To the Editor of the "Normu Cuixa Dany News"
Sir,—Speaking in generalities it must be in fairness admitted that Mr.
CHs, W, RANKIN is not without some justification for the complaints contained in his letter published in your issue of the 16th instant and I consider it exceedingly generous of your correspondent "AMERICAN MISSIONARY" to issue so emphatic a dissociation for himself and on behalf of some of his esteemed colleagues, in your issue for to-day.
Animosity towards the missions certainly does exist to some extent among elements of the Chinese populace but the antagonists of Christians in China are composed entirely of Chinese who are not at all acquainted with the true nature of the missions, their motives and activities and what is worse still they never entertained the slightest desire to get acquainted and see for themselves the truth, Some of these antagonists are even under the self-evident erroneous impression that the missionaries are the paid agents of foreign imperialism, Unfortunately an organized and bigoted minority will frequently overrule the desires of the preponderant unorganized majority and so in the present instance certain measures were) forced through the competent Chinese government organs to "re gulate" the missions. These regulations fostered by extreme nationalists and launched forth some twelve years ago at the swell of the tide of national consciousness which swept the Chinese people off their feet could not be equitable nor conducive to mission activities and indeed they were neither, Although it was stipulated by the regulations that a Chinese shall be appointed to head the various mission institutions no dispossession has taken place for the Chinese appointees have always exercised their prerogatives with extreme discretion and the affairs of the missions and their affiliated institutes are always posed of only with the advice and consent of their foreign and Chinese able to carry on as usual sud 3 conferees. Thus the missions were
Brought about by the regulative and t harmony. The only change restrictive measures was the nominal control of the Chinese chiefs, pace precludes the recapitulation of the multitudinous things, the missions have done for the Chinese nation, bringing into the country millions and millions of dollars of investment for which no return is made nor ever expected. The other day I happened to meet an alumna of the Yenching University and was greatly strike by hèr education and refinement. It suddenly dawned on me what the missions have done in the emancipation of some two hundred million Chinese women. For were it not for the missions this all-round developed charming young lady would be hobbling about on small feet, probably could neither read nor write and her chief accomplishment would be needle work.
If the missions have done nothing for us except the elevation of Chinese women io the righteous place they would have accomplished plenty. Missionaries are our friends and may they always be with us, sympathetic in our sorrow and rejoice in our gladness, I may be permitted to urge Mr. RANKIN and other missionaries who have some grievance to be patient for amende honorable will be made in the course of time as more and more Chinese realize what the missions have done for us, Kao Kwok.
Shanghai, Nov. 20.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.