Pc f T t * - AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY NEW YORK STOR Y OF THE AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY 1919 General Pershing (See Page 4) Officers of the American Bible Society ■''o' f'- ' V V ■» »'» President Churchill H. Cutting, New Tork. President Emeritus Jambs Wood, New York. Vice-Presidents Cybus Nobthbop, LL.D.tMinn. Hon. William P. Dillingham, Vt Hon. E. E. Beabd, Tenn. Mebbill E. Gates, LL.D., D. C. Fbank E. Spooneb, Ill. Gbobge W. Watts, N. C. W. T. Habdib, La. Hon. Chas. E. Hughes, LL.D., N. Hon. H. H. Seldombidge, Colo. John R. Mott, LL.D., N. Y. Capt. Robebt Dollab, Cal. Joshua Levebing, Md. Hon. Simeon E. Baldwin, LL.D., C< James N. Gamble, O. Chbistopher Mathewson, Fla. Judge Robebt F. Raymond, Mass. B. Preston Clark, Mass. Hon. Cabl E. Milliken, LL.D., Me. Hon. Robert H. Gardiner, Me. Judge Henry W. Rogers, LL.D., Conn. William S. Pilling, Pa. Hon. Robert Lansing, LL.D., D. C. Mrs. John S. Kennedy, N. Y. Mrs. Finley J. Shepard, N. Y. E. Francis Hyde, N, Y. ;. William H. Harris, N. Y. General Secretaries Rev. William I. Haven, D.D, Frank H. Mann. Recording Secretary Rev. Lewis B. Chamberlain, M.A. Treasurer William Foulke. Managers - * . Term—1916 to 1920 Wm. Jay Schibpfelin. G. S. Mackenzie. William H. Spencer. Wm. Phillips Hall. C. Edgab Anderson. John T. Manson. Charles D. Levebich. Term—1917 to 1921 Henry S. Stearns, M.D. Winthbop M. Tuttle. Obbin R. Judd. Howard O, Wood. Mobnay Williams. Ivy L. Lee. Eben E. Olcott. John R. Tabbb. J. Marshall Stuart. Henry A. Ingraham. George D. Beattys. Ablando Marine. Franklin S. Edmonds. Term-1918 to 1922 Fbbd’k Frelinohuysen. Mbs. Theo. Weston. Logan C. Murray. Frederick Harris. Term-1919 to 1923 William H. Klenke. CharlesF. Darlington. James R. Joy. Silas F. Hallock, M.D. Story of the American Bible Society 1919 'I AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY NEW YORK CONTENTS Introduction, 5-9. A Cable from General Pershing, 5; World Tragedy Ended, 5; Mobiliza¬ tion of Spiritual Forces—its Aftermath, 5-7; A New Internationalism 7; Opportunity the Harvest of War Work, 8, 9, 25, 26. War Service and Detailed Results, 10-13. Over Four Million to Soldiers and Sailors, 10, 11; Nearly Two Million in Europe: Grand Total, Over Six Million Volumes, 11; Special Hospital Edition, 11; How Funds were Secured, 12, 13. Issues and Circulation, 14-17; 27, 28. Staff Changes at Home and Abroad, 18-23. In Memoriam, 23. Vice-Presidents: Charles W. Fairbanks, Edward H. Sholl, M.D., Gerard Beekman, Esq.; Managers: Silas B. Brownell, LL.D., James W. Pearsall. Newly Elected Managers, 23; Vice-Presidents, 24; Life Directors and Life Members, 24. Translation and Revision, 24, 25. The Home Agencies, 29-86. The Colored People of the South, 29-33; Northwestern, 34-40; South Atlantic, 40-46; Western, 47-54; Pacific, 55-62; Southwestern, 62-69; Eastern, 69-78; Central, 78-82; Atlantic, 82-86. The Foreign Agencies, 87-163. The West Indies, 88-92; Mexico, 92-97; Panama Canal and Central America, 98-104; La Plata, 105-110; Brazil, 110-114; Levant, 115-124; Siam, 124-131; China, 132-149; Japan, 149-155; Korea, 155-161; Philippines, 161-163. Beyond the Limits of the Agencies, 163-173. Europe, 163-169; War Distribution, 163; Russia, 164; Germany, 164; Switzerland, 165; France, 165-168; Italy, 168; Other European Countries, 169. Asia, 169; India, 169; Arabia, 169; Ceylon, Micronesia, Africa, 170. Auxiliary Bible Societies, 173. Income and Expenditure, 173, 174. Income in Excess of Expenditure, 174; Trust Funds, 174. Estimates and Appropriations, 174, 175. Conclusion, 175, 176. TOPICAL GROUPINGS Work among Foreigners by the Home Agencies. Bohemians, Bulgarians, Croatians, Syrians, Poles, 36; In South St. Paul, 37; Serbians; Croatians, 54; Japanese, 55; Germans, 56; In San Francisco, 57; Armenians, 58; Lithuanians, 64; In Army Camps, 65; Mexican Refugees, 66; Italians, 71; Indians, 72; Polyglot Ohio, 79; Rou¬ manians, 79; Pittsburgh, 83. The Society as an Up-to-Date Business Enterprise. (a) In Response to Demand, Prepares to Publish Concordance Bibles, 16; (b) Utilizes Photographic Reproduction for Printing Bibles in Seven Foreign Languages, 16, 17; (c) Solves Problem of Uniform Set of Small-size Bibles in Ten Foreign Languages, 17. War Work. War Intensifies World Demand for the Bible, 5-10; Over Six Million Distribution, 11; In the Hospital, 11, 75; The Patrol Boat, 13; The Foreign-speaking Soldier and Sailor, 17; Co-operative Distribution at Home and Abroad, 29, 35, 41, 47, 48, 65; Army and Navy Bible Fund, 35, 59, 60, 63, 64, 69, 73-75, 83; Canal Zone, 103; Japanese Troops, 151; Distribution in Europe, 163-169, Striking Incidents. At Home: Politeness, Persistence, and a Grip of Bibles, 32; Tobacco Money for Bibles, 38; Bible Long Wanted, 43; “What the Book Says is Right!” 49; “My Ma”—in Two Homes! 50; Prodigal Daughter and her Father’s Love, 53; Beautiful Home-going, 61; Shelling Peas to Give Khaki Testaments, 63; Doing Without New Shoes, 64; Missing Mess to Read the Bible, 64. Abroad; A Persistent, Consecrated Tailor, 97; Pills for Stones, 103; A Moslem’s Testimony, 124; The “Silent Missionary,” 126; Dwindling Distribution—"Due to Lack of Funds, 137; No Gospel for Sixty Districts, 138; A Famine of Books in China, 144; Gospel Truth Bears Fruit After Forty Years, 147; Barber Sells Scriptures, 151; A Wicked Past, Followed by Conversion, 152; “Still Small Voice,” 154, 155; Cat-and-Rat Evil Spirit, 159, 160; Converted in Portuguese Nyassaland through Sheetswa Bible from New York, 171, 172. Growing Tolerance of Catholic Church, Priests, and People. Priests Help to Distribute, 36; Leaving the Catholic Faith, 37; Catho¬ lic Bible Classes, 72; Catholic Lad Carries Testament “Over the Top,” 77; Catholics in Panama Canal Zone Receptive, 100; Persecution Ends in Gratitude, 103; Catholic Woman Instructed, 108. Methods Employed. Visiting Soldiers, Sailors, Shipbuilders, 29, 32, 103, 118, 121; Grants to Schools and Churches, 30; Mills and Coal Fields, 30; Street Work; House- to-House Canvassing, 32, 33; Mines and Steel Plants, 33; House Boats, 36; Saloons; Police Stations, 37, 38, 53; Work Shops, Mill Villages and Isolated Homes, 43; Co-operating with Utah Gospel Mission, 50; Sailors’ Institutes, 57; Appeals at Synods, Conventions, Conferences, and Camp Meetings, 58; Army and Navy Campaign, 59, 60, 62-64, 69, 74, 75; Voluntary Workers, 66, 84; Street-car and Railway Conductors Aid, 67; A Newsboy’s Work, 67; Personal-work “Endless Chain,” 70; Pough¬ keepsie and Gloversville Campaigns, 70; The Water Fronts, 72; County Fairs, 73; Supplying Chaplains and Red Cross Workers, 75; Mountain Mining Camps, 81; A Launch in the Canal Zone, 104; Night Volun¬ teer Class, 127; Distribution by Correspondents, 134; Market-day Sales, 146; Preaching Tours, 147; Tent Services in Japan, 150; Bible Selling in Schools, 151; Bible in Prisons, 154, 155; Bible Classes in Korea, 158. Results Worth While. At Home; The Fisher Folk, 36; A Hundred Converted in Police Station, 38; Increasing Interest, 43; Promise of Two Soldiers, 44; Prac¬ tical Effects of Bible Reading, 45; Bible Leads to the Ministry, 46; The Bible and Allied Army Morale, 48; In Saloons, 53; Bible a Text-book, 65; Bibles for Blind Soldiers, 77; Labors of Mrs. Andrews, 80; In the Mountains, 81; Shipyards and Munition Plants, 84. Abroad; “Pass It On,” 87; In Porto Rico, 90; Awakening in Mexico, 96, 97; Churches Organized, 99; Interest in El Salvador, 100; Errors of Rome Corrected, 100, 106-108; West Indian Negroes Buy Bibles, 104; Demand in Brazil, 112; A Brazilian Scholar Assists, 112; Armenian Prisoners Reached, 119; Sales in the Levant, 122-124; China Begs fpr the Bible, 133, 137-142, 144, 147; Bible Selling in Japan, 150; Modern Joseph, 154, 165; Bible Classes in Korea, 158; Robbers Won, 160; War Distribution Statistics for Europe, 164; Distribution in France, 166t1 68; Asia, Micronesia, and Africa, 169-173, WAR DEPARTMENT The Adjutant General’s Office Washington March 29, 1918. The American Bible Society New York City, New York. Gentlemen: In compliance with General Pershing’s request, I have the honor to transmit the following quotation from his cablegram of March 24th: am glad to see that every man in the Army is to have a Testa¬ ment. Its teachings will fortify us for our great task. —Pershing/' Very truly yours. Adjutant General. THIS CHARACTERISTICALLY BRIEF CABLE HAD PECULIAR SIGNIFICANCE FOR FOUR IMPORTANT REASONS: 1. It was from General Pershing—The man and the soldier; 2. It was from the Commander of the American Forces in France; 3. It was sent on March 24th, three days after the great German offensive began, and when American troops were being suddenly and urgently called into full action for the first time. General Pershing, by giving time and thought to the sending of this cable at such a juncture, indicated clearly the importance he attached to the subject; 4. ThP War Department, by transmitting the cable, indicated its sym¬ pathy : of which, indeed, the very highest evidence came through two letters from the Commander-in-Chief of the United States Army and Navy-^President Woodrow Wilson—commending and encouraging this service of the American Bible Society. Story of the American Bible Society, 1919 T he never-to-be-forgotten year of 1918 has be¬ come past history, and will ever be remembered as one of the most important and critical in the world’s chronicles. It was a year that witnessed the final desperate death struggle and slaughter of the greatest world tragedy, which terminated with startling suddenness at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day in the eleventh month of the year. Though the armistice was signed and the great war ceased, yet it was followed by revolutions, Bolshev¬ ism and a score of minor wars that still rage. It was a year of untold suffering, toil, and trouble; a year of despair ending in a year of hope; a year of highly developed scientific warfare, with its dia¬ bolical mechanisms for the destruction of life, fol¬ lowed by a vision of enduring peace and brotherhood, by the establishment of a League of Nations, and the limitation of armaments; a year in which brute force and autocracy were vanquished, and the Christian principles of justice, mercy, liberty, and morality gained the victory. Mobilization of Spiritual Forces But the greatest victory of the war was the mobili¬ zation and effective use of great spiritual forces. Some of our greatest men have testified that the war was a spiritual contest against “the world, the flesh, and the devil. ” Witness the unprecedented amounts given for war charities; think of the' spiritual in¬ fluences exerted through the Army and Navy chap¬ lains, the Y. M. C. A., Y. W. C. A., W. C. T. U., Red Cross, and Salvation Army workers; recall the remarkable celerity with which the federal Prohi- STORY OF THE 6 bitionlaybe, Is What I Want “In a public square a man sat on a bench. I ap¬ proached him and inquired, ‘Do you want a Bible?’ ‘Not I, sir,’ he answered, and he seemed to be pur¬ posely looking elsewhere. ‘ But, brother, ’ I said, as I SOUTH ATLANTIC AGENCY 46 held the open book, ‘please look at it.’ He turned and looked at the open pages and I could see he was reading it. Then taking the book from my hand he read a little more; next, looking up at me, he said, ‘ This book is sold. ’ He paid for it, thanking me, and then, communing with himself, I heard him say, ‘ This book, maybe, is what I want. ’ His eyes again returned to the book, and I passed on. A Bible Leads to the Christian Ministry “One of the men in France wrote me the other day that he still found great joy in the Christian life. This marine was sitting on the front bench when I entered the building for religious service. I asked if he possessed a copy of the Scriptures and he replied in the negative. ‘Will you read this one if I give it to you?’ I asked, and he promised to do so. Later on he made a public profession of faith in Christ and has determined to study for the Christian ministry.’’ The Society’s Crowning Glory Mr. Porter, in concluding his report, says: “The work which the Society does among the poor and the outcast, and the help it gives to these, is its ‘crowning glory.’ We have had unusual opportuni¬ ties for this sort of service during the year. The appeals have been many and urgent, and we have responded to them as liberally as we could. Our generosity has been appreciated and the labor of love has not been in vain. “It has been well said that ‘he who takes God for his partner must make his programme large. ’ Surely this is pre-eminently true of our work and God’s relation to it. It will be our purpose, therefore, under his guidance, to carry out this larger programme during the coming year. To do so successfully we need ‘the vision and spirit and method of Jesus, our Master.’ ’’ Western Agency Agency Secretary: Rev. A. F. Ragatz, D.D. Y. M. C. A. Building, Denver, Colo. Established 1907. Field: New Mexico, Arizona, Idaho, Wyoming, Mon¬ tana, Utah, Colorado, Missouri, and Kansas. Circulation in 1918, 34,218 volumes. Aggregate circulation since 1907, 512,096 vol¬ umes. The year 1918 was an unusually hard one in this Agency. To cover the nine vast states which com¬ prise Dr. Ragatz’ field a large force of workers is needed; but, for want of funds, the already depleted staff had to be further decreased. In consequence, the circulation fell from 45,864 in 1917, to 34,218 in 1918. Yet if even a small per cent of the Army and Navy Scriptures distributed in the territory of the Agency had passed through Dr. Ragatz’ office, the figures of circulation would have reached the high-water mark. For, as Dr. Ragatz explains: “Though we had within our territory many of the large military camps and cantonments, practically no Scripture distribution among the soldiers was done by our workers. In every instance, however, we made sure that this service was being carefully carried on by those appointed to the task. In several in¬ stances Scriptures were not available, and we were able, indirectly, to assist in getting this work under way. “Our distribution for the year would have ex¬ ceeded all previous records if only a small per cent of the Scriptures used in this territory had been furnished through our office; but, this not having been thought advisable, we contented ourselves in helping to raise funds and doing many of the practical things so essential to a successful fruition of the larger pro¬ gramme of the American Bible Society. ” God’s Word the Dynamic Force in the World War Dr. Ragatz further writes: “When I think of the American Bible Society WESTERN AGENCY 48 through the grace of God placing approximately 7,000,000 copies of Holy Scriptures in the hands of fighting men, my soul is filled with emotions akin to those Philip must have had when the eunuch over¬ took him, asking him to explain the words of the prophet, and finally exclaimed, ‘I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God! ’ “It is beyond the finite mind to compute the good these 7,000,000 copies of Scriptures did for the men of our Army and Navy and for the fighting men of other nations. Nor will it ever be known upon earth to what an extent the final triumph of arms was due to the inspiration given by the Word to those who laid down their lives to safeguard the foundations of human liberty. “On the other hand, even a dull mind can compre¬ hend that there would be no army of occupation along the Rhine if the morale of the Allied Army had been broken. But what kept it from breaking? The Red Cross, the Salvation Army, the Army Y. M. C. A., etc.? Yes! But back of, and under¬ neath, and through all these and every other good influence, pulsated that dynamic force—God’s Word— ever urging men onward and upward.’’ A Non-relitfious Man’s Estimate of the Bible On the train, one day. Dr. Ragatz had a most in¬ teresting experience, which he thus describes: “Quite frequently enthusiastic supporters for our work were found among the non-religious class. One case in point occurred while the Secretary was riding on the train. Several men were telling what they were doing to help win the war. One man in par¬ ticular was very profane in his boastful recital of sacrifices Americans were called upon to make. He asked what contribution I was making. I told him about my work and how we were trying to fur¬ nish a Testament for every soldier and sailor. I WESTERN AGENCY 49 think everyone present expected another outburst of profanity, but instead he took my hand, looked squarely into my eyes, and in substance said: ‘From the language you heard me use you must think me a pretty bad man. But I want to tell you that I am not as bad in my heart as my language would in¬ dicate. The fact is, I know I am wrong. What the Book says is right!’ Tears came to his eyes and his grip on my hand tightened, and then he added: ‘ I am getting off at this station, for I have a boy here in camp; and I want to tell you that of all the things we got for him there was nothing that has been such a comfort to all of us as one of those little Testa¬ ments. I tell you, the job you’ve got is the greatest job in the country, for without that Book the world will never have peace.’ ” The Colporteurs and their Untiring Devotion Dr. Ragatz’ report teems with interesting incidents in the year’s work of the colporteurs, and a perusal of the full record in the Annual Report will amply repay all who desire to learn in detail the importance of the great labor of the American Bible Society. Concerning the workers and their work. Dr. Ragatz says: “I wish to bear testimony to the untiring devotion shown to the work by all our representatives. Not a one was there that did not suffer. There was sorrow and sickness and insufficient pay, but the task was never laid down. Faithful sowers of God’s Word, often having hearts heavy with their own cares, they were still ready to help carry somebody else’s load. Never a monthly report that did not breathe optimism. Disappointment? Yes! Difficulties? Ever a plenty! But never a word about discouragement, or complaint. Surely God will remember these faithful servants and recompense them for the service rendered in ^his name. 4 WESTERN AGENCY 50 “In many respects this has been an unusually hard year. Yet, withal, it has been one rich in service, as we know that when the sower has scattered the seed the harvest must come from God. ' Surely much seed has fallen on barren soil; but, true beyond all doubt, a large proportion fell upon good ground, and some will bear ten, some thirty, and some even a hundred¬ fold.” The Utah Gospel Mission to Mormons In Utah and contiguous Mormon territory we worked through co-operation with the Utah Gospel Mission. The Rev. J. D. Nutting, the superin¬ tendent, maintains from four to nine men in the field. These men travel in covered wagons and go from town to town, make a systematic religious visitation of every home, distribute especially prepared litera¬ ture, and as far as possible leave no Bibleless home unsupplied with the Word of God. Their colporteurs made 14,321 calls, and visited 157 towns and villages. Of this number only about 28 had local Christian work. They distributed 1,572,873 pages of specially prepared literature; 193 religious meetings were held, with an aggregate at¬ tendance of 13,630; they distributed 4,401 copies of Scripture (mostly Bibles), and of this large number only 154 copies needed to be given away on account of poverty. “My Ma”—in Two Homes! One worker writes: “Let me give you an illustration or two of the people whom we have served. They have been principally Mormons, who as a rule like to have the Bible in their homes. One day we were walking along the road when a boy of twelve overtook us. We at once proceeded to get acquainted with him. ‘What is your name, my boy? ’ ‘ My name is W. T. ’ WESTERN AGENCY 51 ‘ How old are you?’ ‘ Twelve years. ’ ‘ Do you go to school ? ’ ‘ Yes. ’ ‘ Have you a Bible of your own ? I am a Bible-man and can sell you one very cheap. ’ ‘I cannot buy one, but if you call at the house, my ma may get one.’ ‘Where do you live?’ ‘Over there in that house’—pointing to the house. ‘But we have another house over there, ’ the boy added. ‘Who lives in that house?’ ‘My ma, ’ was the answer. ‘And who lives in the other house?’ ‘My ma,’ was the reply again. ‘You are the most for¬ tunate boy; for some boys have not even one, and you have two mothers.’ ‘Oh, that there is not my ma, she is my aunt. My pa he married two women. ’ “We visited both of these homes. The contrast could hardly be imagined. Home No. 2, where the second wife lived, was attractive. Around the house were trees, grass, a flowing well, and other things; and the house was well furnished inside. They had the Bible and did not care to buy. Home No. 1, where the first wife lived, was on the hillside. It consisted of two rooms—with no carpet on the floor, no pictures on the walls, no trees or grass around the house. The furniture consisted of a stove, a table, a sewing machine, a bed, and a few chairs. It was about dinner time and we at once inquired whether they had the Bible in the home. ‘No,’ was the reply. ‘I can sell one for twenty-five cents and you should have one. No home should be without the Bible.’ ‘I know, but we cannot buy one. ’ The daughter, a fifteen-year-old girl, said, ‘Oh, mother, let us buy one.’ ‘Child, we cannot buy one; all we have in the house is a quarter.’ Finally we said, ‘Here is a Testament that we sell for twenty-five cents; you can have it for ten cents. ’ The lady handed us the quarter, we made the change, and went our way. Both mother and daughter rejoiced at having the Word of God in their home and we rejoiced at the opportunity of supplying them. 52 WESTERN AGENCY A Bible Reader vs. Bible Profaners “I was one day shown a Bible printed in 1810. It had gone through the battle of Waterloo. I have never handled a Bible as carefully as I did that one. It seemed much more sacred to me after hearing its blessed history. The father of the home was in very poor health and not able to go out; but there was no need of asking if he were a Christian, the Good Old Book had stamped itself on his very countenance. He told me that he had tried for seventy years to live according to the teaching of that Book. To me he seemed like a sheaf of ripened grain, only waiting to be taken home by the Reaper. “A few days before I had seen the United States marshal transfer some I. W. W.’s from one jail to another, and as I compared this old man with some of those men, who had attempted to destroy the safe¬ guards of civilization and had been found guilty of grave wrongdoing, I could not help thinking at what a price someone had failed long ago in placing about these men the strong appeal of Christ’s gospel and the call to a clean and righteous life. A Proditfal Daughter and her Father’s Love “A fine young girl who had left her country home in Illinois, several years ago, came to Denver. No one knew where she was. Her old father hunted for her all over the United States. Recently he came to Denver and found her, just after she had attempted suicide. The Lord led me to talk to her and she was saved. The following day I went to see her and her father, and in all my life I have never known a hiunan father to illustrate the wonderful love of our heavenly Father as he did, for his child. “The joy of finding her made him willing to for¬ give and forget. I gave the girl a large-print Testament, and she promised by God’s help to live a better life. The father’s heart was too full for WESTERN AGENCY 53 words. He took his child back home with him that same night. Jjermon.s and Scriptures in Saloons “ JI is surprising how many saloon keepers ask for a copy of the Bible for their own use. One saloon keeper, when I asked if he wished to buy a Bible, re¬ fused me roughly, saying—‘No, I have not been in a church for eighteen years. ’ But I could not be turned away thus. I explained to him that the Bible was God’s message; that it was not a church-made book, but the book that had made the church. ‘It is a higher law than the church. You may read it in your home, and have a church service by yourself, alone with your God.’ The saloon keeper thought the matter over, finally saying—‘You are right, I will buy one of your Bibles. ’ “An American saloon keeper came from behind his bar when he heard that I was selling Bibles, and asked to see them. During the time he was making his selection I spoke to him, and to some fifteen men who had gathered around, concerning the Word of God. At least ten of these men said they were for the Bible; some said they would pruchase later; others said they already had copies. One man asked me why I sold the Bible in saloons. I told him that the Bible be¬ longed everywhere—it was God’s gift to man, and that wherever men gathered there the Bible must go. He said, ‘All right’—and purchased the highest- priced copy of the Word I could offer him. “In another saloon I asked the bartender if he wished to purchase and he said, ‘I have a Bible.’ A customer standing near asked me some questions, which I answered discreetly. Then I asked the saloon keeper if I might explain my answers fiuther, and he said—‘ Certainly, go ahead. ’ Thus I had a religious meeting in the saloon. The customer, who seemed interested, purchased a copy of the vScriptures and then WESTERN AGENCY 54 took up the work of instructing the others in the room as to tke worth and value of the Bible. They be¬ came interested and several bought Testaments. A Means to an End “1 have been aide to assist a good many Serbian and Croatian residents of this community to learn to read and write—first their native language in the Latin type, and then the American language; thus opening the Scriptures to their personal use. For instance, in my visits to one community I came to the home of a Croatian about forty years of age who said, in reply to my invitation to buy a Bible, ‘It is no use; I can neither read nor write.’ ‘But,’ I said, ‘ you can learn. ’ The man and his wife laughed incredulously; the woman remembered that it had taken her some time to acquire this accomplishment, but the man had never tried. ‘Can you write your name?’ I asked. ‘No, no!’ he answered. ‘But you can learn to write it in five minutes, ’ I persisted. Again the man and his wife laughed at the idea. In just six minutes, to his great astonishment and delight, he had learned how to write his name with ease. So I had this man write his name till he had thoroughly mastered the art. It was but a step to persuade this brother to buy the Bible in Croatian for his own use, and the New Testament in English for the use of his children, who are in the public schools, and of course care more for the American language than they do for their father’s native tongue. “A year later when I saw him I asked, ‘How do you value your present ability to read and write?’ He replied that he would not exchange this accom¬ plishment for the whole city of East vSt. Louis.” Pacific Agency Agency Secretary: Rkv. A. Wesley Mell 122 McAllister Street, San Francisco, Cal. EstablishpH 1907, Fipld : California, Nevada, Washington, and Oregon, (^irnilatioti! in I91S, 71,912 volumes. Aggregate circulation since 1907, 91 1,725 volumes. In this Agency, whicli stretches along the Pacific Coast, the year 1918 was full of varied activities. The best thought and energy of two experienced Secretaries, each for six months, was given to the work; for after the first six months of the year the regular Secretary, the Rev. A. Wesley Mell, was loaned to labor for the Methodist Centenary, as a Conference team leader; and during his absence, in the words of Mr. Mell: “The Rev. J. L. McLaughlin, the versatile and aggressive Secretary of the Philip¬ pine Islands, took charge of the work.” The Year’s Circulation Due to the decreased staff of workers and the great attention given to the campaign for the Army and Navy Scripture Fund, the circulation fell from 109,879 volumes in 1917 to 74,342 in 1918. The munber of distributers of the Scriptures was 79, as against 99 in 1917. The days of service totaled 2,984; towns visited, 781; miles traveled, 29,500. And the Word of Life was scattered in 61 languages. How varied and interesting were the efforts of these devoted workers, the brief notices of their activities will indicate. Work among Japanese and Others The Rev. and Mrs. U. G. Murphy have again given a year of great service to the Bible cause in the Northwest. Their sales during the past year have been: 1,019 Bibles, 2,531 Testaments, and 4,995 portions, at a valuation of $1,972.88. They have distributed Scriptures in the following languages: 56 PACIFIC AGENCY A SPANISH SUNDAY SCHOOL, PACIFIC AGENCY English, Hebrew, Swedish, Norwegian, Japanese, Latin, Syriac, Croatian, French, Finnish, Polish, Italian, Greek, Servian, Chinese, Lettish, Danish, Welsh, Spanish, Dutch, and Roumanian. The Rev. Murphy’s home has been the headquarters of our colportage work in Seattle and the state of Washington. Having spent thirteen years in Japan, and both the Rev. and Mrs. Murphy being able to speak the Japanese language, their services among the Japanese have been exceptionally noteworthy. Among the German-speaking People For a number of years the Rev. George Bohlander, one of God’s saints, has done a quiet but very effective colportage work, especially among the German¬ speaking people in southern California. The Rev. Bohlander’s sales were never large, but his work was one which planted the Word of God deep in the heart and life of those among whom he labored. He sold quite a number of Scriptures in the Arabic language, and also associated in service with a young Assyrian. PACIFIC AGENCY 57 louring this last year the Rev. Rohlander passed to his reward. We inoum his death as that of a brother beloved, arid otie of thetnie, faithful stewards of God. Volunteer Workers Miss Grace Nichols, of San Francisco, has been actively engaged for another year in a very widespread distribution of the Word of God. She is a self- supporting missionary, purchasing the Scriptures at her own expense, and by personal distribution gives out the Word with prayer and earnest evangelistic effort. Miss Nichols’ distribution has been 2,011 Bibles, Testaments, and portions. These were given and sent with a personal, loving word to hundreds and hundreds of foreign-speaking men and women. The Word sown has gone to distant lands and to ships on the Seven Seas. Among the Sailors Oscar Zimmerman, connected with the Bible In¬ stitute, but an active correspondent in Bible dis¬ tribution, has distributed 1,755 Testaments and por¬ tions among the sailors, speaking many languages, on all seas. He has had his own motor boat, by which he has visited the ships about the bay. The Bible dis¬ tribution among sailors in the other main ports of the coast has been carried on in connection with the Sailors’ Institutes and the home missionary workers among the seamen. Jewish Colporteurs Mr. and Mrs. Greenbaum, who have been asso¬ ciated with the American Bible Society for the past six years, and who have done splendid 'work, have given up their active colportage service. Frequent illness in Mr. Greenbaum’s family has made it seem best for them to continue their residence in southern California. 58 PACIFIC AGENCY During the first part of the year Mr. Greenbaum sold and distributed in English, Finnish, French, Italian, Portuguese, Yiddish, Spanish, and American Braille 501 Bibles, 2,221 Testaments, and 1,371 portions. Among the Armenians Although active colportage work has been done in previous years throughout the entire Armenian com¬ munity, yet the demand for Scriptures this year has been insistent. The Rev. A. Vartanian, of Fresno, has been faithful in his effort to supply these people with Scriptures. A shortage in the stock alone has been responsible for the diminished sale in the Armenian language. The Rev. Vartanian has sold not only Armenian, but quite a number of English Scriptures. Thus we find an increasing demand among all foreign-speaking people for the English Scriptures. Acting Secretary J. L. McLaughlin In reporting concerning his work in this Agency during the past six months of the year, Mr. McLaugh¬ lin writes: “Returning from the Philippines for my quinquennial furlough, I was instructed to dispose of other plans which I had formulated for the use of my time and efforts in connection with the war work, and remain on the Coast to look after the work of t,he Pacific Agency. After a cursory view of the field I decided that about all I could hope to accomplish in the short time I would devote to it would be in the line of plans for increasing revenues. So I visited and addressed three Presbyterian Synods, two Bap¬ tist Conventions, one Christian (Disciple) Conven¬ tion, one ‘Brethren’ Convention, one Free Methodist Conference, two Methodist, South, Conferences, four Methodist Episcopal Conferences, one Congregation- alist Convention, and four Adventist camp meetings. “In each and all of these meetings our Society PACIFIC AGENCY ^59 received cordial indorsement and pledges of support, and in some of them substantial contributions at the time. In trying to meet, as many of the calls as possible I have traveled altogetlier, since arriving in the States six months ago, upward of 27,000 miles.” Army and Navy Campaign The Army and Navy campaign for funds to pro¬ vide Scriptures for our Army forces occupied the major portion of the thought and effort of Mr. Mell and his assistants during the first half of the year. In this and the Southwestern Agencies the war fund campaigns were especially successful. Space will admit of only a brief statement of the methods used and the results obtained. Mr. Mell writes: “Earl A. Rowell continued with us in campaign work. After having labored in California we made special effort in Oregon and Washington, and Mr. Rowell took up field work in those states. Methods ‘ ‘ Specially prepared articles were sent out to five hundred newspapers on the Pacific Coast, and other special articles were dispatched to all the church papers in the Agency, telling of the campaign, its necessity, and the opportunity before the church and nation. “Letters were sent to two thousand ministers and the co-operation of the Sunday schools and the Young People’s organizations was sought. Thousands of leaflets were inclosed in letters sent out from our Agency headquarters. Synods, Conferences, and special church gatherings were reached by personal appeal and with general literature. r • Co-operation “Pilde posters were printed and circulated among the churches. Tags, representing in value from PACIFIC AGENCY 60 twenty-five cents to one hundred dollars, were'pre¬ pared, and tag days were held in Sunday schools and on the streets in a number of the cities and towns. “On tag days, to stimulate intere-vSt among the boys and girls, a kliaki-bound twenty-five cent Testa¬ ment was given to the boy or girl collecting ten dollars or more, and a pigskin Testament to the one collecting fifty dollars or more; this proved a very popular incentive. • The young people of the churches and Sunday schools gave splendid co-operation. “Banners were used on street comers giving pub¬ licity to the Soldiers’ Bible Fund, and street speakers took offerings; a number of specially prepared booths at the entrances to department stores and banks also gave aid. The newspapers gave generous space and co-operated in a fine way. Illustrated envelopes and receipt books were also successfully used. Worth While “We felt that these campaigns were well worth while. The publicity given to the general work of the Society, the co-operation of the churches, and especially that of the young people and children, the interest and help of the social, business, and financial circles in these cities and country communities, all contributed not only to the success of this particu¬ lar campaign, but helped in laying deeper the foun¬ dations of the Society. “The amount of the Army and Navy Fund for¬ warded to New York was twenty-one thousand eight himdred and thirty-two dollars and eighty-one cents ($21,832.81). This, however, is not the total amount raised, as it does not include the gifts of the year before nor what has come in after the close of the year.” The Methodist Centenary Concerning his efforts in connection with the Methodist Centenary, Mr. Mell writes: 61 PACIFIC AGENCY Secretarial Travels “After traveling in the Coast states the forepart of the year in the general service of the Agency, we were loaned by the American Bible Society for the Metho¬ dist Centenary work. Inasmuch as the American Bible Society is in the financial Centenary budget of the Methodist Episcopal Church, it was only right that our Society should give special aid to the Cen¬ tenary effort. In June we left for the Centenary meeting at Columbus, O., and from there to New York, where we spent several months in the Office headquarters working as an editor in the stereopticon slide department. Crowds “The district superintendents and pastors gave us loyal and enthusiastic support. The Centenary meetings were attended by large crowds and the at¬ tendance at the evening services always taxed the church and public halls to capacity. In several places the pictures and addresses were given out¬ doors; as many as three thousand people attended these public-square meetings. ” Victory through the Wonderful Words of Life During his travels in Iowa, Secretary Mell had the privilege of spending a few days with his aged father and was by his side when he was called to his reward in heaven. Mr. Mell’s beautiful description of the home-going will be appreciated by all our readers. He says: “Though I sat near he did not realize it. He consciously walked in the Valley of Death alone, save for the presence of Christ. “We never realized as we did that night the strengthening power of the Word of God for man in his battle with the last enemy. It was a conflict across ‘No-man’s-land. ’ As this aged father went into his last struggle it was with the strength of SOUTHWESTERN AGENCY 62 immortal youth, and the secret of that power was seen in these words, which he repeated again and again: ‘I hear the Lord say, “I am with thee, be not afraid”; “ I will fear no evil”; “TheLord is my refuge and strength, a very present help in time of trouble”; “Who shall stand?”; “I am ready for this day”; “Thou, oh Christ, art all I want; more than life in thee I find”; “What shall separate us from the love of Christ? Nay,dn all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us”; “I am pre¬ pared to go”; “He waves!”; “The sun shines! The sunshines!” “Thus he entered the dark Valley, but for him it was not night. It was the morning of an eternal day, wherein the unclouded sun shines. Our dear father, eighty-three, years of age, found the wonderful words of life giving unfaltering faith, undaunted courage, and a song in the night, as he met and con¬ quered death. “We left that hallowed room with a new apprecia¬ tion of the promises of God. As we contrasted that death with the experiences of those who have never heard these words of life, we felt a new determination to spread the glad tidings of the Saviour to earth’s remotest bounds.” Southwestern Agency Agency Secretary: Rev. J. J. Morgan 1304 Commerce Street, Dallas, Tex. Established 1907, Field : Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Arkansas. Cir¬ culation in 1918, 83,972 volumes. Aggregate circulation since 1907, 912,289 volumes. This Agency, with its four important states and extensive territory, was a hive of busy activities during the year under review. In addition to the regular work of Scripture distribution special at¬ tention was given to the campaign for raising funds to supply our soldiers with the Word of God, Secre- SOUTHWESTERN AGENCY 63 tary Morgan records several touching instances of self-denial in order to help along in this important task. A unique feature of the campaign in this Agency was the assistance of ten or more Army chaplains in making addresses for the War Scripture Fund. The following quotations from Mr. Morgan’s full report give a glimpse of this and other methods employed. W e read: Chaplains Campaigning for the Testament Fund “By far the greatest success attained in our cam¬ paign for funds was through the efforts of a few picked Army chaplains. We are indebted to our field agent in Arkansas for carrying this plan to its greatest success; however, much was done also in Texas and Oklahoma in this way. “Patriotic services on Sunday in which all denomi¬ nations united were held in towns and communities. At these the chaplains were engaged to speak in l:>ehalf of the Army Testament Fund of the American Bible Society. They did not hesitate to emphasize the important work of the Society and call upon the people to give liberally, that their men and all the Anny might be supplied with the khaki Testament. Mrs. Esther A. Bonham “Special mention should also be made of the excel¬ lent services rendered our Army and Navy campaign by Mrs. Esther H. Bonham, of Little Rock. This woman of God took the cause on her heart, prayed about it, wrote letters to her friends, and made per¬ sonal appeals in meetings and elsewhere, furnishing thereby hundreds of Testaments for soldiers. May the Lord reward her liberally! Shelling Peas to Give Khaki Testaments “ Responses to appeals in the papers were interest¬ ing. One little child sent us a quarter, in a letter SOUTHWESTERN AGENCY 64 written with his own hand, saying that he made the twenty-five cents shelling peas for his mother. ‘ A little child shall lead them. ’ Doing Without New Shoes “A stenographer sent in $10 and said: ‘I have de¬ cided that soldiers need Testaments worse than I need new shoes (though I need them badly). Put this ten dollars in your Army Testament Fund. I will do without. ’ A Happy Experience “Seeing a soldier trying to read an English Bible, and noting the difficulty experienced in the effort, Mr. Brown inquired as to his nationality, and found him to be a Lithuanian. The soldier’s joy knew no bounds when Mr. Brown furnished him with a Bible in liis native tongue. Missing Mess to Read the Bible “Stmnbling off down the street, the soldier (with¬ out lifting his eyes from the familiar pages) went direct to his barracks and read until a late hour, re¬ gardless of the fact that he had missed mess that evening. A few days later he returned to the ‘Y’ secretary with another Lithuanian soldier, whom he had discovered in another unit. The newcomer was also supplied with a Bible in Lithuanian. Both men confided to the ‘Y’ secretary that the Bibles were the first literature they had seen in their own lan¬ guage since coming to America, seven years ago. Mr. Brown also says: In the Army Hospitals “ ‘But it was in the Army Hospitals of the train¬ ing camps that the Testaments were most appre¬ ciated. Literally thousands were comforted and saved by reading God’s Word, given them by th^ SOUTHWESTERN AGENCY 65 Bible Society. Many breathed their last during the “flu” epidemic, with the little khaki Testament under their pillow, or on the table near by, and went to meet God in peace.’ Our Polyglot Army—Thirty-eight in One “Although it was in overseas service that the little khaki book was most appreciated by the ‘dough boys,’ yet a most valuable work was done in the home camps while they were in training. “The following list was furnished Mr. Colquetteby Mr. Brown, the ‘Y’ educational secretary at Camp Pike, Arkansas, and the most interesting fact about it is that these men were all furnished with Scriptures in their own tongue by the American Bible Society: Armenian... 2 French. 234 Poles......... 213 Assyrian.... 1 German. 465 Portuguese.... 117 Austrian.... Greek. 77 Roumanian... 7 Belgian. . . 20 Hebrew. 50 Russian. 210 Bohemian... . . 234 Hungarian.... 36 Scottish. 4 Bulgarian... 3 Indian. 1 Slovak. 118 Canadian... 1 Irish. 8 Spanish. 5 Croatian.... 4 Italian. 235 Swedish. 204 Danish. . . 62 Lithuanian .. . 31 Swiss. 111 Dutch. . . 15 Mexican. 6 Syrian. 17 Filipino. 1 Montenegrins. 2 Turkish. 7 Finnish. . . 21 Norwegian.. .. 209 Welsh. 4 Flemish. 2 Persian. 1 A Good Text-book for Foreigners in the Army Camps “Many foreign-speaking soldiers, and English- speaking soldiers, also, could not read; but that was not a permanent hindrance, for the Y. M. C. A. taught them, and, in some cases. Uncle Sam taught them. “F. K. Ringsmuth, our former colporteur, was taken over by the government for special work among foreigners in the training camps, and naturally he adopted the Bible as a text-book when it was neces¬ sary to instruct ignorant soldiers.” The Year’s Regular Work The usual established work of the Agency was not a SOUTHWESTERN AGENCY 66 neglected at the expense of the war work, as the fol¬ lowing summary shows: Volumes of Scripture distributed. 83,972 Volumes of Scripture donated.-. 4,183 Colporteurs and correspondents employed. 25 Days spent by them in service. 1,420 Miles traveled by them. 13,927 Towns and villages visited. 208 The Circulation In 1917 the circulation reached the remarkable figure of 221,431 volumes, due to the exceptional op¬ portunities for work among the 180,000 American soldiers on the Mexican border and to the distribution of nearly 40,000 Spanish Scriptures to the Mexican refugees who swarmed across the Rio Grande because of the Mexican revolution. The circulation of 1918 (83,972) is far below that of the previous year; but, considering the handicaps, it is no mean showing. These 83,972 volumes were carefully placed and widely scattered, as the following extracts indicate. Scriptures Distributed in Thirty-six Languatfes ‘ ‘ The languages in which Scriptures were circulated by our depository and regular forces clearly demon¬ strate the great missionary value of our work, and are an indication of what a lighthouse of divine truth the Bible House can be. “When it is realized that no missionary work can be carried on successfully without Scriptures in the languages of the people the missionary is trying to reach, it is evident how dependent missionaries are upon the Bible Society. That there should be calls for the Bible in thirty-six languages here in the South¬ west, and some of them in ever-increasing quantities, is a great big story in itself. Voluntary Workers “A voluntary worker is one who distributes Scrip¬ tures simply and purely for the good he may do, SOUTHWESTERN AGENCY 67 without hope of reward or pay for his services. It is delightful to note that these workers are not all of them well-to-do, hunting up some sort of philan¬ thropy just to pass away the time; but, rather, from the laboring class, and especially those who tithe. We give a few examples by way of illustration: A Street-car Conductor “A concrete example is a street-car conductor who conceived the idea of putting the Gospel of St. John in the hands of every car man in Dallas. Every week he spent the tenth of his income for this purpose and continued in a most systematic manner to carry on his campaign until every street-railway employee who would promise to read the Gospel had been sup¬ plied with it. A Railway Conductor “Another example is that of a railway conductor who travels out of Dallas on the cotton-belt route. He is a great, big, jolly, one hundred per cent Ameri¬ can. He buys our cheap eight-cent Testaments by the dozen and distributes them to passengers along the way, to railway section hands, or to any who show interest in reading the Scripture. Mind you, he does not sell these books; he gives them away. He is a sower of the seed. A Newsboy “And now let me tell you of a newsboy. I must explain that this ‘boy’ is in the neighborhood of sixty years of age. He is a poor fellow who has wasted himself in ‘ riotous living, ’ but who has come to his senses and now desires to make every day count for God and his kingdom. For months and months he has been buying Gospels in English and Spanish to give away to the down-and-out, or Mexi¬ cans and negroes—his only condition being a promise to care for the book and read it. 68 SOUTHWESTERN AGENCY The West Texas Drouth “This story would be incomplete without recording something of the drouth in West Texas. For a space of three years there was no rain. Cattle died by the hundreds and thousands, towns were deserted, and farmers left their homes to seek a livelihood wherever it could be found. They Wanted Bibles “ Hungry and discouraged, there was a turning to God and his Word such as had not been known be¬ fore. Revivals broke out as a result of searching the Scriptures, and scores and hundreds were led to say with Job: ‘Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him. ’ And then came the rain I Grants of Scriptures “We have just mentioned the calls for Scripture from the drouth-stricken regions of Texas. In ad¬ dition there were unusual needs throughout the Agency, and since our colportage work was so limited we made special effort to answer calls that were found to be genuine in their need. The grants went to numerous individuals and homes among the poor, as well as to various charitable institutions, jails, penitentiaries, mission churches, and Sunday schools. Our files are filled with words of appreciation, all of which we treasure most highly. • Looking Forward “We face the year 1919 under very different cir¬ cumstances from those detailed in this story. The war is ended; the presses of the Bible House at New York are no longer running day and night in the effort to print sufficient khaki Testaments. Are they resting? Far from it. They are busy trying to provide the Home Agencies with so many of the popular books that had to be sidetracked last year EASTERN AGENCY 69 for lack of paper and presses. And now, with an in¬ creased appropriation, and with a (piickened faith in the power of (iod’s Word, we i)laii an advance in the circulation of tlic Scripttires in every part of tin’s great field.'’ Eastern Agency Agency Secretary: Rev. H. J. Scudder, B.D. 137 Montague Street, Brooklyn, N. Y. Established 1908. Field : The State of New York and neighboring regions not otherwise cared for. Circulation during the year 1918, 30,098. Aggregate circulation since 1908, 642,609. Mr. Scudder reports a most interesting year, par¬ ticularly in connection with the Army and Navy Fund campaign, and in the visitation of Debarkation Hospitals in and about New York City, of which a striking account is given in his report. Limited funds for the general work and the needs and op¬ portunities of the Army and Navy combined to emphasize the latter. However, a distribution of 30,093 copies of the Scriptures, 3,157 being Bibles, 9,673 Testaments, and 17,263 portions, in 39 lan¬ guages and dialects, was accomplished through the lielp of 13 workers, 15,926 families being visited. In 1917 the circulation totaled 58,427 volumes, nearly double the 1918 circulation. In addition to the reasons prevailing in the other Agencies for a decreased distribution in the year under review, a considerable reduction was due to the comparatively small amount of open-air work carried on in Brooklyn and vieinity in 1918 because of war restrictions. Army and Nivy Campaign Work The Advisory Committee and the Secretary of the Eastern Agency devoted much time and thought to the problem of how to reach churches and individuals with a knowledge of the Society’s needs. 70 EASTERN AGENCY A Personal-work “Endless Chain” After much tboujj^ht and prayer a personal-work circular was adopted and widely distributed at Bible Classes, prayer meetings and church services through the efforts of members of the Advisory Committee, the Agency Secretary and his assistants. This appeal asked for a dollar or more from the person receiving it, but also requested each recipient to distribute by personal effort four copies of the appeal to four friends or acquaintances, and to request each of them to give a dollar or more toward the work, and secure four friends to do the same, and so on indefinitely. It was in reality a personal-work “endless chain, ” and proved very helpful and successful in enlisting the prayers, sympathies and gifts of many widely scat¬ tered lovers of the Word. The Poughkeepsie and Gloversville Campaigns The second method for soliciting funds was the employment of a campaign manager, who made his headquarters for a month or more in a large city to get in personal touch with the churches of that city and vicinity. Mr. W. H. Mead was engaged for this form of effort. The first center selected was Pough¬ keepsie, where Mr. Mead, assisted by his daughter, Mrs. Avis Austin, labored faithfully and persistently among churches and individuals for about two months. The next center selected was Gloversville, N. Y. Leaving Mrs. Austin in Poughkeepsie to follow up the beginning that had been made, Mr. Mead was trans¬ ferred to Gloversville, and was assisted for a week by the Agency Secretary. Influenza Epidemic This pernicious epidemic spread all over the State of New York, and interfered with all our fall and winter plans for getting in personal touch with the churches. As a last resort 600 personal letters to as EASTERN AGENCY 71 many pastors of several denominations were sent forth requesting assistance for the Society’s war work. A stamped ancl addressed envelope was inclosed with the appeal, but only al)out 100 replies were received, the remaining 500 pastors l)eing either “too busy,” or not sufficiently interested to favor us with a reply. Just $600 was received from the churches and pastors that responded. From Gloversville Mr. Mead visited Amsterdam, and interested the ministers of that city in the So¬ ciety’s important war service. As a campaign in Amsterdam at that time did not seem advisable, it was agreed that the work be presented in all the churches during October. Careful and extensive arrangements were made during the summer months, but when we were about to start for Amsterdam a telegram was received stating that all public meetings had been forbidden on account of the influenza epidemic! Thus all our carefully-laid plans and preliminary expenses counted for naught. The total from all sources amounts to $6,426.50, so far as we have been able to trace the contributions, many of which were sent direct to the New York office. The Year’s Colportage Work In his report, Mr. Scudder says: “With January, 1918, the Eastern Agency en¬ tered upon the most discouraging year of its history. The additional cut of $1,100 in the appropriations made it necessary to reduce the colportage force to an almost negligible quantity. The valuable services of the Rev. A. M. D. Riggio had to be discontinued; also the part-time labors of Mr. Jacobellis. As a result, from February to October practically no work was done among the large Italian population in Greater New York and vicinity. As the year under review closed we were rejoiced to learn from the New York office that the appropriations of the Agency EASTERN AGENCY 72 would 1')e considerably increased for 1919. In view of the added funds, Mr. Riggio was re-employed from October 15, 1918, and will continue during 1919. An additional worker, an earnest, ^wide-awake young man, Angelo B. Traina, will also devote his entire time to work among the Italians and foreigners throughout New York State during the coming year. Remarkable Interest among Indians “ There is a remarkable interest in the Bible among Italians. The pastors of the Italian Protestant churches testify that the year 1918 was one of the most encouraging in the history of their work. Even among Catholics, Bible Classes with the Bible as a text-book are organized in many of the churches. We also learn that the Pope has recently directed every priest to read a portion of the Scriptures in the vernacular of the people every Sunday. These are certainly encouraging signs of the times. The Colporteurs’ Difficulties “ The colporteurs’ sales fell from 19,823 in 1917 to 10,759 in 1918, a decrease of 9,064—nearly fifty per cent. Mr. Carlson was unable to do much work among the sailors on the water fronts because of the strictness of the war regulations. He had a pass which gave him the right and privilege to visit steam¬ ers while loading or unloading, but it took him nearly two hours to get by the various men who had to scrutinize him and his pass before he could get on a vessel. The demand for Swedish and Norwegian Scriptures was very great, but owing to lack of books could not be met. “Mr. Findlay continued in Rochester throughout the year, and writes that 1918 ‘has been the hardest year I have ever had in the work here.’ He suc¬ ceeded, however, in selling 6,254 books, and received for them $945.42, as against 8,000 books in 1917, for which he received $859.20. EASTERN AGENCY 73 County Fairs “ 1'Ii(' only ('oniity fairs visited this yc'ar in l.li.o tc'rri- tory of t lic ICast ('.rn Ajj^ency were 1.1 lose at whieli Mr. I'indlay had Bible bootlis. “ Mr. h''indlay’s report is in [lart as lollows: “‘This has been the hardest year I have ever had in the work here, and I suppose it was the same all over. Yet I can say that I would not have missed the lessons I have learned during the past year for anything. I personally distributed nearly 400 Testa¬ ments to soldiers, with the name of each young man W • i*w isa Kfe iK* CHUi K<4 v»»w 3 %r}K* cm\ Ymia Soy Hrs Got r TESTPSMENT &UT WIRT ftBOUT THE OTHER FELLOW toy, t't kshim- < a a PS4 ihc CHUff 'H Pf.l^SHtNC . A, PUi she CHO) Ac R,tiWCHUi pf;»SHmG i H R.tii,«CH01 Bchin4 , ^ pmsmm i TIIR CHUKCH BEHIND PEUF^iiiwo AROUND THE EXHIBIT EASTERN AGENCY 74 on the front page in gold, and many of these boys re¬ quested that I ])irt them on our prayer list. The other day a lady said, ‘‘Why don’t you send your Bibles to Germany—the peoj^le' liere don’t need them.” Ah! how true it is, that the harvest is great, but the soul seekers are few.’ ” First Premium at the Albion Fair “ Mr. Findlay visited six county fairs and had some very interesting experiences. He found the people more responsive than they were the year before, and made better sales. The Bible booth at the Albion fair was awarded the first premium for the best exhibit at the fair. Concerning this phase of his work Mr. Find¬ lay writes: “ ‘Another year at the fairs has come and gone, and oh, what a change! The young men you used to see are nearly all gone, and everyone you meet seems to be trying to carry his own burden. I am hoping to have the picture of the Albion fair, with a story of the work, in next Saturday’s papers. I have had the best exhibit I have ever had this year, with Per¬ shing’s pictures all over, and also a large card I had printed in large type— Your boy has got a Testa¬ ment, BUT WHAT ABOUT THE OTHER FELLOW? RE¬ MEMBER THE Soldiers’ Testament Fund. There is a great change at the fairs this year; everybody seems so tender-hearted and so willing to listen when you speak to them of Christ. I am inclosing the first premium, granted for our exhibit at the Albion fair. I can tell you, we had a show all our own.’ ” The Secretary’s Activities The work of the Secretary during 1918 was out of the ordinary. Early in the year, owing to the serious illness of the office assistant, and also to the solicita¬ tions of help for the Army and Navy Bible Fund, he was confined closely to the office for the first three EASTERN AGENCY 75 months. Then for a month from April 8th he traveled extensively in connection with the Army and Navy campaij^n. Owing to the serious illness oC Dr. P'ox, in March, and his inability to carry on his work at the Bible House, the Eastern Agency was asked to loan the services of its Secretary to assist Dr. Haven in the tremendous pressure that was upon him, owing to the double duties he was compelled to carry because of Dr. Fox’s illness. For two months and a half— from the middle of June to the end of July, and again throughout September—Mr. Scudder’s time was mainly devoted to the work at the Bible House, New York, in connection with which the 1918 “Story” was edited and published. Army and Navy Debarkation Hospitals During December and lapping over into January, 1919, Mr. Scudder had the privilege and pleasure of visiting a number of the Debarkation Hospitals, for the purpose of keeping the chaplains or Red Cross workers amply supplied with all the Scriptures needed for our wounded heroes. Space does not permit an extended recital of the interesting conversations Mr. Scudder and his co-worker, Mr. B. Carlson, had during their visits. For a full account the reader is referred to the Bible Society Record of February, 1919, or to the 103rd Annual Report of the Society. Mr. Scudder writes: “A few instances will suffice to show of what stuff ‘our boys’ are made, and how the living Word has counted with them. Blood-stained Testaments “Many men told us that they had carried a Testa¬ ment for some time at the front, but had lost it when wounded. One said: ‘My Testament was so soaked with blood that I had to throw it away, and I am very EASTERN AGENCY 76 to have another. ’ Another showed Mr. Carlson his blood-stained Testament and said he would not ])art with it for anything. Still another showed him a d'estament the center of which had been bored out. l^y a piece of shrapnel that seemed to have had a spinning motion, and acted like a drill. After cutting a clean hole through the Testament, leaving a border of less than half an inch, the bit of shrapnel wounded the soldier severely in his chest. His life was undoubt¬ edly saved by that American Bible Society khaki Testament! “Lucky,” though Maimed “The many remarkable experiences and untold sufferings of these brave men will never be fully re¬ corded. The great majority of them were cheerful, and spoke of their luck. One who had lost a leg said: ‘ I was lucky not to have lost them both. ’ Another said: ‘ As I was lying flat on my stomach, with shells flying all around me, I heard a cry from behind, me— “Say, Buddy, help me a bit, will you?” I knew the lad had been wounded, so I twisted round on my stomach and when my feet were where my head had been a shell struck near my feet and it seemed as though I was blown twenty feet through the air. One foot is gone, but it is lucky my head wasn’t where my feet had been!’ Another, who had had one arm shattered and both legs wounded, observer!: ‘I am lucky to have the use of one hand.’ Some Experiences “Another, holding himself up on his elbow on the bed to give his back a rest and change, related how he went ‘ over the top ’ at Chateau-Thierry. As he was crawling along on his stomach he felt a terrible burn¬ ing sensation in his hip. Weak and fainting, he crawled into a shell hole and lay there in agony for six hours before assistance could be rendered. ‘ While I EASTERN AGENCY ri was there, ’ he said, ‘another lad crawled in, pulled out his pencil and a piece of paper, and tried to write something. There were only two words written, and they could not be made out, and then he died right near my side. Another crawled in, and together we prayed that no shell would fall into our place of refuge. Give me that bag, if you will, and I will show you what the doctor took out of my hip.’ He fished out a piece of metal as large as an egg, with rough, cruel sides, and said it had been in his flesh for hours before it was taken out, and that it was red hot when it entered. He was a Catholic lad and had carried his Testament with him ‘over the top. ’ The Boys Read their Testaments “To my question, ‘Was your Testament a com¬ fort to you ? Did you and the boys find time to read ? ’ he said, ‘Yes, the boys read their Testaments and they all prayed, especially when the shells were rain¬ ing about them. Life will be different to us fellows after facing death as we have ‘ ‘ over there! ’ ’ ’ “It was very interesting to find that the large majority of soldiers had been supplied with Testa¬ ments. Roughly speaking, about eighty per cent of the boys had received some portion of the Word of God. Those who had not been supplied were usually eager to have a copy of the little khaki Testament. Two lads told me they did not care for a Testament, but after a short chat each accepted one and promised to read it. Blind Heroes to Have Embossed Bibles “One morning we found two heroes who had been blinded in battle. One of them had lost the sight of both eyes, both his legs were partially paralyzed, and one arm was badly wounded, so he only had the use of one hand. The other soldier was able to distip- CENTRAL AGENCY 78 guish light from darkness with only one eye. When asked whether they would like to have the Word of God in embossed type when they learned to read, both exclaimed they would be only too glad to have a copy. We have their names and will endeavor to keep in touch with these men.” Carrying his Testament, though Unable to Read One of the most interesting experiences Mr. Carlson had was with a man who, when asked if he had a New Testament, answered: “Oh, yes! I have carried it very carefully ‘over the top’ and wherever I went. ” In reply to the inquiry as to whether he had read it he said rather sheepishly: “No, I did not read it.” “Well, why not?” “Because I don’t know how to read; but I liked to feel it in my pocket, for it was a comfort to me, and I felt it was a protection in danger.” To him, as to thousands of others, the Testament was a visible evidence and assurance of the presence and reality of God. If there was any¬ thing of God anywhere around, the “boys” wanted this with them in battle. Mr. Carlson offered to read to this illiterate soldier from the Testament, and he gratefully accepted. After listening awhile to some of the Psalms, and the Saviour’s wonderful words of life, the man exclaimed: “My! that is very beautiful, and as soon as I get well I am going to learn to read so that I can read the Bible for myself. ” Central Agency Agency Secretary: Rev. Frank Marston, D.D. 424 Elm Street, Cincinnati, O. Established 1909. Field: Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, and Mississippi. Circulation in 1918, 52,039 volumes. Aggregate cir¬ culation since 1909, 683,513 volumes. The year 1918 was the first year of Mr. Marston’s service as Secretary of this Agency, and it was cer¬ tainly one of hard apprenticeship. A limited staff', CENTRAL AGENCY 79 decreased funds, intense cold, heatless Mondays, church less Sundays, transportation delays, influenza, and lack of Scriptures, were some of the handicaps that had to be faced. However 52,039 volumes— of which 6,840 were Bibles, 23,158 Testaments, and 22,041 portions—in 22 languages, were put into cir¬ culation, as against 65,508 in 1917. The decrease was due “not to lack of demand, for the call for Scriptures was never so great,” but to the causes above enumerated. The Year’s Work Mr. Marston writes: “I presume it might be interesting to relate some of the incidents, and describe some of the conditions, of the Central Agency’s work during 1918. I shall be¬ gin with the work in Ohio. I was never so much im¬ pressed with the polyglot character of the state’s population as during this past year. Possibly Ohio is not near the site of ancient Babel; but, neverthe¬ less, we have here the confusion of tongues. A man in Canton sends an order for Scriptures in twenty- three different languages. An Order for 25,000 Roumanian Bibles “The Roumanians of Akron asked the Society for 25,000 Roumanian Bibles. It was my privilege to visit that Roumanian colony and preach to them through an interpreter. I have never seen a body of men more in earnest about anything than were those men in the matter of getting the Bible in their own tongue. And now, after many weary months of waiting, the Bibles are ready for them, and they can read the ‘wonderful works of God in the tongue wherein they were born. ’ Much credit is certainly due the Bible Society for l^ringing out these foreign Scriptures, for it had to be done l3y a special photo¬ graphic process tliat made it very expensive. De- 80 CENTRAL AGENCY mands for these foreign-language Scriptures come to us continually from all over the state_of Ohio. Kentucky “Kentucky is a rich field for the sowing of the Word of God. At present I have only two full-time colporteurs in this state, with four half-time men. “I have just transferred the Rev. J. A. Morgan from 'rennessee, where he did a splendid piece of work, to the river counties of western Kentucky. In answer to my request for some of his experiences he writes: ‘Had usual experience of rain, snow, mud, sunshine, springtime, seedtime, drouth, and harvest; some¬ times pleasant, sometimes otherwise; sometimes good roads, sometimes bad. You may be assured I will do my best and continue in the work if I can make both ends meet. ’ I may say here that Mr. Morgan has been in the habit of occasionally returning one- half his month’s salary for the work of the Bible So¬ ciety, with instructions to ‘put it where^it will do the most good. ’ Apostolic Labors of Mrs. Andrews “One of the most needy parts of this great state is the mountain section. I have had two full-time col¬ porteurs here part of the time, Mrs. H. M. Andrews and the Rev. John L. Centers. The work of Mrs. Andrews was almost apostolic, missionary in the truest sense of the word. Taking the Scriptures into Bibleless homes, praying with the family, visiting the sick, and even burying the dead, she literally carried these mountain people on her heart. She worked in the midst of perils in the mountains and in the valleys, and crossed swollen streams on dan¬ gerous footbridges to reach Bibleless homes in the mining quarters or in the deep recesses of the moun¬ tains. Leading whole families to Christ, establishing women’s prayer meetings, teaching them how to pray. CENTRAL AGENCY 81 escaping only with her life from a roaring torrent that swept away the stock of Bibles she tried in vain to save, she did a great work for the Bible Society and for God. It was with great regret that, on ac¬ count of scarcity of funds, I had to let this noble Christian woman leave our service. In Mountain Mining Camps “Mr. Centers, too, is doing a splendid work in the mountains of this state. The influenza played havoc in his community. He writes in October: ‘Not worked this month. Everything completely blocked. ’ New families are coming into these coal fields from all parts of the country, many without Bibles or even a Testament. Tennessee “I have had six workers in Tennessee for all or part of the time. Those engaged for full time, how¬ ever, had to be laid off for part of the season on ac¬ count of scarcity of funds with which to pay them. “Mr. W. A. Young had more than he could do supplying with the Scriptures the workers of the munition plant at Nashville. They bought eagerly, and many of them told him that he was selling them the first copy of the Scriptures they had ever owned. It was difficult to keep him supplied with the eight- cent Testament for these men. He writes me that during the four years he has been in Nashville he has sold or given away over sixty thousand copies of the Scriptures, either in or around the city. Alabama “Our force has been very small m this state. We ought to have a large corps of workers here, both in the mountain section and the great industrial centers. As it happens, we have had only one laborer in the whole state. One of the Mobile pastors writes me that it is a very needy field. It is strongly Roman 6 ATLANTIC AGENCY 82 Catholic and most of these people are without the Scriptures; yet they should have the Word offered to them, at least. Mississippi “This is another rich field for Bible work in which but little has been done, lately, for the very reason mentioned so often in this report—‘No funds.’ I was so thankful for a slight increase this time, in order that I might be able to do something for this field. A letter appealing for help has reached me from the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Ten Years in Purgatory for Attending a Protestant Sunday School “The request comes for Scriptures for a little struggling church and Sunday school in the home of a good woman who is trying to do something for her neighbors and their children. She has opened her house for a Sunday school—the only Protestant Sunday school in the town. A priest told a little girl that it would take him ten years to pray her soul out of purgatory for attending this Sunday school. I shall tr\" to do something to help this struggling little band. “There was never a time when the Bible was so badly needed as now. More and more are men com¬ ing to see that it is impossible to live by ‘ bread alone, ’ and that the living Word of God is the only hope of the world.” Atlantic Agency Agency Secretary: Rev. Frank P. Parkin, D.D. 701 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, Pa. Established 1910. Field: Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. Cir¬ culation in 1918, 159,760 volumes. Aggregate circulation since 1910, 1,607,046 volumes. With a limited force of only eleven workers and a number of volunteers, 159,760 volumes of the ATLANTIC AGENCY 83 Bible were put in circulation during 1918, a decrease of 42,324 as compared with 1917. Due to the financial situation, Dr. Parkin had to make a com¬ plete readjustment of the work and workers. Con¬ siderable attention was given to the raising of money for the War Scripture Fund, and much other good work was accomplished during the year, as the fol¬ lowing excerpts from Dr. Parkin’s report indicate: The Army and Navy Campaign “While disappointed in our persistent efforts to secure the inclusion of the Army and Navy cause in the budget of the ‘War Chest’ for Philadelphia and vicinity, no time was lost in getting our appeal before the people of the three states included in this Agency. Notwithstanding the multitude of appeals for war purposes and for special denominational campaigns, the lovers of God’s AVord responded generously to the urgent calls of the American Bible Society. We are recognized as the historic interdenominational Bible Society, and this proud position is one from which we are not to be deposed. Our Colporteurs “ Although these consecrated workers have been greatly handicapped during the year because of their inability to secure copies of the Scriptures in many different foreign languages, they have, nevertheless, not been idle. “Mr. Gay, who for nearly two decades has done splendid service in Pittsburgh and vicinity among the foreigners employed in the steel, coal, and coke in¬ dustries, has been paying special attention to the colored population, which has greatly increased there through immigration from the southern states. He reports a great and inviting field among these people. They show a truer knowledge of and reverence for the Bible than do many of the foreigners who have ATLANTIC AGENCY 84 come from southeastern Europe. The growth of ultrasocialistic views among so many of these foreign laborers is proving an obstacle to the work of our colporteurs. “Many interesting experiences in seeking to cir¬ cumvent the objections which he meets in trying to gain access to their homes and hearts are reported by Mr. Gay. By his tact and knowledge of human nature, as well as his familiarity with apt passages of the Scriptures, he has had many signal victories over the forces of evil. “Two other colporteurs, Israel Moses Joy, a native of India, and the Rev. Mr. Edwards, a colored pastor, have been employed on part time. These men have labored among the colored populations of Chester, Pa., Wilmington, Del., and other points, with good results. Shipyards and Munition Plants “During this year the great shipyards along the Delaware have been teeming with humanity, and the same has been true of the munition plants. While government regulations were such that our colporteurs could not readily gain access to these men while at work, the Rev. A. M. Lewis, one of our experienced colporteurs, systematically visited the many villages and towns that sprang up everywhere, and presented the claims of God’s Book. Voluntary Workers “ The advice to seek to raise up a new generation of voluntary workers, who will feel their responsibility for canvassing their own neighborhoods and parishes in the effort to provide every family with a copy of God’s Word, we have sought to follow. Many of our pastors have a growing vision of the possibilities for great usefulness in this work of Bible distribution. Th^ held is almost unlimited, and every influence ATLANTIC AGENCY 85 is brought to bear to secure such men and women as will help and not hinder in this important service. College Students ‘ ‘ One of the encouraging signs of the times is the in¬ creased attention being given through college faculties and college Y. M. C. A.’s to the enrollment of college students in Bible Classes. In the University of Pennsylvania great help—both direct and indirect— has been given by the provost of the University, Dr. E. F. Smith, and many of the professors in con¬ nection with the University Y. M. C. A. “As far as my secretarial duties would permit, I have tried to encourage this movement, believing it was fraught with possibilities of untold good for the student, the University, the community and the American Bible Society, in its many direct and in¬ direct forms of influence. County Bible Societies “The number and activity of the various county Bible societies and various local auxiliaries justify a reference to their place of great usefulness in the spread of God’s Word. “Some of these societies have relapsed into in¬ activity or indifference. By correspondence and direct visitation, however, we have sought to secure a reorganization wherever possible. Several of the county societies in New Jersey have entered upon the second century of their history, and are showing a most commendable interest in the work. Depositories , “The Southwestern Department is under the care of the Rev. J. Walker Miller. It includes the counties of Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Cambria, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Lawrence, Somerset, Wash¬ ington, and Westmoreland, in Pennsylvania, under the ATLANTIC AGENCY 86 supervision of the Young Men’s Bible Society of Allegheny County. The depository has been re¬ moved to No. 2018 Jenkins Arcade, Pittsburgh. Mr. Miller has been the devoted, conscientious agent in charge of this work for many years past, and the center has come to be the recognized distributing point for this section of the state. “The Rev. H. G. Harned, the veteran superintend¬ ent of the Northeast Branch, with headquarters at 124 Washington Ave., Scranton, Pa., keeps careful oversight of the work in the counties of Bradford, Lackawanna, Pike, Susquehanna, Wayne, and Wyom¬ ing. The Lackawanna Bible Society maintains an active organization. “At Wilkes-Barre Mr. and Mrs. M. E. Stone, in connection with the Luzerne County Bible Society, faithfully represent the interests of the Bible cause.” THE FOREIGN AGENCIES In the following review of the Society’s work in foreign lands the reader will find evidences of the re¬ markable awakening caused by the world war among the uncivilized peoples of non-Christian lands. They are reaching out to America and Great Britain, particularly, for a helping hand, and for the Book which has made these countries the most enlightened and magnanimous nations of the earth. In Asia and Africa, nations are in the forming, and deep undertones of a restless desire for better things are everywhere apparent. Truly this is an age of unprecedented opportunity for the fulfillment of the Master’s great commission to preach the gospel to all the nations. This commission can be most effectively carried out by means of the printed page. The West Indies Agency Agency Secretary: Jose Marciai.-Dorado, Ph.D. San Juan, Porto Rico. Established in Cuba and Porto Rico in 1898. Field: Cuba, Porto Rico, Haiti, Dominican Republic, the Islands of Martinique and Guade¬ loupe, and the Virgin Islands. Circulation in 1918, 11,051 volumes. Aggregate circulation since 1898, 746,338 volumes. The first report of the new Secretary, Jose Marcial- Dorado, Ph.D., covers a period of a little less than six months, during which time he traveled extensively to get acquainted with his field and to secure first-hand information about the mission fields and their needs. Dr. Marcial - Dorado sailed from New York on July 8, 1918, and has prosecuted h i s work with great earn¬ estness and consecra¬ tion. He was born in Cadiz, Spain, in 1880. His father was a Pres¬ byterian minister, who was sent to Africa un¬ der the auspices of the Scotch Mission to be a missionary in Algiers. After many years of very successful work in Oran he was ap¬ pointed representative of the British and For¬ eign Bible Society in Spain. Mr. Marcial - Dora- DB. JOSE MARCIAL-DORADO i ^ . the society’s agent for the west indies oO WOrKCO niS way WEST INDIES 89 through the University of Madrid by helping in the central office of the Bible Society of Madrid, Spain, and during his apprenticeship he received from the University the degrees of Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy and Literature. After the completion of his studies at the Uni¬ versity the Bible Society, under the Rev. Mr. Jameson, appointed him inspector of colporteurs, and he was also appointed president of the Y. M. C. A. in Ma¬ drid. It was at that time that Mr. Marcial-Dorado began a very successful religious campaign. He wrote for the newspapers and gave lectures through¬ out the country, and was prosecuted and menaced by the fanatic element. In 1904 he was arrested for preaching the gospel on the streets. He made his own defense in court, and was dismissed, after being complimented by the judge and jury. This experience of his life made him interested in law, and when the American Bible Society called him to this country he was about to take his last examina¬ tions in order to become a lawyer. Mr. Marcial-Dorado is well known in Spain as a writer and orator, and also on account of his interest and efficient help in the religious development of the country. He has prominent friends among the higher classes in Spain, and has helped nobly the working classes in the country. He is especially well known and liked among the miners in the English districts. We believe the Society to be particularly favored in the coming of Dr. Marcial to its staff, and look forward with hope to his service in this Spanish¬ speaking field of great needs and opportunities. Concerning the six months of his labors. Dr. Marcial-Dorado writes: ‘ ‘ My first duty was to know the mission fields and their needs, and my second to know the social ele¬ ments that are not in direct contact with the missions: WEST INDIES 90 that is, teachers, professional men, writers, etc. My knowledge of the Latin race and my experience in Spanish countries has shown me the need of knowing the higher classes, really the ones that are farther apart from religious life and religious activities, but nevertheless very influential and worth knowing. Porto Rico “In Porto Rico, one of the islands where the cir¬ culation of the Bible has been greater, the influence of the gospel is very noticeable. I shall always re¬ member with a great deal of gratitude and satis¬ faction the kind welcome given me by the mission¬ aries in Porto Rico. I also visited all of the members of the American government and all the schools; in addition I wrote for the newspapers. The civil and military authorities and journalists were very kind to me, indeed. I worked with the Y. M. C. A. in order to help the soldiers and the training camps for officers. Great Demand for the Scriptures “Our missionaries and our workers increased their orders in such a way that our small supply was soon exhausted. All the letters from our agents brought the same plea: ‘More books—please send us more books 1’ Our sub-Agent, Mr. Drury, wrote to me saying, ‘The demand for books is so great that we sincerely hope the American Bible Society will soon increase the appropriation for this territory. ’ The Rev. Mr. Archilla said to me, ‘We are in a critical period—it is evident that the time has come when the people are anxious to read the Bible, and we are not in a position to meet their demands. ’ “The missionary work in Porto Rico is spreading and naturally the demand for more Bibles keeps in¬ creasing. Besides this phase there are others well worth noticing. Persons of the higher circles, both WEST INDIES 91 in the American and Spanish colonies, are persuaded of the need for an increasing circulation of the Bible in Porto Rico. Testimony of Public Men “The Hon. Mr. Yager, governor of Porto Rico, in speaking to me said: ‘I fully appreciate the impor¬ tance of the circulation of the Bible; that kind of work is not only religious, but also instructive. ’ One of the leading newspaper men said to me: ‘The Bible has strongly influenced the American character, and we assure you that that book is becoming more and more needed in this island. ’ “ In one of my trips an old man who lived in a hut near a sugar central showed me a New Testament, practically worn out. He had read it every day since a young man and had taught his grandchildren to read in it. Santo Domintfo “Santo Domingo is another field where the need of a circulation of the Bible has increased greatly. Ameri¬ can intervention has succeeded in restoring peace and safety to the country, and missionary work is pro¬ gressing there. Many workers have asked me for books. The Spanish-speaking people are anxious to read the gospel, but, unfortunately, Spanish¬ speaking missionaries are very scarce. There are only a few churches for Spanish-speaking people in the north side of the island. “There is nothing in the south, however, and the Porto Rican brethren want to help Santo Domingo by sending missionaries; that is why they were so insistent about books. There is a great opportunity in Santo Domingo, not only for missionaries but for the American Bible Society. It was my good for¬ tune to witness the eagerness of the people there to hear the gospel. Many volunteered to go through the village and sugar central, selling Bibles. 92 MEXICO The War Emphasizes the Need of the Human Soul “We helped the Y. M. C. A. as much as possible. We helped soldiers, especially, among whom we found a great number of eager youths ready to study the gospel and to receive the divine message. We met many who read the Bible in their free time, and also those who wanted to have some difficult passages explained to them. “A very intelligent Colombian merchant said to me last December: ‘It is quite remarkable how the war has brought upon the human soul a deeper need of faith. ’ He was right, and I am convinced that this faith will make us realize the blessings of know¬ ing our Lord—and we can only know him through this Holy Word. Virgin Islands “On account of the poor communications this year we were not able to do regular work in the small Virgin Islands. Nevertheless, some books have cir¬ culated by the efforts of our brethren in Porto Rico. I received a letter from an unknown brother in which he said to me: ‘These divine books are very well accepted by the people here. ’ The Circulation “The circulation for the year was 11,051 volumes, as against 18,382 the year before, a decrease of 7,331 —due to the lack of Scriptures and colporteurs, and not to any lack of demand for the Word of God.” Mexico Agency Secretary: Rev. A. H. Mellen Apartado 1373, Mexico City, Mexico Established 1878. Field: Republic of Mexico. Circulation in 1918, 70,940 volumes. Aggregate circulation since 1878, 1,210,997 vol¬ umes. During three-fourths of the year this Agency was in charge of the Rev. W. F. Jordan, who was trans- MEXICO 93 ferred in October to be Seeretary of the Panama Canal and Central America Agency. From October the Rev. A. H. Mellen, archdeacon of the Domestic REV. ARTHUR H. MELLEN and Foreign Missionary Soeiety of the Protestant Episcopal Church, kindly agreed to take charge of the work, and in January, 1919, was appointed Agency Secretary for Mexico. 94 MEXICO Mr. Mellen was born in the western part of the State of New York. Later his father moved to Geneva, N. Y., where Mr. Mellen graduated at Ho¬ bart College. His home was a religious one, the family going regularly to the Episcopal Church—his father invariably having family prayers in the morn¬ ing, which included a short and carefully selected Bible reading. Mr. Mellen went to the Theological Seminary at Alexandria, Va., and was ordained to the ministry by Bishop Coxe, in Geneva, N. Y. After one year as a deacon at home he went as a volunteer missionary to Cuba, where he spent two years. He then returned home and was some years in a country parish and mission work in western New York, from which he came to New York City as assistant minister at Holy Trinity Church. The death of his father required him to go back to the old farm to attend to many matters there, and es¬ pecially to forest the timber, which he did, securing the services of a Canadian lumberman and purchasing a portable sawmill, working with the men himself in putting the lumber on the market. He found this a good school, teaching him many things about the management of men as well as business enterprise. Before going back into church work he traveled in Europe, and then offered himself to the Board of Missions of the church, to go wherever he was needed. The Board sent him to Mexico in the spring of 1909, and he was appointed by the bishop to do work among the English-speaking people on the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. Three years he was supported there by the people to whom he ministered. At the end of three years he was sent by the bishop to the city of Tampico for a year, and after that became archdeacon in charge of Mexican missions, also treasurer for the Board of Missions in the district. Mr, Mellen that the work which he is now MEXICO 95 undertaking is vital to all missionary enterprises in Mexico. His appointment has the heartiest appro¬ bation and indorsement of all of the missionary forces at work in and about the city of Mexico. We expect to hear from him from time to time, and our readers will look eagerly for his description of conditions there, and the influence of the Bible in building up a stable Christian civilization. The Year’s Circulation As in most of the Agencies, there was a decrease in the number of Scriptures put into circulation. By way of explanation, Mr. Mellen writes: “According to the statistics, we have again fallen below the figures of the previous year. The total number reported for the year 1917 was 97,265, in¬ cluding Bibles, Testaments, and portions, both sold and given away. Our records for the year 1918 show a total of 70,940. This means a falling off of 26,325. “In Mexico, under the heading ‘ portions, ’ nearly all of the sales are in the form of the book of Proverbs and the Four Gospels, a package of five little paper- covered books with the Mexican colors on the cover of each. The package is supposed to sell for twenty- five centavos, or twelve and a half cents; but they are generally sold very much cheaper, or even given away, if there is the slightest indication that they are going to be read. The purpose in placing these in circulation is to create a desire for the whole Bible. And each one of the little books is counted as a volume in making up the total of the number placed in cir¬ culation during the year. “In view of this, let us make a closer study of the reports for the two years 1917 and 1918. At the beginning of this article the statement was made that the two totals show a difference of 26,325 in favor of the year 1917. In what sort of books do MEXICO 96 we find this difference? Please note the following figures: “Number of Bibles less in 1918 than in 1917. 160 “ “ New Testaments less in 1918 than in 1917 420 “ “ Portions less in 1918 than in 1917 . 25,745 Total. 26,325 ” The Bible as a Companion and Friend Mr. Mellen continues: “Three students from the Union Theological Seminary went out during the months of November and December, and some of the facts shown by this short campaign were very interesting, giving great reason for hope in the future. In cities where evan¬ gelical churches have been for some years established, it is signifieant that there is very little call for the Bible in parts, or even for the New Testament. Also, the Bible is not wanted in the cheaper bindings, but in the very best leather binding that can be had. If there had been in stock on the shelves of the Agency in Mexico City a large supply of these Bibles at the end of the year the total figure of the sales for the year would have been quite different. The sales whieh these students made seemed to go directly from the little paper-covered Gospels to the Bibles, as the num¬ ber of New Testaments sold was very small indeed. When people who are poor, or in very moderate cir¬ cumstances, are willing to spend money to buy a Bible bound in leather, and on India paper, and want the size that will easily go into the pocket or a travel¬ ing bag, it means that the Bible is desired as a com¬ panion and a constant friend. Much Open Territory for Seed Sowing “Looking back over this last year, and then into the future, there are some very hopeful signs. “The steady advance and firmness of all of the mission work in the country means that hundreds MEXICO 97 of Bibles will be placed in circulation without the cost to the American Bible Society of paying col¬ porteurs to do the work. But the places where mis¬ sions are well established are like so many little dots on the map, and these missions only serve to make more clear the great open territory where the men can go and keep on going; where the seed will have to be flung to the wind; where so much will fall on good ground and bring forth an hundredfold. A Persistent, Consecrated Tailor “Not long ago one of the missionaries told me of one of his men, a hard-working tailor in a small village, who became interested in selling books to his neighbors for pure love of the blessed work. This man at his own expense took a rail trip to a neighbor¬ ing town where missions were unknown; no one there was interested in his Gospels, and he had to pay for his meals. He made eighteen visits in the village, and paid his fare back to his home with the sale of just one New Testament to the credit of the journey. With small pay for the labor in his little shop, and his children to be fed and clothed at high prices, how could he keep on doing that sort of thing? Conclusion “A period of twelve months is a short time in the slow but steady progress of the great work of making the Word of God known to all the world, but it seems to me that this review of the year 1918 in the republic of Mexico should All us with joy, and with a great en¬ thusiasm for the progress of the work in the years to come.” T Panama Canal and Central America Agency Secretary: Rev. W. F. Jordan Bible House, Cristobal, Canal Zone. Established 1892. Field : The Republics of Central America, Panama, the Canal Zone, and part of Colombia. Circulation in 1918, 39,153 volumes. Aggregate circulation since 1892, 584,792 volumes. Upon the retirement in January, 1918, of the Rev. James Hay ter, who for ten years had enthusiastically developed the work of this Agency, the Rev. Dr. G. A. Miller, superintendent of the Methodist Epis¬ copal Mission in the Canal Zone, very kindly took charge of the Agency and supervised the work until the arrival in October of the Rev. W. F. Jordan, who was transferred from the work in Mexico to this Agency. The Year’s Work Earthquakes in Guatemala, war conditions af¬ fecting the Canal Zone, restricting all visiting of boats and docks, as well as many other difficulties, were great hindrances to the work; yet the statistics show that 3,211 Bibles, 5,190 Testaments, and 30,752 por¬ tions—a total of 39,153 volumes—were distributed in 1918, as against 57,332 in 1917. The number of correspondents, colporteurs and Bible-women was 61, the copies of Scripture distributed being in 12 languages. In the course of the year’s report, Mr. Jordan says: “The few weeks that have intervened since our arrival at the Bible House have been very busy ones. Our coming was so delayed that we did not see Dr. Miller, who had been so kindly looking after the correspondence of the Society since the resignation of Mr. Hayter. The’early part of the year saw Guate¬ mala shaken with terrific and devastating earth¬ quakes, while the year itself closed with a terrific scourge of influenza in Bogota, Colombia. The medical training of our representative, Mr. Hockings, in the missionary school in England, stood him in good PANAMA CANAL AND CENTRAL AMERICA 99 stead here, and the medical authorities in Bogota were very glad to avail themselves of his services, which were freely given in helping to care for the victims. Earthquakes in Guatemala “In Guatemala, Mr. Jules Duffey, brother-in-law of Mr. Hayter, has been looking after the interests of the Society. Mr. Duffey begins his report with the quotation: ‘For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not de¬ part from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord. ’ Mr. Duffey says this verse was given to him during the visitation of the terrible earthquake. “He writes: “ ‘Thank God, we are hearing in many places of a great awakening in spiritual matters. Souls are inquiring for salvation and asking for somebody to preach the Word of God to them. Churches the Result of Bible Distribution “ ‘Several years ago I made my first trip as col¬ porteur, traveling on horseback with Roman Her¬ nandez. We visited the department of “El Quiche.” We had a good sale of books among Indians and Ladinos. It was quite a hard experience for me, as I was not accustomed to that kind of life. Often we had to sleep on the floor or in a hammock in the Indians’ huts. For many days we had nothing to eat but com and black beans. This experience was also quite a blessed one in the Bible work. In two of the places visited then there are now congregations of believers, when at that time there were none. How important is the work! The reading of this precious Book prepares the way for the missionary. ’ Honduras “In Honduras, during the past year, we have been unable to employ colporteurs. At present Honduras 100 PANAMA CANAL AND CENTRAL AMERICA is the most neglected section of our field. Owing to the isolation of the country, we have not been able to reach it and supply its needs in any adequate sense since the war broke out. Mr. Hockings has just come in from Colombia and is starting in a few days for a trip across Honduras by mule back. The trip will probably take between three and four weeks, but he will try to get in touch with all the missionaries and establish relations with them, endeavoring to make more satisfactory arrangements for an adequate supply of books in the future. El Salvador “The following is the report of Mr. Leroy W. McConnell: “ ‘This is a very small republic, averaging about 175 miles in length by 75 miles in width, but it has a large population of about a million and a half. The country is still largely dominated by the clergy, except in certain liberal districts, as you may imagine from the fact that there are two bishops and an archbishop—three in all. This year I have felt it very noticeable, however, that the people in nearly the whole republic are becoming more receptive to the gospel, and willing to take tracts or buy a cheap portion of the Bible, which will no doubt mean in¬ creased opportunities for the colporteurs soon. Bible Corrects the Errors of Rome “‘Recently we discovered a group of people in a small out-of-the-way hamlet who had bought Bibles from passing colporteurs eight or ten years ago, and had been slowly having their eyes opened, just through the Word of God, to the error of the Roman Catholic way, and to what is the true and only way. Now they are organized into a small church body and have regular services and much joy in their fellowship and confession of their Lord. Naturally, since they have been more open in their confession there has resulted PANAMA CANAL AND CENTRAL AMERICA 101 more persecution, and just recently three of them were held up by a large group of men and flogged, their Testaments being taken from them. “‘There is another large and enthusiastic group of believers in the hills near the Honduras border, north of here; these are the direct product of the Word of God left by passing colporteurs.’ Nicaragua “Mr. Walter H. Hooper, of Managua, has continued to act as our representative during the past year, without any charge to the Society for his services. The only colportage work has been done by the mis¬ sion workers in their preaching tours. We antici¬ pate a revival of Bible distribution as well as other mission work in this field during 1919. Costa Rica “In this country, also, there has been a demand for the Bible that we have not been able to supply. No colportage work has been done during the year, and the circulation has been secured through the cor¬ respondents, Mr. Boyle and the Rev. Sidney Ed¬ wards, of San Jose. Venezuela “During 1918 the work in these countries has been united under the superintendence of Mr. Alfred Hockings. During 1917 Mr. Hockings was in Vene¬ zuela; but throughout 1918 has had his headquarters in Bogota, Colombia. Mr. Carlos Kramer spent the first four months of 1918 in colportage work in Venezuela, but the rest of the year in Colombia, where during the first nine months he had secured a circulation of 10,019 books. Persecution of Protestants in Colombia “Bogota, Colombia, is another field from which active persecution has been reported. In April of 102 PANAMA CANAL AND CENTRAL AMERICA MR. ALFRED HOOKINGS ON TOUR, WITH DON BOSCO, DONA LOUISA AND DONA MAGDALENA, CROSSING THE GREAT RIVER LEMPA IN SALVADOR this year a mob attacked the building in which services were being held, breaking in the door and attempting to injure the workers. Fortunately, no one was seriously hurt. In October the terrible epidemic of influenza struck the city, and Mr. Hockings reports that a great change was noticed in the attitude of the people toward the mission workers when they saw them giving their services so freely to help fight the dreadful scourge. The Terrible Influenza Scourge “To quote from Mr. Blockings’ letter of November 9th: “ ‘The deaths have been on an average of 150 a day, and when we think that this city has only 150,000 to 200,000 inhabitants, you will see that it has been very serious. In just two weeks over 1,500 have been buried, and the deaths keep up to 50 a day still. However, the worst has been passed, and we PANAMA CANAL AND CENTRAL AMERICA 103 think that by the end of this month things should be normal again. All the missionaries without ex¬ ception have been down with it, and we three col¬ porteurs were down at the same time. However, we have also recovered, for which we thank God. Pills in Return for Stones “ ‘The great poverty has made sales almost im¬ possible, but we hope to begin again next week. Other missionaries have also been visiting the sick in the barrios, where the doctors have not been able to go. I am glad to say that it has all had a re¬ markable effect on the fanatics. My barrio was the one where we were so badly stoned some time ago, and we have been able to give “pildoras por piedras’’ (pills in return for stones), because all the prominent ones who stoned us have sought our medical aid. My little knowledge of medicine gained in the Lon¬ don hospitals has now come in very handy, when those who knew anything of medicine have been in great demand. We received every courtesy and help from the authorities at this time.’ Canal Zone and Panama Canal “Normal traffic through the Canal is being re¬ sumed. At the present writing as many as six, seven, and eight ships a day are passing through. In the month of November 185 ships passed the Canal, representing the following nationalities: United States 81, British 38, French 13, Norwegian 12, Chilian 6, Japanese and Peruvian 5 each, Dutch 2, Costa Rican 2, Ecuadorian 1. Army and Navy Work in the Canal Zone “Something has been done toward supplying the needs of the soldiers and sailors stationed here. Five hundred Testaments were given to the Porto Rican regiment on the Canal Zone. Besides this a house- 104 PANAMA CANAL AND CENTRAL AMERICA to-house canvavSS has l:>een made of the eities of Colon and Panama. Some Bibles have been cireulated in the city of David, in the interior, by the Methodist Episcopal Mission workers. Bibles among West Indian Negroes “A great many Bibles in English have been sold to the West Indian negroes who furnish the labor in this part of the world. They bought us all out of cheap English Bibles before Christmas. At the present writing the work of distribution from the Bible House is at a standstill for lack of stock, ail of our Spanish books and all the cheap English books being sold out. The Bible Society’s Launch “With the resumption of normal traffic through the Canal, and with a removal of the restrictions made necessary by a state of war, work on the ships ought to be resumed. We hope soon to see the Bible So¬ ciety’s launch running on the harbor again, with its uniformed workers calling the attention of the car¬ riers of the world’s commerce to the one Book, the influence of whose teachings has made international commerce in its present-day proportions possible.” Mr. Jordan concludes: “We enter the new year with our hearts full of thankfulness to God for the Bible House in Cristobal and all for which it stands; also for the privilege of endeavoring to help it fulfill the functions which the donators had in mind for it in God’s plan for the sal¬ vation of Latin America.” La Plata Agency Agency Secretary: Rev. F. G. Penzotti Casilla de Correo, 304, Calle Parana, 481, Buenos Ayres, Argentina Established 1864. Field: Spanish South America, excepting Venezuela and Colombia. Circulation in 1918, 45,140 volumes. Aggregate circulation since 1864, 1,667,340 volumes. This extensive field, covering seven republics— namely, Argentina, Bolivia, Chili, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay—with headquarters at Buenos Ayres, was very seriously affected by the war. It was extremely difficult to get the books to the different portions of the field, and shipping was so irregular that it was almost impossible to procure space for cases of books, even when the books were available. In spite of all these difficulties, however, the Rev. F. G. Penzotti, who has so long and so faithfully cared for the interests of the Society in this field, with the as¬ sistance of 46 colporteurs and correspondents, put into circulation 45,140 volumes, in 27 languages— 11,414 being whole Bibles, 11,271 Testaments, and 22,455 portions. This was a decrease of 18,273 as compared with 1917, but the wonder is that in the face of the many difficulties it was possible to get over 45,000 copies of the Scriptures in circulation. As Mr. Penzotti aptly observes: “The true value of the work consists not so much in the number of books put in circulation, or in the money received for them, but, rather, in the beneficial spiritual part, the result of which can never be meas¬ ured by rule. Labor and Capital , “Unfortunately, men like to go their own ways, and the result of it is that while I am writing these lines in the metropolis of Latin America, the govern¬ ment is going to decree the estado de sitio, and the noise of hundreds of detonations is heard in the streets LA PLATA 106 of Buenos Ayres, causing many victims. That is the struggle between labor and capital. “Nevertheless, the Bible does not cease to carry forward its noble and spiritual mission; no other work or institution has done a greater and more important service than the Bible in the struggle for liberty of worship and the conversion of many souls. ’’ The Colporteurs and their Fruitful Service Mr. Penzotti’s report records many interesting incidents of fruitage from Scriptures sold or donated by the colporteurs in the years gone by. The follow¬ ing extracts will encourage all who distribute God’s Word to be faithful in scattering widely the living seed, much of which will fall in good ground and bring forth an hundredfold. The Bible Displaces Catholic Idols Our veteran colporteur, Julian Mangas, writes: “Before I was converted to God my craft was that of a gunsmith, and I was very fond of hunting. But once revealed to me the power of God’s Word, I greatly wished to become a hunter of souls; for Solo¬ mon says that he who hunts souls is wise. One day I discovered a little hut in which a man eighty years of age lived with his mother, a woman of one hundred and three years. I presented myself to them and spoke of the love of Christ. The woman began to weep, but it was for joy, saying that she never in her life had heard such a message of grace and so much love. Her son said to me, ‘Will you kindly visit us to-morrow? I desire to consult with you about this new message of joy which you have brought us to¬ day. ’ The following day I visited them again and was led by the man into a kind of large habitation where there was erected an altar, with a virgin and other images, all of them covered with ornaments of gold and silver. These poor people, being very ig- LA PLATA 107 norant, were entirely given to idolatry, and came from far to worship these images. He showed me all the idols, and asked me, ‘ What do you say of this ? ’ The only reply I had to that was to read them from Isaiah 44, Psalm 115, Jeremiah 10, 1. Corinthians 10:14, and L John 5: 4. After having read and explained to them these passages I marked them in their own Bibles. The man became entirely convinced of the truth, finally converted, and destroyed all the images he found in his house. This brought down upon him a strong persecution by his former friends; yet he and his mother continued to drink out of the fountain of life, and later on many others with them. ” Gospel Meetings, not “Masses,” Bring Peace A happy mother says; “I had a sick child three months old. Being tired of the many doctors, masses, virgins, saints, offering candles, and promises (I then was a very devout Catholic), I was very near to breaking down under the great affliction and sadness which the sickness of my child brought upon me. A neighbor of mine spoke to me about Christ and the gospel, telling me that the only and exclusive remedy for my child and myself was to be obtained through his divine Word. “This message was to my soul like fresh water to thirsty ground. I attended the meetings and to-day am enjoying peace and happiness. I am blessing that happy day that brought to my soul the message of my beloved Saviour.” “It Shall Not Return unto Me Void” Rafael Pineyro, one of the colporteurs, while attend¬ ing a gospel meeting in which he used to take part, was told by a woman that her husband had bought of him a Bible eleven years ago, and that the result of it was that her husband, herself, and their daughter found through it salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ. LA PLATA 108 She thanked the Lord with tears in her eyes for the inexpressible treasure her whole family had found. Another woman rose, and said that some years ago, being ill in a hospital, she was visited by a colporteur who gave her a portion of the Holy Scriptures, which she had read with great interest, this resulting in her salvation and joy in Christ. The same colporteur received a letter from Spain, from one Orsindo Fernandez, in which he related to him the conversion of his married daughter through reading a Bible which was given to her when she was in Buenos Ayres. This letter at the same time brought him the news of her death, leaving behind her a glo¬ rious testimony of faith in her Saviour. This colporteur also says: “A train conductor entered the meeting hall, testifying that four years ago a colporteur who was traveling in the same train gave him a Bible which the Lord had used as a means to open his heart, and Christ took it to his own.” A Testament, the Real “Book of Mass” He continues: “One day a woman came in and asked for a ‘book of mass.’ A New Testament was shown to her, at the sight of which she exclaimed, ‘That is not the book of mass!’ ‘What do you understand by the word mass ? or, what is the mass ? ’ I asked her. ‘ It is the sacrifice of Christ, ’ she said. Then I read and explained to her the gospel, the passion and death of our Lord Jesus Christ. The woman, greatly moved, but happy at the same time for having discovered that treasure, bought a New Testament and went away. The Lord will surely have done his work in this woman’s heart. ” Chili The Rev. Victoriano de Castro G., the sub-Agent in Chili, states that the year 1918 was “one of hard struggles and trials,” and that the lack of funds and LA PLATA 109 books “put us in a state of continual anxiety during the whole year.” There were only 2 colporteurs employed, but their work was supplemented by 24 correspondents. These 26 workers traveled 12,705 miles, visited 406 towns, and put in circulation 9,973 copies of the Scriptures. A Tireless Worker Concerning the work of Mr. A. Gonzales, the sub- Agent writes: “Our colporteur A. Gonzales visited the min¬ eral establishments of El Teniente, Goya, El Volcan and Curanilahue on different occasions, and we are very grateful to the chiefs of these establishments for the facilities they are offering us, making thereby our work more easy for us. This good brother, who never gets tired of working, very often goes great distances on foot, visiting towns and villages and carrying along with him a goodly stock of books, searching especially those places where no colporteur has ever been, and placing in the hands of these people the Word of God. Ultimately I had to re¬ strain him by force against his extreme activity, due to which his health was seriously affected by too excessive labor. The doctor who visited him or¬ dered him to greater moderation in his zealous serv¬ ice. ” Work in Other Republics In Paraguay, with its half-million inhabitants, “a goodly number of Scriptures” were placed in circulation, chiefly in the Spanish, Portuguese and Guarany languages. In Bolivia and ^ Ecuador no special work was done on account of war conditions. In Uruguay, “a very progressive country, its laws more liberal than those in any other country of South America, we have placed in circulation the greatest number of Scriptures,” Mr. Penzotti says. BRAZIL no “Antonio Fidalgo, one of our colporteurs there, our most active and consecrated worker, has put in circulation during the year 5,000 hooks, not without sacrifice and great effort; upon his bicycle he traverses towns and villages, often on foot, going great dis¬ tances to the camps in search after souls for Christ, visiting every ranch he meets, and looking into every comer. ” In Pern—“Our sub-Agent, Mr. A. M. Munoz, has been doing the best possible to attend to the most urgent necessities of this field. It was materially impossible for him to do a more aggressive work during this year, considering that he only received a single consignment of Scriptures, as a consequence of the terrible world war. ’ ’ Conclusion In conclusion, Mr. Penzotti says: ‘ ‘ In closing this small report I have the impression upon me as though I were going out of a miasmatical and powder-smelling valley, hearing behind me the moans of its many victims; but at the same time I see before me the dawning of a beautiful day, and hear the sweet song of ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men! ’ “ Brazil Agency Secretary: Rev. H. C. Tucker, D.D. Caixa do Correio, 454, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil First Agent appointed 1854; present Agency established 1876. Circulation for 1918, 19,602 volumes. Aggregate circulation since 1876, l,188,ff0 volumes. In this Agency the war interfered so greatly with transportation facilities that supplies of Scriptures were months in reaching the field from New York. In consequence, the circulation for 1918 was two- thirds less than in the previous year; only 4,267 Bibles, 4,867 Testaments, and 10,468 portions, a BRAZIL 111 total of 19,604 volumes being distributed, as against 58,666 in 1917. Dr. Tucker writes: “The Agency was able to ob¬ tain from New York during the year, in time to get into circulation, only 18,152 copies of the Scriptures. The stock on hand in our depository at the beginning of the year consisted, as at the close, of a few thousand copies in various foreign languages, of which we need to keep supplies for occasional demands. Receipts from New York and purchases at Rio amounted to 19,400 copies, while the distribution for the year, in 29 languages, amounted to 19,602 copies, as follows: Total sales by colporteurs.... . 1,318 2,027 3,029 6,374 Sales at depository. “ by correspondents. 821 . 1,899 444 2,004 587 4,496 1,852 8,399 Total. . 4,038 4,475 8,112 16,625 Donations and losses. 229 392 2,356 2,977 Grand total.. . 4,267 4,867 10,468 19,602 “This is by far the smallest circulation that the Agency has shown for years. The reason for the de¬ crease has already been made clear; the Bible House at New York made every effort to get supplies up to the full limit of our reduced appropriation, but for lack of shipping space it was impossible to do so.” The War and the Bible in Brazil Mr. Tucker makes the following interesting ob¬ servation regarding the influence exerted by the war in focusing the attention of the people of Brazil upon the Bible: “Who can measure the far-reaching and endless influence of the world struggle in awakening the peoples of the earth to the importance of spiritual things, and in riveting their attention upon Christ and his wonderful words of life?” Dr. Tucker writes further: “The appeal to the Word of God and its real value to men in all the affairs of life have been strongly em- BRAZIL 112 phasized during the present world struggle. The move¬ ment is becoming widespread. There are indications of an increasing interest in knowing and making known the Bible in Brazil. The evangelical papers have published reports and notices of the efforts of the Bible Societies and others to supply Scriptures to the men of the armies and navies of the world, to the prisoners and men in the camps. The opinions of high military and naval authorities as to the worth of the khaki Testament to the men in the service, and the testimonials of the men themselves as to the blessings and strength received from reading and obeying the Word of God, have been translated into Portuguese and published. The information im¬ parted in this way has made a profound impression and awakened interest. These impressions made upon Brazilian minds now need to be followed up by a wider circulation of the Bible and plans to give to every man who can read easy facilities for acquiring a copy. A Brazilian Scholar’s “Considerations on the Bible” “For some time it has been known that Dr. Jose Carlos Rodrigues, a distinguished Brazilian scholar and editor, was preparing a work on the Bible. He published during the year a volume entitled, ' Con¬ sider aqdes sohre a Biblia ’ (Considerations on the Bible), which might be called an Introduction to the Study of the Bible, with special reference to preparing the way for a study of the life of Christ. The book is being read by a number of persons and is attracting very favorable comment from various sources. It is a valuable contribution to Biblical literature and will be most useful to Bible students; it will also create in¬ terest in the reading and study of the Bible among the educated and liberal-minded classes in society. “That a leading editor and scholar of forty years’ experience and success in a country where the Bible BRAZIL 113 is little known, and the reading of it by the masses discouraged, and even forbidden by ecclesiastical authorities, should give up editorial work and business to devote his entire time to the preparation of such a work, and others that are to follow, is a matter of great significance. “Further facts and incidents might be related to show the developing interest in the Bible among Brazilians. The Bible in the Army and Navy of Brazil “The desire to do for the men in the Brazilian navy and army what has been so strikingly and ef¬ ficiently accomplished for the forces of other nations, has manifested itself in other directions. One ex-col¬ porteur of the Bible Society sent a generous offering from his small earnings for this purpose; pastors have spoken from their pulpits of the needs, and offerings for the fund have been made. Led by a consecrated young Brazilian Christian, a group of men obtained peiTnission and gave a copy of the New Testament to each man on board the vessels of the Brazilian fleet just before leaving for European waters to join the Allies. The spirit with which these copies were received gave encouragement to extend the work among the men on other vessels, in the forts and else¬ where. A Christian woman in the States, learning of this effort and of the need of larger supplies of Scrip¬ tures, sent a special offering of $30 for the work. “The great lesson of the world tragedy of the last four years is one that has often been repeated in human history, and nowhere recorded with greater clearness and force in the stories of the nations found in the Bible: ‘Righteousness exalteth a nation; but sin is a reproach to any people. ’ Urgent Need of a Bible House in Rio de Janeiro For the third or fourth year Dr. Tucker appeals for a suitable Bilde House in the center of that large and, s BRAZIL 114 important city, Rio de Janeiro. God grant that this earnest appeal to meet an urgent need may arrest the attention of one of the Master’s stewards of wealth and influence him, or her, or a family, to contribute the $50,000 to purchase the building God has ready for use in honoring him and in scattering the Word of Life among the people of the republic of Brazil. We must again repeat and emphasize the desira¬ bility of the Bible Society securing a small suitable building of its own in the center of the city of Rio de Janeiro, the political, commercial, social, and re¬ ligious capital of Brazil. Now that the world seems about to enter a period of reconstruction, and Brazil is gaining an importance never before enjoyed as a factor in world affairs, the time seems most pro¬ pitious for this advanced step. Just at present there is a splendid opportunity for acquiring a building well located and adapted to the needs of the Agency; if secured it would not only amply accommodate the work of the Agency but would furnish a rental income sufficient for taxes and upkeep, and would give a considerable sum annually for the expenses of Scrip¬ ture distribution. The property can be purchased for $50,000 or less. We need not perhaps repeat here the arguments in support of this claim; these have been set forth spe¬ cially in reports for the past two or three years; let the reader interested refer to the report for 1917. Levant Acting Agency Secretary: Mr. W. W. Peet Bible House, Constantinople, Turkey Rev. Franklin E. Hoskins, D.D. (In charge of the Arabic-speaking portion of the field) Beirut, Syria. Established 1836. Field: The Turkish Empire in Europe and Asia, Bul¬ garia, Greek, Servian, and Bulgarian Macedonia, Albania, Egypt, and the Soudan. Circulation in 1918, 65,054 volumes. Aggregate issues during 60 years ending December 31,1918,3,955,790 volumes. Throughout the entire year 1918, the Levant Agency was without a supervising officer on the field, as Mr. W. W. Peet, the Acting Agent, has been in the United States on furlough. There were, however, al^le representatives of the Society’s work in Constan¬ tinople, Bulgaria, Syria, and Egypt. In July, the Rev. Dr. Franklin E. Hoskins, one of the Presbyterian missionaries at Beirut, was sent out jointly by his Board and the American Bible Society, by way of the Far East, to go as far as Egypt, and to reach Beirut at the earliest possible moment. He is to supervise that part of the Society’s work in the Levant which is embraced in the Arabic-speaking regions. The Year’s Circulation Owing to the war conditions that prevailed last year, and the consequent impossibility of securing reports from all engaged in Scripture distribution, an accurate statement of the year’s circulation cannot be given. So far as figures are presented, Constanti¬ nople reports a distribution of 34,315 volumes, and Egypt of 30,739, making a total of 65,054, which is approximately the record of the year. In 1917 the reported circulation was 70,037. Mr. Peet, who resided in Constantinople during the first three years of the war, submits a very full and most interesting report, in which he gives an intimate view of the appalling conditions and trials due to the war, and a succinct description of the po- LEVANT 116 litical policies and intrigues before and during it. The limits of this Story make it impossible to review these matters, but the reader who_ is particularly in¬ terested in this field is urged to secure and peruse the full report as it appears in the One Hundred and Third Annual Report of the Society, sent on application, for 25 cents. Bearing of the War on Bible Work The atrocious misrule, the dire cruelties, the un¬ imaginable sufferings, and the indescribable atrocities of the Turkish Empire during the past four years, have resulted in making all classes of the people ap¬ proachable as never before. The utter collapse of Germany and Turkey, and the signal victory of the Allies, coupled with the fortitude of the persecuted Christian Greeks and Armenians, have robbed the Young Turk party of all prestige and created a marked interest in the Book that comforted and strengthened the courageous Christians in their hour of trial. Out of the maelstrom of the war and its barbarities there is sure to come a calmness of judgment and a spirit of inquiry concerning Christ and his Word that will tend to the more rapid advancement of his kingdom, Mr. Peet observes. Unparalleled Record of Crirnes Hinders the Work The following extracts from Mr. Peet’s report give one conception of the trying conditions and faithful efforts in Scripture distribution in the Le¬ vant. “After Turkey was fairly launched into the general war, the pretext of military requirements, though scarcely needed, was ready at hand, and met with the approval of the Ccnnan allies of the Turkish Empire. Then began tliat series of atrocities un¬ paralleled in the whole record of the crimes committed by Turkish governments in the past. The Armenians LEVANT 117 were the prineipal victims of this savage policy of extermination. Ilnndrcds of tlionsands of imioceiit women and children were marched on foot over in- terminal )le distances in the heat of summer or in the frosts of winter, while most of the men were merci¬ lessly slaughtered, sometimes before the eyes of their own families. The horrors of these deportations and massacres defy all description. More than two mil¬ lion Armenians and Greeks are reckoned as deported from their homes, and only one-third of them is now believed to survive. Two-thirds perished from sick¬ ness, starvation, exposure, and massacre. Similar methods were adopted against Arabs in Syria, Jews in Palestine, and Chaldeans in Mesopotamia, ir¬ respective of religion. “This blind cruelty, however, was not the only characteristic of the Young Turk misrule. The whole population of the empire was plunged into darkest ' misery. Indiscriminate military conscription drained away the greater part of the country’s productive force. The ‘Workmen’s Regiments’ will long sur¬ vive in the memory of the Christians of this country as a very hell of torture, far more murderous than the worst fire of an attacking enemy. The men were com])elled to work from morning to evening, ill fed, scantily clad, deprived of night lodgings, plunged in (ilth, expOvSed to the rigors of heat and cold. I'Ikmi- sands and thousands of stalwart young men perished. It was a capital method for the extermination of all that the Christian races possessed in youth and vigor. Position of the Levant Atfency “In the midst of this turmoil, what prospects could there be for a successful Bible work? It was clear that while the war was going on Bible work must be careful not to expose itself to too much light! Never¬ theless, during several months after the beginning of hostilities the work of distribution was continued 118 LEVANT in the method that Dr. Bowen had adopted with such a successful issue. vSoon, liowever, its inevitable de¬ cline cajne on. d'hings were day by day getting tighter and tigliter, a, feeling of uneasiness was spreading over the country, roads were, closed to private travelers and to merchandise, communica¬ tions by post became precarious, and, lastly, the de¬ portations and massacres of the Armenians in the spring of 19LS brought the work to a complete stand¬ still. Staff of Colporteurs Reduced from 35 to 5 “It was a painful moment to Dr. Bowen, for he saw the labor of a lifetime breaking to pieces in a few short months. His faith in the vitality of the work was not shaken for a moment, but he felt the necessity of relaxing the effort toward distribution in the dis¬ tricts where the storm was raging. Of the thirty colporteurs who covered the whole extent of Asia Minor, only five were retained in the Bible Society’s service. Broosa, Smyrna, Aleppo, Adana, and Tre- bizond were thus the only cities of Asia Minor where the Agency had men engaged in Bible work. Scriptures for Soldiers and Prisoners “During the past year we sent several times by post, at the request of Mr. F. S. Onderdonk, secretary of the Students’ Movement in Vienna, a number of single Gospels and other portions of the Bible in the Ttrrkish language. These were wanted for free dis¬ tribution among wounded and sick Turkish soldiers in various hospitals in Austria. We received at times letters of acknowledgment from the chief nurses of these hospitals, expressing their appreciation and thanking us for the books. The sick soldiers, they wrote, were very glad to have them and openly mani¬ fested their joy. But we were soon obliged to stop sending these 1)ooks. One day an officer of the Secret LEVANT 119 Service called at our office with one of those single Oospels in his hand, and asked, in a rather authori¬ tative manner, what, we meant l)y sending such hooks to Turkisli soldiei’s in Austria. Lovintf Service by a Paslor of a German Churcli “In January, 1917, we delivered 200 Armenian New Testaments, and in February of the following year 500 more, to the Rev. Count Luttichau, pastor of the German Church in Pera and chaplain of the German Embassy. These were wanted for free dis¬ tribution among Russian prisoners of Armenian origin interned in Germany. The following is a translation of the German report by Pastor Luttiehau: “ ‘ Report on the benefit bestowed by the Armenian New Testaments on Russian prisoners of Armenian speech and Armenian creed, in Germany. “ ‘Rendered by Head-Master Sommer, at Uchten- hagen, Mark. March, 1918. “ ‘We heartily thank the American Bible Society for enabling us to hand to Armenian prisoners the Word of God, toward which so great a craving was existing among them. A portion of the New Testa¬ ments was distributed at the time of my personal visits. To prisoners at places where I could not go, the books were sent by post, or by care of the pastors who were appointed over the prisoners by the ec¬ clesiastical authorities. “ ‘During our prayer and conversation about God’s love their countenances brightened up every now and then. “Now we know,” they said, “that there is somebody here who is thinking of us. What you have brought us with God’s Word is much more important and valuable than any material assistance.” I went twice to another small band of prisoners. After my first visit I sent them some Armenian New 'restamen ts.’ 120 LEVANT Printing “No new printing was done at Constantinople after Dr. Bowen left for Switzerland, in February, 1916. In the early part of the same year a Bible and a New Testament in the Arabic language were printed at Beirut. These two editions were the last that were jorinted by the Agency. Binding and Purchase of Scriptures “Owing to the extremely high prices, we were obliged to confine our binding and purchases to books which were in actual demand. During the three years 1916-1918, the great majority of the Scriptures that were bound or purchased by the Agency were in the Bulgarian language and were forwarded to Bulgaria. ’’ Imprisoned and Exiled for Distributing the Scriptures In his report, Mr. Peet gives the following worthy tribute concerning the colporteurs during the years of war: ' ‘ Our colporteurs of Constantinople have both had their share in difficulties and unjustifiable interference with their work. “It was gratifying to see how faithfully these men went on with their labor in the midst of so many dif¬ ficulties. They had a report of sales to send us at the end of each month, and though their distribution fell far short of what they had done in days of prosperity, the sales which they succeeded in making are a testi¬ mony to their faithfulness and energy. We are not yet informed whether or not the work of our pro¬ vincial colporteurs was hindered by government officials, for it would be unwise to write about such incidents while the Young Turks’ terrorizing methods were still in force. LEVANT 121 “One of them, however, reports as follows: “ ‘During my work in the eity of Constantinoi)Ic, 1 had the pleasure to meet many people favorably inclined toward the Bible. I sold a good many copies of pocket New Testaments to Greek and Ar¬ menian soldiers of the Turkish army. Last summer I met with a disagreeable adventure during a visit I made to Kemer Bourgaz, a village lying a few miles to the north of Constantinople. At the outskirts of the village I sold a few portions to Moslem soldiers. Presently I was arrested and cross-examined on the charge of selling to Mohammedans books which were good to Christians only, with the purpose of winning them over to Protestantism. I was kept in a filthy prison there during two days and was then sent to Constantinople under eseort, in eompany with a man who was aeeused of thieving. After being imprisoned in Constantinople for one or two days I was allowed to go, but only after I had proved that my business was permitted under the existing laws. ’ “Our seeond eolporteur in Constantinople reports: “ ‘ It was in April, 1915, that I happened to be on a Bosphorus steamer, when a Turkish offieer asked what the books I was selling were. I showed hiin a Turk¬ ish Bible, and on examining it he was irritated at seeing on the title-page a notiee that the book was printed at the expense of the Ameriean and British Bible Soeieties. For it was during those days that the fight in the Dardanelles was at its height. On disembarking from the steamer the offieer had me arrested by a polieeman. I was thrown into prison and some days later was exiled to the interior of Asia Minor, with a number of Armenian gentlemen who had also been arrested on various pretexts. It was only through the energetic intervention of Dr. Bowen and of Mr. Morgenthau, the Ameriean Ambassador, that I was allowed to return to Constantinople, after an exile of more than three months. ’ 122 LEVANT Sales Increase in War Time “The distribution from the Society’s central de- ])()sitory at the Bil)le House of ('onstautinople lias l'>eeu during tlie war ygars (‘onsid('rably higher tlian il. was in normal times. It would ha\’e been still higher had our stock been better suiijilied. 1'he years 1917 and 1918 were especially marked for large sales from our depository, despite the fact that our selling prices were increased. It was particularly interesting to see soldiers who insisted upon paying for the books they wanted, although we told them that they might have them free. The Work in Bulilaria “It is very unfortunate that we have no report to present from the Rev. M. N. Popoff, the Society’s able sub-Agent in Sofia. A description from his own pen of the work in Bulgaria would doubtless be highly interesting. Our correspondence with Mr. Popoff, though often interrupted during the previous two years, was tolerably regular in 1918 until the end of September, when the armistice was concluded and all communication between this country and Bul¬ garia was suspended. His letters to us were neces¬ sarily concise; but the reports he sent in from month to month sufficed to give an idea of the splendid work that was carried on in Bulgaria. “During the time from January to September two colporteurs were working in Bulgaria, while depository distribution was carried on in three centers: Sofia, Philippopolis, and Yambol. The unsettled condi¬ tion of the territories acquired by Bulgaria after the Balkan war, and the quick succession of the general war, did not allow the extension of Bible work to those new territories. There can be little doubt that with the final establishment of peace, Bible work in Bulgaria is destined to be a success.” 123 l.EVANT Etfypt and Syria I'liv Rev. Mikhail Bakhit, of Alexandria, was in- (lefatiK^il)U' in labors in h^gypt,. We eeased to hear from oni* vSyrian snb-Ageney after h\d)i'nary, lbl7. Mr. A. liana, the vSoeiety’s sub-Agent in Beirut, on eoining to Constantinople about a year ago informed us that no binding or printing was done there for the present. Only the Society’s depository was open for sales. The following particulars of the work in Egypt are full of encouragement and illustrate how faith¬ fully the colporteurs have labored despite their trials: Distribution “In spite of the many hardships and hindrances mentioned above, our distribution for the year 1918, including Bibles, Testaments, and portions, has been 30,739 volumes, or an increase, as compared with last year, of 3,592 volumes. This is an increase far exceeding our expectation, and due (humanly speak¬ ing) to unusual opportunities that came to us during the year. We pray that God may give us more of these opportunities, so that there may be an ever- increasing distribution of his truth among the people. “Our circulation for the year 1918 was v30,739. “We have 18 colporteurs, 17 of whom worked the entire year, while the other worked 10 months and then left the Bible work because his salary was not enough to supply his family’s needs. “The colporteurs spent in service 6,505 days, traveled 20,486 miles, and visited 780 towns and villages. ’’ Striking Testimony of a Moslem Regarding the Bible “Our colporteur in Neg Hamada says: “ ‘Wlhle I was working in the station of Deshna, Ali Bey Budran, the engineer of the Irrigation Oe- SIAM 124 partment, and AH Bey Mabfonz, the judge of the court, met me. f did not know them, but they saw my l)ooks, and the first Bey, seeing a gilt-edged Arabic Bible, said: “1 wish to take this book be¬ cause it has a good, binding, and not for its words.” I answered him, saying, “ If you wish to take the book only for its cover, and not for its good words, I will not give it to you.” I understood from his words that he wished to mock the Bible. While we were talking the train came, and he left me and took it. After the train had started the second Bey came to me and bought the Bible, saying, “Do not be angry because of the Bey’s words; we know that the Bible is the book of God, and we respect it.” ’ Conclusion “The Bible Society’s mission in these lands is assuming a far greater importance than it has had in the past. By disseminating God’s Word among the nations of the East it will assist them in achieving their religious reforms. The Bible will be one of the greatest factors in the regeneration of the nations of the East. ” Siam Agency Secretary: Rev. Robert Irwin 426 Pramuen Road, Bangkok, Siam Established 1890. Circulation in 1918, 147,352 volumes. Aggregate cir¬ culation since 1890, 1,719,890 volumes. The work of Scripture distribution in this Agency during 1918 was most encouraging. It is the only Foreign Agency reporting a growth in the circulation, which amounted to 147,352 volumes as against 102,529 in 1917—an increase of 44,823. This credit¬ able increase was almost entirely in portions, as the following table shows. The circulation of Bibles and Testaments was very small. SIAM 125 Comparison of Circulation for 1917 and 1918 For 1918. For 1917. Bibles . 49 . 51 Test’s 586 539 Portions 146,717 101,939 Total 147,352 102,529 Increase over 1917. . —2 +47 +44,778 +44,823 Another item of interest is that the donations, or gratuitous distribution by colporteurs, were nearly double the sales. In China very little free distribu¬ tion is reported. The colporteurs are pioneer missionaries scattering the seed of the Word widely in the form of portions of the Scriptures which consist of at least a Gospel or some other complete book of the Bible. The sub¬ joined paragraph gives particulars of the circulation. Of the portions distributed 34,452 were Gospels; 27,724 the book of James; 22,441 Jonah; 20,589 Ruth; 14,079 Epistles of John; 5,126 Genesis, etc. Most of the books were in the Siamese and Laos languages, a considerable number in Chinese, and fewer in five other tongues. Forty-five colporteurs and sixteen helpers have assisted in this work. The attempt was made this year in the Chiengmai field to cover completely every part of it with the Scriptures. This intensive method is working satisfactorily. The following quotations from Mr. Irwin’s long and enlightening report for 1918 illustrate the various forms of activity and give a few of the many instances of work done during 1918. We read: What Has Been Done—Distribution “All other work is subservient to that of distribu¬ tion. The colporteur is our important man. A force averaging twenty-five a month has traveled along the highways and bypaths, through jungles and over mountains, in rain and shine, visiting populous cities and lonely huts, scattering the leaves that are for the healing of the nations. Real heroes some of them are, though none of them knows it. 126 SIAM “It is a pleasure to record the help Dr. Barnes, of the Rockefeller Research Foundation, has given us both in the distribution of Scriptures and evangelistic work. The “Silent Missionary” Wins Adherents “Mr. Callender, of Prae, writes: ‘Elder Noi Ka made a trip to the Yao people, and had a very inter¬ esting time. The Yaos there got hold of a book of Genesis which came from the Yaos in the hills of Nan, where I went before; they had left off their spirit worship, taken Jehovah for their God, and built a house for him to dwell in and to him they offer in¬ cense. ’ “The Rev. H. S. Vincent tells of a man who came from an out-village, inquiring for the church. He had had a book of Scripture and, following its teachings, wanted to know more perfectly the way of life. He was received and since that time has led almost his entire village to a live interest in Christian truths. He has not been employed by the Mission, but gives his time freely. Agency Secretary’s Work “The Secretary’s work is of a variable nature. The special feature this year was a trip into China, fifteen days north of Chiengrai, to visit the new sta¬ tion of the North Siam Mission and get distribution started there. It is the second time I have been to that part of the field, and it is full of interest. Dr. and Mrs. Mason, who had been there only three months, were busy in all that pertains to pioneer life. They have good hope of reaching a large popu¬ lation of Tai in and around Chiengrung. “Over three-quarters of the year was spent on a 4,517-mile road, and in the stations of four missions outside of Bangkok. Only two stations were not visited , the two on the peninsula. ’’ SIAM 127 The Importance of Trainintf Colporteurs and Others A subject to which Mr. Irwin has devoted much time, thought and effort in past years, is the best way and method of training colporteurs for their work. Courses of study were evolved after much corre¬ spondence and careful deliberation. During 1918 classes were conducted in 8 centers with an attendance of from 6 to 200, averaging 8 days. Mr. Irwin well says: “A world-wide correspondence to find some simple lessons for this purpose failed to bring them, and there was nothing for it, if we were to do this work, but to make them. After several trials, and a ton of paper, we have settled down to the preparation of a series based on ‘Co-operation with God,’ This general course is outlined and the first set of eight lessons on ‘Prayer’ completed. They are now being printed in English and Laos, and will soon be put into Siamese and Chinese. “Passing through Lampoon, a pick-up class was collected by Mr. Freeman, and after crowding seven lessons into three days an examination was held in the shape of actual distribution to one another. Born actors, they entered into the exercise with all their hearts. ‘Still,’ as Noi Kam admitted, ‘it was hard work. ’ This classwork is strenuous, but ex¬ hilarating. A Night Volunteer Class “Twenty-five employees of the Lakawn tannery asked for a class and attended in the night. “A conference is usually held in connection with the class. There were fewer of these this year than usual, owing to the prevalence of the pan¬ demic of influenza. During the year we conducted classes in eight centers, with an attendance of from six persons to two hundred, averaging eight days. There are some visible results. For instance, shortlv after leaving Prae, Mr. Callender wrote that Noi Ka, 128 SIAM AT WORK FOR A KAMU VERSION following instructions, was making a house-to-house canvass of his district.” Translation and Revision of the Scriptures An important phase of the work in the Siam Ageney is to assist in and faeilitate the revision of tentative translations of the Seriptures and to eneourage and promote the rendering of the Bible, in part at first, into new languages as the work of evangelization ex¬ tends among hitherto unreached peoples. There are many tribes in this field that have no written lan¬ guage, as the next paragraph shows, and to provide the gospel for such means time, patience, and scholar¬ ship, coupled with much prayer and expense. What was accomplished in 1918 is thus stated by Mr. Irwin; SIAM 129 “Mr. Hanna and his helpers are at work on the Gospel of Mark in two languages. As soon as a sample of his Lahu Mark reaehes Chiengrai we will test it on the Musso Christians there. Mrs. Crooks has made the beginning of the New Testament in Kamu and the Epistle of Peter is being used with good effect among the Kamu in North Siam. “In the matter of the translation of Scriptures the Rev. A. C. Hanna and Po Tun, a scholarly Karen helper, are at work on the translation of Mark for the Kaw and the Lahu, illiterate mountain tribes. There are school text-books and a hymnal in Lahu, but no Scriptures yet in either language. “We have to thank the Rev. G. Porteous, of the China Inland Mission at Sapushan, for sample copies in the Pollard script of Lisu, Laka, Kopu, and Hwa Miao (or, as we say here, Maao or Meo) and key to its use. We may be able to adapt it to our mountain people, but have not had time to do anything with it yet. “The Scripture Revision Committee of the South Siam Mission has comipleted the revision of Psalms in Siamese. “The North Siam Scripture Committee spent two weeks on the revision of Proverbs in the Laos dialect, and completed half the book. It was translated several years ago by Dr. Howard Campbell, but not yet printed. “A second edition of the Kamu Peter has had to be put out without revision. “ Tai—“The Free”—A Scattered Mighty People Mr. Irwin has very much on his heart the Tai people, “scattered among four nations,” with “relics of a departed glory still clinging to them.” They have no written language and very little work is being done among them, yet they are approachable and might be won for the kingdom of (dirist in large SIAM 1 M) luunbers if God’s people would rise to the oppor¬ tunity and respond to the call of need. Similarly, there are many mountain tribes akin to the Tai without written languages, for whom vScripture and evangelistic work ought to be rapidly developed. May the following earnest words of Mr. Invin strike a responsive chord in the hearts of some of God’s stewards and influence them to supply the means for providing these untouched millions with the Word of Life! He says: What Remains to Be Done—the Field “The field: it is bigger than we thought, even two years ago. It used to be Siam, then we found the Tai in the Shan states and Sip Sawng Punna; then in southern China and across the Me Kawng, in French territory. Now Dr. Dodd and the China Council find them in at least four provinces of south China, estimating that there are five millions of them there. But while I was in Kengtung last spring Mr. Hanna quoted a missionary in China as putting them at ‘forty millions Tai in China.’ “ In the British Shan states the North Siam Mission has a small work a few miles wide along the Me Kawng River, among the Tai. The American Bap¬ tist Mission has a large work among the mountain people of three tribes, with a center at Kengtung, the capital. They do not pretend to work for the Tai, so that less than a sixth of the Tai people in Keng¬ tung State have the chance to hear the gospel. By arrangement of the two Mission Boards in America the Presbyterian missionaries are excluded from five- sixths of the Tai people in that country, and no other provision is made for them. In China there is just the beginning of evangelistic work among the un¬ known millions of Tai, and in French Cochin China there are two families in the southern part of the country, while the French government forbids mis^ SIAM 131 sioii work in the northern states. Is it not evident lliat ‘there remains yet very much land to be jiossessed?’ Here is a mighty people, scattered among four nations, relics of a departed glory still clinging to them and showing in their name, Tai, the Free. Surely, it is worth while to give them the gospel and to expect that in course of time they will become an evangelizing force to others. The call of the Tai is loud and insistent from the east and farther east, from the north and ever farther north, and we have not the men to send, men filled with the Spirit, men in love with their work, men who can be trusted. Only training will give us such men. Mountain Tribes, Letfion in Number “Scattered all through the Tai, mostly in the mountains, and little known, are the so-called moun¬ tain tribes, legion in number and polyglot in speech. “Parts of some ten tribes are touched, while a multitude of them have never heard the Story. So far as they are known they are susceptible to the gospel. The great new life that has awakened all nations to new vigor is beginning to reach even these remote mountaineers; universal ideas are forming within their brains; and they are wondering. Now is the psychological moment for the missionary. The chances are greatly in favor of sweeping them into the Kingdom now. A few years hence may be too late. “To proceed in a systematic way, one of the first things would be to find out and tabulate the languages and dialects. Many of them may be identical, or so akin that the same Scriptures could be used for different tribes. In the meantime, while we are wait¬ ing for that genius in language who may never ap¬ pear, let each one in any way connected with these tribes hoard every scrap of information and expression and try to link it with other information, pass it on to those interested in the problem, and do what he cfin to reduce the language to writing. China Agency Secretary: Rev. John R.-11ykes, D.U. 73 Szecliuen Road, Shanghai, China Established 1876. Circulation in 1918, 1,034,309 volumes. Ajjgregale circu¬ lation since 1876, 25,714,660 volumes. Pitiful indeed are the reports of Dr. Hykes, the Agency Secretary for China, and his five sub-Agency Secretaries. The scarcity of Scriptures and the ap¬ pealing requests for even the Gospels-—if not the Bible or New Testament—have combined to make the year 1918 one of the most trying and depressing since the organization of the extensive work of the Amer¬ ican Bible Society in China. There has been a veri¬ table famine of the Word, due to a multiplication of causes, thus briefly stated by Dr. Hykes: Disastrous Retrenchments “The year has been full of worries. Aside from the troubles growing out of the revolution, particu¬ larly in Hunan and Szechuan, we were often at our wits’ end to know how best to adjust the work to inadequate funds. While our appropriation was the same as for 1917, it realized twenty-one per cent less in local currency—thus reducing the money available for our work by that amount. Besides, the cost of printing was steadily rising. We had reduced our staff of foreign superintendents from ten to six, and dismissed all salaried colporteurs; but during the year we had to devise some way of further curtailing our expenses to meet the Mex. $13,000 less realized by our drafts. Further retrenchment could only be effected b}^ cutting down the manufactures. In 1917 they had been reduced nearly 400,000 over 1916. This year the reduction over last was more than 600,000; and it is significant, as showing the straits we were in, that we were only able to manufacture vSOO Ih'bles and 1,000 New Testaments, as against 3,000 CHINA 133 Billies and 41,700 Testaments in 1917. Tn order to su])|)ly tlie j^reatest ninnl)er of se])arate (lospels vve only ])rinted the cl]ea])est editions, in small type. It follows that our circulation Wcas correspondingly smaller. ’ ’ How desperate were the straits and drastic the retrenchments, for want of the necessary funds! Imagine cutting down the superintendents from ten to six, and dismissing all salaried colporteurs! Think of the hundreds of thousands of eager China¬ men hungry for God’s Word and not able to secure even a Gospel portion! Would that all God’s people could feel China’s needs as Dr. Hykes and his loyal co-workers feel them! There would then be no lack of money, but gifts would flood the treasury of the Society at the Bible House, Astor Place, New York City. Peruse with prayer, dear reader, this brief story of the Bible famine in China, pass it on to others, and secure generous contributions for the work, so as to help supply the hungering multitudes in China with the Bread of Life. The Circulation vSo far as figures show results, there was a total circulation of 1,034,309 volumes in 17 languages, 7,379 being Bibles, vSl,747 Testaments, and 995,183 portions—a decrease of 455,271, as compared with 1917, and less by 1,240,401 volumes in the Centennial year, when the distribution reached the magnificent total of 2,274,710. Had there been books available and workers to distribute them, this high-water mark would probably have been surpassed during 1918. The nrrmber of workers was only 394 as against 709 in 1917. In place of the salaried colporteurs, God raised up a large force of voluntary colporteurs, by means of whom most of the distribution in 1918 was accomplished. Dr. Hykes writes: 134 CHINA Distribution by Correspondents “Our ('irculation would have had a very sorry showing had it not been for the faithful co-operation of our correspondents, both foreign and Chinese. They distributed 920,120 copies out of a total of 1,033,330 sold. Practically all the distribution under this head is to be credited to voluntary workers, who receive no salary for their services. The subsidized workers are very few, and they are employed under the most exceptional circumstances. Voluntary col¬ porteurs only receive the proceeds from the sale of Scripture portions (most of which sell at one-half cent per copy), as a contribution toward traveling and distribution expenses. It will thus be .seen that the only outlay the Society bears is the cost of print¬ ing the books. The circulation could have been in¬ creased by the number of additional books had we the money to manufacture them. “The distribution under this head includes 155,600 copies, circulated by the Rev. J. H. Blackstone for the ‘ Milton Stewart Evangelistic Fund. ’ ” Translation and Revision Much thought and attention has to be given by Dr. Hykes and his advisers to the careful revision of existing versions of the Scripture and to their trans¬ lation into new dialects. Few realize the amount of time and thought, and study this form of missionary effort entails. Think of the late Dr. Wherry, whom Dr. Hykes describes as “a man of marked literary taste and ability, and one of the best scholars of Wenli in China, ” spending seventeen years on revision of the New Testament and eleven on translation of the Old—a total of twenty-eight years! The “Union” Bible—Wenli Version Dr. Flykes says: “ During the year Dr. Wherry completed the check- CHINA 135 ing of the unification of the proper names in the Old Testament with the Mandarin Version, and read the proofs of the Old Testament as it was passing through the press. He had seen the typesetting completed and the stereos made, when, on the 29th of December, he passed to his reward. Dr. Wlierry was one of the original company of revisers which completed the High Wenli Version of the New Testament, the plans for the production of which were inaugurated by the Missionary Conference of 1890. The Committee’s Version was completed, printed tentatively by the three Bible Societies, and presented to the Mission¬ ary Conference of 1907. This body decided that instead of two Wenli Versions of the Old Testament, as provided for in 1890, there should be only one; and Dr. Wherry was elected as one of the translators. He spent seventeen years on the revision of the New Tes¬ tament and eleven more on the translation of the Old—a total of twenty-eight years. These two will be bound together as the Standard Version of the Bible in current Wenli. Mandarin Version “The translation of the Old Testament was com¬ pleted before the close of last year, and an edition in No. 5 type was put to press. Mr. Bailer very kindly undertook the reading of the proofs and came to Shanghai for that purpose. “When the work of revising the Old Testament was approaching completion Dr. Goodrich, Mr. Bailer, and Dr. Lewis were asked to edit the text of the New Testament. Distribution by Colporteurs “ The sales under this caption have been practically all made by the superintendents in charge of the sub- Agencies into which the field has been divided. The only native colporteurs they have had under their 136 CHINA THE MANDARIN REVISION COMMITTEE care are two supported by friends independent of the Society. The title of these erstwhile ‘superintend¬ ents, ’ or ‘ sub-Agents, ’ has been changed to ‘ sub- Agency Secretaries, ’ to bring it in harmony with the new name (‘Agency Secretaries’) selected by the Board for its foreign representatives, hitherto desig¬ nated as ‘ Agents. ’ ’ ’ The location of the five sub-Agency Secretaries and the designation of these respective fields are as follows: The Rev. W. S. Strong, North China sub-Agency, at Peking. The Rev. J. Johnson, South China sub-Agency, at Canton. Mr. Godfrey Hirst, Central China sub-Agency, at Hankow. The Rev. W. C. Hooker, Eastern Szechuan sub-Agency, at Chungking. The Rev. T. Torrance, Western Szechuan sub-Agency, at Chengtu. CHINA 137 NORTH CHINA, SUB-AGENCY Suh-Agency Secretary, Rev. W. S. Strong. Place of residence, Peking. Table of Circulation Bibles Test’s Portions Total Sales at depository.. .254 827 371,885 372,966 For 1917. . 349 2,931 946 4,226 Total sales. . 603 3,758 372,831 377,192 Donations. 497 144 709 Total circulation .... . 671 4.255 372,975 377,901 Mr. Strong had a heartbreaking year. To see the need of God’s Word, and hear daily appeals for even portions of Scripture, which could not be supplied, was most distressing to him. A Scripture Famine Mr. Strong presents an impressive picture of the worst Scripture famine he has ever experienced. He says: “During the past year we have been seriously liandicapped by the Agency not having sufficient money for printing Scriptures. This has resulted in a Bible famine. For the last three months I have not had a single copy of the Gospels in stock, and the current sales from this depot have been limited to Bibles and New Testaments. As the stock in the . hands of correspondents was sold out the number of distribution centers diminished. There was a time, not long ago, when over 600,000 copies of the Gospels were distributed in nearly three hundred centers. But to-day these centers have dwindled down to six; and if reports from all of these had reached me before the closing of the year’s accounts some of'them would not appear in the list of unsold stocks, for I feel sure that there are Scriptures in only two of the six places. Such a state of affairs is heartbreaking to a Christian worker; it is despairing to think that at this juncture. CHINA 138 the most opportune time in the history of our Society in China, we have not a single copy of the Gospels— when a million would not suffice for the immediate demand! The Circulation “The total of sales for the year was only 377,901 copies, just about one-third of what they were a few years ago. If the Agency could have met the de¬ mand for Scriptures we could have sold considerably over a million, by supplying the normal requirements. There has been a Scripture famine. The preachers go from place to place preaching the gospel, but they are not able to leave with the hearers the written Word of God, that silent, ever-present missionary, to follow up the impressions made by the evangelist. Not a Single Gospel for Sixty Districts “Many of the districts which were formerly sup¬ plied from this depot have been able to secure Scrip¬ tures from the other two Bible Societies, but I have on my list some sixty districts where for over half a year they have not had a single copy of the Gospels. I have had Chinese workers in the depot telling me of their work and begging for Scriptures as hungry men for bread. Again, a lady just about leaving for a country station called upon me a few weeks ago and begged for Scriptures, but, without a single copy of the Gospels in stock, I could give her nothing! Almost in despair, she said, ‘Is it worth while going without them?’ The fact that she could not get them—that her most important weapon of warfare was lacking—brought tears to her eyes. I did my best, later on, to secure some, for which she thanked me as if they had meant life to her; and certainly they did mean life to her work. Peking, A Great Strategic Student Center “The work from the depot has, owing to the lack of l3ooks, been of necessity limited to Peking city, which, CHINA 139 after all, is the most important place in China. We tliank God for the results accomplished, and for l.lie ever-increasing opportunities for tlie distribution of Clod’s Word, albeit we have not been able to take advantage of them. In proportion as the light of the gospel is disseminated in this city, its effects will be felt throughout the republic. All other cities are more or less provincial: Peking is cosmopolitan. Besides, it is the greatest educational center in China. During the past year the Mission Union University has begun its work, while the Rockefeller Foundation Medical School has just been moved from Tientsin to this city, and is now housed in its new buildings, near our Bible House. It has extensive grounds and residential accommodations for eight hundred students. Students flock to the capital from all parts of China. They are here in multitudes. On the oc¬ casion of the recent Peace Conference they paraded and formed a procession five miles long, marching several abreast.” SOUTH CHINA SUB-AGENCY Sub-Agency Secretary, Rev. John Johnson. Place of residence, Canton. Table of Circulation Bibles Test’s Portions Total Sales at depository. .... 59 738 1,169 1,966 Sales by correspondents.... .... 644 2,230 10,060 14,934 Total sales. .... 703 2,968 13,229 16,900 Donations. 2 46 48 Total circulation. .... 703 2,970 13,275 16,948 The paucity of funds, lack of books, 'and the dis¬ charge of all colporteurs, combined to make the year 1918 one of much discouragement to Mr. Johnson. Almost all of the sales were by correspondents, as the table shows. Mr. Strong’s story of a Bible CHINA 140 famine in North China is repeated by Mr. Johnson in vSonth China. Work of the American Bible Society Assumed by the British and Foreign Bible Society Mr. Johnson was placed in the very unenviable position of seeing the work that had been built up in this sub-Agency assumed by the British and Foreign Bible Society, because the reduced appropriations necessitated the dismissal of all colporteurs. Surely it is only lack of knowledge of China’s needs that has caused God’s people in America to withhold the neces¬ sary funds for the work and place the responsibility for it on the British Society during the years of war, when Britain was carrying so much greater a burden than America! Mr. Johnson writes: “In this field the British and Foreign Bible Society, through its numerous colporteurs, has had a largely increased sale of Scriptures—especially of portions. The fact is, that when we had to give up our col- portage in this field it was to a considerable extent taken over by the British Society. We are grateful that the funds of the British Society have enabled it to assume the double burden of both their own and our share of the colportage work; but, while this is so, the sub-Agent in this field is placed in a very un¬ enviable position. He cannot employ colporteurs, nor can he develop a voluntary work; for to do the latter in a field where paid colportage is so liberally and extensively used would involve long and patient effort as well as extensive travel. The latter would be expensive, and is therefore impossible at the present time. To increase the demand for books would also be folly, for the demand could not be met. We men¬ tion these difficulties not because they are peculiar to this sub-Agency—the others have their share— but because we want the patrons of the Society in the States to realize our position, and come to our relief. CHINA 141 Urgent Need of the Message of Emancipation “For two years or more we liave been fervently lioping and praying for deliverance from this erippling, dei)rcssing financial pressure; longing that the Ameri- ean Bible Society may liberally contribute its quota toward supplying this great nation with the ‘ Bread of Life,’ as with such lavish generosity the American people are feeding the famishing multitudes of Europe. Never was the need greater than now, for never before have the people realized so keenly their need of deliverance from the galling shackles of po¬ litical, social, and religious bondage; and never be¬ fore have they been so able to appreciate the message of emancipation which the Bible brings. Education is slowly but surely spreading; and this, together with the ever-widening, enlightening, and elevating influences of Christianity, is giving them an appetite for that truth which can make them, as it has made other nations, truly great and free.” Conclusion Mr. Johnson concludes his report with these earnest words: “ Thus, in this great city, though we cannot do all we could wish, we are trying to do all we can, with the limited means at our disposal, for the circulation of God’s Word and the inculcation of its saving truths. We wait and work, in hope of the dawning of a brighter day. ” CENTRAL CHINA SUB-AGENCY Sub-Agency Secretary, Mr. Godfrey Hirst. Place of residence, Hankow. Table of Circulation Bibles Test’s Portions Sales at depository. 1,751 11,083 15,906 Sales , by correspondents. 80 832 228,843 Sales'by colporteurs. 2,170 Total sales. 1,831 11,915 246,919 260,665 Donations. 2 . 2 Total 28,740 229,755 2,170 'I’otal circulation 1,833 11,915 246,919 260,667 CHINA 142 In this section of China there was much disturl )anee, due to the strife between the northern and southern factions in China. Mr. Hirst says.: ‘'During the year the strife between the northern and the southern factions in China has continued. This has resulted in great misery and hardship to the people of the affected districts. The overthrow of civil authority has given rise to bands of robbers who formed in the mountains and exploited the people unmercifully, some of whom were carried off and held for ransom. “In the province of Hunan the suffering has been especially severe. Naturally, with all this unrest, the work of evangelism and colportage has been greatly hindered. Conditions have been such that the wives of missionaries who were away for the summer were not allowed by the consuls to return to interior places. ” A Famine More Disastrous than Lack of Food From this sub-Agency also comes the melancholy news of a famine of the Word. Mr. Hirst writes: “The story of the work in the Kiangsi Province is particularly sad to Bible lovers. It is a story of famine—a famine more disastrous than the want of food, which affects the body alone. It has been a famine of the Bread of Life, which nourishes the souls of men. The Agency was unable, through lack of funds, to supply anything like the demand for the Scriptures. The people were ready to buy the Gospels, but we did not have them to offer. In some stations the stock was used up and could not be re¬ plenished. The limited number of portions enabled some regular itinerating to be done, also a limited work among hospital patients. Distribution has been continued on the river steamers at Kiukiang, where quite a number of Gospels have been sold. 4^he wide-reaching influence of this work among travelers is immeasurable. CHINA 14 .^ “J"rom the far-distant province of Kansuh comes word of appreciation and testimony from evangelists to the great help the Scriptures are in their work, and requests for further supplies of Gospels. “From Honan Province the reports are more en¬ couraging, for with the exception of the northwestern l^ortion (bordering on Shensi) being unsafe, the whole lias been peaceful. “From two centers on the east border the hin¬ drances have been plague or influenza; and, again, our limited supply of portions.” WEST CHINA.—Eastern Szechuan Sub-Agency Sub-Agency Secretary, Rev. W. C. Hooker, Place of residence, Chungking. Table of Circulation Bibles Test’s Portions Total Sales at depository. 350 2,798 3,961 7,109 Sales by correspondents. 20 73,477 73,497 Sales by colporteurs. 3,768 3,768 Total sales. 350 2,818 81,206 84,374 In this section of the great Chinese Empire there has been considerable disturbance from bold highway robbers. As Mr. Hooker states: “The robbers have been more lawless than ever in the outlying districts. For more than four months we were unable to get books down from the Chengtu Press because robbers were holding up all the traffic. The people are reaching the end even of their won¬ derful patience, and the local militia are taking matters into their own hands, executing robbers wherever they can catch them; because of this the routes be¬ tween here and Chengtu are more open than they have been for a long time. There has also been much delay in getting books from Shanghai. No steamers liave been allowed to run, except the foreign-owned steamers of the two oil companies.” 144 CHINA Books- Books—Books : A Veritable Famine Famine — Famine — Famine — is the chorus in minor strain, from ah parts of China. Will not all lovers of the Word in America respond to this re¬ peated appeal, and send the needed relief to the perishing multitudes? “He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly, and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. ” Mr. Hooker writes; “The reason given for stopping the other vessels was the fear that they might carry northern troops. Merchandise which naturally ought to come by steamer is being sent by the mails, and they are get¬ ting clogged. “Our crying need this year has been, and still is, for books— hooks — books. One of the correspond¬ ents writes: ‘What the munitions factory is to the soldier at the front, so are the Bible and tract so¬ cieties to the missionary in the field. ’ If this is so, the West China missionaries may be compared to the Russian troops, defending themselves with guns that had bayonets only, and tearing down buildings to use the bricks for ammunition. “When the Society was compelled to dismiss the colporteurs because of lack of funds, we decided per¬ sonally to continue the support of some of them, as I reported last year. We had, however, to lay them off when books gave out, and the scarcity has been so great that they average the work of less than three men for the year. We are thankful for one extra, who was supported by the Methodist Episcopal Mis¬ sion church at Leona, Pa. Great Eagerness for the Story of Jesus “The following are some of the incidents from cor¬ respondents’ reports. The Rev. G. W. Sparling, of the Canadian Methodist Mission, writes: “ ‘One of tlie encouraging features of evangelistic CHINA 145 COLPORTEURS AMONG CHINESE MOUNTAINEERS work in the country districts is the readiness with which the men buy the Gospels. In nearly all my journeys to Lanchuan I have been sorry, before re¬ turning, that I had not taken more books with me. Before leaving I have stocked with a goodly number and as many as I hoped to sell, but almost invariably there has been such a ready sale that I have found myself short of books before I was ready to return home. On my last journey I sold over S,000-cash worth. 146 CHINA Large Sales on Market Days “ ‘A favorite device is to plan my journey so that I will pass through the larger towns on market day. The streets are thronged, and after saying a few words the crowd is soon gathered and they are told that the books for sale contain the gospel, which we have come to China to bring, and there is no delay in commencing the work of selling. I have sold as many as three hundred copies of the Gospels within an hour.’ WEST CHINA.—Western Szechuan Sub-Agency Sub-Agency Secretary, Rev. Thomas Torrance. Place of residence, Chengtu. Table of Circulation Bibles Test’s Portions Total Sales at depository. 618 1,479 31,752 33,849 Sales by correspondents. 67,493 67,493 Total sales. 618 1,479 99,245 101,342 Donations. 9 124 3 136 Total circulation. 627 1,603 99,248 101,478 Mr. Torrance had a year full of activity and en¬ couragement, notwithstanding the decreased staff. The circulation exceeded the 100,000 mark, as the above table shows. This cheering result was made possible by the enthusiastic efforts of “a goodly number of unpaid helpers” who gave their time to the sale and exposition of the Scriptures, and also of “three privately-supported evangelist-colporteurs. ” Mr. Torrance himself, in company with his and other workers, did much open-air work and made many towns, during which excellent “broadcast work” was done. The following quotations from Mr. Tor¬ rance’s interesting report demonstrate the important and far-reaching work which he is carrying on so ag¬ gressively. He writes: “As opportunity offered we have conducted meet- CHINA 147 ings in the various mission churches, street chapels, Christian guilds, Y. M. C. A. halls, and the Chengtu hospital; given lectures to students in government schools and preached to crowds of people in the public temples. My purpose has been never to refuse an invitation to speak or lecture if I were free to do so. In this way I have responded to calls from five dif¬ ferent missions working in Szechuan. Remarkable Welcome in Heathen Temples ‘ ‘ From time to time the evangelist-colporteurs and I have gone on preaching tours in the country. This kind of work has perhaps been the most cheering of all. For here we were launching out into the deep and reaching the vast multitudes that knew nothing of Christianity. Space fails me to enumerate the many wonderful meetings we have had. Invariably we took the magic lantern with us. It drew the crowds in the evening. Night by night, tightly- packed gatherings of men in some roomy heathen temple would stand and see and hear of the truth con¬ tained in the Gospel they bought at the door. Bud¬ dhist, Taoist, and Confucian temples have all been opened freely to us at one time or another. On my last itinerary we were given our choice in a certain city of using the Temple of Hell or the public theater— and we chose the latter. As usual, no charge was made; the citizens fully recognized the nature of our work and freely gave us the opportunity of reaching the people. Seed-bearing Fruit after Many Days “That their labors, whether in co-operative work like this or in individual effort, have borne fruit I know full well. The results may not be seen im¬ mediately, but sooner or later they must appear. The most wonderful case of this seed-bearing fruit after many days is that of Mr. Pan, whose photo¬ graph I have sent to you. Forty years ago, at the CHINA 148 age of nineteen, he read a Gospel lent to him by a friend, and recently the truth so long dormant in his mind sprang into fruition by-the chance meeting of a Christian who explained it to him. To-day he is one of the keenest, brightest church members in the province. Another interesting case, but the reverse of Mr. Pan’s, is that of Mr. Shong, a man of seventy- seven years. About a year ago a colporteur sold him a copy of Genesis. The story of Joseph so gripped his heart that he believed at once. He sent his sons to buy a copy of every book the colporteur had. So he read also Exodus, Proverbs, Daniel, Jonah, the Gospels, and Acts. He, too, is now baptized. Hear¬ ing last October that I was near by, he walked six or seven miles to be present at our meeting. The sight of his earnest, godly face made me thank God and take courage. Splendid Work of Bible Societies “The testimony to the value of colportage-preaching work is the same everywhere. All unite in laying emphasis on the need of increased effort on the part of the American Bible Society. The Rev. George Hartwell, who came to China a quarter of a century ago, writes: ‘It is a privilege to bear witness to the splendid work of the Bible Societies in West China. The American Bible Society has been especially active. In addition to the regular colporteur work, you have personally conducted tours through many of the prosperous cities and towns on the plains.’ ” What a wonderful story is the foregoing of the extensive, aggressive work for the advancement of the kingdom of Christ throughout the vast reaches of China! May this brief glimpse of the Society’s activities stimulate many to the giving and securing of large contributions for the fundamental and in¬ dispensable labor of the American Bible Society both at home and abroad. JAPAN 149 China’s Urgent Need We quote Dr. Hykes’ earnest words at the elose of his report, and trust they will strike a responsive chord in the hearts of all who read, and pass on to others, the heartening reports from the uttermost parts of the earth: “We close our year with profound thankfulness to God that he has blessed his own work. The Scriptures are still, through the operation of the Spirit, the power of God unto salvation. “The close of the war, and the prospect of more normal conditions, together with an increased ap¬ propriation, leads us to look forward hopefully to 1919. We trust it may be laid upon the hearts of God’s stewards to make it possible for the Society to meet the demand for the Word of Life which comes from the millions of China. “In her efforts to emerge from her deplorable con¬ dition, nothing can help China more than the wide distributions of the Scripture.” Japan Acting Agency Secretary: Rev. Karl E. Aurell Yokohama, Japan Established 1876. From 1890-1904, Agency jointly maintained by the American Bible Society, the British and Foreign Bible Society and the National Bible Society of Scotland. In 1904, work was divided, the northern part of Japan being assigned to the Agency of the Ameri¬ can Bible Society, and the southern portion to the Agency of the British Societies. Circulation in 1918, 92,535 volumes. Aggregate circulation through American Bible Society since 1876, 4,286,814 volumes. In this field, war conditions caused “a ceaseless advance in costs of production as well as of circula¬ tion of Scriptures.” The inevitable result was a decrease in the output, which totaled for the year 5,053 Bibles, 40,494 Testaments, and 46,988 portions —92,535 volumes in all, as against 141,235 in 1917. The number of workers was 67, which was 29 less than in the preceding year. 150 JAPAN Transfer of Headquarters Owing to greatly increased rents it was considered best to move from the building -so long occupied as the Agency Headquarters in Yokohama to a smaller place. Mr. Aurell, the Acting Agency Secretary, hopes this change will be only temporary, as he considers it desirable to transfer the headquarters to Tokyo. Excerpts from Mr. Aurell’s report give an outline of the year’s activities: The Tokyo Branch “Our branch depot at the National Y. M. C. A. building having become more widely known through¬ out the city, has done a fine work during the year. Mr. Otake, who is in charge, has been kept very busy because of the steady increase of visitors and customers. The demand in the city for whole Bibles, well bound, has been greater than we could supply, which certainly is an encouraging evidence of the progressiveness of Christianity. Bible Selling in Cherry-blossom Season “As in many years past, the Society supplied Testaments for selling at special tent services held during cherry-blossom season in Tokyo. This is a good work, because large numbers of people who have walked themselves tired admiring the cherry blos¬ soms, are glad to find a place to sit down in and rest. A number of earnest Christian workers in attendance quite easily get one group after another, many times during each day, into the tent. Practically every¬ body, at times like this, carries some spending money, and so, after having heard an earnest gospel message, many of them are quite willing to buy a Testament. It is an occasion that is well worth while, and we are glad to have some share in it. JAPAN 151 A Barber Selling Scriptures “The oldest son of one of our colporteurs runs a barber shop in the city. His sincerity as a Christian is speedily becoming known. Many of his customers have become Christian as a result of his testimony. The Bible is very precious to him; therefore every month he buys a few copies to have on hand to sell. He keeps them in a little case in the window so that passers-by on the street, as well as his customers inside, can see them. He never neglects to exalt God’s Book and consequently sells a number of copies every week. He observes the barbers’ holiday, the 17th of each month, by taking his brother and assistant with him to some place where he can hold open-air meetings, at which time, also. Scriptures are sold. Bible Selling in the Schools “Mr. Maekawa has been faithful in taking the Scriptures to the schools in the city, and though the high cost of living has hit the student body hard, affecting sales somewhat, it has been a real joy to hand out a goodly quantity of them. There are students practically in all schools who urge fellow- students to buy, and the realization of the need of the moral power of this book is more and more ac¬ knowledged. Portions for the Japanese Troops in Siberia “As Y. M. C. A. workers in Japan accompanied the 70,000 soldiers Japan sent to Siberia, we felt that we could not refuse to make a grant of 10,000 portions for distribution among them. The British Society also made a grant. Besides this the Christians in Nagoya City bought 3,200 from us to inclose in comfort bags, which they also sent over there through the Y. M. C. A.” 152 JAPAN A Notable Conversion Mr. Sato relates this encouraging fruit of his labors: “On June 1st, in my evening open-air work, as I was relating some of my own experiences, a life- insurance agent by the name of Ozawa joined the crowd that stood around me. What I said went right to his heart. He asked if he could come and see me at my house on the morrow, and of course I cheerfully consented. Mr. Ozawa came, and in con¬ versation disclosed to me much of his past wicked life. His wife was distracted over it and nearly at the point of losing her mind. He realized he was a dreadful sinner and begged the Lord to have mercy on him. Before returning he had the assurance of salvation, grounded upon the promises of the New Testament, of which, in the meanwhile, he had made himself the happy possessor. He has joined a church in the city and is one of the many whom I frequently meet and rejoice for. Results like these are encourage¬ ments the Lord gives colporteurs in the work they are privileged to do for him. ” A Poor Little Woman like Me The faithful Bible-woman in Tokyo, Mrs. Kamoda, gives the following cheering experience in her work: “One day last summer I came to a military of¬ ficer’s home. The wife said they were Christians, but that their two servants were not. I went around to where they were and entered into a talk with them. Having told them of the God who loved us so that he gave his only begotten Son, I concluded my talk by reading 1. Peter 2:18-20. They were so thankful for what I had said, and made up their minds to believe in Christ, and both bought Testa¬ ments. Just as I was leaving the milkman came and I talked to him also about the love of God, and he bought a Testament. The mistress had overheard JAPAN 153 ail that I said, and to show her appreciation came out and bought a copy. Later that mistress told her pastor of my visit and how happy she was that I had won her servants for Christ. It is wonderful that the Lord uses even a poor little woman like me in a work like this, and I do praise him for the privilege of serving him this way.” Mr. Kamiyama, a Miracle of Grace One of Mr. Aurell’s best workers, Mr. Kamiyama, is a striking example of the gospel which is “the power {dunamis, the dynamite) of God unto salva¬ tion to everyone that believeth.” When a young man of twenty, in a fit of passion, he “grabbed an old Japanese sword and unfortunately killed an old man.” For this he was sentenced to imprison¬ ment with hard labor for an indefinite period. He was in prison about nineteen years. He “hated religion like snakes.” A fellow-prisoner was in¬ terested in the Bible and read it constantly when at leisure. This only irritated Mr. Kamiyama. His statement of his experiences, as related by Mr. Aurell, is in part as follows: “Upon entering prison life I became most unruly. There* seemed to be no limit to my wickedness. There was practically no disturbance in the prison that I was not implicated in. The result was that I had to endure all sorts of punishment. “As regards religion, I had no use for either Bud¬ dhism or Christianity. Another young man, who shared my cell, always improved every minute he had by reading a Bible. Sitting on the floor we had to sit close to each other, and occasionally he would urge me to read the Bible. It made me furious to have him ask me to do so. I always sat with my back turned to him, because I could not stand it to see his face. I only wished he would fight, and I often challenged him to do so. 154 JAPAN “That Bible he read was to my mind an awfully defiling thing, and therefore I always kept my things on the shelf as far from it as possible. The “Still Small Voice” “About ten years later something happened to me that led me to thinking differently from what I had in the past. One day, a certain fellow-prisoner very hatefully tried to get me into great embarrassment. I was terribly upset, and thought of nothing but ven¬ geance. I spent most of the night pondering this thing. About midnight this thought came through my mind: ‘Human beings certainly are pitiable things. If there is a God, he of course knows whether it is I that is bad or my opponent. If so, there is no use in getting infuriated over this matter. Some day it will become clear. ’ Waking up in the morn¬ ing my feelings were entirely different from the day before. I cannot account for it, but it was a fact. All bitterness and bent toward having it out with the man I considered had wronged me had vanished. That very day I asked the officer for a Bible. When he brought it to me I took it with queer feelings. Should I really read a book that I had thought con¬ taminated everything that touched it? I opened it and began at the first page and read on without stopping. When I arrived at the 28th verse of the 11th chapter of Matthew I was overpowered, and bending over on the floor, lamenting my sinful life, exclaimed: ‘Oh, this is what my heart has been cry¬ ing out for all my life 1 ’ My desperate need was met in the words of that verse. God spoke to me. This one verse from the New Testament was imbued with a power that effected an instantaneous and complete change in me. I kept on reading, and, arriving at Mark 2:17, was enabled to commit soul and body to Christ, and was filled with an inexpressible hap¬ piness. KOREA 155 A IVTodern Joseph “The Bible, which had taken possession of my heart, became the sole ruler of my self. A remark¬ able change took place in my life in prison. I kept all the rules and worked diligently. In a brief period I gained the confidence of the officers. Finally I was honored by being made overseer of other prisoners. Ev¬ ery day I bore testimony to the saving grace of Christ to all about me and urged them to read the Bible. “On the 27th of August, three years ago, the com¬ mand came that I should be liberated from prison. When this joyful information came to my ears I im¬ mediately fell on my knees and thanked God, and at the same time prayed that he would grant me the privilege of spreading the Glad News among my countrymen the rest of my days. The Lord guided me in every matter and my request was granted; and on the 17th of July, almost two years ago, the American Bible Society gave me permission to begin selling Scriptures. It is an unspeakable joy to me day by day to have the privilege of spreading the book that has meant so much to me, and I hope to continue in this work until the Lord calls me home. “ Korea Agency Secretary: Rev. S. A. Beck S eoul, Korea Present Agency established 1908. From 1882 the Society worked in Korea until 1904 through its Japan Agency. From 1904 until December, 1907, it worked through a joint Agency with the British and Foreign Bible Society and the National Bible Society of Scotland. Circula¬ tion in 1918, 213,739 volumes. Aggregate circulation in the ten years since 1907, 2,379,743 volumes. Mr. Beck’s report for the year 1918 records both lights and shadows, though the former predominate. This will be the last full report of the Korean Agency, as arrangements have been entered into by which the Society has transferred its interests in Korea to the British and Foreign Bible Society in exchange for their interests in the Philippine Islands. 156 KOREA Discouragements and their Effects Mr. Beck says that in some respects the year 1918 “has been the hardest year thus far.experienced. A further unanticipated necessary reduction in the ap¬ propriations compelled a readjustment of the work of the colporteurs, and the release in some sections of men who had been with us for years and were among our best salesmen, because that part of the field was less needy than certain other parts, and at the same time the older men could not be transferred to the newer work; so there was consequent hardship both to the colporteurs and to the Society. “The effects of the world war came closer home to Korea this year, making it harder for the people to live on their limited incomes, harder for the col¬ porteurs to get access to the homes, and harder to make sales. It also became increasingly difficult for the colporteurs to travel about the country with their packs of books, food and travel expenses in¬ creasing to more than double the previous prices. “Police and gendarmes have also in many places made it difficult to sell books, because of the inquisi¬ torial methods not only with the colporteurs them¬ selves but with the inhabitants in the villages where they traveled and attempted to dispose of the Scrip¬ tures. ” The Circulation Owing to the war and other conditions noted above, the circulation decreased from 279,176 in 1917 to 213,739 last year—a loss of 65,437. The great ma¬ jority of the books distributed were portions, as in the other Foreign Agencies. The records show that 390 Bibles, 6,838 Testaments, and 206,511 portions were put into circulation by 134 people, but there was an average of only 57 colporteurs and 11 Bible- women, these two groups of workers making total sales of 208,416 volumes, while our entire circulation was 213,739. KOREA 157 Correspondents have done considerable work with¬ out compensation, while several Japanese workers have kept stocks of Japanese Scriptures in the lead¬ ing churches and received a commission on the sales effected. Our Japanese headquarters has been main¬ tained in Seoul, and Mrs. Soda has done some ex¬ cellent work. Mr. Beck’s report is full of many striking illustra¬ tions of the power of the Word of God in turning men away from sin, and in influencing them to burn or discard their idols and follow Christ. A few of the briefer instances are thus reported by Mr. Beck: Picture-covered Gospels “Rebecca Choi called at the home of a woman in Yangju County and found her with a sorrowful heart, holding a sick boy in her arms. After explain¬ ing about Jesus she asked the woman to purchase Gos¬ pels, but was refused. As the Bible-woman was rising to go to another house the sick boy asked his mother to buy the books with the pretty pictures; and because of the love for her son the books were purchased. Then he asked his father to read some from the books. The father disliked to read a Christian book, yet to please the sick boy he did read a little on several occasions. Eventually the boy en¬ tirely recovered and could play as before; and one day he asked his father to teach him to read; but the father was so busy farming that he had no time to teach the boy how to read. When I again called I gave them the Eunmun alphabet, and that night the tired father was asked to teach this alphabet; within three months he was able to read and understand. The Gospels were the easiest to read and he enjoyed them the most. While the boy was reading the parents frequently heard the words of the gospel, and gradually were led to believe in Jesus Christ. The 158 KOREA GROUP OF KOREAN PATRIOTS IN PRISON »R. SYNGMAN RHEE IN CHAINS, AT THE LEFT (SEE BIBLE SOCIETY RECORD, SEPTEMBER, 1918) boy is only seven, but he can read all the Eunmun books; and now there are seven in this family who are believing in Christ. Weekly Bible Class for Korean Scholars “ In the mountains of Kangwon Province Colporteur Yi Byung Wook was instrumental in gathering to¬ gether a group of about twenty-five men well versed in Chinese and Korean literature, to whom he had taught the Scriptures. These men were meeting faithfully week by week for the study of the Word of God, and were teaching the truths to their families. Gospels for Prisoners “Yun Yung Pil, before starting on a special tour for the sale of Scriptures at Mokai, in the Choongju KOREA 159 district, called on the chief of gendarmes and asked permission to preaeh to the prisoners, presenting to the chief a few copies of Japanese Gospels. Permis¬ sion was readily granted and the prisoners called out. Tears were on the cheeks of several as they listened to the message, and there were grateful thanks as they received copies of the Word. The Cat-and-Rat Evil Spirit “Kim Yudai relates: ‘Near my village lives a widow with a son twenty-three years of age, who was married when he was seventeen, but disliked his wife, so that they had frequent quarrels and finally lived apart. The widow was greatly troubled beeause of the acts of her son and daughter-in-law, and finally decided to send her son to Seoul, to the home of his uncle, where he might learn to be a merehant. The boy was delighted with the city and was fascinated by the bright lights and gay life about him. After three years, in which he had devoted himself more to pleasure than to business, he made an arrangement with a dancing girl whereby she was to quit her busi¬ ness and live with him as his wife. This becoming known to the uncle, the boy was sent back to his mother in the country village. A few days after his return the young man visited a sorceress and told her of his unhappy life; that he did not wish to live with his wife, and that he did want to return to the bright life in the eity; so, together with the sorceress, he planned a way of escape from his miseries. In a few days he feigned sickness and asked that the sor- ceres^ be called. The sorceress came, practiced her magic, and then told the mother that her daughter- in-law was possessed with an evil spirit which made the son siek. According to Saju (year, month, day and hour of birth), her son belonged to a rat and his wife to a cat, so they could not agree with each other, and in due time the cat would destroy the rat. The KOREA 160 widowed mother was greatly troubled, and finally came to me and said that she remembered a rumor that a Christian could pray and drive away the evil spirits. I told her I had no such power; but she begged me to go to her house, and I went and explained the Gospels and prayed. An earnest invitation was given to me to come again. I left several of the Gospels, and again she came and wanted me to come and ex¬ plain these books, and pray with the family. For three days I did this, and on the fourth day the son with tears told of the wrong things he had done, and decided to live a new life in Jesus Christ. ’ Saved from the Evil Spirit “From Haiju one of our colporteurs writes of his stay at the inn in a country village, and of being dis¬ turbed by the shoutings of an old man who was run¬ ning about the street with a long knife. Some sup¬ posed the man crazy, but it was explained that he was not crazy, but that his house was haunted by an evil spirit, and he was searching for the spirit to kill it, so his house might have peace. The col¬ porteur, later, accompanied by the proprietor of the inn, called on the old man, told him about Jesus, and asked him to believe. He said that if Jesus could drive away the evil spirit he would believe in Jesus. The colporteur explained that if he faithfully believed in Jesus, God would keep the evil spirits away from him and his family. At the earnest re¬ quest of the family the colporteur remained at the house for a few days; there was no reappearance of the evil spirit, and the family was happy in the conscious¬ ness that God’s Word and God’s spirit could not only take away sin but also all fear of the evil spirit. Robbers Won for Christ “One of our colporteurs, passing over a high and lonely mountain pass, was beset by robbers, who ex- PHILIPPINE ISLANDS 161 pected to find something valuable in his pack and traveling bag. His few possessions were ransacked and the books thrown oi; the ground; but he took the occasion to preach Christ to the two men, who at first would not listen. Eventually, however, they gave back all they had taken, paid for two of the Gospels, promised to abandon their calling, and went to the country to engage in farming and to preach Christ.” Great is the encouragement ,to Christians every¬ where of such instances as the above. It is not easy for the American Bible Society and Mr. Beck to withdraw from the work that has been built up in Korea and is of such promise; but, in line with the spirit of union and co-operation in the Christian church, and for the sake of economy, the^Society gladly passes over its work in Korea to the efficient British and Foreign Bible Society, with confidence that it will be well cared for. And, in exchange, it takes over all the work of the British Society in the Philippine Islands. Philippines Agency Secretary: Rev. J. L. McLaughlin Box 755, Manila, P. I. Established 1899. Field: The whole archipelago of about 3,000 islands. Circulation in 1918, 45,495 volumes. Aggregate circulation since 1899, 1,635,743 volumes. The Society was fortunate in securing the services of a local committee of missionaries consisting of the Rev. E. S. Lyons, of the Methodist Episcopal, the Rev. W. H. Hanna, from the Disciples, and the Rev. J. L. Hooper, from the Presbyterian Missions, re¬ spectively. The Rev. W. H. Hanna undertook the correspondence with the Home Office. The details of management in Manila were in the hands of trusted Filipinos. Carlos Panganiban was made depot manager. He had been for ten years in the service of the Agency, and of his honesty and 11 162 PHILIPPINE ISLANDS PHILIPPINE PROBLEM AND PERIL: THE HALF-CASTES THE CHRISTIAN SOLUTION: THE PROTECTION AND PRIVILEGES OP A HOME AND SCHOOL. MRS. LUND AND HER “FAMILY,” ZAMBOANGO, P. I. integrity there could be no question. The Rev. Candido Magno was made manager of field work. He had been an active pastor and was generally in the favor of all the constituency. Mr. Hanna was to have general supervision. This management worked well. But, as might be expected, Mr. Hanna writes: “We rejoice that the work of circulating the Word that makes wise unto salvation goes on apace in the Philippine Islands. Of course, without the active labors and ingenious planning of Mr. McLaughlin, the figures for distribution will show a decrease. For some two months we have been without a supply of Bibles in the Tagalog language, which has handi¬ capped the success of the Bible Revival campaign.” EUROPE 163 A new arrangement has now been entered into, which is a part of the report for 1920, but which should be mentioned here, by which the whole care of the Philippines has been entrusted to the American Bible Society. The British and Foreign Bible Society re¬ tires, in an exchange by which the American Bible Society withdraws from Korea, turning over its in¬ terests there to the British and Foreign Bible Society. Mr. McLaughlin has returned to the field and next year we hope to present a more complete narrative of Bible work in this vital section of the world field. Beyond the Limits of the Agencies EUROPE The Society has no established agency in Europe, save such countries as are included in the Levant Agency. It, however, has correspondents in Norway, vSweden, Denmark, Finland, Russia, Belgium, Ger¬ many, Austria, Switzerland, France, Italy, and Spain. Through these correspondents it is able to assist in the supply of the Holy Scriptures to many who would not receive them otherwise. Only partial and imperfect reports of the work in Europe can be presented again this year. From most of the correspondents no word has been received. This is not surprising, considering the disturbed con¬ ditions of the present and the obstacles to work in the past. From some countries and correspondents, however, belated reports of work in earlier years of the war have arrived. These we present in connec¬ tion with statements of the results in 1918, to make the record as complete as possible. War Distribution in Europe The foregoing reports show not only that no dis¬ tinction can be made between ordinary distribution and the War Distribution, but indicate that the EUROPE 164 circulation recorded should be practically all entered as War Distribution. The World’s Sunday School Association money provided for some of the circula¬ tion accomplished during earlier years of the war, and here recorded, as well as during 1918. From the reports we gather the following facts of War Distribution: 2,400 volumes in Russia, all from American Sunday-school scholars. 4,000 volumes in Germany from American Sunday-school scholars. 4,518 volumes in Switzerland. 134,371 volumes in France, of which 125,891 were gifts of American Sunday-school scholars. 19,332 volumes in Italy, through the Waldensian Aid Society. 7,000 volumes in Italy, through the British and Foreign Bible Socie¬ ty, the gifts of American Sunday-school scholars. 171,621 volumes—total issue in Europe, now reported for the first time. The total hitherto reported as War Distribution in Europe from August, 1914, to December 31, 1917, was 1,674,867; and this total, so far as records now obtainable show, amounted on December 31, 1918, to 1,846,488 volumes. Russia Through the Rev. Arthur Taylor, M.A., then see- retary of the British and Foreign Bible Society, in a letter reeeived too late for record in the 1917 report, eomes the following statement of work accomplished that year through money sent on behalf of the World’s Sunday School Association. He tells us: “The $200 were devoted to distribution in Russia, and we estimate from a letter reeeived from Dr. Kean that the total number of eopies given away was 2,400 volumes. Dr. Kean writes that one-half of the sum was expended through the Rev. Dr. Simons, of the American Methodist Episcopal Church, and the other half through the Ameriean Red Cross.” No word has been reeeived from other correspond¬ ents in Russia eoncerning the work in 1918. Germany The Rev. Arthur Taylor, M.A., on behalf of the EUROPE 165 British and Foreign Bible Society, sends information concerning the use of $500 sent through that Society for use in Germany in 1917. This money was also the gift of American Sunday-school scholars. He writes: “The sum of $500 was devoted to the supply of Testaments to prisoners of war in Germany. We estimate that it provided 4,000 Testaments, and if you will kindly accept that figure we will enter it at this end as the number supplied to your order.” Switzerland The Rev. Dr. R. Ernest Grob, of the Methodist Episcopal Conference in Switzerland, sends the fol¬ lowing : “During the last year the work continued in an encouraging way, though it was much hampered by the war. There was everywhere strong inquiry for the Holy Book, and for the first time in my life I had to refuse the orders that came in, because it was utterly impossible to get the Bibles. Now things are turning to the better, and I do hope that this experience leads our people to a higher estimation of the Word of God.” The issues reported by Dr. Grob consisted of 1,148 Bibles, 1,620 Testaments, and 1,750 portions; or a total of 4,518 volumes. No report has been received from the Evangelical Society of Geneva. France The secretary of the Bible Society of France, Dr. Ernest Bertrand, includes in his report informa¬ tion about the circulation during 1916 and 1917, as well as 1918, and brings our records more completely up to date, especially in connection with the Million Nickel Fund of the World’s Sunday School Associa¬ tion. 1916-1917 A distribution is recorded of 10,086 copies during EUROPE 166 1916, and of 25,627 copies during 1917, of the Evangile du Soldat Frangais. The Bible Society Record during the past two years, and the fuller Annual Report for 1918, present interesting details of this distribution and the appreciation expressed by men of various ranks and of various countries. 1918 In 1918, 8,480 of the 10,000 copies printed at the expense of the American Bible Society were distributed. Accompanying the letter of thanks from Dr. Ber¬ trand were letters in appreciation of the French Testa¬ ments eirculated by the aid of the American Bible Society, not only from French, Belgian, Russian, and American soldiers, but also from such unexpected sources as the French colonial soldiers—Malagasies from Madagascar, Senegalese from Africa, Annamites from Asia, and islanders from Tahiti and New Cale¬ donia. A training eamp for these colonial troops was maintained by the French at St. Raphael on the Riviera. Naturally, it would be thought, these troops would like Seriptures in their own tongues; but—‘ ‘ It is not thus! They .prefer to read the Gospel in FrenchR A letter from the Salvation Army in France acknowl¬ edges with deep thanks 1,400 copies of the Gospels. A Belgian chaplain asks for “many copies.” Another letter from Dr. Bertrand tells of the au¬ dience obtained with President Wilson for repre¬ sentatives of the Bible Society of France, who pre¬ sented Mr. Wilson with “a very pretty little Bible, bound in parchment and illuminated, that was a veri¬ table work of art.” The paper Le Christianisme au XXe SieclCy giving an account of this incident, states: “Mr. Wilson in a few well-ehosen words responded that he was alive to the grave responsibility that rested upon him, in that the world was looking to EUROPE 167 him and waiting for him to do that which could come only from God. Then, taking in his hands the Bible which had been presented to him, he said that if he was in any small measure worthy of such con¬ sideration in the eyes of the Christians who were before him, it was due to the religious principles that had been instilled in him by the Book of books, to which he had always looked for inspiration. “As to the rest, he added, the work of justice that the Peace Conference was endeavoring to accomplish, ought to be such that the governments of the people would hereafter be inspired in their actions by Chris¬ tian principles; that is to say, the principles of true justice, since at the foundation ‘Justice is religion’— in the sense that justice constitutes the essential part of religion itself.’’ On this occasion the president of the Bible Society of France, Dr. de Visme, gave a brief and interesting explanation of what was meant by the Synod’s Ver¬ sion, as follows: “Synodal, it is called, because made by command of the Synod of our Presbyterian churches. We have never had in France any authorized version, of the Bible such as that which exists in England. But from the early days of the Reformation, there ap¬ peared one that was generally accepted by the people of our communities. It is that one that, after having undergone several successive revisions in the course of the last two centuries, was once more revised of late by some of our most distinguished linguists and theologians, a work of more than ten years’ labor that had just been completed when the war broke out.” The Rev. Dr. Ritson, of the British and ForMgn Bible Society, has sent a report of the work in 1916, which has not appeared in our records and is there¬ fore presented herewith, as an additional service ren- EUROPE 168 dered by American Sunday-school scholars, through the World’s Sunday School Association. “On December 6, 1916, 1 wrote to Mr. Vasseur, of Paris, authorizing him to spend the £50.10.5 which you remitted to us. I have received a report, now, stating that Mr. Vasseur has distributed 1,746 Testa¬ ments and 19,017 portions, making a total of 20,763. These books have been distributed among soldiers in all parts of France—chiefly by our own colporteurs, but also by the help of pastors and evangelists. Some of the books were distributed in Paris, at the stations, particularly at the railway stations du Nord and de I’Est. On the whole the volumes have been very well received. It has been quite exceptional for soldiers to reject them.” Dr. Ritson further reports that £24, sent in 1918 from the World’s Sunday School Association, resulted in the circiilation of 781 Testaments and 8,634 por¬ tions—“given by colporteurs to soldiers at railway stations, and in towns and villages, and by chaplains to men at the front.” From the Rev. R. H. Falconer, secretary of the National Bible Society of Scotland, comes report of what was accomplished during 1917 with money sent on behalf of the World’s Sunday School Associa¬ tion for service in France through this Society. He wrote: “ I fear I di^ not attend to your request for a state¬ ment as to what we had done with the $500 which you sent us for French Army work out of the Sunday- school offerings, and for this omission I crave pardon. We were able to circulate with this money 60,000 French Gospels.” Italy The Waldensian Aid Society reports a circulation in 1918 of 29 Bibles, 11,740 Testaments, and 7,563 portions; or a total of 19,332 volumes, all in the ASIA 169 Italian language. The Rev. G. J. D’Anehise, one of the directors, writes: “Soldiers in Naples have accepted the gift of the Scriptures, taking their caps off and kissing the pre¬ cious little book containing the life and the words of the Saviour. Surely the little book has brought to them a keener feeling of the presence of the Master, -in those gruesome hours of life in the trenches!” The Rev. Dr. Ritson, on behalf of the British and Foreign Bible Society, reports that in 1917 and 1918 £50 supplied by the World’s Sunday School Associa¬ tion resulted in the circulation of 2,000 Testaments and 5,000 portions in Italy. Other European Countries No report has been received from Norway, Den¬ mark, Finland, Belgium, Austria, or Spain. ASIA The Society had three Agencies on the continent of Asia—those in China, Korea, and Siam—and Agencies on the islands of Japan and the Philippines. It also had correspondents in Arabia and India. India No report was received from the Arcot Mission of the Reformed Church in America. From the report of the Madura Mission of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Mis¬ sions, we find a circulation of 78 Bibles, 52 Testa¬ ments, and 14,074 portions; or a total of 14,204, as accomplished through the funds put at their dis¬ posal by this Society. Arabia The Arabian Mission of the Reformed Church in America reports a circulation of 400 Bibles, 148 Testa¬ ments, and 5,000 portions; or a total of 5,548 volumes. The Rev. Dr. James Cantine, their senior missionary, states: ASIA 170 “Our Scripture sales for Kuweit, Busrah, and Amara, which have been under my personal observa¬ tion, have totaled 5,548 copies. Communications in Mesopotamia are still under military direction, and our colportage has been restricted to the places in which we live. Here at Busrah the sales have been increased by many copies to Indians in many of the Indian languages and by many scores of Bibles sent by the soldiers to their families in England.” Ceylon From the American Ceylon Mission of the Ameri¬ can Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions has come the following statement through its secre¬ tary, the Rev. W. E. Hitchcock, concerning all grants made in 1917 and not hitherto reported: “The money was used for the purchase of 200 copies of the Tamil Bible, to be presented to pupils in our boarding schools. Many of the pupils come from Hindu homes and have never had a Bible before. “Now the Mission desires me to ask you if your Society will kindly give us a grant of 100 English Bibles for students in Jaffna College and our Uduvil Girls’ English School.” The 100 Bibles asked for were donated by the American Bible Society during 1918. MICRONESIA As in the past, our chief work in Micronesia is through shipments of Scriptures to missions on the islands. The largest shipments during 1918 were 501 volumes to Gilbert Islands and 200 volumes in the Hawaiian language. AFRICA Under the report of the Levant Ageney the work of the Society in Egypt and the Soudan is reported. During 1918, 37,128 volumes were sent to Africa out- AFRICA 171 side of the Levant Agency area—26,642 being in the Zulu language. From the Rev. William C. Terril, of the Methodist Episcopal Church Mission at Inhambane, have come reports of several interesting incidents which occurred as a result of the Scriptures supplied to him in 1917 and 1918; these we present herewith. Under date of May 6, 1918, he writes: “I have already written to you regarding the safe arrival of the 400 New Testaments in Sheetswa that you sent to this Mission last year. They are already in circulation, some of them going to Johannesburg and other parts of the Transvaal and not a few to Nyassaland, our great battle front on this coast. Many of our native Christians have been called and are still being called to the colors, and whenever pos¬ sible we supply them with a copy of the New Testa¬ ment, and a hymn book in their own language. “A few months ago I wrote to you about the Gi- tonga Scriptures being used up entirely. I did not report why there was a sudden run on them. The Church of England Mission of this district has work principally among the Batonga tribe, and there were several young men from that tribe, also, drafted for the front. This Mission referred to wished to supply their natives with a copy of the New Testament in Gitonga, and their stock being exhausted I gave to them 100 copies, which used all that I had with the exception of ten.” A Heathen Converted in Portuguese Nyassaland through a Sheetswa Bible from New York Under date of August 9, 1918, the Rev. Mr. Terril writes again: “Permit me to say that I am pleased that you ap¬ prove of the use of the copies of the Sheetswa Scrip¬ tures that you sent us for army purposes. Another incident came under my personal notice, which I feel is worth reporting. It shows that the Sheetswa AFRICA 172 Scriptures that were thus distributed were not only used for the strengthening of the native Christians in the faith, but were also used in winning the heathen for Christ. I have just been making a tour of my district (requiring six weeks for the trip), holding quarterly eonferences, examinations, meetings, etc. At one of the conferences held, among the many candi¬ dates for baptism was a very bright, intelligent, and capable young native man. When the questions were being asked him as to when, how, and where he was converted, I was greatly surprised and rejoiced to have him reply that he was converted in the army in Portuguese Nyassaland, in this province. How did it come about, I asked him. He told me that when he went there he was a heathen, and guilty of all that a heathen African can be guilty of, but that some of the Inhambane Christians held daily meetings in the Sheetswa language. One of their number was ap¬ pointed the preacher, and they would sing the Sheet¬ swa hymns from our hymnal and then a chapter from the Sheetswa Scriptures would be read and an ex¬ position given. At first this young man scoffed at it all, but he was taken sick, which was thought to be unto death, and those who cared for him the best were the Inhambane Christians, and they nursed him baek to life. This made him more susceptible to the gospel message that the native, self-appointed preach¬ er gave each day, and the young seoffing heathen be- eame a penitent and sought forgiveness, and gave his heart to God and was thoroughly converted. He remained a few months longer in the army, and was again taken seriously ill; this time he was granted permission to return to his home. I had the honor of baptizing this young man and admitting him into the communion of our church; also of administering to him the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper for the first time. Had the American Bible Society not made pos- INCOME AND EXPENDITURE 173 sible for us these copies of the Sheetswa New Testament, there would have been no services held, no Word of God read at the Nyassa front, and this young man would not have become a servant of the King. Doubtless he is just one example of many others that we shall meet when the native boys return from the front.” THE AUXILIARY BIBLE SOCIETIES Material aid was given by many auxiliary societies in the special work of 1918—that of supplying Scrip¬ tures for the Army and Navy. The absorption of the country in supporting the Army and Navy, and the many useful lines of service open to civilians at home, are doubtless responsible, on the other hand, for the absence of reports from a large number of auxiliaries. It is noteworthy and cheering to find the oldest auxiliaries usually among the most active. Several are over a century old, while three celebrated their Centennial during 1918. The Maryland Bible Society made a further payment of $5,000 on the Bible House at Cristobal, Canal Zone, which it is presenting to the American Bible Society. Almost $2,000 came through the New Hampshire Bible Society, and $1,000 from the Massachusetts Bible Society. The largest gift from individual auxiliaries received in many years came during this crucial year of war expense and war calls, the Essex County Bible Society of New Jersey sending $3,000, and the Sussex County Bible Society of New Jersey, $1,500. Details of the activities of the auxiliary societies will be found in the full Annual Report. INCOME AND EXPENDITURE Details of the income and expenditures of the Society are supplied in the reports of the Executive Officers in the Annual Report for 1919. The total in¬ come for the year was $912,846.40, while the total 174 INCOME AND EXPENDITURE charges for the period ending December 31, 1918, were $889,092.86, leaving an excess of income over expenses and charges of $23,753.54.- Trust Funds The permanent trusts, including the Endowment, amounted to $1,951,917.63, of which $21,878.95 was received during the year; Special Trusts created by the Board amounted to $125,250; and Permanent Trusts, created for specific purposes, amounted to $63,396.14. Thus the total of trust funds on Decem¬ ber 31, 1918, is $2,140,563.77. The net income from these trust funds amounted to $99,265.43. Other sources of income are legaeies, and net income from the Bible House, and from sales. But the total from all these sources is not half the amount required for the Society’s world-wide work. It is dependent on the gifts of the living for ability to meet the needs and calls of the hour. ESTIMATES AND APPROPRIATIONS The appropriations for the year 1919, authorized by the Board of Managers of the Society, are as follows: For the Home Agencies, $105,300. This does not include the cost of the Scriptures placed at the dis¬ posal of the Home Agencies. For the miscellaneous grants of Scriptures and emergency items in the home field, $10,000. For the Foreign Agencies, $322,850; $229,150 is the appropriation from America in cash and books, and $93,700 the estimated receipts from sales of Scriptures, church collections, and individual gifts in the foreign fields, which are not forwarded to the Bible House in New York as they are in the case of the Home Agencies, but are retained on the field as an addition to the appropriations. To meet emer¬ gencies connected with Foreign Agencies and the mis- CONCLUSION 175 cellaneous grants in funds and books to fields in Europe, Africa, and Asia, where the Society has no regular Agencies, $10,000. For the translation and revision of the Scriptures, largely for foreign lands, $5,000. For the manufacture of Scriptures at the Bible House in New York, $225,000. These books are used chiefly in the Home Agencies of the Society and really are a supplement to their appropriation. Books are also sent from the Bible House to Latin- American countries, where they are included in the appropriations to the Agencies. For the administrative and office expenses, which include the salaries of the officers, the clerical force at the Bible House, and all the cost of leaflets, the Bible Society Record, postage, traveling expenses, etc., $50,000. For the expenses connected with the real estate of the Society and other capital charges, $15,000. These Appropriations and Estimates total $743,150. A number of items impossible to estimate, and the increased cost of production and distribution in this country and abroad, owing to the constant rise in prices, will undoubtedly bring this figure up to a total of $775,000 before the year is closed. For war emergencies $150,000 will be needed, this making the total $925,000. Conclusion The disturbing and dangerous disorders through¬ out the world; the restlessness, aspiration, and dis¬ tress among the peoples of all continents, create and present a call and need for the steadying, enlighten¬ ing, and beneficent influence’of the Scriptures, which has never been more urgent. The Foreign Agencies of the Society are fields ripe for harvest beyond description. Stocks of Scriptures unreplenished dur¬ ing the war have been exhausted. All over the world CONCLUSION 176 costs of colportage and other services have increased as in the United States. A new and unprecedented demand for the Scriptures has opened in the war-torn regions of Europe. Trusting in the good will of those who are lovers of the Bible in America and wherever the Society goes, the Board of Managers has made the appropriations for 1919 as recorded above, which, including the war emergencies, amount to $925,000. Shall its faith be rewarded, its service to our country and to the world be facilitated? Over and above all—as in the past, so in these crucial days—the earnest prayers, unfailing sympathy, and moral support of the friends of the Bible are earnestly desired by, and on behalf of, the American Bible Society and all its workers, that they may be faithful, tactful, unflinching and successful in the production and distribution of the Word to those in need throughout the world. \ AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY Bible House, Astor Place, New York Home Atfencies Colored People of the South, Rev. J. P. Wragg, D.D. 35 Gammon Avenue, Atlanta, Ga. Northwestern Ageticy, Rev. S. H. Kirkbride, D.D. 332 South Michigran Ave., Chlcagfo, Ill. South Atlantic Agency. Rev. M. B. Porter, 313 A East Grace Street, Richmond, Va. Western Agency, Rev. Arthur F. Ragatz, D.D. Lincoln St. and 16th Ave.,Denver,Colo. Pacific Agency, Rev. A. Wesley Mell 122 McAllister Street, San Francisco, Cal. Southwestern Agency, Rev. J. J. Morgan 1304 Commerce Street. Dallas, Texas. Eastern Agency, Rev. Henry J. Scudder, B.D. 137 Montagfue Street, Brooklyn, N. Y. Central Agency, Rev. Frank Marston, D.D., 424 Elm Street, Cincinnati, O. Atlantic Agency, Rev. Frank P. Parkin, D.D., 701 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, Pa. Foreign Agencies Levant Agency, * W. W. Peet, Bible House, Constantinople, Turkey + Rev. Franklin E. Hoskins, D.D., Beirut, Syria La Plata Agency, Rev. Francis G. Penzotti Casllla de Correo, 304, Calle Parana,481, Buenos Ayres, Ar- srentlna Japan Agency, t Rev. Karl E. Aurell Bible House, Yokohama, Japan China Agency, Rev. John R. Hykes, D.D. 73 Szechuen Road, Shansfhal. China Brazil Agency, Rev. H. C. Tucker, D.D, Caixa do Correio,454, Rio de Janeiro. Brazil Mexico Agency, Rev. A. H. Mellen Apartado 1373, Mexico City, Mexico West Indies Agency, Marcial-Dorado, Ph.D. San Juan, Porto Rico Siam Agency, Rev. Robert Irwin 426 Pramuen Road, Bangfkok, Siam Panama Canaland Cen- \ Rev. W. F. Jordan tral America Agency J Bible House.Crlstobal.Canal Zone Philippines Agency, Rev. J. L. McLaughlin _ Box 755, Manila, P. I. • Appointed Acting Secretary on the death of Dr. Bowen. + In charge of the Arabic-speaking portion of the field, t Acting Agency Secretary.