893.00/5951: Telegram
The Minister in China (Schurman) to the Secretary of State
[Received January 16—11:44 a.m.]
27. My 15, January 12, 4 p.m. paragraph 5.
1. Consul general, Shanghai, January 15th telegraphed as follows:
[“] After the meeting of the American church mission board, Dr. Hawks Pott confidentially stated that the anti-Christian move looks worse than he thought at first and he regards it to be political. He stated the situation in connection with anti-Christian propaganda is becoming more and more serious and is looked upon by clear-thinking good educators and leaders as a dangerous thing not only to the Christian institutions but to the nation at large.”
2. Dr. Pott, a graduate of Columbia who is president of Saint John’s University, is one of the wisest and best informed missionary educators in China and understands Chinese psychology. …
3. The Chinese Recorder, a monthly journal of the Christian movement in China, in editorial in January number received today says:
“The situation facing Christian educational work in China today is a critical one. For years past missionaries have been free to conduct such schools as they saw fit. Their right to do so is not [now?] being [Page 725] questioned by influenced [sic] groups of Chinese educators on the ground both of their foreign nationality and of the religious character of the education given. The resolutions passed by national federation of educational associations at its recent meeting in Kaifeng if approved by the board of education in Peking would force all Christian schools either to take religious courses out of their requirements or to close their doors. Either of these courses would be fraught with serious consequences for the growing Christian communities in China.
“We question whether the Government will press the issue at this time since Christian schools are recognized by many responsible people outside Christian circles as performing a useful function and since moreover the Government is able to provide educational opportunities for only a fraction of the children of school age. At the same time Christian educators will recognize that we are facing new conditions.”
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