One of the important subjects brought into the immediate focus the Home Christian," referred to the fact that the "Survey of Christian Progress" stated that the percentage of women in Church membership was only 38, with only 20 per cent. church workers, and that this fact was largely because the emphasized is nice so much that of the equality of men and women, but that women have their special sphere of work and that thors loss to the general organization if they are left out. "If you say you cannot find women for the task.' she said, "may not the reason be of public attention by the recent National Christian Conference held in Shanghai was the remarkable development of the Chinese woman. People are asking: What is the position, of woman in the Chinese Chure Is she ready to assume responsibility? Is she willing to accept her share of leadership?"
For an answer to these questions I went to Miss Myfanwy Wood, who has for some months been acting as Secretary of Woman's Work for the National Christian' Conference, sharing. in the plans and the accomplishments of the great. conference just completed. Miss Wood was born in London, of Welsh parents, educated: in London and Cheltenham, and has been for the past 14 years in China where she is now Head Mistress of the London Missionary Society's school for Chinese girls in Peking. She has also served as President of the Educational Association of Chihli and Shansi Provinces and! is in such close touch with women's interests in China that the Conference asked her Mission to loan her services for this special work. importance of work for women was] that you have not given equal opnot realized. When an appeal was portunities for training?" made to woman her ready response "Miss T. C. Li represented all the proved her ability to accept laity of the church at the closing ponsibility. Women need the} session of the Conference and in a church, but the church needs women speech full of charm and vigour even more, was her contention. Be-acknowledged the share that women sides making their homes up to had been given in the Conference, date habitations of comfort, good but claimed that one-tenth was not taste and happiness, they had given really the proportion that women them a spiritual quality and their deserved. 'And as for responsi-. helpfulness did not confm@tself tot bility,' said she, why do men tire themselves out with carrying all the burden when women are waiting eager to help?"
"T have noticed so often," went on Miss Wood, "that a girl will return to her native village after a High School training, and there. in that isolated hamlet, three days journey from a railway, will ko up the work of education and in time become the centre of the local progress. May we mot believe that the salvation of China may come through her women? Her men have had their chance, may not woman with her patriotism and altruism prove the regenerating force needed?"
A Consrructive Mrssace.
"Women and the Conference?" said Miss Wood in answer to my query, "It is certainly significant that they were given a place on its crowded programme. They were Miss Myranwy Woop. put there not because we thought their names would look well whether the home but accepted the obliga-they said anything or not, but betions of Christian women in the cause we recognized that they had church and community. earned the right to be- hear Tue QuesTiONINe AcE. and had a constructive message to give. But eveh be-"Miss Ruth Cheng, sister of Dr. yond our expectations the Confer-Cheng, and on the faculty ence revealed the remarkable ability of Yen Ching College, Peking, in of Chinese women, an ability which her paper on "Women and the has in many cases remained! latent.
Church" was symptomatic of the When one considers that it is questioning attitude of the age. only a few years that girls have had She refused to accept the western an opportunity for education their tradition that women must progress development is really amazing. slowly, obtaining every right and However, we must not forget responsibility for service with that the old mother-in-law difficulty. If it is fundamentally is usually the dominating spirit right that in a democratic church of the Chinese home, d}men and women should have equal that the potential powers of Chin-duties and privileges, and if women ese women, when released and are fitted to assume their equal trained, are a force to be reckoned responsibilities, why delay? she with. asks. What has the position of "Tu listening to the four Chinese women ju western countries to do women who addressed the Confer-with us? is her query. ence, Mrs. H. C. Mei, Miss Ruth "Miss Y. J. Fan called attention to Cheng, Miss T. C. Li, and Miss Y. the fact that although the import-J. Fan I was particularly impressed ance of sending women to the Con-by their dignity of poise, sanity of ference had been stressed, only 200 thought, and. the clearness of ex-were elected—about 130 foreigners pression. " Mrs, Mei, Chairman of and the remainder Chinese. She feels the National Committee of the!that the point which needs to be
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.