Our Publishing Work in China by B. A. Roberts

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jan 19, 1911

Our Publishing Work in China

By B. A. Roberts

We issue our literature in two dialects, or languages, to meet the needs of the people. One is the Wen-li, which is used in the south, and by the educated people, and the other is the Mandarin, which is used by the bulk of the people in China. We issue a monthly magazine in the Wen-li and one in the Mandarin. They both bear the same name and date, but as a rule the material in them is not the same. This year promises to be the best in our publishing work in China.

We have printed three specials of our paper this year. Of the July special, we printed 22,000 copies, and of the September number, 20,500 copies.

Each year we get out a Sabbath calendar in Chinese. Last year we sold 85,000 copies, and we shall surely double that this year. We feel a deep interest for the Chinese in foreign lands as well as for those who are in their native country.

Periodical Work

During the first six months of this year, we doubled the edition of our Signs of the Times as compared with the first six months of last year. Counting our New-year’s special and the Nanking special, our average circulation has been 12,000 copies a month. The total number sold of our New-year’s special amounted to 22,000 copies. Besides this, we are getting out several tracts,—5,000 copies of a “Dialogue on the Sabbath,” in the Cantonese dialect; also 10,000 copies of “God’s Love for Man,” 5,000 of which were shipped to Java, along with 5,000 tracts, entitled, “In the Beginning.” During another month we shipped out 7,097 Wen-li tracts and 1,230 Mandarin tracts, a total of 8,327.

Three Interesting Experiences

The other day we received a letter from an English-speaking student of a theological seminary in an inland province. Having read a copy of our Mandarin paper, which he received through the efforts of the brethren in Chang-sha, he writes: “I am searching for truth. I wish to find the real truth in the religious world. Is all the professed Christianity wrong? Am I mistaken in what I believe? I can not solve this problem without careful study.”

Another man, a preacher of four years’ experience, received a copy of the paper through the efforts of the colporteur in Hankow, was convinced of the Sabbath, and began to obey in spite of opposition. He now writes inquiring as to the location of our nearest mission station.

A Christian, returning from Canton to his home in Hong-kong, was invited to buy a copy of the paper. He says: “I was inspired by his [the colporteur’s] earnestness, and was convinced that God in his love had sent this man from the ‘Western country’ to give us the knowledge of the truth. When I read your paper, it satisfied me very much, and I beg you to send me each number in the future.”

Chinese “Signs of the Times” Magazine

Our New-year’s special Signs of the Times for 1911 will be far ahead of anything we have yet had. We would like to see a copy of this special magazine put in the hands of every Chinese in America. The price will be as usual: Five to twenty-five copies, four cents each; twenty-five or more copies, three cents each; single copies, five cents.

How Americans Can Help

Our 1911 Chinese New-year’s calendar is printed on a heavy red paper, which is very pleasing to the Chinese. The size is 18 x 23 inches.

There is nothing easier to sell to the Chinese than this calendar, especially to those Chinese living outside of China; for they have no way of knowing the Chinese dates unless they have a Chinese calendar. The price is fifty cents a hundred, or five dollars a thousand.

By special arrangement with the General Conference, the Pacific Press Publishing Association, Mountain View, Cal., has agreed to fill all orders from our people in America for Chinese publications. Those desiring the New-year’s special edition of the Chinese Signs of the Times, the Chinese New-year’s calendar for 1911, or any of our Chinese tracts, should order in the regular way, through their conference tract societies.

B. A. ROBERTS,

Manager Chinese S. D. A. Mission Press, Box 993, U. S. P. A., Shanghai, China.