Letters from American missionaries in China, April 1927

Page 1

Dear Edith, L i n t s i n g , S h a n t u n g , China, A p r i l 2,1927. ( $ 9 . 0 0) i s r n t you a package of b i b s , two dozen, t h e o t h e r day and y e s t e r d a y sent a package of l i n en», v a l u ed at :!>17.00. I hope they a r P what you can s e l l , a n d w i l l you p l e a s e s e l l them at t h e p r i c e you t h i n k r i g h t, f o r i havr not made oii't any i n v o i c e . 1 t h o t i t a good plan to get a ll t h e made-up i n d u s t r i a l work out of t h f country at t h i s tija>,for t h e r e is a chance t h a t i t won't be s a f e h e r e . 1 hav r now sent off a l l t h e f i n e work and hope i t gets t h r u , and i f tdiis i s more than you can manage, Perhaps l can t e l l you wlie'*e to send some l a t e r . There i s no h u r r y about s e l l i ng i t so p l e a s e d o n ' t worr^ about i t . i t i s good of you to help out so much. »'el>l,we had a telegram a week ago from t he consul at Tsinan saying that women and c h i l d r e n should get out to T i e n t s in a t one e, so the t h r e e married women and Araic e M u r p h y ' l e f t Wednesday morning on t h e bus for i>chou,and a r r i v e d s a f e l y . Alic e had no work in' c h a r g e and t h o t she mignt b r of some s e r v i c e in T i e n t s i n if people had to a l l get o u t . We had other l e t t e r s and telegrams befor^ffhey l e f t , and i t was j u st at the tinif of the banking trouble*which was r e p o r t e d so much more s e r i o us a t f i r s t . Now t h e r e seeffls to hav e been only one or two f o r e i g n e r s k i l l ed but the women were m a l t r e a t e d b e f o r r they could get out, and t h e houses burned. Valley and Lo©y,-she sends her love to you and got your c a r d - , a nd myself a r e herf with t h e t h r e e men. We expect to get word i f we should l e a v e and a r e packing up our t i l i n g s to b r ready isf nee e s s a r y , b s i t a re hoping i t won- be. dot a t e l e g r am from ^rim<s and Cross: and a r e w a i t i ng f o r t!ie l e t t f r they a r e sending to see i f they have n ew r e a s o n s for going. I t r e a l l y seems as if most of t h e f e e l i n g i s a n t i - f o r e i g n and i f We would a l l get out of the way probably t h e r e would be l e s s harm done a l l around. Probably t h e r e wouldn't bf anything done to the Chinese i f we were out in c a s e t h e d e f e a t e d s o l d i e r s came along t h i s way, o r t h e usual b a n d i t s got s t a r t e d in t h e general d i s o r d e r , or t h e l o c a l people took a hand in making t i l i n g s l i v e l y , as tfi ey havf some p l a c e s , i f t h e schools were c l o s e d and t he f o r e i g n e r s gone, t h e y might loot t h e compound in p ^ a e and Perhaps l a vP t h e people a l o n e . Of c o u r s e t h a t i s not a very pi eas ant; p r o s p e c t for it would mean such a l o s s t h a t would be perhaps i m p o s s i b l e to r e p l a c e , b ut t h i n g s s pfii t e bf at such a s t a g e t h a t nothing can be dbn e t o p r e s e n t such happenings. Pefrhfjps if a l l the f o r e i g n e r s get out, t h e Chinese can r e o r g a n i ze t h e work and ask back t h o s e they wish t o have hacjj and s t a r t out on a n ew b a s i s . Have 1 t o l d you t h a t ± d o n ' u plan to come back a f t e r furlough? I have had t h a t in mind for several y e a r s , f o r in t h i s p r e s e n t s t a g e of work a foreigner* *hooni»4 not have charge of a primary s c h o o l . Since I am due t o go home in a year i t may be t h a t I w i l l be s t a r t i n g for home i f I have to l e a v e h e r e , f o r o t h e r s if ho hav e come out have done t h a t | o l e s s e n t he p r e s s u r e of refugees here. Did you hear that Maud McGwij|an went to t he exp ec are in good shape our station will b you will be thinking about the work h Lots of love to you*and to Docto t h i n g s I know P h i l i p p i n e s from Fobxhow a t t h e time of t h e t r o u b l e thfFel Shf d o e s n 't expect to come back, t r u e s t has r e s i g n ed from the mission, so ev en i f tl e a d i f f e r e n t place, next y e a r . l i e r e , b u t hope you Jon*1' worry about us a l l. t