October 1925
TH E
K I N G ’ S
B U S . I N E S S
427
Some First-hand Facts about Marshal Feng Yu-hsiang Rev. Marcus Oh’eng, Kingcliow Theological Seminary and Middle School, Kingchow, Hupeh. We are particularly glad to be able to give The King’s Business Family this authentic information about General Feng, hi view of the widespread rumors which have of late been circulated for the purpose of discrediting him. If the Lord intends Feng to become a Joshua or a Cromwell for China, it is rather fitting that Christians should pray foi him than doubt him. The photograph shown in this article was given to the editor by Mr. George T. B. Davis when he passed through Los Angeles en route from China recently.
INCE Marshal Feng made the Peking coup-d’etat October 23, 1924, many people and papers, both Christian and non-Christian, seem to think that they can say anything they wish about him. What a storm of criticism, misrepresentation, opinions and speculation the poor man has been and still is going through. It is a wonder that he still lives, it reminds one of the story of a proof reader, who in reading the proofs of a novel discovered that the printer had made the heroine, who was to die of an over dose of opium, die
“Well,” he responded, “I do not feel that I have done any thing great. I did only what I deemed it my duty to do, after prayer and consideration, and find my conscience in peace. I set out to do it and somehow it has gone through smoothly.” “Yes,” said I, “the ‘somehow’ may be explained by the thousands of friends all over the world, who held you up with prayer.” Then I told him how many people, both foreign and Chinese, h a d earn
of an overdose of opinion. Too many vague rumors a n d hearsay stories. The writer h a s just had the privi lege of spending five w e e k s in Marshal Feng’s army preaeh- i n g the G o s p e l . Therefore it g a v e him ample oppor tunity to learn some first-hand facts, and he w a s surprised many times to find how many things he had read and heard, which were not true. We should listen to the wise and fair ad vice of Nicodemus: “Doth our law judge any man before it hear him and know
estly prayed for him and his army. Es pecially I told him what I had read in the “Sunday School Times” of a Chris tian l a y m a n in America, who was led to spend almost a whole n i g h t in prayer for him on October 20; .1 9 2 4. And two days later he wrote to the edi tor of the a b o v e mentioned p a p e r saying; “Watch for the Lord’s hand in turning the tide of battle — some mir acle. I a in s u r e t h a t u n d e r God G e n e r a l Feng is going to lead China out of c h a o s , and
The little lady seated beside G eneral F eng is th e m o th er of G eorge T. B. D avis, of th e P o ck et T estam en t League. Since th is p ictu re w as tak en th e L ord h as called h er to be w ith H im self. N otice th e ten d er w ay in w hich G eneral Feng h as placed his h an d upon M rs. ■Davis’ arm . A t th e rig h t is D r. Jo n ath a n G oforth, and beside him M iss B erth a Beebe.
what he doeth?” In the train from Hankow to Peking I met intelligent men, some of them in government service, who claimed to know on good authority that Madame Feng had fled from her husband taking $ 6 , 000,000 with her and that a process was filed in court for a divorce. Coming to Peking I find almost every one took it as a matter of fact. I went to Kalgan to see Marshal Feng and he took me to his home, where I had dinner with him, his wife and children at the same table. There is. not the slightest fire for which this cloud of smoke. I have been in hundreds of Christian homes in Europe and America and I must say that 1 have never seen a home more happy than Feng’s. It is a great joy to see Feng at home as a happy husband and kind father. When I saw the happy home-life of this great soldier and statesman, I understood at once one of the chief reasons why he could stand stead fast through all the storms. He has a happy Christian home, for refuge and consolation. But before we went into the dining room we had a rather long talk. After formal greetings he reminded me that it was just one year since we bad seen each other. “During this one year you have been through great things,” I said.
that intervention of the powers will not be necessary. God has already intervened. Praise His name.” The Marshal was much impressed; he stood up to show me a picture hang ing on the wall. It was a picture of all his high officers in council concerning the coup-d’etat. “Did you pray when you held council?” “Certainly, all of us prayed and at every meeting.” While we were talking his mail came in and he opened some of the papers to read the telegrams. I noticed his face changed almost to anger. He showed me the paper, which reported that he had mobilized his troops at Paoting and Taming for emergency. He said this was all one hundred per cent a lie, which will cause much misunderstanding. I said it must be very interesting for him to read papers about himself. “When it concerns my own person, I generally do not care, but when it concerns pur country, for which our fathers shed blood, I cannot keep silen t;” so saying he called in his secretary at once and dictated a long telegram to the Japan ese minister in Peking with a strong protest and asked him why the Japanese papers should often create rumors and (Continued on page 452.)
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