Manchuria—Our Newest Mission Field in the Far East
By A. G. Daniells
The readers of the REVIEW have been glad, I am sure, to learn of our advance into the Manchurian Mission field. Brother Bernhard Petersen and wife and Brother O. J. Grundset and wife reached Mukden, the capital of Manchuria, in October, 1914. They are the only American missionaries who have settled in Manchuria. The first missionaries to this country were the Roman Catholics, who began work here in 1838. The Presbyterians came in 1869, the Scotch Presbyterians in 1872, and the Danish Mission in 1895. The three Protestant societies have united their interests and endeavors, so they are practically one, and are known as the Presbyterian Society. The Seventh-day Adventist Missionary10Society is the first North American society to enter the field. Brother and Sister Petersen and Brother and Sister Grundset are young people. After spending a year in Shanghai in language study, they came to Mukden to enter upon their first real work in a foreign mission field. We found them in good health and of the best of courage. They had secured a good compound for temporary occupation, but they should not be left in this place long. It is not at all suitable for their work. On account of the water holes and deep mud in the streets around their compound the vehicle that took us from the station to their place had to stop three or four blocks from the house, leaving us to pick our way the best we could through the mud. We saw delivery carts sunk up to the axles in the mud holes in different streets around the compound. This makes it difficult for people to attend their meetings even in the daylight, and almost impossible to do so at night. But this is the best, if not about the only, habitable compound they could secure in the city. From the top of the city wall may be seen, six miles away, the great tomb of the first Manchu emperor, who conquered China, transferred his seat of government to Peking, and was brought back to Mukden for burial. Our experience in attempting to visit this tomb gives one a fair idea of the character of the Manchu government. Hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not millions, were spent on the tomb of this poor mortal, but nothing was spent on the road from the city to the tomb. In making the journey, each carriage got bogged, three or four traces and one shaft were broken, and finally we had to be extricated on the back of a horse. This is the state of many of the streets three hundred years old in the city, and of all the roads in the country. Poor China has been cursed by rulers who have exacted heavy tribute and spent it on gaudy palaces, luxurious living, and tremendously expensive tombs, instead of improving the country and thereby giving the people employment and other valuable advantages. These poor, oppressed people need the blessings of the gospel, and many appreciate them when they find them. An interest has already been awakened in our message in this new field. Between twenty and thirty men and women are attending the meetings regularly. Some of these have asked for baptism. We had the privilege of meeting these people, and felt greatly encouraged by the deep interest they manifested in our message and by the warm welcome they gave us. Among those who have begun to keep the Sabbath is a very nice family of good education and standing among these people. We believe this family will be a great help to our workers. Somehow reports of the arrival of our missionaries in Mukden, and of the message we preach, have gone to distant parts of Manchuria, and the way is opening to give the message in different places. From near Harbin word has come to the brethren, expressing a desire to hear the message, and telling them that a place stands ready in which to conduct public meetings whenever they can go there. They are meeting with encouragement in the circulation of our literature. The new believers have begun to sell our Chinese magazine and other literature. When we were there, they had sold 11,000 copies of the magazine, 1,000 calendars, 3,000 tracts, and a number of books. It is remarkable how fast our work moves in these days in this part of the world. Everything bears evidence that the Spirit of God is doing a marvelous work in the hearts of the people, preparing them to receive the last message of warning and invitation to a perishing world. No doubt this work will move faster and faster, until people will be moved to take their stand as they did on the day of Pentecost. How important it is that the people of God who know the truth should move with the work as its speed increases. Changes are taking place in Manchuria which cause us to believe that now is the time for us to work in that field. For centuries it has been a dependency of China. It was in Manchuria that the Manchu dynasty arose which ruled China from 1644 to the revolution of 1912, when it was overthrown. Since the Russo-Japanese War, Japan has been extending her control over Manchuria, until now it is a foregone conclusion that she is there to stay, and that Korea's recent history will be Manchuria's history also. When this takes place, Protestant missionaries may expect to meet the same influences and government regulations they are facing in Japan and Korea. If we had pushed on into Manchuria at the same time we entered Korea, we should no doubt have made good progress, and might now have had in Manchuria a work similar to that in Korea. Now that we are starting late, we should hasten our work as fast as possible. Manchuria is a great agricultural country. The soil is very fertile. Farmers plan to gather two and three crops a year from the same ground. The population is said to be between sixteen and twenty millions. Mukden, the largest city in the dependency, has a population of three hundred thousand. The people live in villages and cultivate the soil. If we can establish good churches among these farmers, they will be able to give financial help to the work of the message. As we have entered Manchuria to stay and grow, we should lose no time in providing homes for our missionaries, and a place for carrying on evangelistic meetings to advantage. While in Mukden, we examined various locations the brethren had looked up to show us. We found a block of ground for the homes that pleased us very much. It is on one of the main roads running from the heart of the city out to the large new railway station. The road is macadamized, and if present plans carry, it will have a good street car line. This seemed to us an ideal location for a compound. Then in the heart of the city within the inner wall we found an excellent place for a chapel and dispensary. Thousands of people pass the door every day in the year. Owing to uncertainty caused by signs of war, both these places were offered to us at very low prices. Brethren Porter and Fulton and I were agreed that they should be purchased at once. The bargains are made, and money to bind them will be paid in a few days. Thus we are forced along. We all felt that we must enter Manchuria. That was self-evident. The first step was to select Brethren Petersen and Grundset for the field. These young people, just in the prime of life, accepted the call. They came to China, and got command of the language in a short time. Then they pushed on to this remote spot. They are working earnestly and intelligently. Already they have some good fruit. A large work is to be done. They are here for life if necessary. But they must have suitable homes in which to live, and a place to carry on public meetings to advantage. These last items were involved in the first step taken to enter that field. Surely our people will provide the funds. A. G. DANIELLS.