Omaha daily bee., 1902-10-20
MOTIFS APPEAL BRINGS MONEY
Omaha Men Pledge ThemseIves TO
support - Missionary in the
AsIatlc Field.

As a material result Of the young mems
meeting az the First Methodist Episcopal
church Sunday afternoon S1,167.22 was con-
tributed in cash or pledges for the purpose
OF sending a missionary to represent Omaha
In the work Of the Young Mems Christian
association in the Aslatic field. The fea
ture Of the meeting was an address by
John r. Mott. international secretary OF
the Young Mems Christian association, who
was presented as coming from New York,
but who Is a native Of Iowa and who. in
the course OF his work in the interest of the
association has Travelled three times around
the world.
With Mr.. Mott on the platform sat Fred
L. Willis. general secretary OF the local
Young Mems Christian association, who
conducted the exerolses; Isaac Carpenter,
president Of the local association, and
George +. Gilmore, chairman Of the COM
mittee in charge of mission w9rk, and Rev.
DR.. IOst, pastor OF ST. Mary's Avenue Con-
gregational church. Although the audience
consisted entirely OF men, the church was
crowded beyond its seating capacity and It
is estimated that more thar 1900 were
present.
After the assemblage had united in sing
ing "All Hail the Power Of Jesus Name
In a mighty male chorus that was truly
Inspiring and prayer had been offered by
Rev. DR.. Yost, the Young Mems Christian
Association quartet sang "Rock of Ages
Mr.. Willis then introduced Mr.. Mott. who
spoke OF the great need OF missionary work
In all parts OF Asia among the young men.
OF the work that has been done by tho
Young Mems Christian association and Of
the general situation in that continent as
he had seen II. While the facts in them
selves as presented by the speaker were
startling and his manner Of presenting
tnem was earnest IL was devoid Of sensa-
tionalIsm.
that the greatest theater Of the Twentieth
century would be Asia, and in that CONT.
nent there we're three principal nations
which would shape it's character and it's
destiny. First of these, he mentioned India
as that which he had found most inter.
esting because most mysterious; Japan. he
said, had impressed him as the most brill
liant OF the nations OF that world, a coun-
try which had accomplished more in the
way or progress in one century than any
other had In three centuries. a country
which had been going to school to all OF
the others and learning from each OF them.
China he regarded as the strongest coun-
try OF that world-not because of it's num-
bersr although in that respect II certainly
did lead, but because OF the strength of its
people, who possessed those characteristics
which had ever marked the successful ma
lions OF the world. The Chinese, he said,
were patient, frugal. industrious and indie.
pendent, and the worlds history showed
those to be the qualities OF the great ma
lions.
The future Of these countries, he said,
would be determined by their young men,
and as the young men should go, so would
go the nations. There were in the Levant,
he said, 10000, 900 young men; In the East
indies. some 80, 900, 900 more; in Japan,
10. 200. 900, with 1900, 900 more in Formosa,
and In China and its dependencies, so, 000,-
900. He spoke Of the temptations Of the
young men OF those countries toward vice
Of all kinds, declaring that in comparison
the people OF the Christian countries did
not realize what temptation was.
He spoke of gambling in China as a
national vice and Of the great prevalence
OF intemperance In the use OF liquor, and
particularly of opium, in that country. It
had been estimated by some Of the more
conservative statisticlans that 10 per cent
OF the young men In China we're addicted
TO the opium habit. and some placed II as
high as 35 per cent.
OF Japan. he said that in no other country
Of the entire world was the vice OF social
impurity made so attractive, so economical
In practice or so prevalent. He had been
told that in the language OF that country
there we're 1000 words expressive OF the
lower vices and passions, and but a small
vocabulary to express the higher virtues.
The speaker said that the church mis-
slonaries in the Asiatic countries had ap>
pealed to the Young Mems Christian asso-
citation some years ago to send secretaries
to establish ranches of the association.
and IN the last fifteen years thirty-one of
these secretaries had been sent out and
800 Young Mems Christian associations had
been established. IL had been found best
to use native missionaries for a greater
part OF the work among the people, but
missionaries must be sent from the Chris
tian countries to organize the work and
conduct IL. The international association,
he said, wished to send out ten men this
coming year-one to Havana, one TO Ma
Mia, one more to Japan, an assistant TO the
secretary now at Shanghai, two others to
other parts OF China and others as might
be- found most expedient, He urged the
men Of Omaha TO undertake the expenses
OF one Of these men, which would amount
TO about $4,000 a year, and said that that
man would directly represent the city OF
omaha In the field. Cards for pledges were
circulated at the close Of his address, with
the result stated.