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VERY important meeting of representatives of seventeen Protestant foreign missionary societies of the United States and Canada was held in the rooms of the Presbyterian Board, 156 Fifth Avenue, New York, on Friday, September 21. It was called for the purpose of considering the many questions which have been raised by recent events in China, and to outline if possible a policy for the future of missionary work in that country, and the attitude of missionary boards towards the present situation. Of course the conference did not claim any authority over the various Boards and missions, but its conclusions will naturally have an important influence on future missionary policy in China.

Rev. Henry N. Cobb, D.D., of the Reformed Church in America, was chosen chairman, and Rev. Arthur J. Brown, D.D., of the Presbyterian Board, secretary. All day sessions were held, at which the questions which would naturally come before the conference were fully considered, and the conclu sions were, in general, that there was no occasion for discouragement in regard to missions in China on account of the present disturbances, but that missionary work should be resumed at an early date, and a committee consisting of Rev. R. P. Mackay, D.D., of the Presbyterian Board in Canada, Rev. Thomas S. Barbour, D.D., of the American Baptist Missionary Union, and Rev. Judson Smith, D.D., of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, was appointed to prepare an address to the churches of America, setting forth the present situation in China, and summoning all Christians in the United States to a week of prayer commencing October 28. It was also voted that no general recall of missionaries in China is either necessary or expedient.

The conference expressed its deep sympathy with the Chinese Christians in their trials and martyrdom. Several reports were presented by missionaries returned from China as to the steadfastness and heroism of the native Christians under the severest trials, and the courage and faith they had shown even in the face of death itself; and the opinion was expressed that these Chinese Christians are worthy of the same generosity, in their sufferings and losses, as has been shown in the contributions of American Christians for the sufferers by the famine in India. While several of the Boards had suffered losses of property, in some instances amounting to many thousands of dollars only two reported the loss of missionaries by death,-the American Board of Commissioners reports the loss of six men, seven women and five children, and the Presbyterian Board three men, two women and three children, mak ing a total of eighteen American missionaries and eight children positively known to have been murdered in China at that date. There are also several American members of the China Inland mission who have been killed.

Probably the most important question to come before the Conference was that of exacting indemnity for losses sustained by the mission Boards and missionaries in China. With one member not voting, it was decided to be the judgment of the conference that when the government of the United States asks foreign mission boards for information as to the objects to be included in demands for indemnity there should be named only the actual loss of property and special expenses incurred in consequence of the outbreak. By a vote of twelve to seven, it was decided that in the case of a family dependent for support upon a missionary who had been killed, a claim for indemnity might be presented, and it was unanimously voted that the claims should be presented only through the Boards, and not by individuals.

The conference took no measures to interfere with the civil powers in respect to the settlement of questions pending in China, but Rev. F. F. Ellinwood, D.D., of the Presbyterian Board in New York, and Rev. A. Sutherland, D.D., of Toronto, were appointed a committee to formulate a statement of the relation of the missionary enterprise to the civil power in China, and report to the joint conference of missionary boards to be held in New York in January.

It was the judgment of the conference that the resumption of missionary work in China would afford a favorable opportunity for putting into practice some of the principles of missionary comity which have been approved, especially the regulations with regard to the overlapping of missionary fields, printing and publishing, higher education and hospital work.

In general, the attitude of the conference was one of courage in regard to the future of missions in China, and of conservatism in regard to claims for indemnity and interference with the civil powers. The spiritual character of missionary work was emphasized, and also the fact that demands for losses belong to the civil power and that Christian missions should not be entangled or identified in any way with the exercise of force, against either the Chinese government or people.

It is beyond question that the present crisis in China affords an opportunity such as has never before been given for Christian missions to display their true spirit and character under strikingly trying circumstances. The attitude of the missionary boards towards the Chinese at the present time will go far, either to prove or disprove the truthfulness of Lord Salisbury's sarcastic fling at Christian missionaries, as being too ready to avail themselves of the protection of gunboats and governments rather than to rely upon the instructions and commands of the scripture in their work. We believe that Lord Salisbury's sarcasm was unjust and unjustifiable, and that in the present exceedingly trying and afflictive events which have happened to Christian missions in China they will come forth from the test exhibiting an elevation of Christlike forbearance, patience and heroism which will go far to disprove the many hostile criticisms which have been aimed at the messengers of Christ in foreign lands throughout the whole history of modern missions.

The Famine Situation in India is accurately summed up by The Indian Witness of Calcutta as follows: "It may be safely assumed that all fears of another year of famine have been dissipated by the rain which has fallen during the past week. It is fervently hoped that, though tardy in arriving, the rain will continue well into September. True, there are some districts which have not received any rain, and there are places in which famine conditions may prevail for months to come; but the possibility of distress on anything like the scale which has been endured within the past nine or ten months has been mercifully averted by a kind Providence. In parts of the Panch Mahals which have been parched and desolate for months, and in which suffering reached the very highest measure, the railway has been under six feet of water for part of the week, owing to the heavy rain which fell. Good rain has also fallen in those districts of the Southern Panjab in which famine prevailed. Relief, however, will need to be continued in a wide area until harvest time; and there are several thousands of orphan children and many widows to be permanently provided for."

The Tree under which Livingstone's Heart was buried at Chitambo, south of Lake Bangweolo, South Central Africa, has decayed. The section containing the inscription cut by his servants has been brought to England and will be preserved in the museum of the British South Africa Company, and a monument of concrete blocks, twenty feet high and surmounted by a cross, is to be erected to permanently mark the spot of the Christian hero's death. On the four sides of the monument will be bronze tablets bearing the following inscription: "THIS MONUMENT OCCUPIES THE SPOT WHERE FORMERLY STOOD THE TREE AT THE FOOT OF WHICH LIVINGSTONE'S HEART WAS BURIED BY HIS FAITHFUL NATIVE FOLLOWERS. ON THE TRUNK WAS CARVED THE FOLLOWING INSCRIPTION: 'DAVID LIVINGSTONE, DIED MAY 4, 1873, CHUMA, SOUSA, MUIASERE, UCHOPERE.' ERECTED BY HIS FRIENDS TO THE MEMORY OF DR. DAVID LIVINGSTONE, MISSIONARY AND EXPLORER. HE DIED HERE, MAY 4, 1873." Livingstone's body was embalmed and brought to England by his servants whose names are given in the inscription, and was buried in the central aisle of Westminster Abbey.

The second Sunday in November is Bible Day, on which churches and Sunday-schools alike make their offering for the Bible work of the denomination. The hope of the world is in the circulation of the word of God. The obligation is upon every Christian to aid in this work. The American Baptist Publication Society furnishes exercises and boxes free, if the offering is sent to it for Bible work. The receipts of Bible Day are divided between the Publication Society and the Missionary Union for Bible work at home and abroad. For information and supplies, apply to

Rev. ROBT. G. SEYMOUR, D.D.,

1420 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, Pa.

The Woman's Baptist Foreign Missionary Society has issued a review of its educational work in an illustrated pamphlet of two hundred pages. The articles are by those who have been personally engaged in the work and the whole is edited by Mrs. Lucy W. Waterbury. It is a pamphlet of great interest, and aside from the special feature of our missionary work of which it treats, it affords much interesting information concerning other branches, and also on the history of the missions. Price thirty cents, or four copies for one dollar.

The

he Translation of the New Testament in Japanese made by Rev. Nathan Brown, D.D., has been revised and supplied with references by Rev. F. G. Harrington, and is now republished and for sale at the Baptist Publication Committees Repositories in Tokyo and Kobe.

This his number of the Magazine is of special interest since it contains so muc on the recent events in China, which has been received by the first mai since the outbreak. "Africa" was the subject intended for this issue, but the affairs in China have demanded chief attention. Yet we give some articles on

Africa.

THE Missionary Herald of the

American Board publishes an article entitled, "The Diplomatists Concerning Missionaries in China." In view of many utterances of late as to missionaries in the far east, it seemed well to ask some of the men well known and highly esteemed, who have served our country as diplo

holders and the office seekers. The Chinese as a class are not fanatics in religion, and if other causes had not operated to awaken a national hostility to foreigners, the missionaries would have been left free to carry on their work.

"China stands in great need of Christianity. The teachings of Con

matists in China, what their judg-fucius, among the wisest of nonments are respecting the character and work of missionaries in that empire. Are these missionaries responsible for the convulsion which has taken place? Has their influence been of such a sort as would lead to this uprising? Ought they to withdraw and leave the Chinese to themselves?

These questions were asked of President James B. Angell, United States minister to China from 1880 to 1881; of the Hon. John W. Foster, formerly United States Secretary of State, Minister to Mexico, Russia and Spain, and serving later on, by the invitation of the Emperor of China, as counsellor for China in making a treaty with Japan; of the Hon. Charles Denby, who for thirteen years, was United States Minister to China; and also of the Hon. John Barrett, late United States Minister to Siam, whose life in the east has made him familiar with the conditions in those lands.

The Hon. John W. Foster's reply is given substantially below:

"There is, in my opinion, no reason why mission work in China should be given up or relaxed on account of the recent troubles in that empire. My observation is that the mass of the people of China do not object to the presence and work of missionaries. In almost all instances the opposition and riots against them have been stirred up by the literati, the office

Christian philosophers, has had unlimited sway for twenty-five centuries; and this highest type of pagan ethics has produced a people the most superstitious, and a government the most corrupt and inefficient. Confucianism must be pronounced a failure. The hope of this people and its government is in Christianity.

"The events on the other side of the globe do not in the slightest degree release the churches of America from obeying the great command of the Master to preach the gospel to every creature. When order shall again be restored in China, the call to the Christians of America to send the gospel into that great empire will be louder than ever.'

President James B. Angell's answer was practically as follows:

"The immediate provocations of the hostility of the Chinese officials seem to have been the reform movement of the Emperor in 1898, and the aggressive policy of certain European powers. The spirit which has animated the Chinese has been predominantly anti-foreign rather than anti-Christian. A Boxer proclamation before me assails the foreign merchants, engineers, builders of telegraphs and railways as fiercely as it attacks missionaries. As there are more missionaries in the interior than foreigners of any other class. more demonstrations have been made