of moral
and educational discipline in Chinese Government Schools.
The students, he infers, have imbibed advanced ideas
without ridding themselves of the irresponsibility of youth.
Doctrincs of equality and liberty, culled, we are told, from
Japanese sources, have been interpreted as authorizing a
general lawlessness of conduct at home, in the school and in
public. The most ardent reformers in China can scarcely
wish that the new order, with its many untried innovations,
should altogether supplant the old virtues that have held
together for so long the component parts of this heterogeneous
empire. Among these filial respect lias always occupied a
prominent place; but even this is threatened, according to
the lecturer who took the Foochow scholars to task. In the...”
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“...1(3
CHINA MISSION YEAR BOOK.
most of the text-books used in the Government Schools and
a large proportion of the bank notes which are in circula-
tion.5' It has the only three colour printing plant in
China.
It is said, however, that anti-foreignism has began to
interfere somewhat with its business. The demand for its
translations from foreign works is declining, though doubt-
less the school book trade is bound to increase.
Printing presses are, of course, found everywhere, but
they are mainly occupied in publishing newspapers.
the chinese press.
A series of new press laws has been issued, the object
of which is to secure official control of the papers similar to
that exercised by the Government in Russia. An enter-
prising Taotai in Shanghai with the approval of his
superiors, bought up the Shanghai vernacular papers for the
sum of Taels 183,096.82 together with Tacls 34,634.56 to
meet current losses. Part of this sum was paid from the
interest accuring on the Huangpu Conservancy Fund...”
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“...1(3
CHINA MISSION YEAR BOOK.
appears that a large part of the funds for this line were
lost in rubber speculation at the time of the boom in
Shanghai, an accident likely to interfere with the company's
operations.
The Peking-Kalgan line is being extended to Tatungfu
in Shansi.
Some work is being clone on a line from Kiukiang
to Changsha and on another from Wuhu southwards to
Kuangtehchow.
In Yunnan a number of surveys have been made for a
line from Yunnanfu into Szechuen province.
In Honan Province, the Railway from Kaifeng, which
crosses the Peking-PIankow line at Chenchow, is opened to
Honanfu, and work beyond the city is being pushed on.
It is hoped to reach Tungchuan in the spring.
The Canton-Iiankow Railway has made- some progress
in Canton Province, but little is known about it.
The Shangliai-Hangchow Railway, which is being built
beyond Iiangchow towards Ningpo, had a bitter conflict
with the Central Government during the year over loans,
and Mr. Tang, the General Manager, was finally...”
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“...1(3
CHINA MISSION YEAR BOOK.
By far the greater number of farm labourers in China are
slaves. There is no evidence that the Edict has made any
difference to those who are in servitude.
At Canton the friends of progress rejoice at the recent
abolition of licensed gambling, which for years has been a
Government Monopoly farmed out to the highest bidder.
Viceroy Chang Ming-chi deserves the greatest credit for this
act. The revenue from this source is two million Taels,
and taxes on wine, salt, etc., were to be increased to cover
the deficit.
The cigarette evil shows no sign of abatement, but the
sale of patriotic tobacco is said to be gaining ground.
Foreign liquors are being most persistently pressed
upon the Chinese. The demand for beers and spirits is
increasing in North China. The Imperial Maritime Cus-
toms Returns show a most alarming increase in the import
of wine, spirits, beer, etc. Comparing 1909 with 1908, the
total net increase for the whole of China is Taels 815,186,
but of this...”
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“...1(3
CHINA MISSION YEAR BOOK.
GENERAL SURVEY OF MISSION WORK.
The Year Book of 1910 devoted many chapters to a
minute survey of all branches of mission work in China.
That will not be attempted this year, but considerable
knowledge of the work may be gathered by a perusal of
Chapter XVI. of the present book. In the Recorder of
November, 1910, Mr. Ewing has a valuable paper on The
Development of the Chinese Christian Church." This will
repay careful study. Dr. Gibson deals with Problems of
the Chinese Church, in Chapter XI.
New Missions.The Anglicans of-Canada, who formerly
sent missionaries to work in Fukien under the C.M.S., have
now appointed Bishop W. C. White with several clergy to
Honan, at the capital of which they have located. They
propose developing an educational work in co-operation
with various missions in that province. Ultimately, the
Honan Christian University may be the result.
The National Holiness Association of America have a
few missionaries in Chihli Province, while...”
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Page 22
“...1(3
CHINA MISSION YEAR BOOK.
School to Boone College has been erected by the Chinese in
Wuchang, and another in Hankow. Mr. Ou-yang, a
Tientsin Christian, gave 20,000 Taels to the Y.M.C.A. The
Chinese also contributed a large part of the expense of the
Christian Headquarters at the Nanking Exhibition.
The Bao Memorial Hall, erected by Chinese, forms an
important wing of the Lowrie High School, South Gate,
Shanghai, while the same Chinese recently paid $4,000 for
the purpose of building a new church at the same place.
The Chinese Churches generally are contributing liberally
to the Central China Famine Fund.
A further evidence of the Spirit's power is the decline of
trouble over lawsuits. Lawsuit enquirers are diminishing,
although some of the oldest missions report their Christians
as dissatisfied because the missionaries refuse to take up
yam en cases.
Education.Though the future of the Educational As-
sociation of China is "all unknown," that does not mean
that the schools are in a bad...”
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Page 23
“...limited staff, but is by no means discouraged. It
has acquired during the year a valuable site in the central
district, on which it will erect a book depot.
Y. M. C. A. Work Following the visit of Mr. Brock-
man to the homelands, a large number of young men are
coming out, to seriously attack the problem of reaching the
students in the Government schools. Some missions have
started Y.M-C.A. work on their own account. A meeting
held in the White House resulted in a 'phenomenal total of
gifts, namely, about $1,500,000 Gold. Professor Robertson's
scientific lectures to the higher classes are expected to be a
new key to unlock the fast-closed door of the literati. Mr.
Sherwood Eddy is visiting the Associations with blessed
results.
Riots and IndemnitiesThe riots of the year are fully
noted in Chapter IV. The Wesleyan Missionary Society,
and the London Missionary Society have adopted the
practice of the China Inland Mission, and refused indemnity
for the Changsha riots. Mr. J. Archibald in the...”
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“...1(3
CHINA MISSION YEAR BOOK.
The heroic work of missionaries in North Anhui and
North Kiangsu famine relief once more shows that mis-
sionaries are ready to care for the bodies as well as the souls
of men. It is not yet known whether this difficult and
dangerous work can be finished without a toll of mis-
sionaries' lives.
The Chinese Recorderand, China Mission Year
Book.'n The Chinese Recorder under its editorial board
continues to move forward at a high level of attainment,
and the number of those in the home land who take it is
satisfactorily increasing.
The "China Mission Year Book" for 1910 filled "a
long felt want" and is nearly all sold, and the prospects
for a long life for the series; are distinctly bright.
Distinguished Testimoni/. Dr. G. E. Morrison, the
distinguished correspondent of "The London Times" at
Peking, once so opposed to missions, lias recently delivered
the following striking testimony: I think it only fair to
say that the good name which Englishmen possess in China...”
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“...1(3
CHINA MISSION YEAR BOOK.
Ming-chun, who has managed to weather the storm and
bring about a moral reform of considerable importance, of
which we make note below.
The middle of December saw still further changes, but
in another direction. The return from Germany of H.E.
Yin Chang to become head of the Board of War, and the
return from abroad of Princes Tsai PIsun and Tsai Tao,
who had been on missions of investigation in connexion
with naval and military affairs respectively, suggested
changes in the relation between the various bodies respon-
sible for defence. Up to this date there had been the Board
of War (literally, the Land Force Board) as supreme
authority in naval and military affairs ; the Board of Navy,
concerned with the Navy, but subordinate to the Board of
War ; and the Army Advisory Council, a body of experts
advising on army organization. The changes proposed in
December and since carried into effect make the Board of
War a purely Army Board, equal in rank with the Board...”
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“...1(3
CHINA MISSION YEAR BOOK.
session of tlie National Assembly; and the demand, voiced
by the National Assembly and finding a ready emphasis in
the columns of the Chinese Press, for a responsible Cabinet.
We noted in the "Year Book" of 1910 that from
the inauguration of the Provincial Assemblies in October
1909 the Government had had not a moment's peace, for
the Assemblies had headed a movement in favour of
hastening the date for the opening of Parliament. This
agitation proceeded very briskly and 'brought forth two
Imperial Edicts declining to hasten the period at which
parliamentary government should be inaugurated, but these
did not suffice to damp the ardour of the leaders of the
agitation. They took occasion to renew their demands
shortly after an Imperial Edict in May had announced
that the first session of the National Assembly would
commence in October, the elections thereto taking place
in the interval. The immediate outcome of this renewed
demand was an emphatic Edict in the...”
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“...1(3
CHINA MISSION YEAR BOOK.
residence until the 10th, an answer which did not satisfy
them, so that they stayed at the Prince Regent's quarters
until nearly midnight, and could only then with difficulty
be persuaded to leave. The attendants refused to take
charge of the petitions, and it was only when Prince Su
undertook to receive and present them that the petitioners
were persuaded to leave. This obstinacy led the Prince
Regent to communicate with the provincial viceroys and
governors, asking their opinion 011 the advisability of
hastening the inauguration of a representative Parliament.
The last week in October saw great impetus given to the
parliamentary movement in the adoption by the National
Assembly of a resolution in favour of an earlier Parliament.
The pressure was ultimately so great that the Prince Regent
gave way, and in the early days of November issued an
Edict promising a Cabinet during the next year and a
Parliament at the end of three years. This satisfied
the moderates...”
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“...1(3
CHINA MISSION YEAR BOOK.
The body constituted in this highly ingenious manner
Was formally opened on the 2nd October by the Prince
Regent in person, and a few days later began its delibera-
tions, having the power and right to discuss and make
recommendations concerning (a) the Budget; (b) emergency
expenditures ; (c) taxes and loans ; (d) new laws and
statutes, and their amendments, with the exception of the
future Constitution; and (tf) matters referred to the
Assembly by Imperial Decree. The decisions reached by
the Assembly are reported to the Throne by the President
and Vice-President conjointly with the Grand Councillors
or the Presidents of Boards. Grand Councillors and
Presidents of Boards are allowed to attend the debates,
but may not vote, whilst the Assembly has the right to ask
questions of the responsible members of the Government.
It is of some interest to note how the Assembly used its
powers. By the middle of November there had begun
to he.somewhat acute differences...”
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“...1(3
CHINA MISSION YEAR BOOK.
the Assembly's session would soon be at ail end. But the
Assembly, having met, was not in a mood to be dismissed
before it had finished what it believed to be its work and
eventually decided to prolong its session by twenty days.
This was done partly also in the hope that the Grand
Council would be gradually driven to convert itself into
a Cabinet responsible to the Assembly. In this the
Assembly was disappointed and was irritated at the time of
the impeachment of the Grand Council by finding itself
impeached in a bitter memorial to the Throne by H.E. Liu
Ting-chen, Director of the Peking University. H.E. Liu
raked the Assembly fore and after, but the weight of steel
was too small to do serious damage. The position at the
close of the Assembly's first session was that the Assembly
had so fully established the principle that Ministers of
State are responsible to the people as to set the Court to the
task of providing as quickly as possible a Cabinet of
responsible...”
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“...1(3
CHINA MISSION YEAR BOOK.
In other words it was but a re-arrangement of the pieces in
the Grand Council. Each proposal is bandied back and
forth between the Grand Council and the Commission
of Constitutional reform with little, if any, advance. The
simple fact is that with the creation of a Cabinet and the
eventual conversion of the National Assembly into a full
Parliament, the Grand Council and the Grand Secretariat
will, like Othello, find their occupation gone; and that they
do not relish. Another fact to be remembered in seeking
an explanation of the slow process of Cabinet making
is that as yet there is no such thing in China as party
government. The essential business of a Cabinet is to
advise and there are two ways in which a Cabinet's advice
may be given as well as two ways in which it may be
received. On the one hand the Cabinet may give advice
with a full sense of responsibility for its advice, knowing
that whether the advice is good or bad the Sovereign is
constitutionally...”
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