1 - Christian and Missionary Alliance

T H E China of the twenties
demanded courage. The province 01'
Kwangsi was in a state of turmoil
politically. confused and disordered to
a degree challenging hclief.
Soldiers roved through the land.
purportedly to defend the populace
against robber\, hut as happened con-
stantly. 111 kidnap. kill and roh (hevery
people they werc there to protect.
Hands of armed rohhcrs. mmetimes
running into hundreds in a hand,
scourged the country. killing, burning
and looting without mercy.
If a soldier got tired ofthc army or
his pay was slow in corning he would as
likely ar not descrt and, taking his
uniform and guns with him, attach
himself to some handit chief and set
out upon a lifc of handitry without
hatting an cyc. It was not uncommon
to find at the head 01 a robber band a
man who had been previously a high
officer in the Chinese army.
In 1923 the city of Kweilin was taken
by the old robber chief Luh 1-ong-l'in.
a former marshal in the army. General
Shcn Hung-Ying, with a huge army.
then subjected it to tisiege which lasted
seventy-seven days and brought the
city to the point of htarvation.
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Within the hesicged city were a
numher of foreigners. among them
scveral Alliancc missionarics: Rev.
Waltcr Oldfield. Re\, and Mrs. C. E.
I.umpp end Rev. and Mrs. Joseph
Cunninghan?. Through the long and
terrihlc dayr of the siege they lookcd
after the ('hincsc girls stranded in the
Alliancc rchool and gave help and
encouragement lhcrc and there ;IS they
wcle able.
Hack at Wuchow. .l;iSfray and his
stall prayed lor the missionarics shut
up in the hclcaguercd city, and when
the days increased into wecks they
decidcd to do xmething concrete.
A littlc party was formed, consisting
of Ih. Harry (i. Miller and Kev. Edgar
H. C'arne, of the Alliancc. Rev. Rex
Kay. of the Southern Baptists. and
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