Aggression and unity : impacts of the First World War on German protestant missions in Hong Kong

Abstract

This thesis contributes to a growing pool of historical studies on the global impact of the First World War on populations outside Europe. It examines the discriminatory enemy mission policy towards German missionary societies within the British Empire during and after the War, with a special focus on its interpretation and implementation in the British colony of Hong Kong. During the War itself, growing concerns among British officials about German missionaries and the potential threats they posed to national security gave rise to the idea of removing all German missions from British Empire on a permanent basis. Realising the catastrophic consequence of this policy, Protestant missions and their supporters around the world joined forces to salvage German mission work in British territories. They gave financial aid and sent mission workers to sustain ‘orphaned’ German mission churches and facilities across the globe. In terms of political action, Christian mission leaders in Britain and North America lobbied their respective governments not to seize and dispose of the assets of German missions in Allied territories as enemy assets. They argued that, for the sake of the well-being of indigenous peoples, German mission assets should be preserved and continued to be used solely for missionary purposes. Their successful lobbying led to the inclusion of Article 438 in the Treaty of Versailles – an international covenant entrusting German mission assets to Allied missionaries as trustees. A review of Article 438 as interpreted and implemented in Hong Kong, however, shows that, without practical guidelines or any monitoring or appeal procedures, the implementation of any concept such as trusteeship was open to interpretation, and even manipulation, by the Hong Kong government and British missionary agents. The interests of those in the care of the German missions were subordinated to the pursuit of wealth and prosperity.