REPORT ON CHINA OF THE Commission on the Orient OF THE World’s Sunday-school Association Presented at the World’s Seventh Sunday-school Convention, Zurich, Switzerland, July 8-lS, 1913 The Commission on the Orient, including Hawaii, Japan, Korea, China and the Philippines: Chairman : Mr. H. J. Heinz, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Secretary; Mr. Frank L. Brown, 247 New York Ave., Brooklyn, N. Y. Rev. Janies B. Rodgers, D.D., New York City. Rev. James L. McLaughlin, Manila, Philippine Islands. Rev. Harry Farmer, Manila, Philippine Islands. Rev. W. Nelson Bitton, D.D., Shanghai, China. Rev. W. H. Lacy, D.D., Shanghai, China. Rev. E. G. Tewksbury, Shanghai, China. Rev. R. E. Chambers, Canton, China. Rev. Kajinosuke Ibuka, M.A., D.D., Tokyo, Japan. Rev. H. Kosaki, D.D., Tokyo, Japan. Rev. T. Ukai, Tokyo, Japan. Rev. J. G. Dunlop, Kanazawa, Japan. Rev. George Heber Jones, D.D., New York. Rev. S. A. Moffat, D.D., Pyeng Yang, Korea. The section of the Oriental Commission report herein given appears (in part) in “World-Wide Sunday-school Work,” the Official Report of the World’s Seventh Sunday-school Convention, which contains also similar reports on Hawaii, Japan, Korea and The Philippines, and reports of the Commissions on Continental Europe, South Africa, India, Latin-America, and Mohammedan Lands. The volume con- tains 664 pages, with 70 pages of illustrations, and may be had for $1 from the World’s Sunday-school Association (American Section), Metropolitan Tower, New York City. For information as to this and other pamphlet reprints of the Commission Reports, apply to the same address. 1 2 Rev. W. A. Noble, D.D., Pyeng Yang, Korea. Rev. J. G. Holdcroft, Pyeng Yang, Korea. Hon. Wm. R. Castle, Honolulu, Hawaii. Mr. Theodore Richards, Honolulu, Hawaii. Rev. Henry P. Judd, Kahului Maui, Hawaii. Rev. J. F. Cowan, Kohala, Hawaii. Rev. Floyd W. Tomkins, D.D., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Rev. H. M. Hamill, D.D., Nashville, Tennessee. Rev. Dillon Bronson, D.D., Boston, Massachusetts. Hon. Samuel B. Capen, Boston, Massachusetts. Rev. Fred P. Haggard, D.D., Boston, Massachusetts. Rev. J. Ross Stevenson, D.D., Baltimore, Maryland. In that part of the Orient represented in the report of this com- mission, namely, Hawaii, Japan, Korea, Philippines, China, we have an aggregate population of 500,000,000, one third of the human race. Against the mass we place the Bible school membership of these coun- tries — 500,000. But in doing so we do not forget David and Goliath and the pebbles of God’s word, nor Gideon and his band, nor the great promise that “one shall chase a thousand,” the exact propor- tions of this contrast, and as we recall that “two shall put ten thou- sand to flight,” we thank God for the margin and move on. In the Orient we are standing at the most marvelous moment in Christian history. The time-worn religions of these countries are crumbling. They are not sufficient for the modern life. They do not relate morality and religion. The light of education is dissolving the awful shadows of superstitions that have for centuries blighted the individual and the home. The educated young people of these countries, the hope of the future, are refusing en masse the claims of the old religions and stand facing the new day without any religion ex- cept as they have known Christ. The educators and national leaders are facing the alternative of constructing nations without a foundation in moral or religious character, or to build upon Christ. The priest- hood of the old religions, affrighted by their loss of grip, are making futile efforts to retrieve lost ground, and by feeble imitations of Chris- tian methods are seeking to galvanize the corpse into life. The solemn question comes to this generation. Shall we allow this wonderful moment when the steel is in the making, when the great purpose of the coming and the death of Christ can be fulfilled to these people, to pass by, never to be regained? Or shall we count ourselves the trustees of the Cross for this generation and legislate 3 and give of life and means and pra 3 ’er to save a race? If we fail to do this we have robbed the people of their inheritance. The problems of the Orient are at once the most stupendous and fascinating in the world’s thinking; stupendous because of the enor- mous populations involved ; fascinating because dealing with ancient civilizations at the most strategic moment in all their age long history. The impact of the West, and a Christian West, is swaying this mass of humanity toward Christ. Eager hands are held out toward the Christian leadership of the world asking for help adequate to the great need for uplift. Undismayed by the greatness of the task, with absolute confidence in the sufficiency of Christ, the Sunday-school forces of the world hold out to the myriads of these countries the uncorrupted Word of God as the Bread of Life for their hunger — as fed to each life by the hands of the living teacher in the institution of the Sunday-school, and the ideals of that Book as the best motives and safeguards of the individual, the home, the community and nation. There have been Sunday-schools in the Orient from the advent of the first missionary. Bible instruction for the children has gone hand in hand with the work for adults. These missionaries had, most of them, received their call to service and first training in the Book while in the Sunday-schools of the homeland. They have made the Sunday- school an important part of the work of missions. The character of this Sunday-school work, as conducted by the mis- sionaries, was shaped by the form of the Sunday-school at the time when they left the homeland, and bj' the necessities of the environ- ment of the native Sunday-school work, an environment circumscribed by limited quarters, lack of lesson material and quality and number of teachers. The missionary was frequently the only teacher and the Bible lesson taught to all ages at one time, and the dome of the building God’s blue sky. As children and parents were alike ignorant of the Bible this simple plan of Sunday-school work was effective. With the grovv^th of the native church and the educational work of missions the work of Bible instruction through the Sunday-school assumed certain fixed forms in the Orient. 1. The Sunday-school attached to the organized church, more or less graded according to local conditions and leadership. 2. The Sunday-school composed of members of Christian secondary schools and colleges, and taught largely by the teachers of such institutions. 4 3. The Sunday-school composed largely of scholars in attendance at the primary Christian day schools and taught usually by the day school teachers, the attendance at Sunday-school a condi- tion often of membership in the school. The Bible is a text- book in such schools. 4. Missionary Sunday-schools of children of non-Christian parents sometimes called “heathen” Sunday-schools, these schools estab- lished and maintained by churches or secondary schools and col- leges, and taught by the students in such institutions or by missionaries. Several outstanding needs of the field were clearly formulated when the World’s Sunday-school Association, following the presentation of the subject at the Toronto Convention eight years ago, began to plan for the Orient. 1. Such organization of the field as should bring together the mis- sionaries and native workers in interdenominational coopera- tive effort in order to bring to bear the most help possible for the local Sunday-school and the local Sunday-school worker. 2. The development of an adequate literature for the field. 3. The training of a Sunday-school leadership through the theo- logical seminary and Christian educational institutions and churches. 4. The need of a vision of the Sunday-school as the Bible teaching service for the entire church and community as the surest and sanest method for the evangelization and training of the Orient. In 1906 the World’s Sunday-school Association, in cooperation with the missionary organizations, sent a commissioner to Hawaii, Japan, Korea and China to ascertain conditions and assist in developing these objects, namely, organization, literature, leadership, vision. In 1911 a commissioner visited these fields and the Philippines. Organization was effected, institutes held, methods suggested, exhibits shown, inspira- tion given, and the missionaries and native workers felt the heart- beat and hand-clasp of the organized Sunday-school work as members of the world’s Sunday-school family. This vital touch upon the five fields represented in this report has been increased by the World’s Sunday-school Association through the furnishing of secretaries, by the development of headquarters at centers, through correspondence and literature. In the development of the work of Commission No. 4 on the Con- ditions, Needs and Opportunity of Sunday-school work in the Orient the following plans have been employed: 5 1. The best expert knowledge was obtained from secretaries of mis- sion boards conversant with the field, from laymen and others who had visited these countries, and from missionaries from the fields who were on furlough in America. 2. An all-day conference was called by the chairman in Philadel- phia of those most closely informed as to actual conditions, such as Bishop Harris, of Japan and Korea; Dr. George Heber Jones of Korea; Dr. Gamewell of China, and Rev. James McLaughlin of the Philippines. Some who could not be pres- ent, such as Bishop Bashford of China, and Bishop Oldham of the Philippines, sent valuable communications. 3. Commissions related to the General Commission were formed in each of the five fields under investigation, and consisted of some of the best Sunday-school leadership in each country. These commissions developed information by means of ques- tionnaires sent out to native workers in the language of each field, covering so far as possible every Sunday-school and the key workers in these countries. Each of these local commis- sions has made its own report to the General Commission. 4. Questionnaires were sent to the key missionaries in the five countries. 5. Members of the Commission used the opportunity of the recent commission tour to the Orient to confer with leaders and ob- serve conditions. The result of these investigations, conferences, reports and obser- vations as related to each field is represented herewith with specific recommendations for the guidance of those interested in these coun- tries. Each field has its peculiar conditions and needs growing out of the relation of religious education to the customs of the people, prog- ress in general education, attitude of the authorities, and vitality of other religions. In general, it may be stated concerning these countries of the Orient: 1. That the Sunday-school is the line of least resistance in the progress of the kingdom. 2. The opportunity of great Sunday-school expansion is limited only by lack of men, means and methods. 3. The Sunday-school is the natural link in the reaching of the home. The love of the Oriental for children is God’s open way. 4. The Sunday-school is absolutely needed as a feeder for the church, as a source of supply of material for church educational institutions and as the opportunity of training a leadership and membership grounded on the Word of God from their youth. 6 CHINA The revolution in China has thrown wide open the door to Christi- anity. The Chinese leaders of to-day seem to be in sympathy with Christianity, even where not openly professors. Many of these leaders have been educated in Christian lands. In a wondrous moment the scepter of China’s future has been thrust into the hands of the Chris- tian church, and we stand amazed and awed, facing the two hundred millions of the youth and children of China just waking up to a knowl- edge of their own worth and possibilities. But we look up also with glad eyes and reverent faith into the face of Jesus Christ, China’s hope. And we look down too to the open Book. And then we seek for the teacher to break this bread of life to the nation that may yet control the destiny of the world. We turn first to the organization charged with the responsibility of the Sunday-school work in China, the China Sunday-school Union. At the 1910 convention of the World’s Sunday-school Association the British Sunday-school Union, acting for the British section of the World’s Association, assumed the responsibility for developing an organized Sunday-school movement in China. The Rev. E. G. Tewks- bury was chosen as national secretary, commencing his work in Janu- ary, 1911. The organization of the China Sunday-school Union fol- lowed a few months later. The Sunday-school committee of the China Centenary Conference of 1907 prepared a tentative constitution for this Union, and is at present acting as its executive body. The so-called First National Convention of the union was held in twelve sectional meetings at various places during the recent visit of the World’s Com- mission tour party. Headquarters of the union are at Shanghai. The immensity of China, each province a proposition of many millions, makes imperative sectional organizations, each with a trained secretary acting under the general secretary. Some nine such organizations have been effected and one Chinese associate secretary for Fukien Province employed. Good men for associate secretaries are ready but cannot be employed for lack of funds. Four visits to China from America have been made by commissioners from the World’s Sunday-school Association, one six years ago, one two years ago, and two this year. During these visits, principally to South China, local organization has been developed and inspiration and prac- tical help carried to the workers. The World’s Commission tour party, headed by Mr. Heinz, covered principally Central and North China. Before presenting a close view of the Sunday-school work in China 7 we must consider in what respects the work here is of necessity dif- ferentiated from the developed work in Christian lands and from much of the other Sunday-school work in the Orient. 1. The Sunday-school is but one of several agencies for Bible instruc- tion. Others may be mentioned ; for example, curriculum Bible study, as required by most Christian schools, the Y. M. C. A. Bible study in the higher schools and colleges, station classes for inquirers and cate- chumens, evening Bible study classes. 2. It is composed in large proportion of students. Most organized Sunday-schools in China have for their nucleus, and also for the bulk of their membership, scholars from day and boarding schools. Ordi- nary church members are but a small proportion of those who attend. Moreover, not a larger proportion of the total church membership is found in the Sunday-school at all. This is not to suggest that there are no Sunday-schools for purely heathen children, aside from these Christian day schools. These are notable instances of large success in building up such schools. It is to be noted that secular education has not yet been made com- pulsory by the government. Village Christian day schools can thus be a most common feature of mission work. 3. Not Accurately Graded. — Accurate grading, based on physical and intellectual development, is complicated by differences in Bible knowl- edge and in the ability to read of those who otherwise could be taught in the same grade. 4. The Sunday-school teachers are largely from those who are giving their whole time to Christian work. — The teaching force of the organized Sunday-school consists in general of missionaries, Chinese men and women workers in the regular employ of the mission school or church, and the teachers and older students in the schools. The ordinary lay membership as yet probably furnishes but a very small proportion of the Sunday-school teachers. It should be noted that under Mr. Tewksbury’s use of Mr. Archibald’s plan of employing students in teaching small groups of children there is developing in many educational centers a splendid body of young men and women who will constitute an increasing volunteer force for teaching service in China. 5. The Sunday-school is not yet fully indigenous. — The aim and pur- pose and plan of the Sunday-school is not fully understood. Where careful expert supervision is withdrawn, and especially in country dis- tricts where the bulk of the work lies, and where the pastor, untrained in Sunday-school work, is the superintendent, the schools are in danger 8 of becoming the expository-preaching-service type with but little to differentiate the Sunday-school service type from the preaching service. Mr. Tewksbury’s presentation at the recent tour party conventions, of platform demonstrations of this sort of a Sunday-school in contrast with the Sunday-school of to-morrow, graphically visualized to the Chinese the two types. After noting these differences between the Sunday-school work of China to-day and in other lands we have these strong words from a Chinese writer and Sunday-school worker, Mr. P. S. Yi, an able and enthusiastic Sunday-school superintendent of the Methodist Episcopal Church South, Shanghai ; “However, the Sunday-school has a more important place in China than it has in America or any other Christian nation. We all know that Christianity has been preached in foreign lands for many centuries and its doctrines have already been interwoven into their laws and customs, and its influence felt in almost every town and community. But it is quite different in China. Christianity is still in its infancy and most parts of the country have not yet had any churches ; and a large percentage of our people have never had a chance of hearing the gospel. The Sunday-school will no doubt be a sort of preparatory de- partment for the church. Ordinary people understand a Sunday-school lesson more readily than a sermon. A well-organized and well-con- ducted Sunday-school will have a tremendous power in winning men for Christ. Therefore the Sunday-school is invaluable to the Chinese as a popular and easily accessible Bible institute.” I. Statistics There are 3,200 Christian congregations in China. On the basis of returns from 2,500 of these, 120,000 is figured as the grand total of Sunday-school scholars for China, but these figures are probably under rather than over, as accurate figures are not obtainable. The figures from Fukuen Province, however, where there is a well-developed day- school plan, are of interest : Officers and Teachers 482 Between 3 and 12 2,601 Between 12 and 20 1,591 Over 20 1,123 Total 5,797 9 II. Sunday-school Equipment In general the school is poorly equipped. Very few schools have reference libraries in Chinese or English. These books are just being produced by the China Sunday-school Union. Not a Sunday-school has a building specially designed for its purpose, with the accessories of wall and relief maps. Churches or rented rooms are the usual housing for the Sunday-school. There is but little separation of the primary department from the school by a curtain or room. Perhaps one-fourth of the schools have blackboards, and about the same proportion have organs. Cards and colored pictures from America and England have been used to attract attendance. The new China graded lessons with accompanying illustrations are serving a fine purpose in promoting interest III. Grading and Lessons The grading in the ordinary Sunday-school consists of classes for children and classes for men and women. Young people in their teens are not found in any number in the ordinary Sunday-school, except in stations where there are boarding schools or higher educational institu- tions. If not in Christian schools they are employed on Sunday, often from early years. Of the lesson helps in use 90 per cent, are the International uniform series and 10 per cent, the excellent new graded lessons of the Union. The China Sunday-school Union issues over 60,000 lesson helps for each Sunday, and about 20,000 per Sunday are issued from other sources. The Union’s output has doubled in two years. These helps for the use of Chinese teachers will be greatly strengthened by a supplement to the teachers’ quarterly, prepared by a Chinese for the Chinese. Many of the illustrated and other notes translated from foreign lesson helps are not understood by the Chinese. Beginners’ primary and junior lessons adapted from the Keystone leaflets of the International Sunday-school lesson series have been issued. Of the first series of the “Beginners,” the third edition is now in press and the sales of these graded lessons have aggregated 12,000 in a little over a year and have not interfered with the sale of the Uniform lessons. There is insistent demand now for lessons for the intermediate department. These can be used in the many educational institutions. And this demand, despite the revolution, indicates the greater attention being given to Sabbath Bible teaching. The China Sunday-school Journal, in English, edited by the general 10 secretary, with lesson notes and general Sunday-school information and high-grade material for use of Sunday-school workers, would do credit to any country. IV. Sunday-school Session and Program The time of the session is about an hour. The program includes the usual features of song, prayer, lesson reading, reviews, calling of roll and secretary’s report, reciting of golden text or other memory work. The feature of the Sunday-school service is the long summing up by the superintendent of the Sunday-school lesson. Bibles are not yet generally in use in the schools, although many have the New Testa- ment. Many of the adults, of course, cannot read. The Scripture memory work, however, of the Chinese children is remarkable. Blocks of Scripture are packed away in memory with facility. Seven girls in the Presbyterian girls’ school in Canton are said to have recited the entire New Testament from memory. What magnificent material this for a great Bible-school nation. The usual special days of the year, such as Christmas and Easter, are observed by these schools. V. The Pastor and His Work As the preacher is usually the Sunday-school superintendent, he is necessarily present at the .Sunday-school service. He is often a teacher as well. His special training for Sunday-school service has been prac- tically neglected in the past in the theological seminaries, as in America, and it is not to be wondered at, therefore, that the Sunday-school of which he is director has not risen above his vision of it. But some of the seminaries are planning to correct their past dereliction in this by the introduction of special courses on Sunday-school pedagogy, psy- chology and methods. In view of the tremendous need of Sunday-school specialization, the strategic thing would seem to be to create at some central point or points a special department on Sunday-school pedagogy and manage- ment, to train specialists for service in institutions where pastors and workers are being prepared for service. VI. Superintendents As stated above, preachers are usually the Sunday-school superin- tendents. From the lay membership, and especially from Christian students, we must expect to draw our future leadership. For all who superintend the new correspondence specialization courses of the China Sunday-school Union afford a splendid channel of training and a num- ber of superintendents have received the first certificates for this course. VII. Teacher-training The general character of the teaching staff has been referred to above. In well-developed Sunday-school sections, such as the Fukuen Province, the personnel of the teaching force is encouraging. Out of 482 Sun- day-school teachers and officers reported, the analyses show : Young men from schools 140 Young women from schools 90 Week day teachers of such schools 20 Bible women 30 Missionaries 26 Pastors 47 Others 129 For the training of Sunday-school teachers the China Sunday-school Union has issued a special course of six books in English and Chinese. These books are: “The Sunday-school of To-morrow,” by G. H. Archi- bald ; “The Primary Department,” by Miss Ethel J. Archibald ; “The Junior Department,” by G. H. Archibald; “Teacher-Training with the Master Teacher,” by C. S. Beardslee; “Talks to the Training Class,” Hetty Lee; “The Seven Laws of Teaching,” by J. M. Gregory. The special gift of $1,000 from the World’s Sunday-school Associa- tion has made it possible to issue these books. The sales already have been large wherever the books have been presented. Handsome certificates of the China Sunday-school Union are issued to those passing examination upon the first book of the course, seals being added for each succeeding book mastered. It was the privilege of Mr. Heinz and members of the commission tour party to present some of these first certificates at various places to the bright young people of the Christian educational institutions at Nanking, Peking and elsewhere, and the eagerness of these young peo- ple for this work is a promise of great things for the teaching quality of China’s to-morrow. Two summer schools of method at Ruling and Peitaiho, attended by Chinese Sunday-school workers and Bible teachers, have been held, covering a six weeks’ course. They have been conducted by the gen- 12 eral secretary and select leaders. The results have been highly com- mended. Sunday-school institutes have been held in over a dozen places. These are for Chinese ■workers and last from one to three days. VIII. Pupils As the Sunday-school scholars in China are also largely in attendance at the Christian day and boarding schools and taught week day and Sunday by the same teacher, the teachers are in close contact with the pupils, and plans ordinarily necessary for close acquaintance between pupil and teacher do not obtain here. Home visitation by teachers is not usual. The social plans often include the annual school rally, but recreation as such has not entered largely into the plans for China. The great field day feature planned by Mr. Tewksbury in connection with the recent commission tour party visit was the first large union effort to promote the social and recreational life of Sunday-school young people. The great success of those gatherings will doubtless lead to an increasing emphasis upon a neglected need of young life. Of that Shanghai field day the Chinese Mercury said: “For here was young China at its best. Young Shanghai, a type of young China, freed from many of the fetters of old superstitions; emancipated in the case of the women, from the effects of millenniums of enforced ignorance and seclusion; bright, cheery, intellectual; types which any country might well be proud of, and which, if China is to be re- invigorated at all, may be trusted to perform the task.” Consul-General Wilder, at the Sunday-school rally at Shanghai, re- marked of these Chinese boys and girls: “Give these young people an education and they will do as well as your children and mine.” IX. The Homes The proportion of Sunday-school homes that are probably Christian varies decidedly in different localities, Fukuen reporting one-tenth, Swatow 90 per cent., others one-half. As the Sabbath is used as a day of labor the hindrance to Sunday- school attendance of non-Christian children is apparent. All days being alike, children can easily forget the Sunday-school as such unless spe- cially interested. Children of the Christian day schools usually attend the Sunday-school, although in many cases they are obliged to work on Sunday. There is practically no antagonism now to the teaching of the Sun- 13 day-school. A great change has come in the last few years and now there seems to be a strong movement toward Christianity. The prob- lem will be to care for this movement. Sunday-school interest could be used as a great wedge into the home if teachers had time to follow up this “open sesame,” said a leading worker. “If we can get one million into the Sunday-schools of China, it will mean one million Christians ten years hence,” and this through the direct influence on the children and the influence upon the home through the Sunday-school literature. This question of reaching the home of the non-Christian through mission Sunday-schools and extension of the day schools is one of the most promising features of the work. These schools can be estab- lished without limit if there are means and workers. Disused temple court yards are being offered for use for this purpose. Miss Hughes, of Kiukiang, has 1,500 heathen children in five Sunday-schools in the city, and reports that the number could easily be increased to 5,000 if she had the equipment, using graduates of the Bible school as teachers. And the Chinese are eager to help defray expenses of the primary day schools if the missionaries will only open these up and send a student as a teacher. The eagerness of the Chinese for education is impressive. Appreciation for the waste material sent from America is thus ex- pressed : “A great help;” “Very helpful;” “They often form the brightest spot in the home, and are the most conspicuous decoration;” “They are in great demand among the ‘learners’ and attract people to the church and Christian influence;” “They are widely used and eagerly sought for;” “Intensely longed for, greatly appreciated, and used to decorate the home, and the stories which the pictures illustrate are often told to visitors.” X. Public Attitude Toward the Sunday-school From the non-Christian teachers of the Confucian classics there would naturally be opposition to the institution which gives emphasis to the great Christian classic, the Bible. The thoughtful Chinese leaders who are planning for a great future for China recognize the insuffi- ciency of the Confucian classics to make religious character, as Con- fucianism is a moral code and not a religion, and at the present time Christianity is openly welcomed as a solvent of many of China’s prob- lems. Ex-Minister Wu, in welcoming the commission tour party, said that China was open to Christianity, and urged the Sunday-school forces to do everything possible to make Christians of the Chinese. Dr. Mott said recently that everything is wide open in China for Christianity. The opportunity of the centuries is here. 14 XL Other Religious Systems and the Sunday-school China is practically without a religion. Its idols are being openly destroyed, its temples are going to decay, or are being turned to Chris- tian or public uses. The children and youth of China are therefore growing up without religious instruction. XII. Church and Sunday-school In China the church has usually preceded the Sunday-school. While the opportunities of extension of Christian work through new Sunday- schools is limitless the missions have usually no funds for this, even if workers were available. But the Sunday-school is recognized as absolutely essential to the church as a training place for new converts in Bible truth ; it provides definite work for church members and trains a generation for service. XIII. Sunday-school Support Owing to the general poverty of the Chinese church, funds for Sun- day-school equipment and support must be supplemented from foreign sources. Some help has been given by some denominations for lesson literature, but the development of the work has been handicapped by failure of adequate support. The missionaries have to assist in many places from their own funds. The opinion is general that results would be greatly increased if there were adequate funds and special encour- agement of the work by secretarial supervision. XIV. General The next ten years in China offer unusual opportunities for a great Sunday-school advance. The reasons given by workers are worth noting: “This is a day of open ears. Shall the church and Sunday- school speak unto them? They may be closed or turned in other direc- tions soon;” “Nurtures church membership in preparation for great movement toward Christianity. Prepares for compulsory education which will take away day school children from Christian schools “The Sunday-school is part of a campaign of education and can be used to enforce the truth taught in the day schools, but with a direct effort to bring the scholar to a decision for Christ;” “Awakening by recent revolution, Chinese believe strongly in training the children early in their own religions ;” “This is a crisis in China when China is changing, when she is ready and waiting to receive a new religious 15 teaching;” “The Sunday-school in China is only in its infancy. All that is necessary is time for training teachers. As the church grows, the Sunday-school should advance enormously.” Bishop Bashford, in a letter which is printed in the full commission report, points out the hunger of the Chinese for education and the opportunity for a large Sunday-school advance in China, using the opportunity of the Christian primary day schools. He believes the Sunday-school membership of China could be doubled in the next few years by this plan. To get ready for this advance certain definite needs are expressed as follows : “Literature, Chinese trained Bible teachers and workers. Training schools and religious pedagogical departments in seminaries;” “Money needed for training conference and adequate supplies and equipment;” “More places for Sunday-schools;” “Special training for pastors and summer schools and conferences;” “Decent places to meet;” “Get the mission boards to appropriate funds distinctively for the work of the Sunday-school.” One Chinese worker writes pathetically as to how the World’s Sun- day-school Association could be of service, “By advertising our inex- pressible need. Providing for translation of more books into Chinese. Securing larger force of workers for secretarial detailed supervision, for conferences, visitation,” etc. XV. Commission Recommendations Concerning China The commission would recommend in view of the above : First . — That the budget of China be increased to provide (a) For the employment of at least one Chinese secretary for the several important districts of China; (b) for a publication fund for the publishing of necessary literature; (c) for sufficient office assistance to the general secretary to develop the present opportunity. Second . — We urge the establishment in the immediate future of one or more training schools or departments of religious pedagogy at Chinese centers to train specialists who shall be engaged as leaders of similar departments in the theological seminaries or other Christian institutions that are training the future Christian leadership of China.