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Publishing Work in China

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Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Mar 21, 1907

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 84, No. 12.

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Publishing Work in China

By E. H. Wilbur

A SMALL beginning has been made in the publication of literature on present truth in Chinese, both in Hunan and at Canton. That which has been printed by our brethren in Hunan is nearly all in the Mandarin dialect, while that printed in Canton is all in the book language. Thus far we have published no literature in the Cantonese dialect, one reason being that we have so little Chinese literature that we felt that that which we did publish should be in a form that could be understood by any person of fair education in any part of the empire, regardless of what his spoken dialect might be. The colloquial books could no doubt be more easily understood, yet the average non-Christian reader in this part of China would not wish to read a book published in a colloquial language.
During the year 1906 we have had the following tracts printed in Canton: “Know Thy Creator,” two editions of 5,000 each; “The Law of God,” 5,000; “God’s Love for Man,” and “The Sinner’s Need of Christ” (from “Steps to Christ”), 5,000 each; besides 2,000 Sabbath tracts, and 5,000 Sabbath calendars, making a total of 32,000. The demand for Chinese tracts is increasing. We have some new tracts, on the second coming of Christ, and other subjects, all translated ready to print, but there is no money in the treasury to pay for printing them.
The Hakka brethren who were baptized here in June thought at first that they could not sell tracts, but after some urging they took up the work. One of these brethren alone sold twelve hundred tracts during October, and all of them together have sold several thousand copies up to the present time. There is a great demand for new literature in China now, and this is our opportunity to spread a knowledge of the truth. Who is willing to help us in this work? We are here on the field ready to fight, but, brethren, we must have ammunition. Any one desiring to help in this work should send his contributions through the Mission Board treasurer, specifying the object for which it is donated.
E. H. WILBUR.
British P. O., Canton, China.