We recognise that different missions would make the returns on different bases.

We earnestly desire a common definition, which all might accept.

But under existing circumstances it seems impossible to find one.

Nevertheless, without some statement of the number of voluntary workers, we are, as we shall see, in grave danger of misjudging the situation and wronging our missionaries and the native Christians.

For the time then we suggest that it would be far better to accept the returns given to us by the missionaries on their own basis, asking them to append a note to the return explaining how they calculated their voluntary force.