IN DEFENCE OF MISSIONARIES

Maoriland Worker, Volume 13, Issue 30, 25 July 1923, Page 13

IN DEFENCE OF MISSIONARIES

The Editor, Sir, — I regret that '•Mrs. Spes" adopted s non de plume. The straight a.nd narrow way in corrfcfepondence is to sign one's naiiie. I have beeai fixing her letter on at least fix innocent shoulders. I might have spared you much that on the surface do?-s not concern you or your readers, and written straight to "Mrs. Sues," who is at least interested. However, Imperialism ■ and the extent to which missionary effort aids the ghastly sequence---ciyilisation— : trade —war is a vital question. "Mrs. Spes" overlooks the, fact of the trader. He stepped in, caring nothing for native or Empire, to till his pockets. The trader was responsibly for tha death of Bishop Pattisou, who "despised no one, nor reflected any with scorn," but. "whether it were a black or a white person, he thought them all as one, and loved them all alike." This man's life was "taken by men for whom he would gladly have given it," and the greedy trader, work'ng for his own ends, was responsible.

Ther e are capitalist-minded Socialists, anil strangely there are so-ctilleri imperialists with Socialistic aims. I regard the imperialism of the missionary in much tlie same light as the dedication of a. Beethoven sonata ro the "Countess de Browne."' ' This the composer was forced to do to earn h's bread—ihe- missionaries to save'the bodies and souls of men and women--consciously or unconsciously pays at times his little tribute to'•Empire.*'" As a rule he has something more important to -do. If. is illogical to. compare the paid nurse, accepting a gift for her personal use, w-'th the missionary,, who has given the l sest years of. his life to the uplift of humanity, degraded perhaps but capable of reasoning. "Mrs. Spes" assumes I know Rule of what goes on in the Islands, but an. article, •vntitled "Sugar aud Shame." appeared in your pap-r of August 30, 1922, \vbich gave some ghastly facts concerning Fiji aud its industries, and I had read Ahern's article, "The Nauru Scandal," btfore Mrs. Spss's letter appeared—yt«, and had made notes thereon ready for use should discussion iv our local W.E.A.- -or elsewhere ---point that way. Also, I many pamphle.s hav e been printed, some of which 1 have read, in the article referred to, "Sugar and Shame." Mr. Holland .quotes Rev. Dr. Burton and others, to the effect that.

"The sins which brought fire and brimstone down upon the cities of the plains were rampant in F'ji."

However, there is no po-nt in proving onself right, and another wrong— the main thing is to get to facts.

Personally, I have not yet corns to; believe that Marsden accepted land; for personal or Church aggrandise- i meat. Even were that one case ad- J mit ted, thare »s such overwhelming | testimony of another kind —amongst; others, that of L ! - Yuan Lung (a; Confucian, and m 1912 commander-In j chief of Chinese Republican army, aj non-Christian also). "I am strongly! in. favour of more missionaries com- j fag to Ch-na to teach Christianity, j . China would not be aroused to-; day wer & it not for them." An Arabic; tribute come from the paper "Lisan; el Hal" (Tongue of the Times) con-; cerning work carried on. by English;

-:nd American Friends, where i n 'he schools English, French, Arabic, and Mathematics -are taught, and from which skilled doctors, merchants, politicians and other officials go forth. Last and not least, comes tho pathetic- offer of the Sikhs of Tarn Taran. Canon and Mrs. Guilford have worked there for Ihirtye T ght years. Pastor and flock realise that work- must be ca.rried on by younger hands. "But," say these Sinks, "if we each g-ve a held and enlarge your oue-rcomed house, will you not stay with us forever." Sadly tho °tf er ls refused. The old couple leave these folk they lows, and make way for the new blood. I might multiply these examples by the thousand. Enough, however, has been written to. show that empires and imperialism notwithstanding, single-minded men and women will" carry t.h<e torch of truth to darkened minds and souls, who will respond to it and to the love wh'ch impels such service, to degraded humanity. And

I am not te&totui, I will add, that the "new wine," by which! mean those: privileged to see clearly ihe truth, for to-day,' will ga-n nothing by bespattering those who cling.to that. truth, which is bot« old and., eternally new, which is riot'for to-day, .but for all time, and whicli will ultimately

through all falsp conyeatioik

cant, and. prejnd?«e», ..and malic "at on;eJ," tihe "' sijn cartel fo'llowters of any. tyutblr-I am, yours faithfully, EMMA MCCARTHY. Waiimate, July 2,. 1923.