THERE are various ways of describing the situation. Some call it civilizing, and some are optimistic enough to imagine that it is Christianizing; but, at any rate, there is a change taking place in the Orient, and China is apparently getting ready to fight according to modern methods. Somehow or other, the "reforms" in the Far East develop that way, and the people haven't much use for any Western ideas that do not promise increased ability to become dominating powers. They will accept our education, our politics, our commercial and manufacturing methods, and even our formal Christianity, if convinced that thereby they may become richer, and especially if they can become stronger in a military and naval sense. Japan gained prestige by applying her acquired advantages to these lines, and China is inclined to materially strengthen herself in the same lines by the same means. A returned Baptist missionary who has been six years in Huchau, gives the following statement to the Kansas City Star: There were in all China when I went just six newspapers. Now there are hundreds of them. They are active in getting news, and all of them are creditably conducted. The telegraph is everywhere, away even in the See-keen province, right on the Tibetan borders. In 1898 the empress revoked every reform promulgated by the young emperor. The public opinion created by the newspapers has forced her since then to grant every one of them. Even the ancient system of education has been abolished, and in its stead there are thousands of public schools teaching modern subjects. Six years ago there were only 150 miles of railroad in China; now there are fully 2,500 built or building. And Yien Shi Kai, viceroy of Chi Li province, has an army of 200,000 men, trained by Japanese and German officers, and both uniformed and equipped on modern lines. There are 10,000 Chinese students in Japan. China is awakening more rapidly than the people anywhere dream, and it will not be long before she becomes a world power and a great one. Of that I am firmly convinced. Supplemental to the foregoing, we give the following press despatch from Shanghai, July 8: An unprecedented and interesting spectacle was witnessed here to-day, when 4,000 Chinese volunteers, who have been drilling assiduously for the past few months, paraded through the flag-decked streets of the settlement. The men were dressed in khaki and presented a smart appearance. Only the officers wore swords. After the parade the soldiers were entertained at the yamen of the Tao Tai. The waking up of the heathen was foreseen by a prophet of the Lord many centuries ago, and the record was made as follows: "Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles: Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up; beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning-hooks into spears; let the weak say, I am strong. Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together round about; thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O Lord. Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat; for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about. Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe; come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats ["vats," R. V.] overflow; for their wickedness is great." Joel 3:9-13.