American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions 
 
 Status and Outlook of Missionary Work 
 
 A Review of Conditions in the Near East 
 By Secretary JAMES L. BARTON 
 
 NEVER has the American Board faced conditions more baffling and 
 yet pregnant with potentialities of good than those confronting us 
 in the Near East today. A staggering blow was struck when the Lau- 
 sanne Conference, in 1923, put the stamp of its approval upon the 
 "exchange of populations." This gave Turkey the right to remove 
 Armenians and Greeks from her country, and it gave Greece the right to 
 do the same with Turkish populations in Greece and Macedonia. In 
 Constantinople, however, the Greeks were to be allowed to remain, 
 provided the Turks were not expelled from western Thrace. Under 
 this arrangement only a few scattering Christians still remain in the 
 country, outside of Constantinople. 
 
 Since the constituencies of the American Board across the country 
 were largely Armenians and Greeks, it becomes evident at a glance that 
 this work of large proportions has met with a severe setback. The great 
 majority of the pupils in mission schools, patients in mission hospitals, 
 nearly the entire body of membership in the evangelical churches, from 
 the Bosphorus to Persia, were Armenians and Greeks. The great 
 majority of the teachers in mission schools were from these two races, 
 supplemented by a less number of American teachers. These schools, 
 therefore, have been depopulated both of pupils and of teachers, except 
 for the Americans and a very few Turks. This does not apply, however, 
 to the Constantinople area, where Armenians, Greeks and Turks are still 
 living side by side, and where the schools are flourishing with a mixed 
 clientele. 
 
 At the present time in the Constantinople area Robert College, the 
 Constantinople College for Girls, the Bithynia High School, at Geuz 
 Tepe, the mixed school in Gedik Pasha, Miss Kinney's School for Girls 
 in Scutari, and the School of Religion, are all in full operation. Outside 
 of the Constantinople area the missionaries in Marsovan are in friendly 
 relations with the local populations, and the school in Brousa, the two 
 schools in Smyrna (International College for boys and the Collegiate 
 Institute for girls), medical work and a small school work in Talas, the 
 
educational and medical work in Adana, the medical work at Aintab, and 
 the work at Marash are still in operation, some of these under quite 
 limited conditions. In Smyrna and Brousa there are practically no 
 Armenians or Greeks among the pupils. In Talas the work is limited, 
 while in Adana the medical work under Dr. Cyril H. Haas is hampered 
 by national regulations, as it is also in Aintab. The educational work 
 in Tarsus and Marash is halted at present because of a difference of 
 understanding between the officials and the missionaries in charge. 
 
 The missionaries have withdrawn from Sivas and Harpoot, as well as 
 from Erzroom, Trebizond, Van and BitHs. The work at Mardin was 
 transferred to the Presbyterian Board of Missions four years ago because 
 of the similarity of language between Mardin and the Presbyterian field 
 at the south. 
 
 GOVERNMENTAL RESTRICTIONS 
 
 Missionary work in Turkey is contending with certain handicaps. 
 The Angora National Assembly has made regulations to the effect that 
 no religion of any kind shall be taught in a school recognized by the 
 government. These regulations apply, not only to the national schools, 
 but also to all private institutions. Turkey's position, with reference to 
 religious instruction in national schools, is essentially that taken in 
 Massachusetts and other states, except that in Turkey the regulation 
 applies to private schools, and it does not so apply in Massachusetts. 
 The Turks allow and expect religion to be taught in buildings set apart 
 for religious purposes, but such buildings cannot be regarded in any way 
 as a part of any school. 
 
 The medical work is handicapped because of the decision of the 
 Grand General Assembly that no foreigner can be allowed to practise 
 medicine in Turkey. This is essentially, as I understand, the law in the 
 state of New York and possibly in some other American states. The 
 Turkish officials, however, have decided that doctors who had received 
 a license to practise in Turkey prior to the war shall be allowed to con- 
 tinue under the old regulation. The National Medical University in 
 Constantinople has graduated many doctors who reside in the larger 
 cities of Turkey, and who are naturally jealous of foreign doctors who, 
 they maintain, because of the fact of their being foreigners, lure patients 
 away from them. 
 
 Another handicap is that the Armenian and Greek teachers, upon 
 whom the missions and the schools in Turkey were largely dependent, 
 have disappeared from all areas outside of the Constantinople region. 
 This makes it imperative that the staff of American teachers be increased 
 until from the present schools there can be raised up a group of dependa- 
 ble native teachers. The Turks, in their present state of mind, will not 
 consent to having their children taught by Armenians and Greeks, even 
 could Armenians and Greeks live in the country. 
 
 The Grand General Assembly is naturally suspicious of the work of 
 
foreign teachers, doctors and missionaries. The Turks are in an attitude 
 of self-defense. While this is not true of all, it is true of probably the 
 large majority of the Assembly. It is difficult for Turks to understand 
 the altruistic motive that has established our schools in their midst and 
 brought in the Americans, and there is a certain spirit of jealousy which 
 puts under a considerable handicap all forms of missionary work. 
 
 OFFSETTING ENCOURAGEMENTS 
 
 There are, however, encouraging features. The mass of the Turkish 
 people and the best educated of the leaders, beyond any question, feel 
 the need of American schools and American philanthropic institutions. 
 They have seen the great advance made by the Armenians and Greeks 
 through their wide patronage of American institutions during the last 
 generation, and they covet this same opportunity for their own young 
 men and women. While some of the more fanatical are suspicious and 
 eager to curtail the work of American institutions, the great mass of the 
 people desire them to continue and are eager to patronize them. This is 
 undoubtedly true also of the mission medical work. 
 
 There is a broad field opening for American schools in Turkey along 
 the line of modern agriculture. The intelligent leaders are conscious of 
 the fact that it is through the development of her vast agricultural 
 resources that Turkey is to become a self-supporting country. The 
 International College in Smyrna started an agricultural department 
 prior to the war. This department is now looked upon with high favor 
 by the Turkish officials, and it is reasonable to expect that similar depart- 
 ments at Aintab, Marsovan and other places will meet with general 
 approval. 
 
 The Turks, with the revival of the spirit of nationalism, are becoming 
 increasingly conscious of their lack of international experience, ideas and 
 ideals. Their national press is awakening to this lack. In a word, the 
 Turks are beginning to be as they have never been before a people eager 
 for information. This opens the door wide for the creation and dis- 
 semination of an educational, social, moral and religious literature in the 
 Turkish language. Much in this line has already been produced, but 
 the present revival of learning and nationalism in Turkey opens the 
 door for a much larger effort in this direction. The Bible, already 
 translated into Turkish and Arabic, cannot fail to have a rapidly 
 increased circulation throughout the Near East. 
 
 There is a readiness to form Turkish clubs for mutual improvement. 
 This grows out of present conditions and a consciousness of a lack of 
 general education and an awakening conception of nationalism and 
 internationalism. These clubs have been successfully formed, and can 
 be greatly increased. The leadership of a foreigner is welcomed, and, 
 while direct religious propaganda is excluded, an unlimited opportunity 
 is afforded for contacts which will disarm suspicion and demonstrate to 
 the Turks the underlying principles of our Christian faith. In these 
 
clubs any topic can be presented under the title of a lecture. It is 
 encouraging to note the eagerness of many Turkish young men to know 
 more about Christianity, its history, its content and its claims. 
 
 Already the interest of the young Turk in religion is becoming 
 increasingly manifest. Questions are being raised in his mind as to the 
 comparative merits of Mohammedanism and Christianity, questions 
 which he himself cannot answer. Many are seeking personal conversa- 
 tion with missionaries on the subject of religion in general as well as of 
 personal religion. There is every reason to expect that this spirit of 
 inquiry will increase as friendly contacts increase, and as the young men, 
 and the young women, too, realize the difference between the two reli- 
 gions. This is one of the present methods of approach and very likely the 
 most effective now open to the missionaries. When the Turks seek the 
 conversation the missionary is free to speak. 
 
 A RECEDING OPPOSITION 
 
 In the past Turks have been suspicious of anything that seemed like 
 an attempt to proselyte. They avoid Christian services and are con- 
 stantly warned against the influence of missionaries. This has been 
 carried to such an extent that when a Turk hears the name of Christ 
 mentioned or a plea in favor of Christianity, it arouses a keen sense of 
 opposition and makes unavailable any message that may be delivered. 
 There is every reason to believe that under the present regulations, 
 where there is to be in the schools no reading of scripture, no prayer, no 
 singing of Christian hymns, no Christian symbols, gradually this 
 opposition will die down, and the relation between the Turkish pupil and 
 his Christian teacher will become more normal. In other words, the 
 habitual attitude of resistance will decrease until it disappears. In the 
 meantime, the Christian teacher will not fail to impress upon his pupils 
 the necessity of a brotherly spirit of friendly co-operation and cordial 
 relationship. He will teach the absolute necessity of truthfulness in 
 utterance and in manner, of purity of life, word and character, of abso- 
 lute integrity in dealing one with another. In other words, the Christian 
 teacher in the Christian school, from which religious instruction is 
 excluded by law, will impress upon his pupils those principles which lie 
 at the very foundation of our Christian thinking and Christian living. 
 The missionary will thus have opportunity to build Christian character 
 into the lives of his Turkish pupils. The intelligent pupil will be quick 
 to discern that these are fundamental Christian principles. The soul 
 of a teacher in whose heart the Christ dwells is thus brought into contact 
 with the souls of his pupils who have not known Him, and it is through 
 such contacts that life and power are transmitted. 
 
 There is assurance that under this new order the Turks with whom 
 the Christian teacher comes in contact will be disarmed of resistance 
 and that ultimately a door of approach to the Turkish heart will be 
 opening wider and wider. There is no doubt that to the Turks today 
 
actions will speak vastly louder than any words that can be uttered; 
 that the life of a missionary will have an influence far surpassing any 
 reading of scripture, any public prayer that may be offered, or any ver- 
 bal message he may bring. It may be that under these new regulations 
 over which we can have no control, there may be discovered a way of 
 Christian approach to the confidence and the hearts of the Turks which 
 we would not have discovered if left to deal with this subject in our own 
 traditional way. 
 
 Japan, at one time, excluded all religious instruction from Christian 
 schools. That regulation was accepted and the mission schools went 
 on. The restriction has now been wholly removed and not infrequently 
 missionaries and Japanese pastors are called upon to give Christian 
 addresses in the public schools of the empire. 
 
 MINISTERING TO CHRISTIAN REFUGEES 
 
 The American Board is following the refugees from Turkey into 
 Syria and Greece. They are aiding in the opening of schools and in the 
 support of Christian services under native pastors and preachers, and 
 doing all in their power for the comfort of the people in their wanderings. 
 This in itself constitutes an extensive piece of missionary work and 
 supplements the direct work carried on within the bounds of Turkey at 
 the present time. 
 
 THE BEGINNING OF A NEW ERA 
 
 The missionary work of the American Board in the Near East is not 
 by any means ended. This may be but the beginning of a new era. 
 The American Board entered the Near East with the Mohammedan 
 populations as a goal, mentioned ahead of the Armenians and the Greeks. 
 That fundamental purpose has never been changed. Large quantities 
 of Christian literature have been circulated among the Mohammedans, 
 and especially the New Testament in the vernacular. These Testa- 
 ments have been sold by the tens of thousands. By many proofs the 
 missionaries are convinced that these books have been widely read, and 
 are still treasured. Much good seed has been sown, but the constant 
 restrictions placed upon the Turks, hitherto, have prevented public con- 
 fession of Christianity, although there have been many open confessions 
 of belief in Jesus Christ. The constituency of the American Board 
 could not take the position that, because conditions in Turkey have sud- 
 denly changed, that work should be abandoned after a century of seed 
 sowing and planting. The Nationalist Government declares, with 
 reiterated emphasis, that there is to be absolute religious liberty through- 
 out the length and breadth of the land. There are many indications 
 that this represents a purpose on the part of the leaders to make reli- 
 gion as free in Turkey as it is in the United States. The abolition of the 
 Caliphate indicates the determination of the government to be free from 
 religious dictation. 
 
THE SENDING OF RECRUITS 
 
 During the ten years following the outbreak of the war there have 
 been very few new missionary appointees to Turkey. In that period 
 also new missionaries' graves have appeared in a number of our stations 
 throughout Asia Minor. Other workers, broken in health, have been 
 invalided home. . Still others have reached the age where they can no 
 longer bear the heavy burden of constructive work. Unless the Board 
 is ready to allow its work in Turkey to crumble and the present oppor- 
 tunity to lapse, and the planting of a hundred years to fail of the waiting 
 harvest, a reasonable number of new missionaries must be appointed. 
 It is not the purpose of the Board, at the present time, to add greatly to 
 our staff in this important field, but it is necessary to make appointments 
 of a few carefully selected and specially trained young men and women, 
 who can be on the ground and there prepare themselves by mastering 
 the Turkish language and becoming familiar with the conditions under 
 which work must be carried on. This will require at least two years of 
 close application, under the wise and experienced leaders still in the field. 
 At the same time, it is an imperative duty for us to follow the Christian 
 populations in their exile, to Syria and Greece, and we must have in mind 
 that as soon as the Soviet Government of the Russian Caucasus permits, 
 that field, too, naturally belongs to the American Board. The Caucasus 
 today is crowded with refugees from our long-cultivated fields in Turkey, 
 and they are eager for the modern school and for Christian work of 
 every kind. This entire section of the world, including Greece and 
 Syria, and the Russian Caucasus, has been left by common consent to 
 the American Board, as representing the Congregational churches of the 
 United States. It is a mighty responsibility, as well as an unprecedented 
 opportunity. We hold the trust for Christendom, and we must not fail. 
 
 Congregational House 
 Boston, Mass. 
 June 16, 1924