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Hardest hit of all were the French Protestant missions. More than half of their missionaries were mobilized at the outbreak of the war, leaving many stations dependent solely on women workers. To the support of these missions in Madagascar, Basutoland, Barotseland, the Cameroons and Gabon, and certain Pacific islands, have come the U. S. members of the International Missionary Council. Hundreds of German missionaries in British territory were interned, though many have since been released on parole to continue their work.
In World War I only German missions were cut off completely from home bases. Other Protestants then raised more than $2,000,000 to keep the missions going, returned them to the German societies after the war. Today's problem is far larger. Beyond the need for immediate aid, U. S. churchmen face the prospect that an Axis victory would halt missionary work in colonies Germany may then dominate. Hitler believes in short shrift for missionaries. Said he in Mein Kampf: "Mission education in Africa is based on the absurd notion of making lawyers out of half apes."
The Foreign Missions Conference of North America represents 129 Protestant church boards in the U. S. and Canada. Last week into the newly created job of F. M. C. general secretary stepped the Rev. Emory Ross. For 28 years he has been a missionary in Africa, a balding genial mission executive in the U. S.
Dr. Ross has rubbed shoulders with many a leper. But lightning, not leprosy, set him off on his mission career. In 1901 a bolt struck a toy telephone he had strung in school, narrowly missed killing a Negro student named Jacob Kenoly. Student Ross never forgot. Later Kenoly founded a mission school in Liberia and was drowned while fishing for his scholars' supper. On the day that Emory Ross got a letter telling him of Kenoly's death and asking him to take his place, he was offered a good job in a bank. For once lightning struck twice in the same place. Emory Ross went to Liberia.