FAR EAST.

Thames Star, Volume LVII, Issue 15129, 21 February 1922, Page 5

FAR EAST.

AWAKENING OF CHINA.

AN INTERESTING ADDRESS

At the Methodist Church last evening the Rev Grainger Hargreaves gave a very interesting lecture on the “The Awakening of China.” There was a very good attendance and the speaker was listened to with close attention, his remarks bringing frequently applause. The Rev. A. Mitchell briefly introduced the speaker who 3 he said, had been sent out by tne Methodist Church at Home to convey centennial greetings to the New Zealand Methodists. Mr. Hargreaves in commencing his lecture stated that what Mr. Mitchell had said was correct. The Methodists in England greatly rejoiced in, and were proud of the achievements of. Methodism in New Zealand, and it would be with great pleasure that he would relate, upon his return, the very hearty welcome he was receiving.

Years ago he had been sent out to China as a missionary and he could only touch on a very few of bis experiences in a short evening. China was a very fascinating country and had a wonderful history. It had 436 millions of people and it was calculated that every third child born into the world looked into the eyes of a Chinese mother. One did not realise what such a great total was, but if the Chinese were made to stand in a line, such a line would encircle the earth tea times. China was shircl larger than the whole of Europe, and as regards civilization, the Chinese were civilised before Abraham left Ur of the Chaldees? These wonderful people were the first to manufacture explosives and fii’e•arms. Printing was a Chinese art long before it was ever used in Europe. When British ancestors were wearing the skins of animals the Chinese had -woven silk clothings. In those days Chinese engineers had constructed wonderful inland waterways. 560 years before the Christian era the standard of ethics in China was such that a famous philosopher, a contemporary of Cbnfucius, had stated that the rule of life was “to do unto others that which you would they should do unto you.” It was an extraordinary fact that not a single religion had originated in Europe. The European mind was not religious. All the great religions had existed for ages had originated in Asia and when they came to be examined each contained a great central truth. There were, no doubt, superstitious errors in all. As a missionary he had travelled through 11 out of the 18 provinces of "China. One remarkable thing was the purity of the race. There was no variety from the black hair and eyes of the people. Mr .Hargreaves went on to say he had been appointed to the northern district and related the difficulties he and his colleague bad to contend with upon their arrival. The learning of the language seemed an almost insurmountable difficulty. It was made up chiefly of tones and all these hail to be mastered before anything else. To the strict observance of what was our fifth commandment, China owed her long civilization. Every Chinese was commanded to carry on the good work that had been commenced by his ancestors. There had been many changes. The, Empire had gone and there was now a Republic, and there was much civil war. Modern conveniences, such as railway trains, steamers airships, were destroying superstition. China was moving and entering the markets of the West. The menace of the East was at present commercial, not martial. But the victory of the Japanese over Russia had sent a thrill throughout all the East and the future was much in doubt.

Mr. Hargreaves concluded by relating how he and his colleague had escaped the Canton massacres, and the perils he had been through. On the motion of Mr. W. Danby a very hearty vote of thanks was passed to Mr. Hargreaves not only for the interesting lecture but also for the helpful sermons • that he had preached on the Sunday before. During the evening the choir gave two choruses, one from the “Messiah"' and “The Heavens are Telling/' from the “Creation.”