Welsh Journals

A contrary view is provided by North Korean Marxist historians who, in their 33 volume official history (already referred to), describe the General Sherman incident in great detail. There it is emphasized that the event was to be understood as the first attack by 'Imperialist Capitalistic America' on Korea. It fails to acknowledge however that Thomas was British and not American! In their own way the North Koreans have mythologized Jermain Thomas for their own political purposes. Dr Goh discusses the relationship between Christian mission and imperialism in some detail and it is evident that at the time there was a strong tendency to identify the two; they went hand-in-hand in many parts of the world and much of the current research into missionary activity in the nineteenth century is aimed at attempting to disentangle the two, and this in turn has led to a revision of the contribution of missionary figures like Thomas. Goh comments: 'Thus it is fair to say the Christian Mission has been closely linked with Imperialism throughout church history .There is a confluence of two streams, Empire and Christianity. To the men of that generation and to the European man of the nineteenth century as a whole the two were opposite sides of the same coin'. There is ample evidence of both arrogance and paternalism in much of the religious missionary writing of the period and there is one letter which furnishes further light on this matter as far as Thomas is concerned. It has been preserved by one of the Welshman's descendants who lived at Builth.9 It is written by a Pauline Morache to Robert Thomas, the missionary's father, a year after his son's death. She had met Robert Jermain at Beijing and he had become friendly with her son. It is a lengthy and detailed letter praising the personality and character of the young man. But she also comments on the ambiguous nature of the transaction between him and the ships' companies: 'One word more. We were told at Shanghai, three weeks or so after the sailing of the General Sherman that she was a smuggler. I think this is true, because Mr Thomas didn't wish to tell what ship he was sailing by; he felt I would have been against, but I am sorry to say smuggling is so general in China that it is little thought of.' She continues: Even Christian people are influenced by the bad moral atmosphere they are breathing in. The well known China missionary, Gutzlaff (who may have influenced Thomas during his New College days) has been taking advantage in his time, of opium vessels. He sailed by and when the Captain and crew went on shore for their business, he did his, namely, distributing the Scriptures and preaching the Gospel. Had it pleased the Lord to spare your son's life and give him success in spreading the Gospel in Corea. twenty years hence no one would inquire how he went there, but his name would be glorified as Gutzlaff is now. He came indeed a fortnight after him and has been to Corea. The remarkable thing about the Korean church is that it has become since 1979, and in the aftermath of the vicious civil war, a strongly missionary church: it rates as the seventh in the international league of missionary churches, sending 3272 persons in 1994 to many different parts of the world including Wales! Goh argues that Thomas, notwithstanding many faults, has provided inspiration in a number of