[Image]  [Hi-Res Image]

Page 236

Waldemeier proceeded with the erection of the buildings which now constitute the best-equipped home for the insane in the whole Turkish empire. The general committee of the hospital is in London; the trustees are English and American, while the executive committee is international.

The Society of Friends (American) carries on an extensive medical and educational work at Ramallah, Jaffa, and Ramleh, with 4 American and 22 Syrian workers.

8. Other Enterprises: These, mentioned in the order of their founding, are: (1) The Reformed Presbyterians (Covenanters) in North America oc cupied Latakia in 1859 and later extended their work to Suadieh, Tarsus, Mesine, and Cyprus. They have done much for the Nusairf, really a pagan penplc, which the government has attempted to make Mohammedan. Twenty American missionaries with 48 native helpers in the 4 main stations and 9 outstations have gathered more than 350 communicants and 800 pupils in 15 schools. (2) The TabeethaMission (1863) in Jaffa, aiming to give a Christian training to Christian, Jewish, and Moslem girls, was founded and is still carried on by Miss Walker Arnott. Four foreign and 10 Syrian helpers serve a home with 44 boarders, 2 dayschools with 160 girls, and oversee an industrial work employing 500 women and girls. (3) The Church of Scotland Jewish Mission (1864) in Beirut aims to create and direct a movement among the Jews by which they may deliver themselves from rabbinical traditions and seek after God, and to infuse Christian knowledge rather than to withdraw individuals: Eight British and 12 Syrian workers maintain excellent day schools for boys and girls and a boarding home for Jewish girls, with a total of about 400 pupils. (4) Miss Taylor's orphanage for Moslem and Druse Girls (1868) in Beirut is without question the moat unique work in Syria, if judged by the class of pupils and the influence exerted by Miss Taylor's impressive personality and those who have followed her. (5) The Palestine and Lebanon Nurses' Mission (1883) at Baaklin in the Lebanon for the evangelization of the Druses through the agency of a medical mission, with 5 English and 2 native workers, maintains a cottage hospital with 15 beds, a large clinic, and services and classes for Druse women and girls. (6) The Edinburgh Medical Missionary Society at Damascus (1884), after many years in hired premises, erected in 1908 its commodious Victoria Hospital, where Dr. Frank Mackinnon and another English doctor with 3 English and 2 native nurses receive and treat the sick poor of all creeds and nationalities. Their aim and object is " to preach the Gospel and to heal the sick." (7) The United Free Church of Scotland Mission has a fine hospital at Tiberias on the Sea of Galilee (1884) with 40 beds and a large outpatient department where Dr. Torrance has labored 26 years; another large hospital at Hebron, and one at Safed. In connection with the medical work are 4 schools with 330 pupils and religious services and communities. There are 12 British and 20 native workers. (8) The Dufferin and Procter Memorial Schools for boys and girls at Swheifat were founded in 1885 by Miss Louisa Procter, an Irish

lady who gave her money and 21 years of her life to the building up of two boarding-schools. - At her death the work was placed in the hands of her assistant, Rev. Tanius Saad, who, in cooperation with an ,English and Irish committee of reference and a board of visitors, is carrying on the work successfully. Two English and 6 Syrian workers care for 173 pupils in the, schools. (9) The Christian and Missionary Alliance of New York began in 1893 an undenominational work in Jerusalem among Jews, Moslems, and oriental Christians for a deepening of the religious life, and has organized a church with boarding-schools for boys and girls, sends visiting workers into the villages, and supports a dayschool for girls in Hebron. (10) The Presbyterian Church of England's Mission to the Jews entered Aleppo in 1895 and aims mainly at helping the Jews while admitting a limited number of Gentiles. Three British and 9 Syrian workers care for a community of 120 Protestants with about 300 pupils in its schools. '(11) The Danish Mission to the Orient in 1898 entered Syria, in 1905 took over the Kalamoon district (n.e. of Damascus,-toward Palmyra) from the Irish Presbyterian Mission, and has opened work in Yabrood, Nebk, Deir. Atiyeh, Hafr, and Karjasem. Eight Danish and 17 Syrian workers have opened 9 schools with 340 pupils; while plans for an extensive medical and church work are well under way. (12) The Swedish ,Jerusalem Society of Stockholm entered Jerusalem in 1903 and is building a hospital at Bethlehem, where Dr. Ribbing has been laboring since 1904. This society employs 4 Swedish; 2 German, 1 English, and 4 Syrian workers.

VII. Summary and Conclusion: The whole number of foreign Protestant societies now operating in Syria is 35, with not less than 500 foreign workers of whom about 150 are Americans and 200 are from Great Britain. The pupils in Protestant schools number more than 20,000. Medical missions are carried on in 28 cities and towns, with more than 40 foreign physicians and twice as many trained nurses. In addition to the Protestant educational institutions in Syria and Palestine, numerous schools have been opened by ether sects, foreign and native, and the Turkish government has begun to develop a system of its own, but has apparently begun at the top with military and civil institutions instead of at the bottom with elementary education. Beirut was in the days of the Roman empire a city of schools and is so still. Out of 97 schools of all grades 36 are Moslem (mainly elementary attached to the mosques), 43 are foreign, 14 belong to the native Christian sects and 2 to the Jews. Out of, the 13,256 scholars more than half are in foreign schools and more than two-thirds are in Christian schools. The highest grades of all schools are Christian.

The re-promulgation of the constitution in Turkey in 1908, the deposition of AbcT ul-Hamid in 1909, and the other stirring events of the years 1907-09 gave a great impetus to all missionary operations. The new government, despite 'the malignant influence and activity of the reactionaries, has shown itself friendly to all educational enterprises, and men prominent in the new regime have rendered