Page:The Chinese Empire. A General & Missionary Survey.djvu/253

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THE PROVINCE OF HUNAN
187

The Evangelical Association of North America is an entirely new mission just commencing work at Shenchow with 4 married members.

The Cumberland Presbyterian Mission has stations at Changteh and Taoyuan with 8 workers ; the Finland Missionary Society at Tsinshih and Yuinting with 6 workers; and the Denver Baptist Church Mission at Changsha with 3 workers.

In brief, evangelistic work is everywhere making good progress; of medical work small beginnings exist in some six centres, boarding-schools in three, and small elementary schools are found in several places; but, generally speaking, educational, medical, industrial, and other important branches have yet to be actively prosecuted.

A few points of interest in the history of Missions in Hunan are: the value of the native Christian as an evangelistic agent; the necessity, particularly in the early stages of all new work, of close supervision, and this of the best; and thirdly, that, alike from the early beginnings of the work and from the character of the people, the problem of self-government will be early brought forward. Restiveness under control and an unwillingness to accept the direction of the foreign pastor have been already observed. By as much as preachers and property are supported and owned by the Churches, by so much will the question of local government be hastened. The movement has its good features and commands sympathy ; but arising too soon, it will require careful handling to keep the Church clear of disaster; it will test the patience and resource alike of the native and the foreigner.

The "New Learning" movement has taken great hold in Hunan. Changsha has now for some years possessed many large and flourishing schools—elementary, secondary, high school, and technical—both governmental and private; and the same holds good for other towns. In the capital and elsewhere the services of Japanese teachers, some female, are largely availed of. At Changsha a Buddhist school has been opened by Japanese. Military reorganisation has