EXPLORER-MISSIONARY.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 64, 30 October 1911, Page 6

EXPLORER-MISSIONARY.

RECEPTION TO DR. KARL KUMM

A distinguished visitor in the person of Dr. Karl Kumm, F.R.G.S., Director of the Soudan United Mission, who has only just arrived Hithe Dominion, was entertained it* a reception given in the Wellington Town Hall on Wednesday afternoon' by tho Young Women’s Christian Association. Dr. Kumm’s mission to tho Dominion is to arouse interest in the work of converting the blades of Africa, and to raise funds and find men for the field. The gathering was presided over by Mr J. G. W. Ait ken, and associated with him on tno patform were Archdeacon Harper, the Revs. Dr. Gibb and J. Kennedy,Elliott.

In introducing L.. Kumm, ,1 r. Gibb said that-the vuM-ors i >p ataman had preceded him. 1 ' In the solution of missionary problems he displayed not only zeal but the wisdom of , a statesman. (Applause.) Dr. Kumm, who met with i \;e?y hearty reception, touched lightly upon Africa in general, and eu'argqd, upon the. growing menace in .ie . >;! k Continent of the rapid spread if Mohammedanism. A tiling that had struck him very forcibly on revisiting South Africa some months' ago was. that all the ill-feeling existing at the time of the Boer war and for 'some considerable time-afterwards had rpw disappeared, and in its place lesire for united action, for the good of Lie country as a whole was .printing vp.j 'T lin'd,” ho added, “that ihme is peace, and there will bo njace n the future. . . Theirs is, I belbn-e, hue yours, a great future!” Appl-.i .ise.) In stating that where MahammoJ-'n-isrn iiad been able to work at its own free pleasure it had caused dep<. pulalion, stagnation, and retrogression in many ways. Dr. Kumm instanced tho case of Tripoli, where as the result.of its advent the population had fallen from ten millions to Half a million. Its aim was to win the negroes. , Acting on tho teaching of the Koran, which said “if they will not become Mohammedans enslave them!” the upholders of the faith had waged perpetual war against the negroes. The blacks would not become slaves, and so the war, which started 500 years ago, had continued until brought to a close by England’s triumph over Mahclists at the battle of Omdurman. Since then the Mohammedans had changed their tactics. What they had found could not be achieved by force, they were seeking to accomplish by other means. Emissaries were being sent amongst the negroes in all parts of the continent, with the result that tribe after tribe was now going over to the cause. The negro was a simple individual, a man in'-, years, hut wchild'in intellect and understanding, such as our forefathers were. 2000 years ago. Vast tracts of country had not yet been worked by Christian missionaries, and the danger lay in the champions of Mohammedanism stealing a march on them. The Koran was fast gaining ground. The negroes were at present standing at the crossways. They were looking up at the white man, but for the lack of Christian teachers they were going over to Mohammedanism.

Dr. Kumm handled his subject in an entertaining manner throughout.