2
1st. Sunday. Cloudy a.m.
3
Seoul home. 9:30 a.m. attended the opening ceremony of the Korean Exhibition. The program lasted two hours with long congratulatory addresses. The representative of Manchurian Government―a minister―made himself an ass by giving a tedious address in Chinese which had to be translated into Japanese.
4
While I admire the energy of the Editor-in-Chief of Keijo Nippo who has staged such a big show under the difficult conditions of the times, I can't help questioning the wisdom of such an enterprise at the cost ￥700,000.00. The poverty stricken pockets of the country folks throughout the whole Peninsula will be bled white in "voluntary sightseeing trips to Seoul."
6
2nd. Monday. Rain―steady and gentle.
7
Seoul home. Steady rain all day long.
8
This being the 51st birthday of wife children from Song Do and Seoul came together and had a quiet and grateful family reunion.
9
From yesterday a new program of daily life has been promulgated. Everybody is to rise at 6 a.m. Bowing toward the East at 7 or 7:20. Silent prayer for the brave dead at 12 p.m.
11
3rd. Tuesday. Rain. Rain. Rain.
12
Seoul home. Rain steady all last night and all today.
13
Left Seoul per 8:05 a.m. train for Song Do. From Soo Saik Station on to Bong-Dong both sides of the R.R. bank literally turned into yellow sea with here and there little green patches of little hills like so many islets. Think of the hundreds of (thousands millions tsuboes of) rice field submerged under the flood! Dreadful drought last year! Equally dreadful flood this year! Dreadful wars in Europe and in China!
14
Found Allen at his home―He is slowly but surely gaining strength. Thank God.
15
Returned per 7 p.m. train.
17
4th. Wednesday. Rain until 11 a.m.
18
Seoul home. The rain for the last three days and nights has done a great havoc with the farm-lands especially in Central Korea. The Exhibition ground had water 5 to 6 ft. deep causing great damage to merchants who had set-up temporary shops on the ground.
20
5th. Thursday. Cloudy. Pale sun.
21
Seoul home. 9 a.m. a solemn service was held under the auspices of the Governor General at Chosen Shrine Precinct to pray and declare to the Kamisama the determination of the people to live the new program of life.
22
5 p.m. at the home of late cousin No.4(致昞) to commemorate his first day after his death, we his near relatives had family reunion.
24
6th. Friday. Beautiful.
25
Seoul home. The first clean lovely day after a week or more unpleasant weather.
27
7th. Saturday. Beautiful.
30
8th. Sunday. Beautiful.
33
9th. Monday. Beautiful.
36
10th. Tuesday. Beautiful.
39
11th. Wednesday. Beautiful. Windy.
42
12th. Thursday. Beautiful.
45
13th. Friday. Beautiful.
48
14th. Saturday. Alternate cloud and sun.
54
16th. Monday. Beautiful.
55
Seoul home. Went to Ewha College by 10:20 a.m. train to attend a meeting of the Executive Committee. Lunch at the Ladies' Home. Good coffee. Returned to the city by 4:11 p.m. train.
56
Ewha College and other Mission subsidized schools are greatly disturbed by the news that the churches in Japan Proper have lately decided(being compelled by the Police and Army authorities) to decline the subsidies from America or Europe. In Japan Proper alone more than 200 schools are affected by this decision. If that goes into effect in Korea, Ewha will be hit by the shortage of ￥40,000.00 a year, I don't see any need of such extreme act of nationalism. Especially in Korea more than ￥500,000.00 a year will be cut off from the church income of various denominations. That will close up a multitude of charitable and educational activities.
58
17th. Tuesday. Cloudy. Too cool.
61
18th. Wednesday. Lovely.
62
Seoul home. This being the 32nd birthday of our 文姬, wife I went to her home for lunch.
64
19th. Thursday. Lovely.
65
Seoul home. Wife having gone to 永度寺 temple with 李恩卿, 任永信 at 11 a.m. I went there 2:30 p.m. to escort her home at 5. 李恩卿 had invited a number of her friends to the temple to welcome Miss Im Yung Shin.
67
20th. Friday. Cloudy a.m.
70
21st. Saturday. Beautiful.
73
22nd. Sunday. Beautiful.
79
24th. Tuesday. Beautiful.
80
Seoul home. 5 p.m. Dr. Ryang, Bishop Jung and four other members of the Methodist Church Affiliation Committee invited Dr. or Bishop Abe(阿部義邦) of the Japanese M.E. Church to a supper at Chosun Hotel. Rev. Sainejima of the Seoul Methodist Church also present. Bishop Abe is a wiry man who seems to think clearly and express his thoughts forcibly. After supper we had a little informal conference. To make long story short, Bishop Abe gave us the following points. I. The time has come when the Christian denominations, 42 in all, in Japan Proper must write, willy nilly, to form One Christian Church with One Central Organization presided by One Superintendent. Ⅱ. All subsidies from abroad must be declined willy nilly. Ⅲ. No foreigner is to hold a ruling position as presidents of schools or chairmen of boards of any kind in the church. Neither the Government nor the church has asked or will ask the missionaries to leave Japan. But if a missionary conscientiously feels that he has no more work to do in Japan or that he is causing embarrassment to the National Church, he is free to go. Those who are willing to stay will be given full co-operation and protection.
82
25th. Wednesday. Beautiful.
83
Seoul home. 4:30 p.m. the Korean Federation of Churches gave a reception to Bishop Abe.
85
26th. Thursday. Beautiful.
86
Seoul home. 9:30-11 a.m. private conference at the Japan Methodist Church between Bishop Abe and the members of Korean Committee of Affiliation(梁柱三, 鄭春洙. 申興雨, 柳瀅基, 金永燮 and myself) . Bishop Abe said in Japan Proper the missionaries have consented to contribute their church properties to the church zaidan. He suggested we do the same in Korea as soon as possible. Before we dispersed we drew up a formal resolution to unite the Korean Methodist Church with the Japanese Methodist Church as a first step toward joining the Great Christian Church of Japan in which all denominational names of the separate churches―like Methodist, Baptist, Anglican, Presbyterian etc. will be done away.
87
7 p.m. Bishop Abe gave a public lecture at the Citizens' Hall to a fairly good audience. I was too sleepy to follow all his points but on the whole the principal aim of the speech was to ask the Christians to render patriotic and loyal services to the Imperial Ruler.
89
27th. Friday. Beautiful.
90
Seoul home. 12 p.m. Bishop Abe gave a luncheon to a score of friends at the Chosun Hotel. Quite a number of Methodist missionaries present.
92
28th. Saturday. Beautiful.
93
Seoul home. This morning's paper published the terms of the Triple Alliance Concord which the Tokyo Government had concluded yesterday. It has 6 articles. No. I. Japan is to recognize and respect the position of leadership which Germany and Italy holds in Europe for the establishment of a New Order. No. Ⅱ. Germany and Italy are to recognize and respect the position of leadership which Japan holds for the establishment of a New Order in the greater Orient. No. Ⅲ. In case a country not now involved in the Japan-China disputes or the present European War attacks any member of the Axis Alliance, the three Allied Powers shall render mutual assistance in diplomatic, economic, and military matters. No. Ⅵ. This treaty shall remain effective for 10 years from the date on which it is signed by the three contracting powers.
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