those prepared for the International system. A few religious papers and tracts were prepared for this work.

But there was no general movement and a complete lack of co-ordination of effort. There was neither unity of workers nor plans and, for the most part, nothing was being done for the Chinese children in this direction. Such efforts as were made often comprised simply a gathering for training Christians of mature years, in biblical teaching and the duties of the Christian life. Young people have not been a conspicuous element among the converts up to the present time, for the pressure and influence of the older members of the family or clan keeps many back. The overworked missionaries had in many instances been unable to take the initiative, and, because the Chinese workers had failed to comprehend the importance of the Sunday-school, the native church had made no distinct attempt to reach the youth of China to impart religious instruction.

Among the topics for discussion at the China Missionary Centenary Conference, a committee was appointed to prepare a paper on "The Study and Use of the Bible," with the Rev. D. Willard Lyon, of Shanghai, as Chairman. The sub-topic of "The Sunday-school" was assigned to the Rev. W. C. White, of Loyuan, Fuhkien Province. He made an exhaustive study of the conditions in every part of the empire and presented a valuable and illuminative report. Replies were received from two hundred missionaries representing every shade of belief and every province in the Empire and Manchuria. These returns showed that only 12 per cent of the Chinese Churches had a Sunday-school with a Primary Department, and 61 per cent had no school. In the Christian boarding-schools and colleges the percentage was greater, but one-third had no training other than the regular preaching. Opinion was about equally divided regarding the use of the International lessons, the principal objection being that they are unsuited to the present condition of Christianity in China. The feeling

was very strong that the Sunday-school should be more generally used in missionary work, and, to quote from Mr. White, "The facts abundantly prove that Sunday-school work will in the near future become as important a factor in the Christian Church in China as in the home lands."

Valuable preliminary work was also done by Mr. Frank L. Brown, of Brooklyn, who visited China immediately preceding the Conference. On invitation from Mr. Lyon, he stopped on his way from Japan to the Rome Convention, holding conferences with missionaries in Shanghai and Su-chou, and visiting several schools. At the close of his visit a committee was appointed with the Rev. W. H. Lacey as chairman, to co-operate with the committee already appointed by the Conference, and also to assist the Reverend Richard Burges, Secretary of the India Sunday-school Union, who was expecting to attend the Conference in the interests of organized Sunday-school work.

As soon as Mr. Burges arrived in Shanghai he began a preliminary campaign. Many meetings and interviews were held previous to the formal action of the Conference. On April 26, Mr. Lyon held a joint meeting of the Committee appointed by the Conference and the committee suggested by Mr. Brown, to which he invited a number of missionaries and visitors from America and Europe. Mr. Burges explained the work in India, and expressed the hope that similar work might be begun in China. The Reverend Frank A. Smith, Member of the International Executive Committee, from New Jersey, brought greetings from the workers in the United States, and a message from Dr. Geo. W. Bailey, Chairman of the World's Executive Committee. It was thought best to request the Conference to appoint a General Committee for Sunday-school work in the empire and authorize the employment of a general secretary. This was followed by a meeting at the Astor House, on April 29. Both committees were present together with several friends of the Sunday-school cause. The Reverend J. F. Goucher,

D.D., of Baltimore, was made chairman. After earnest prayer the sentiment was unanimous that the time was ripe to begin organized work in China and that a secretary would be a necessity from the first. Subject to the action of the Conference, pledges were made. Mr. Earl Taylor was the first with $500 in behalf of the Young People's Missionary Movement. Mr. L. H. Severance, of Ohio, promised $500, and Dr. Goucher, the Reverend Samuel Green of Seattle, and others followed. This beginning of Sunday-school history in China took place in Room 128 of the Astor House, Shanghai, occupied at that time by Mr. Smith.

The matter came before the Conference for final action on May 4. Mr. Burges, to whose untiring effort and industry much credit is due for the successful result of this undertaking, was given a brief hearing. The Conference then, by a unanimous vote, adopted the resolutions creating the General Committee for Sunday-school work as a department of the Conference, and authorized the employment of a General Secretary.

The organization, as completed at the close of the Conference, consisted of a General Committee representing all parts of the empire, and an Executive Committee resident in or near Shanghai. The Chairman of the latter committee is the Reverend W. H. Lacey, who has shown such deep interest in the work. The two bodies began their labors at once. The chief problem at present is to secure a man of suitable qualifications for the office of General Secretary.

The cost of maintaining this officer will be not far from $3,000 in gold a year. This is larger than the sum given to most missionaries for several reasons. $800 of this will be needed for travel, a matter of supreme importance the first few years, and indispensable for all time. China is a country of magnificent distances and journeys are slow, tedious, and expensive. A Secretary's salary must be larger than a missionary's for the reason that the mission boards provide all missionaries with homes free of expense. The Secretary

must rent a home. He must live in Shanghai where rents are as high as in our American cities-there are no moderatepriced houses for rent in the International Settlement of Shanghai. Though only a part of the necessary funds are in hand, the outlook warrants the committee in going ahead. It is also worthy of note that Mr. Burges succeeded in interesting some of the business men of Shanghai in the movement, sufficiently for them to make large contributions toward the office expenses.

Never has the Christian Church been given such an opportunity as now confronts it in China. One of the factors to bring in the new day, and one of the strong arms of Christianity, will be this work. It was begun under circumstances that clearly indicate a providential guidance. It must be supported by the prayers and gifts of the friends. of Sunday-school work throughout the world.

EDITOR'S NOTE.-Although this report of the Sunday-school movement in China was not presented at the Convention it was deemed advisable to include it among the reports from various countries.

Congo Free State

BY THE REV. JOSEPH CLARK

It is now twenty-nine years since our Mission commenced, and fully twenty-seven since I landed on the Congo. In a few words I would describe the conditions then faced, and those now prevailing that you may compare the two.

Roughly speaking, when we passed south of the American Presbyterian Mission at Gaboon, we had before us a coastline of more than one thousand miles on which no Sundayschool work had been done, and in that region there were at least 2,000,000 square miles in which not a single Sundayschool existed.

There too the surrounding conditions were very different from those met in the home lands. The languages are many and were unwritten and unknown. We found none

among the people who could read or write, and they could not understand our earnest desire and efforts to get their words, nor our making marks on our paper in the endeavor to hold the sounds we heard and their supposed meanings. There was practically no religion to be found among them, for Central African fetichism is too low to be classed as a religion. There was no definite term "God" to be found, their conception of sin was very indefinite, the idea of love was not clearly stated, and even the words indicating relationships were very loosely used. A life beyond the grave was not expected, many denying that they had an undying part; and the most enlightened only admitting that it was a very doubtful possibility. Along the coast the rum fiend was already enthroned. In the interior, the people were savage cannibals. As each village had its own chief or chiefs, savage fights and long lasting feuds between the villages were frequent, perpetuating cannibalism and rendering journeying dangerous. No voice had told them the story of Jesus and his loving sacrifice, or that there was a God who cared for them.

In addition to the difficulty of acquiring the language we had to explore for the best sites for Mission stations, and to build our own houses of native materials, labor being supplied by Sierra Leone and Kroo men who knew a little English but not the Congo tongues.

Later other hindrances arose which caused us a great deal of trouble. The Congo Free State was established by the treaty of Berlin and our hopes were high for a speedy development of the country on the best lines. But our high hopes were dashed to the ground, and we found we were to have a government of the people, not for the sake of the governed, but for the benefit of those who were to rule. Transport of goods into the interior by native porters forced from our schools many eager to learn, and the method of arranging for carriers gave rise to much trouble, so that the country was in a state of great unrest. Many,