Dear Robert,

I do know something about your William Leonard being recalled from China. I was only a ten year old at the time but it was common knowledge among the missionaries in Chengtu. The problem was that William had a rather strong temper and hit or was alleged to have hit one of his workers. In the Chinese culture to strike some one was a very serious matter and this incident made it impossible to work with his Chinese labourers. He could have sworn at them as much as he liked and they would have expected it. But to hit some one in anger was a different thing. In their culture, to hit a man was proof that you had run out of swear words to use. I recall many street fights in which the combatants swore at each other, amusing the crowd that gathered around. I do not recall any where the matter came to physical blows.

When a missionary came home on furlough, the Methodist church always asked for a recommendation from those still in the mission field as to whether that person could be effective should he or she be invited back. I remember my parents facing this test when we came back from China in 1925. If the vote of the missionaries was against asking the missionary to return, the Methodist Church tried to keep the matter private and placed the missionary in a Canadian church. William Leonard had several successful pastorates in Canada, I believe. I certainly would not have ever heard of the matter had the Johns children not pressed the matter with our parents when the Leonard kids did not return to the Canadian School.

I hope my letter will help to put the whole matter in perspective. I know that my parents had a high regard for Leonard despite the fact that he sometimes lost his temper.