Opportune 3fn^e0ttnent0 in C|)ma By BISHOP J. W. BASHFORD THE BOARD OF FOREIGN MISSIONS OF THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH CHINA CENTENNIAL COMMISSION 150 FIFTH AVENUE NEW YORK Printed January, 1907 OPPORTUNE INVESTMENTS . IN CHINA Missionary effort in China is organized — as is successful mis- sionary work in all lands — in the departments of medicine, evan- gelistic, literary, and educational work. It is carried on with the purpose of giving every person in the Chinese empire a knowl- edge of the gospel as speedily as possible, of leading men and women to a personal union with Christ, of building them up in Christian character, and of creating as rapidly as possible a self- supporting native church. The medical work is perhaps the best means for securing an entrance to a field ; the publication of the Bible and tracts in the vernacular makes plain the way of salvation ; and the educational and evangelistic work, besides winning converts and enriching the lives of the Chinese Christians, trains many converts for carrying forward the Christianization of the empire. The work is established at centers or stations, where the mis- sionaries live ; and from these bases the work is carried out over as large an area as possible with the aid of native workers located at substations. Thus from a single center an amazing number of people are reached among such dense populations as those of China, India, Japan, and Korea. At these centers or base-stations, after building a residence for the missionaries, there is often started a hospital for men or for women. These hospitals, with their dispensaries and in- patients, and with their country medical-evangelistic work, disarm prejudice, open doors, and win many for Christ. The medical missionaries follow the example of the Master, who went about doing good, and stand for the best Western civilization and practical Christianity. Schools for boys and for girls are also speedily established, sometimes in advance of the hospitals. These include colleges, biblical schools, and high schools at the mission centers, with a system of day schools throughout the 4 OPPORTUNE INVESTMENTS IN CHINA region surrounding this missionary base ; and boarding schools of intermediate and high school grade under native teachers at some of the substations. The boarding schools so far as possible fill the place of both the Christian home and the public school as they are found in America, giving thorough training in the best things of life. They develop strong and intelligent native Chris- tians, they are the source of the supply of efficient native workers, and altogether they are the right hand of power for the evangel- istic work. The term “evangelistic” does not clearly reflect the distinct work of the men who are here called evangelists. They indeed preach the gospel, but they are more like presiding elders than like the evangelists in the United States. But even the term “pre- siding elder” is too narrow. The missionary evangelist travels a wide district out from and beyond his station. He takes native Christians with him and soon establishes them in the work of the church, examines inquirers and candidates for baptism, decides upon the location of churches and the policies which are to be followed, preaches at the various stations, oversees the work of the native pastors — in short, is in general charge of the native churches, encouraging, advising, inspiring, administering, and carrj’ing the work of the propagation of the gospel among as many people as possible. There is a presiding elder’s district in India which includes 6,000,000 people, and there are districts in China each having within its bounds from 1,000,000 to as many as 20,000,000 people. The literary work includes among many other activities the translation, publication, and distribution of Bibles and portions of the Bible. The translation of the Bible is made by representa- tives selected from all the missions at work in each foreign country, these missionaries being supported by their respective missions while rendering this special service. The printing of the Bible in all the various languages of the earth is done by the American Bible Society, and the British and Foreign Bible So- ciety, which thus render an inestimable service in the task of evangelizing the world. Other literary work, including the trans- lation of hymns, of tracts, of standard volumes, like Bunyan’s OPPORTUNE INVESTMENTS IN CHINA 5 Pilgrim’s Progress, and the creation of original literature, includ- ing Christian periodicals, etc., is carried on by the various mis- sions, usually in connection with some central publishing house. Through these four avenues of approach, the 437,000,000 people of China are being reached and are being told of the Saviour, and a native church which shall endure through all time is being raised up. In all these phases of work, there is at the present time in China the greatest opportunity that the church has known in all its history. This is due to the awakening of the empire, the eagerness of the Chinese for Western civilization, and, as re- sults, a willingness to hear and an eagerness to know the gospel. We have work in eight of the twenty-two provinces of China. These eight provinces contain 206,000,000 of the 437,000,000 people in the empire. But it must be remembered that we are by no means covering even these provinces in which we have work. In Shantung we have only a single presiding elder’s dis- trict ; in Szechuen our territory covers but one seventh of the whole province ; in Hupeh we have native work but not a single missionary. So we are not attempting to reach all the people even in the provinces in which our Conferences are located. Methodism has five Conferences, or missions, in China : Foochow, Hinghua, North China, Central China, and West China. The fol- lowing will give some idea of the extent, the conditions, and the needs of these Conferences: FOOCHOW CONFERENCE Location: Northern part of Fukien Province, Southeastern China. Lati- tude of Cuba. Size: 29,000 square miles; larger than New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. Population: 18,000,000. Principal Stations: Foochow, Kucheng, Ngucheng, Mingchiang, Yenping. Methodist Missionaries: 49, or one for every 369,000 Chinese. Members and Probationers: 12,775. Conditions : The beginning of Methodist work in China was the work started in this province in 1847, and almost half of our present mem- bership in China is in this Conference. The first duty here is that of caring adequately for a field where the seed has been success- fully sown and the harvest is ready for reaping. There have been 6 OPPORTUNE INVESTMENTS IN CHINA as many as five thousand children in one year in the George S. Miner Special Gift Day Schools, the best system of day schools in China. Several high schools, a biblical school for men at Yenping, the Anglo-Chinese College and the S. L. Baldwin School of The- ology at Foochow complete the educational equipment for boys and men. Similar schools for girls and women, beginning with the kindergarten and culminating in the College for Women, are main- tained by the Woman’s Board. The native ministry is better developed here than in any other of our five Chinese missions. This is one cause of the strength of the Conference. Special Needs: Expansion westward to join the Central China Mission, and large reinforcement of the present staff of workers. The chief need of the Foochow Conference is for workers, for there are by far too few missionaries to man the work opened and to reap the harvest now ready. HINGHUA CONFERENCE Location: Southern part of Fukien Province, Southeastern China. Lati- tude of Cuba. Size: 18,000 square miles; almost as large as Maryland and New Jersey. Population: 5,000,000. Principal Stations: Hinghua, Singiu, Dehhua. Ingchung, and Duacheng. Methodist Missionaries: 22, or one for every 227,000 Chinese. Members and Probationers: 4.515. Conditions: Methodist work here began in 1864. This is the smallest Annual Conference in China, giving the best illustration of inten- sive cultivation, there being more missionaries here in proportion to population than in any other mission, although still only one for each 227,000. Accordingly, the results are among the most satis- factory. The same ratio of gains to population in all the Confer- ences would give 686,000 members to our church in China. Yet Hinghua is still undermanned, for although there are more people than in all Ohio, they have only twenty-two Methodist missionaries. The native churches are practically self-supporting, averaging fifty cents per member for local support, and an equal amount for a Home Missionary Society Fund which aids needy neighboring churches. The people of Antau will also raise money to build a hospital, if a physician is furnished them. Special Needs: Expansion northwest to join the Central China Mission. The Hinghua Conference is in the same province as the Foochow Conference, and the need for workers is similar — workers to man institutions already opened, and to reap harvests already sown, as well as to expand the work. OPPORTUNE INVESTMENTS IN CHINA 7 NORTH CHINA CONFERENCE Location: Chihli and Shantung Provinces, Northern China. Latitude of Ohio. Size: 124,000 square miles; as large as Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. Population: 59,917,000. Principal Stations: Peking, Tientsin, Changli, Taianfu. Methodist Missionaries: 51, or one for 1,175,000 Chinese. Members and Probationers : 5,251. Conditions: Methodist work began in 1869. The headquarters of the work are located in the official center of the empire, and consequently are especially well adapted to influence the life of the empire. The church members passed through the fire of the Boxer persecution and were not found wanting. Methodism’s only martyrs in 1900 were in this Conference. But the loss sustained by martyrdom has already been more than made up by new additions, and the faith- fulness of the native Christians in the face of the bitter persecution has made a profound impression upon the non-Christian Chinese. The blood of the martyrs has again proved to be the seed of the church. Peking University has furnished the first Student Volun- teer Band in the empire, voluntarily organized by the students and composed of 125 who have offered their lives for the evangeliza- tion of China. This is the most encouraging sign of self-propa- gating purpose in the empire. Special Needs: Expansion of the work of the Shantung District to form a Shantung Mission. This would extend our work southward and connect our North China Conference with our Central China Mis- sion. The Shantung Province now has 38,000,000 people. It has rich coal and iron resources, and promises large manufacturing and mining development. The chief need is workers — workers for oversight of the districts, workers for the schools, workers for the hospitals, workers native and foreign. CENTRAL CHINA MISSION Location: Provinces of Kiangsu, Anhwei, Kiangsi, and Hupeh, in the Yangtze River Valley, Central China. Latitude of New Orleans. Size: 234,300 square miles; almost as large as all New England, New York, and New Jersey. Population: 99,462,000, or more than that of the United States. Principal Stations: Nanking, Wuhu, Kiukiang, Chinkiang, Nanchang, and Yangchow. Methodist Missionaries : 54, or one for each 1,842,000 Chinese. Members and Probationers: 2,087. Conditions: Wonderful for situation. Here is the finest of farming land, that is, the valley of the Yangtze, the most densely populated of 8 OPPORTUNE INVESTMENTS IN CHINA the valleys of the earth; and on the line of commerce of the entire central part of the empire. Among its cities are Nanking, the old capital of the empire, and Nanchang, the last of seven cities in China, each of a million or more inhabitants, to be occupied by missionaries. There are more people within the bounds of the mis- sion than are in the whole United States. One presiding elder has twenty million people on his district. The region has received enlightenment through the march of trade in the Yangtze Valley, and is now ready for the gospel. Special Needs: Men, men. This is a great field wholly undermanned. Evangelists are greatly needed for manning the large presiding elders’ districts. Indeed, the field should be divided into two Con- ferences and the number of workers doubled. WEST CHINA MISSION Location: Szechuen Province, West China. i,8oo miles, or forty days’ journey from Shanghai. Size: 218,480 square miles; about as large as the states of California and Washington. Population: 68,725,000. Principal Stations: Chungking, Chentu, Suiling, Tsicheo. Methodist Missionaries: 30, or one for every 2,290,830 Chinese. Members and Probationers: 2,648. Conditions: The youngest of our missions in China — begun in 1881 — it occupies the Chentu Plain — the garden spot of China, and in some measure, of the world. Little’s Far East says that the Chentu Plain sustains a denser population than any equal territory on earth, except perhaps the county in which London is located. But agri- culture alone maintains the population of the Chentu Plain, while the population of London is sustained by trade and manufacturing. The missionaries of our church were the first in the field, and thus were able to select this most fertile part of the province for their location. Other missions have yielded this field to Methodism. She thus has but one seventh of the territory of the province and about one third of its 68,000,000 people. The increase in member- ship has averaged 29 per cent during the last two years. Special Needs: Men, men, men. Women, women, women. Evangelists, doctors, and teachers. The problem here is that of holding the territory we already have. Other societies have sent thirty workers into Szechuen in the past year. The Canadian Methodists have just sent 22 new recruits. The other societies now have two or three times as many missionaries in proportion to their populations as we have. Methodism must either increase her number of mis- sionaries or else yield to others territory which she has been culti- vating for twenty-five years. OPPORTUNE INVESTMENTS IN CHINA 9 EXPANSION We have already indicated the need of expansion of the Foo- chow and Hinghua Conferences westward, to join the Central China, and of the North China Conference southward by the creation of the Shantung District into the Shantung Mission, or Conference. This will not mean entering any new provinces, but simply extending the work in the provinces in which we already have missionaries. If, however, Methodism is to do her full share in evangelizing China, work should be opened in other provinces. Of these, the most inviting fields seem to be in Manchuria and Shansi. Manchuria has become famous as the battleground of the Japanese and the Russians. Since the war it has been divided into the three provinces of Fengtien, Heilungkiang, and Kirin, by the Chinese government, and these have been incorporated as integral parts of the Chinese empire. The population of Man- churia has risen in the last twenty-five years from 7,500,000 to the present population of 22,000,000. The soil is a black, rich loam, and very fertile ; the climate is that of Iowa, Minnesota, and Southern Canada. Through the opening up of natural resources by the railway, the country is more prosperous today than ever before. There are also splendid mines of coal and iron. Great de- velopment is awaiting Manchuria, and the population probably will reach 100,000,000 before the close of the century. There are only two mission boards at work in Manchuria, neither of them American. We already have Christians and preaching stations north of the Great Wall, and need only to follow the railroad to extend our work in that territory. In this case alone, in all China, because of lack of funds, we have allowed the railroad to precede us. Shansi is the province located immediately west of the prov- ince of Chihli, and has an area of 81,000 square miles, and a population of 12,200,000. According to Baron Richtofen’s three- volume report to the German government, it has the finest coal and iron deposits in the world. This report startled European nations, and was one of the causes leading to the attempt on the part of foreign powers to seize territory and thus divide China. 10 OPPORTUNE INVESTMENTS IN CHINA This was prevented largely by Secretary Hay and the United States. Richtofen says that there is enough coal in Shansi to supply the world for several thousand years. This report con- cerning the richness of mineral resources was confirmed by the second German Commission in 1897-8. Railroads are being built into these fields, and the day of mining is at hand. The coal- bearing strata have been heaved up so that coal can be mined by level tunneling, instead of by sinking shafts. The coal lies three thousand feet above the Pacific, so that with suitable railroads gravity will bring the coal to the ocean ports. There is an abun- dance of Chinese labor for mining. In a few years Shansi will be the Pittsburg, West Virginia, and Birmingham region of Asia. Very little missionary work is being done in this rich province. These are splendid opportunities for the young people of two Conferences or States to identify themselves with definite fields of work in China. The list below gives what must be pledged be- fore the work should be opened in either Manchuria or Shansi, and is by no means all that is needed adequately to man either one of these fields. MANCHURIA OR SHANSI Five Missionaries — one physician, two teachers, and one evangelist, at $2,000 each for outgoing expenses and salary for two years .$10,000 Five residences for the above, at $2,500 each 12,500 One hospital at $5,000 5.000 Two school buildings at $5,000 each 10,000 Native chapels, workers, etc 2,500 $40,000 MOST PRESSING NEEDS A careful and conservative canvass of the situation in China reveals needs aggregating a million dollars which must be pro- vided for in order to enable our church to meet the crisis and to seize the opportunities open to us through the awakening of the empire. These needs call for $1,000,000; the Thank-Oflfering calls for $300,000. We feel that we cannot ask for $1,000,000, but when only those needs which are most urgent have been retained the list still aggregates $600,000. Such a list, therefore, is laid OPPORTUNE INVESTMENTS IN CHINA // before the church in the confident hope and expectation that with the larger range of opportunities for investment thus offered the friends throughout the church will more readily and gladly give, up to and even beyond the sum called for in the Thank-Offering. NEW MISSIONARIES The number of missionaries has not kept pace with the erection of buildings and the starting of institutions, and accordingly the most urgent need is for new workers. The amount named for each covers outgoing expenses and salary for two years, the amount necessary to send a new missionary. Note the extra traveling expense to West China. FOR EVANGELISTIC WORK Foochow Conference: Four missionaries — one for Kude District, one for Mingchiang District, and two to push work westward toward Central China — at $2,000 $ 8,000 Hinghua Conference : Three missionaries — one for Singiu, and two for the expansion of the Conference westward and north- ward to meet the Central China and Foochow Conferences — at $2,000 $ 6,000 North China Conference: Nine missionaries — one each for the Tsunhua, Lanchow, and Shanhaikwan Districts, two to rein- force Peking and Tientsin by leading and directing street chapel work in these cities, and four to enlarge the work in Shantung so that it may become the Shantung Conference — at $2,000 $18,000 Central China Mission: Six missionaries — all necessary for the dividing up of districts already opened so as to oversee them adequately, there being as many as twenty million people in a single district, and the work suffering as a consequence of lack of supervision — at $2,000 $12,000 West China Conference: Five missionaries — three for the rein- forcement of work around China, one for Hocheo, and one for the street work in Chentu and surrounding places — at $2,200. The extra $200 is due to heavier traveling expenses. .$11,000 FOR EDUCATIONAL WORK Foochow Conference : Seven missionaries — one for normal school work, one to superintend day schools, one for the S. L. Bald- win School of Theology, two for the Anglo-Chinese College, Foochow, one for the Biblical school at Yenping, and one for a boarding school at Kucheng — at $2,000 $14,000 Hinghua Conference: Four missionaries — one at Ingchung for Hardy Training School, one for the Biblical school con- nected therewith, one at Hinghua for biblical school work, and one for superintendent of the day schools of the whole Conference — at $2,000 $ 8,000 12 OPPORTUNE INVESTMENTS IN CHINA North China Conference : Ten missionaries — one each for the theo- logical school at Peking, for superintending day schools, for the Tientsin school and for a Changli school, a professor of science in Peking University, and five to open new work in Shantung — at $2,000 ' $20,000 Central China Mission: Seven missionaries — one each for Fowler School of Theology at Nanking, Nanking University, Wil- liam Nast College, a boarding school at Nanchang, a board- ing school at Yangchow, and two to superintend the day school work of the Conference — at $2,000 $14,000 West China MmfoM.'Four missionaries — one each for Chentu Uni- versity, for biblical school work, Chungking, for superin- tendent of day schools throughout the Conference, and for a school at Tsicheo — at $2,200 $ 8,800 FOR MEDICAL WORK Foochow Conference: One medical missionary to reinforce the physicians already on the field $ 2,000 Hinghua Conference: One medical missionary for Antau $ 2,000 North China Conference: Four medical missionaries — one for Tientsin, one for Changli, one for Taianfu, and another for one more walled city in Shantung — at $2,000 $ 8,000 Central China Mission: Two medical missionaries — one each for Nanchang and' Chinkiang — at $2,000 $ 4,000 West China Mission: Two medical missionaries — one each for Chentu and Tsicheo — at $2,200 $ 4,400 BUILDINGS AND LAND RESIDENCES FOR MISSIONARIES It is necessary to provide residences for missionaries, for to attempt to live in damp and filthy Chinese houses means the breakdown of mis- sionaries and waste of money. Each residence may bear the name the donor designates, as a memorial building. For the sixty-nine new mis- sionaries as asked for above, residences should be erected ; and in addition three others are needed, one for Hinghua and two for Shantung. Foochow Conference: Twelve residences at $2,500 $30,000 Hinghua Conference: Nine residences at $2,500 $22,500 North China Conference: Twenty-five residences at $2,500 $62,000 Central China Mission: Fifteen residences at $2,500 $37, 500 West China Mission: Eleven residences at $2,500 $27,500 OPPORTUNE INVESTMENTS IN CHINA 13 SCHOOL BUILDINGS AND PROPERTY Foochow Conference: Land for the normal school at Foochow $ 3,500 Hinghua Conference : High school building, Hinghua $10,000 School property, Ingchung 8,500 Building for blind children, Rebecca McCabe Orphanage, Hinghua 3.500 Intermediate school building, Singiu 1,000 Intermediate school building, Antau 1,000 North China Conference: Administration and library building, Peking University $40,000 Collegiate building, Peking University 30,000 Intermediate school building, Tientsin lo.ooo Intermediate school building, Changli 10,000 Building and playground, Lanchou 1,000 Two intermediate school buildings for expansion in Shantung, 20,000 Central China Mission: Boys’ school building, Nanchang $ 5,000 New building, Nanking University 30,000 To complete the administration building for William Nast College, Kiukiang , lo.ooo Intermediate school building, Yangchow 5,000 Day school building, Wuhu 300 West China Mission: Building for Chentu College $10,000 Intermediate school building, Suiling 5,ooo Building for Bible training school, Chungking 1,000 HOSPITALS Hinghua Conference: Hospital building and equipment, Duacheng $ 5,000 North China Conference: Hospital building and equipment, Tientsin $15,000 Two hospital buildings in Shantung: one at Taianfu, and one at a walled city newly opened up, at $5,000 each. .. . 10,000 Outfit for country medical work, Changli , 1,000 Central China Mission: Hospital at Nanchang $10,000 Hospital at Chinkiang 5, 000 Wall and Parsonage for the hospital at Wuhu 800 Philander Smith Memorial Hospital, Nanking, for improve- ment of operating room and for forty iron bedsteads 800 14 OPPORTUNE INVESTMENTS IN CHINA IVest China Mission: Debt on hospital at Chentu ; Hospital at Tsicheo For enlargement of the property of the Chungking General $ 4,000 5,000 Hospital 2,000 1,500 Furniture for Chentu Hospital CHAPELS AND CHURCHES These can be built by means of gifts ranging from $ioo to $i,ooo, the balance of the cost being raised by the native members. Such a chapel or church may bear the name designated by the donor. For information concerning the places where needed and for other particulars, write to Dr. Frank D. Gamewell, 150 Fifth Avenue, New York city. Foochow Conference: Chapels at Geukkau, Sekbaikdu, and Ngieuseu. Hinghua Conference: Chapels at Kiosauh, Uacai, Chingtah, Osu, Bahgolau, and Binghai. North China Conference: Chapels at Miyunhsien, Yenchingchou, Haiyang, Liwu, Tunge, and Yenmachuang. Central China Mission: Chapels at Nanchang, and Takang. West China Mission: Chapels at Bisan, Uinchuan, Hocheo, Suiling, Chungking, and Jiangbeh. NATIVE PREACHERS Native ministers can be supported in the different parts of China at from $30 to $120 a year — $2.50 to $10 a month. The native ministers are used to man all the substations, under missionaries as superintend- ents; they are trained in our schools, and are doing noble work. Write to Dr. Frank D. Gamewell, 150 Fifth Avenue, New York city, for par- ticulars, and have a man working for Christ on the other side of the world. SCHOLARSHIPS Many school children have to be supported by scholarships, as they come from families too poor to support their children in school. The schools are building up native Christians and are the source of our supply of native workers, so that money spent in education is money well invested. Annual scholarships, keeping students in school for a year, are needed at the following rates : Theological Schools: 60 scholarships. For Baldwin School of Theology, Foochow; Fowler Biblical School, Nanking; the theological school at Peking; at $20 each a year $ 1,200 OPPORTUNE INVESTMENTS IN CHINA 15 Biblical Schools loo scholarships. For the schools at Hinghua, Yenping, Kiukiang, Chungking, Shantung, etc., at $20 each a year $ 2,000 Colleges: 500 scholarships. For the Anglo-Chinese College at Foochow, Nanking University, William Nast College at Kiukiang, Chentu College, and Peking University, at $20 to $30 a year $10,000 to $ 15,000 Intermediate Boarding Schools: 5,000 scholarships. For the schools at Hinghua, Ingchung, Ngucheng, Kucheng, Yen- ping, Foochow, Chinkiang, Yankchow, Nanking, Kiukiang, Nanchang, Chunking, Chentu, Changli, Tientsin, Taianfu, Shanhaikwan, Tsunhua, and Peking, at $20 each a year. .. .$100,000 Day Schools: 10,000 scholarships. For schools scattered through all of the Conferences, at $i each a year $ 10,000 SUPPORT OF HOSPITAL BEDS The cost of maintaining a bed in a hospital in China varies according to the location of the hospital and also with respect to the differing con- ditions of patients. Sick Chinese who do not require special diet, prefer to provide their food while in the hospital, but when a special diet is necessary the cost of maintaining the patient is greatly increased, because many articles, such as proper milk and other foodstuffs which the physician must prescribe, can be obtained only by importing them. Hospital Beds: In the hospitals at Yenping, Kucheng, Nanking, Wuhu, Peking, Changli, Chungking, and Chentu, at from $25 to $150 each, a year. ENDOWMENTS For many of the lines of work described above, permanent endow- ments are needed in order that the work may go on from year to year. Here is a chance to perpetuate the work and also to commemorate the names of friends for all time. Professorships: At Peking University, Anglo-Chinese College at Foo- chow, Nanking University, William Nast College at Kiukiang, and Chentu College, at from $25,000 to $30,000 each. Endowment of College Scholarships and Theological School Scholar- ships: $500 each in perpetuity. Endowment of Intermediate and Boarding School Scholarships: $500 each in perpetuity. Endowment of Day School Scholarships: An endowment of $50 pro- vides one yearly scholarship for all time. Endowment of Beds in Hospitals: From $250 to $500. Industrial Institutions: For pupils to work for their support, at $1,600 each. /6 OPPORTUNE INVESTMENTS IN CHINA TO INVESTORS 1. Special leaflets on medical, educational, and evangelistic work can be obtained free of charge by writing to Dr. F. D. Gamewell, Executive Secretary, China Centennial Commission, 150 Fifth Avenue, New York city. These are illustrated, and show the special work done in each of these departments. 2. Persons wishing information beyond that contained in the leaflets concerning any need mentioned below, should write to Dr. F. D. Camewell, and receive a personal letter, giving full details. 3. Persons hesitating between two or three investments, should write to Dr. Camewell, 150 Fifth Avenue, New York city, for in- formation. When necessan»’, these letters will be forwarded to Bishop Bashford for fuller counsel and advice. 4. Undesignated gifts will be placed where in the judgment of Bishop Bashford they are most needed, and a report will be made to the donor. 5. If it is preferred to aid work in any one Conference or under a particular missionary, permission should be given in case the need in question has already been met, to apply your contribu- tion to the next greatest need and report to you. Send all gifts to Homer Eaton, Treasurer, 150 Fifth Avenue, New York city, marking them Special Gifts for China. 6. A booklet setting forth the most pressing needs of the Woman’s Foreign Missionar)-^ Society, may be obtained from any Branch Secretary, or by applying to Dr. F. D. Camewell, 150 Fifth Avenue, New York city.