Romantic War History of Manchurian Missionary: A Brave Man's Fear From Our Own Correspondent, Fakumen, Man., Jan. 5.
Following your appreciative article, "A Missionary M.. P.," it may be of interest to add some further information on the subject of the article, for, as you say, "this is the first instance of a worker in ithe China mission field having entered Parliament."
Captain John Primrose Hay, 41.4. (Guascow), was lecturer on mathe-amaties and physics in the Manchuria Christian College, Mukden, which ig a union institution under the Scottish, Irish and Danish Missions. Among the missionaries he was distinctly a new and stimulating type, belonging in opinion to the Independent Labour Party, and being a strong Socialist. Everyone enjoyed his witty, pungent and well-informed conversation, not least the Chinese students, who admired and respected him.
Although previously he had been definitely anti-war, the sinking of the Lusitania led him to change his mind. He went Home to Scotland and tried to join up. At first, the doctors would not pass him, but, by dint of perseverance, he got into the army and was soon at the front as an officer of the Royal Garrison Artillery. After being through severe-fighting, in which he carried his wound stripe, he was transferred to the Chinese Labour Corps and was: placed on the Technical Staff.
A BRAVE EXAMPLE, Once he was on duty in a region swept by shell-fire, to which he had been ordered, with a view to bringing back to discipline a Chinese Company demoralized by fear. Calling for volunteers, he led out a handful of the bravest into the danger-zone and set' them to their tasks. While they were tremblingly awaiting the next explosion, one of them crept up close to Capt. Hay, caught him by the hand, and began to feel his pulse.
"What do you mean by that?' asked the Captain.
"T want to find out,' replied the coolie, "whether you are afraid."
"Afraid!" was the instant rejoinder. Afraid! Yes, of course, I am just as afraid as you are. But I do not runj away." (In Chinese the remark is even more effective than in English.)
No one ever accused Capt. Hay of loss of nerve or deficiency of courage. Rash, he was considered by many, especially in the matter that led to his arrest and court martial. If he was rash, he was so with entire deliberation. Again and again he attempted to bring the condition of the Chinese Prison and the Disciplinary Corps to the notice of his superiors, but no notice was taken of his serious charges of injustice in the treatment of the Chinese by the British Unwilling
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.