It is very interesting fo note from the annual report of the National Bible Society of Scotland, that the demand for the Scriptures has increased in China during last year, instead of having diminished, as might have been expected from the difficulties of transportation and from the division of the country into occupied and unoccupied "areas. In 1940 165,840 more Bibles, Testaments. and portions were distributed than in 1939, When it is considered that one of the principal routes to the interior, through Indo-China, was closed during the year, the result is remarkable. In spite of the troubles through which the Chinese people are passing, there seems to be an increasing demand for the Scriptures. Or perhaps it is because of these troubles, that the Word of comfort is so welcome. In addition to the horrors of war, China again suffered from the flooding of the Yellow River, destroying homes and ruining crops, with a result that thousands of Chinese perished. In other parts of the country the population suffered from drought, and the political situation in many cases prevented the usual relief organizations from functioning in the stricken areas. There was also active opposition on the part of some Japanese to the spread of Christianity, in. the. interior. They maintained that the Christian doctrine was ineompatil ible with their "new order," which shows that either they have completely misunderstood the Christian doctrine with its "render unto Cæsar the things. which are Caesar's", or that the "new order," as they interpret it, is sadly in need of revision. A word that constantly recurs in the China section of the report is "difficulty." In the main, however, most of the difficulties have been overcome, often after long delays. Through the ce-operation of many helpers, the Scriptures have continued to reach every part of the country. Sometimes they have have had to be transported through both the Japanese and the Chinese lines—but they have got there, The report refers to definite persecution of Christians in some areas, notably in Shansi, where conditions have been much disturbed. On the whole, however, there seems to be a real increase in the demand for the Scriptures, and a persistent hunger for spiritual things which missionaries and agents of the society have attempted to assuage. Colporteurs of the Society have often been caught in dis. tricts were hostilities have been active and have been forced thereby to blaze new trails. A result has been that some cities in the interior which were not on the regular routes have received the Bible and have shown great interest. These cities, it is hoped, will in future be included in the regular journeys made, and a frequent supply of the Scriptures will be made available when possible,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.