Changes

Bettelheim was finally taken away, to the great relief of the royal government, by Commodore Perry on his second visit to the islands, in 1854. Mrs. Bettelheim and their three children departed Okinawa on 1854/1/11 (Feb 8) aboard the USS ''Supply'' bound for Shanghai. After one last petition from the Ryûkyû government (issued 1854/5/15; July 10) to the commodore insisting that Bettelheim be taken away, the missionary finally departed the island a week later (1854/5/22; July 17) aboard the [[USS Powhatan|USS ''Powhatan'']], alongside Perry aboard the [[USS Mississippi|USS ''Mississippi'']]. Bettelheim took with him as much as he could from the Gokoku-ji "house," and was given back by the Ryûkyû authorities, supposedly, all the money he had "spent" during his time on the island<ref>International commerce outside of those avenues expressly permitted by the lords of [[Satsuma han]] was forbidden in Ryûkyû; when Perry's men tried to pay for food and other goods with American coin, it was always gathered up by Ryukyuan authorities, and most often returned.</ref>, along with mountains of missionizing pamphlets the authorities had seized over the years.

Bettelheim was finally taken away, to the great relief of the royal government, by Commodore Perry on his second visit to the islands, in 1854. Mrs. Bettelheim and their three children departed Okinawa on 1854/1/11 (Feb 8) aboard the USS ''Supply'' bound for Shanghai. After one last petition from the Ryûkyû government (issued 1854/5/15; July 10) to the commodore insisting that Bettelheim be taken away, the missionary finally departed the island a week later (1854/5/22; July 17) aboard the [[USS Powhatan|USS ''Powhatan'']], alongside Perry aboard the [[USS Mississippi|USS ''Mississippi'']]. Bettelheim took with him as much as he could from the Gokoku-ji "house," and was given back by the Ryûkyû authorities, supposedly, all the money he had "spent" during his time on the island<ref>International commerce outside of those avenues expressly permitted by the lords of [[Satsuma han]] was forbidden in Ryûkyû; when Perry's men tried to pay for food and other goods with American coin, it was always gathered up by Ryukyuan authorities, and most often returned.</ref>, along with mountains of missionizing pamphlets the authorities had seized over the years.

Writings by Bettelheim's missionary colleagues at other ports for the most part describe his approach and actions in Okinawa as hindering the cause more than helping it. Despite Bettelheim's horrible behavior, utter and complete lack of respect for Okinawan or Japanese culture and political authority, destruction of sacred objects, etc., a monument was constructed in his memory at the Gokoku-ji in 1926.

Writings by Bettelheim's missionary colleagues at other ports for the most part describe his approach and actions in Okinawa as hindering the cause more than helping it. Despite Bettelheim's horrible behavior, utter and complete lack of respect for Okinawan or Japanese culture and political authority, destruction of sacred objects, etc., a monument was constructed in his memory at the Gokoku-ji in 1926.