LEADER IN TEN YEARS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 67, Issue 244, 28 July 1947, Page 4

LEADER IN TEN YEARS

- Japan is Peaceful State In Orient DR WEST WATSON IN ASHBURTON T In 10 years Japan would be leading the Orient, but as a peace- . ful State. That was the opinion expressed by General Douglas McArthur, Allied Supreme Commander in Japan, at a dinner at, which he was a guest, Dr. Campbell West Watson (Primate of New Zealand) told the congregation at St. Stephen’s Anglican Church last evening. Archbishop

West Watson recently attended the first post-war general synod of f the Episcopal Church in Japan., Iu McArthur’s opinion Shintoism and Buddhism left the Japanese starving for religion so that there was an opportunity for Christianity such as there had not been for hundreds of years. The General believed that the Japanese were changing their minds. Others, however, considered that they were not, but were merely pretending in order to secure a more speedy relaxation of the occupation. The Archbishop stated the hope that General McArthur was right in his opinions. First Christian Missionary

Just across the fence from the camp of 27 Battalion in Yamaguchi, Japan, was a stone cross where the first Christian missionary to Japan, Francis Xavier , preached in the 1550’5, continued the Archbishop. He was of the Judgment Mission, which with the Fransican friars who arrived later, worked on for about 90 years until Japan closed her doors on foreigners and forbade Christianity. Long afterwards it was found that a Christian element had gone underground, and so a remnant remained through the years. i For 200 years the door remained closed until Commodore Perry seeing ed an entrance for Americans in 1853.

In 1889 the law forbidding Christionity was repealed, but for years before that Christians had been able to work without interference. The British, American and Canadian Episcopal elements had united with a constitution similar to that of the Anglican Church, and with a triennial synod. For a longtime the bishops of the Church continued to be American and British. - Feature of Character

Loyalty to Emperor and nation was the supreme tenet of the Shinto religiolV said the speaker. The Japanese might not believe it scientifically, but' they had a mystical regard for the Emperor and nation, and a suspicion of-foreign influence that was an essential feature of their outlook. If foreigners gave too much support to the Japanese Church they (the Japanese) would view that support with suspicion and as being a means of expanding influence in other directions.

The earthquake of 1923 and the war had seen many Christian church buildings destroyed and 1 damaged, stated the Archbishop. When bitterness increased before the war Japanese bishops had been consecrated into all dioceses and foreign bishops had been withdrawn. Then the Government had ordered all churches with the - exception of the Roman and Greek to form one united body. A national church formed by the leading of the Holy Spirit was all right, said the Archbishop, but not a church formed by national spirit. Some decided to go into the national church and others, about two-thirds, remained out, some being imprisoned for their beliefs.

In 194 G a delegation from Britain, America and Canada conferred with the church and counselled generosity ,in receiving back those who had strayed, so that now, with some few exceptions, the church was united again, and it Seemed as though schism would be avoided.

The first post-war general synod of the Church had been held at Nara, and it was to this that both he and the Primate of Australia had been invited. The Primate of Australia had not been able to go, but shortly the Bishops of Brisbane and Tasmania would be visiting the church not only in Japan but also in China.

Joining of Hands

A Joining of hands of countries round the Pacific had been visualised by himself as a wonderful thing, when speaking to the Church General Synod at Napier, in 1934, recalled the Archbishop. The visit to Japan had been a great experience, and in the Christian brotherhood he had felt a great closeness to the Japanese.

“We do not know what it is like to be a defeated nation,” said Dr. WestWatson. “The Japanese were staggered and stunned.” The church must also have felt a crushing blow, and as well it had had to get over divisions in its midst, loss of many buildings and -money. What the Japanese Church wanted was help in various temporary ways, for they desired to be self-supporting. He contrasted the dark despair on the faces of men in the streets to the lighting-up of the faces of those taking communion at Nara. There was. a great 'opportunity of bringing joy, peace and light to this country, he said.