New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-04-30
MEN BEHIND THE SCENES.
1T TOOK LOTS OF HEADWORK AND
ENERGY TO MAKE THINGS MOVE
SMOOTHLY.

SMOOTHLY.
Below the apparently hopeless chaos attending
the Ecumenical Conference, the rush to and fro OF
its hundreds of delegates, the surge Of thousands
each morning and evening to gain entrance to It's
meetings there is at bottom almost perfect
order Few there are. however. who saw the inner
workings of the Conference who know how dele
gates fed and lodged. and how audiences gained
opportunity hear.
The body of men who first brought the CONFER
ence into material being and who had general su-
pervision OF its workings the General Commit
tee OF this. the Rev. DR.. Judson Smith, OF Boston.
was chairman. and w. Henry Grant was acting
secretary. Both DIR. Smith and Mr.. Grant years
previous to the inception of the undertaking made
Journeys through foreign missionary fields. learning
how when and where such conference might be
held. Mr. Grant spent years in this prepara-
tory work. leaving the United States in 1882 This
was the year after the great London Convention
The General Committee consisted OF from two TO
four representatives of the great missionary So
cieties of this country and Canada, numbering in
all about forty organizations. Through these differ
ent representatives the number of delegates of each
denomination from various parts of the world were
chosen
The burden of carrying out the plans of the Cen
eral Committee. however rested upon twenty men,
who constituted the Executive Committee 1t was
these men who have governed the whole great
work. They appointed all subcommittee They
were in fact the oligarchs of the Conference. or,
The Rev Dr. Henry E. Cobb was chairman and W.
Henry Grant acting secretary. 1t included the
Rev. DR.. F. F. Ellinswood. the Rev. s. L. Bald
win. who incapacitated by Illness from his
duties secretary the Rev. DR.. A. B. Leonard.
the Rev. DR.. Arthur ]. Brown. DIR. Lucen c.
Warner John ". Wood. Darwin r. James the
Rev. DIR. Henry c. Mabie, the Rev. DIR. j. F.
Goucher, the Rev. DR.. Judson Smith, the Rev. DR..
A. c. Dixon and the chairmen of all sub-commit-
tees
To the subcommittee referred all the de-
tails of mana cement Chief among them were the
Finance Committee. the programme Committee,
the Hall Committee. the Press Committee and the
Hospitality Committee.
The workings of these branch committees are
at once evident. Each has its separate function
assigned to them. the grouping of themes pertain
ing to a certain phase of missionary work.
that they may be discussed at meetings held
the day-all this work accomplished by
the Programme Committee. At it's head is the Rev
DIR. Judson Smith, and the other members OF the
committee number nine men prominent in the
ligOus circles of this country The problems met
by the Programme Committee. indeed formid-
able. 1t is not only theirs decide the immediate
work of the Conference, but to shape in great
measure its results in the future Their work also
demands nice tact to choose speakers from diff
ferent denominations without Partially. Only one
case is known where complaint made of
Partially. This came from the Lutherans.
Inc anndling Of the crowds who have desired to
OF John seely Ward jr. chairman; Francis Louis
ing of Carnegie Hall for mass meetings and of
neighboring, churches for overflow meetings was
SO arranged that few who have wanted 20 hear
nave failed to get the opportunity Through the
afa on OF this committee churches were OBJ
which 6l,! at times numbered seven or eight.
Of the Hall Committee, which has had charge Of
the the tickets and which has prevented undue crowd
Willis F. Lougee, chairman: W D. Murray Nor r.
nay Williams and w. Henry Grant. Mr. Iougee
of Dyyfy bt
J., MOODY IN caring for the great audiences of that
audited checkbook Mr. Lougee has been ab 1S
ascertain as how many seats in Carnegie Hall would
done by accounting for all other meetings which
Mr. Lougee has been thus enabled to know ap-
proXlmateiy how many tickets to issue TO outsiders
are given out at the close of the meeting just pre-
S Sanafed and range from one thousand 10 sixteen
Perhaps the greatest burden rests upon the Hos
tatnment of the foreign missionaries delegates
committee ascertain through the boards of the dif
lerent missionary societies of the world, how many
With this data in hand the commttee then e0
arranged arr. with hotels and boarding houses in the
thus provided for If he desired a great NUMBER
further the duty Of this committee to inform T tbs
GnriStiaE public as to the persons who would attend
guide books for the delesates arrange for lunch
comfort Of their guests A bureau of Information
ahG ,lntroductlon was also established in hos
dresses Of visiting delegates. Perhaps the most
attractive phase Of the work of this Committee 20
the women was the serving of tea each afternoon
in the ladies' parlor.
The arrangement by which the entertainment and
comfort of the eight hundred guests has been so
wonderfully provided for is the work in large
measure OF the Rev. DR.. Arthur j. Brown chair
man of this committee. He is assisted by more
than sixty men of this city. representing seven
different religious denomina tons Among tbose
who have helped to carry out the plans of this
committee may be mentioned Seth Low. the Rev
DR.. w. r. Huntington. John s. Kennedy Morris
h. Jesup and Miss Helen VI. Gould. SIX thousand
dollars has been raised all told for entertainment
and so many hostesses have made appIication ~,
the committee for delegates guests that forty
turned N'
The handling of the money Is In the hands Of
the Finance Committee. of which John n Wash
burn is chairman. and George Foster Pea bodv
treasurer. The other members of the COMMITTEES
include The names of forty prominent citizens
The amount Of money thought necessary for the
carrying out Of the plans OF the Conferences was
fixed $4,000 ~
Great credit IS due the Press Committee for
the efficiency Of its work he press room has
been crowded throughout the day with representa-
tives OF papers, local and foreign religious and
secular. An have been treated with courtesy and