148 SPECIALPROVIDENCEdissociateitselffromtheextortionatedemandsforcompensationthatthe
EuropeangovernmentsmadetothedefeatedChinese.Perhapsthemis-
sionaries'mostdramaticsuccessinpersuadingtheU.S.governmentto
maketheprotectionofmissionarypropertya chiefdiplomaticgoalcame
in 19 I7,whentheypersuadedWilsonnottodeclarewarontheOttoman
Empire,anallyofGermanyinWorldWarI.Todeclarewar,theytold
theWhiteHouse, wouldmeantheclosureoftheenormousmissionary-
ownededucationalsystemandpossiblytheconfiscationofproperty.It
wouldcertainlyhavelefttheChristianminoritiesofthatempirewithout
anyinternationalprotectionata timeofbloodycommunalviolence.
Wilsonagreed.TheUnitedStatesneverdeclaredwarontheOtto-
mans,andthemissionarieskepttheirschools.
Onthethirdandhighestlevelofactivity,missionariessoughttoper-
suadetheU.S.governmenttouseitsinfluencetopromotewhatwould
nowbecalleda humanrightsagendainthedevelopingworld.Insome
countries,eventheverymodestlysizednativeChristiancommunities
thatappearedinthenineteenthcenturyalarmedlocalauthoritiesand
traditional religiouscommunities. TheintroductionofWestern-style
printing presses andthe developmentofincreasedwrittenliterature
onsensitivepolitical,cultural,andeconomicsubjectsfurthertroubled
theofficialsofsomecountries.AttemptstosuppressthenewChristian
congregations-inKorea,intheOttomanEmpire,inChina-metwith
stiffdiplomaticresistancefromtheUnitedStates,anditwasunderthe
auspicesofthemissionarymovementthatAmericandiplomatsbeganto
make a regularpractice ofnegotiatingwithforeign governmentsto
reducehumanrightsviolations.
TheformationofWestern-stylecollegesanduniversities,withAmeri-
cannormsoffreeacademicdiscourse,wasalsoanissueofconcern,aswas
accessbywomenstudentstoeducationalopportunity.Ontheislandnow
knownasSriLanka,missionarieshadtoovercomelocalbeliefsthatitwas
"disgraceful"foryoungwomentolearntoreadortobeseeninschools.
Unwantedgirlchildrenadoptedbycompassionatemissionarieswerein
somecasestheonlyyoungwomenallowedtoparticipateineducational
programs.s
MissionariesalsosoughttoshapeAmericanpolicytowardindividual
countriestopromotetheirchancesforpeaceful,independentmoderniza-
tion. WilsonianssoughttocontrolAmericanpolicytowardcountries
likeChina,Siam,Hawaii,andtheOttomanEmpire,notmerelytopro-
tecttheirpropertybutalsotoimprovethechancesthattheseandother