Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-12-28
LEADERS ENCOURAGED
CHRISTMAS MAIL BRINGS CON.
TRIBUmoNs TO z. M. c. A. FUND.
New York Interested in the Local
Association-Effort to Complete
the Subscriptions.

ceived many letters in the Christmas mail
which not only encouraged the local branch
In its effort to raise the 100000 for the
new building, but showed the intense in
terest of the associations all over the coun-
try in the project now on foot in the ma
tional capital.
Half a dozen encouraging letters were
received from New York alone. Although
the sum of So, 900, 900 is invested in Y. NJ c.
A. properties for the dozen associations on
Manhattan Island and 81, 00O, 900 more for
the half dozen Brooklyn branches, the as
sociation of national standing is expected
to be in Washington, even by the workers
of Greater New York. Richard c. Morse
of New York, general secretary of the in
ternatonal committee of Young Mems
Christian Associations, writes as follows:
THE international committee want to
send to your president. yourself and all
your associates in the really national as
ISOLATION building undertaking which you
are prosecuting diligently, and we
hope and pray so successfully, the heart
felt sympathy of your fellow-workers
for young men throughout the continent
We all feel that such undertaking has
national. and continental dimensions and
influence. You are laboring for the sue
cess of our work not simply in your own
CITY. but wherever that city has influence
among the capitals of all nations"
Peculiar Position of Washington.
The strategic character of the Washing
ton, association is called to attention by
General Secretary c.. c. Kitchener Of the
Industrial department of the internationa
committee who thinks those interested in
this city should not shirk their response
blites. Writing from New York, he says:
washington stands in a peculiar posi-
ton in its relation to this movement on
the continent 1t has been generally I'M
derstood that the national capital has not
had an equipment commensurate with the
field, nor does it compare favorably with
the other large cities of the country.
Business men and public men generally
have felt that this movement would give
to Washington a building of sufficient
size and equipment to do the work need
ed. This is the more generally known be-
cause so many young men from all the
states live in Washington and thus scat
ter the facts very widely. 1 know of no
public enterprise which could come to the
city which is as widely known among
business men as your present movement.
For the sake of the young men in the
city, for the sake Of the movement at
large, for the sake of what this building
will mean to the representatives of other
lands, l am anxious that the closing days
of this year may see that entire amount
of money provided
General Secretary Booths Letter.
General Secretary Edmund w. Booth
writes as follows from the New York Office,
which has charge of thirteen New York
branch associations and nine affiliated col
lege associations, with total of thirty Y
NJ. c. A. buildings in operation
I'm New York city we are about to open
our largest building, costing, with the land,
SSGOOS. The money for the structure is
all pledged, but we are now In the throes
of securing the last 1000 for the furnish
10 hot t,;c
ing VIII prove in a short time that 1t is
none too large to meet the demand AL
ready we have had 200 applications for the
IIo oornltory rooms. We expec+ member
snip of 5000 young men and boys
Our West Side building, finished In 1896
and costing 100000, is now overcrowded
IN every department, and we could use
In that section building twice as large
experience here Is in accord with our other
building experiences In the city-we have
not built large enough
There are now thirty places in Manhat-
tan where we have buildings OF rooms open
Tor young men and boys.
Such building as you propose to erect
Will be great social center not only for
the young men of your own city, but for the
young men that are constantly coming up
from an over the country to the capital
city. 1t win be a religious center toward
which spiritual influences from the churches
OF your city viii converge to uplift and in
splre young men to better lives and from
tltlS center there VIII fdQldte influences that
Will tell not only on the life OF the churches
IN Washington, but on the cause of Christ
throughout our land
Subscriptions Received.
The Christmas eve mail brought several
large subscriptions to Secretary Pierce, and
in spite of the fact that the Christmas pres
ent problem was so engrossing, some large
cash contributions were made in person.
Over $4,000 in subscriptions and cash were
thus received, there being 1880 in small
subscriptions of so and 500, and a large
subscription by a prominent Washington
business man of $500. The latter giver,
besides his making actual money contribu-
tons. put the association in the way OF
saving many thousands of dollars In the
cost of its equipment.
There IS still something over $4,000 to
raise on or before Friday morning in order
to complete the $780,, 600 total and earn the
$4,000 of conditional subscriptions made
by Messrs. Rockefeller, Peabody and Con-
verse. The local officers are confident OF
success, but realize that hard work is in
store for them during the next three days