THE World's Student Christian Federation held its sixth conference at Tokyo, Japan, April 3-7. This organization is an alliance of the national student movements of the principal countries of Europe, the United States, Australasia, South Africa, India, China, and Japan. The total membership is now reported to be 113,000. Of the five conferences previously held, one was held in the United States, and the others in different countries of Europe.
The Tokyo conference was truly a representative gathering, yet at the same time it was distinctly Oriental. About 170 delegates were present from abroad, and of these over half were from Asia. The Japanese delegates numbered 330, making a round 500 in all. Among the leading delegates from abroad may be mentioned the following: Dr. Carl Fries of Sweden, Chairman of the conference; Mr. John R. Mott, General Secretary; Professor Beach of Yale College; Professor Bosworth of Oberlin; President Chas. Cuthbert Hall of Chicago; Professor Macalister of Cambridge, England; Sir Alex. Simpson of Edinburgh University; Count de Portales of Paris; and V. S. Azariah and Sherwood Eddy, National Secretaries for India.
The regular sessions of the conference were held in the auditorium of the Tokyo Y. M. C. A. Hall. At the opening meeting preliminary addresses were given by the chairman, and by Vice-president Honda of Tokyo, in which the work of the conference was outlined. Then followed a devotional season, a number of delegates offering prayer, each in his own language. The meeting closed with a hymn sung in French, German, English, Chinese, Korean, Siamese, and other languages,—a Babel of sound to the ear, yet a unity of sentiment in full harmony with the motto over the rostrum,—"Unum in Christo."
During the conference various topics relating to the extension of the work of the Federation were considered. Among these the following are worthy of special notice. The topic, "Enlisting Students in the Extension of Christ's Kingdom," was treated as a symposium. Mr. Sherwood Eddy gave an address on the subject, "Appeal to the Heroic and Self-sacrificing." Prof. Bosworth delivered a stirring oration on "Jesus Christ Our Lord." Professor Macalister gave two addresses on the subject, "The Scientific Attitude toward Christianity."
Topics Discussed.
"The Progress and Place of Christianity in the Life of Great Nations and Peoples," was spoken to by delegates representing the various great nations of the world. Mr. Theophilus Mann spoke for Germany. In defining Christianity he drew a clear distinction between the religion of Jesus Christ as set forth in the New Testament, and what he termed the modern Christianity of Harnack and other German scholars. Mr. Frank Lenwood of Oxford, speaking on the same topic, declared that England is not yet a Christian nation. "There is still the awful presence of immorality in its grosser forms, indifference and materialism, and even in the church, quarreling and uncertainty as to the Gospel."
All this is doubtless true; but if England is not yet a Christian nation, where shall one be found? Where is the nation in which these conditions do not exist? Let the National Reformers of the United States reply. Yet Mr. Lenwood spoke hopefully of the influence of Christianity in England. And well he might; for the Gospel of Christ is the only hope of sin-cursed humanity, not however in the aggregate as nations, but as individuals who feel their need of its provisions, and are willing to accept its conditions.
Baron Nicolay of Russia set forth the truth of the Gospel very clearly in the following earnest words: "Every Christian must make a constant study of the Bible to keep free from error and superstition. But knowledge is not enough. We may know our Bibles and still be lifeless. What we need is the vivifying, direct touch on our lives. God speaks to us through our Bibles. But we must be receptive. The study of the Bible sharpens our conscience. Even a Christian becomes dull if not on the alert. We must be forgiving, charitable, honest. The Bible corrects our angle of vision, our idea of God, our view of religion, our estimate of ourselves. He is able to do for us exceedingly above what we ask."
It would be impossible to give a detailed account of the whole conference within the limits of one brief article. Forenoon, afternoon, and evening sessions were held, and the carefully arranged program was well carried out in all its details.
Various Meetings.
The Y. M. C. A. auditorium being able to accommodate only the regular delegates, auxiliary meetings were held in various parts of the city for the benefit of the many students of Tokyo, and of others interested in Christian work. These meetings were attended and addressed by leading delegates from the conference. The evangelistic meetings for students were held every evening during the conference, and were well attended. At 3.00 p. m. each day addresses in English were given at the Kudan M. E. Church. At one of these meetings the speaker was the Hon. Yung Chi Ho of Korea. Mr. Yung was formerly Minister for Foreign Affairs in his native country, but has abandoned politics for Christian educational work. In his address he spoke of the great need of education in Korea, and of the plans and prospects for the future. At another meeting Mr. J. N. Farquhar of Calcutta spoke of the work that has already been done toward the evangelization of India, especially along educational lines; and of the obstacles to the introduction of Christianity in that caste-ridden country. At the same meeting an intelligent and highly educated young woman, a native of India, told of the condition of the women of her country, and of the efforts being made for their advancement. All these addresses were interesting and instructive, and should tend to draw the hearts of Christian workers into closer sympathy, as they understand better the peculiar difficulties met in the different fields.
The two weeks following the conference were devoted to a student evangelistic movement in twenty-five or thirty of the principal educational centers of Japan. The aim of this movement is announced to be "not only to draw general attention to the message of Christ, but to help to bring to open confession of Him those who have long been under instruction." Deputations of the foreign delegates of the conference, and the best obtainable Christian workers in Japan, were detailed to carry out this movement, spending one, two, or more days in a place. There are no available reports of the results of this movement at this writing, but the writer had the privilege of attending several of the meetings held at Kobe, and observed that a good degree of interest was shown, as manifested by crowded halls and earnest attention to the word spoken.
Far-Reaching Effects.
No doubt this World's Conference, the first international gathering ever held in Japan, will produce far-reaching effects. And we share the hope of its promoters that much good will result in furthering the kingdom of Christ in the hearts of the Japanese people. But there were indications during the conference that more than one wave of influence was set in motion or accelerated. There is good reason to believe that the attitude of many Japanese toward Christianity is precisely the same as their attitude toward Western civilization. In the words of a close observer who recently visited Japan: "It is still a debatable question just how far genuine Christianity has entered into Japanese life, and to what extent the outward form has been11adopted as a part of the advanced civilization of the Western world. There is certainly the greatest danger lest the Gospel should be looked upon as one of the steps toward national greatness, and be received from a desire to be like the so-called Christian nations."
That this danger is very real, the following circumstances in connection with the recent World's Conference will plainly show. In harmony with the time-honored custom of the West, many persons of prominence sent messages of congratulation to the conference. Among these were King Edward of England, President Roosevelt, and King Haakon of Norway. And in order to be in harmony with this Western way of doing things, several high Japanese officials did the same. Viscount Hayashi, Minister for Foreign Affairs, in a letter addressed to Chairman Fries, expressed his confidence that "your efforts in the cause of ethics and enlightenment will make for the betterment of humanity at large." Mr. Makino, Minister of Education, expressed the wish that the "grand conception to improve the moral well-being of the youth of the whole world, that is, the moral advancement of the future of the human race, will be crowned with full success."
The evident desire of noted Japanese to be on good terms with these leading Christian educators of the world was further shown by the elaborate social functions held for the entertainment of the foreign delegates of the conference. The first of these was a reception given to over two hundred of the delegates by Viscount and Viscountess Hayashi, at the official residence of the Minister for Foreign Affairs. On the following day a reception was given the foreign delegates by prominent citizens of Tokyo. On this occasion, Baron Shibusawa, prominent in Japanese financial circles, read an address of welcome, in which he expressed the hope "that a gathering of this kind may be fruitful of vast and far-reaching results in bringing closer together the East and the West, and in bringing about the permanent peace of the world."
Low Ideals.
It is not to be wondered at that these Japanese statesmen and financiers, who make no profession of Christianity, should have no higher idea of its mission. But it is a cause of painful surprise that some professed Christians seem to have the same low ideal of the faith they avow. Even some of the speakers at the conference showed their lack of clear spiritual vision in comprehending the true nature and mission of Christianity. Mr. Tsunetsuru Miyagawa, a Japanese delegate, is reported to have said in an address given before the conference, that "there has been in Japan a collapse of moral principles, consequent upon the introduction of material civilization. At the critical moment, a few students at Sapporo and Kunamoto discovered that civilization can be reconciled with moral uprightness by means of Christianity. The amalgamation of the Christian spirit with the principles of Bushido forms the foundation of present Japan." When it is understood that Bushido is the comprehensive Japanese term for the spirit or code of the old feudal system of Japan, the full significance of this remarkable statement is seen. Yet we must not throw the whole responsibility for such teaching upon the Japanese. It is the legitimate fruit of World's Congresses of Religions, National Reform propaganda, and the like. But there are still grand opportunities, in Japan as elsewhere, for all who know the power of the Gospel in their own hearts and lives, and who will make no compromise with the specious errors of the world.
