THE FAR EAST.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXXII, Issue 15558, 7 March 1911, Page 8

THE FAR EAST.

A RECENT VISITOR’S IMPRESSIONS. [From Our Correspondent.] DUNEDIN, March 6. Tho Rev Graham Balfour, the new minister for First Church, Dunedin, in succession to the lace Dr Nesbit, arrived at Bluff tiiis morning. The reverend gentleman returned only three ween ago from an extensive tour of Europo and the Far East, and so was in a position to give a Pressman an insight into the problem which is agitating the Powers to such an extent at the present time in Europe. Mr Balfour lias visited Germany, Italy, Great Britain and Holland, while his Asiatic tour included Japan, Korea, China and the Philippines. Ho was a member of the Victorian delegation specially instructed to study tho mission movement in the Far East. His tour was not, however, confined to the mission aspect alone, and political, educational and medical problems of the Far -East were investigated from both native and foreign points of view. In regard to the cabled intelligence in respect to a possible outbreak of hostilities at Mukden, Mr Balfour said he had spent several days there, and had come into contact with missionaries. Everything had been rebuilt, and there was not the slightest fear that there would be a reptition of the disturbance. Everything was perfectly quiet, and Mr Balfour does not anticipate any trouble in that quarter. Evangelical, medical and educational work is progressing rapidly, and there is a fine hospital at Mukden containing one hundred and fifty beds, and also a college for the training of young Chinese. Many Europeans have .expressed the opinion that China will advance quietly, but others, again, have decidedly opposite views. The problem of the Far East to-day was just like a play. No one knew what was going to happen next. There was no doubt that there had been a. great increase in the numbers of Christians and in the influence of the Christian church since the outbreak of the Boxer rebellion ten years ago, a disturbance which had resulted in 130,000 natives being killed. The church was very much larger, and particularly in the north much stronger than it was then. He had asked the reason, and had been given two answers—(a) that the nonChristian had realised that the Christian had something which ho himself did not possess ; (b) that there appeared to be a general awakening from the kind of self-satisfied slumber which contained the delusion, centuries old, that the Western races were “ hairy barbarians.”