Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1903-01-09
TO CAPTURE HAVANA,
Sign icant N love ment ofH1he
Young Men Christian
Association.

Cubs Is but q small speck compared
with The world s area. yet the eyes Of the
American people have been upon It con-
stantly during the lastssfeW years. It's
soil is the most fertile Of the globe. The
relationship of the American people to
those of the new republic Is probably
growing closer with the passing Of time
Havana the chief city, called ..the key
Of the new world, has population OF
about 10000; commercially, it Is very i'm
! porta lis foreign trade amounts to
about lftv millions yearly.
One Of America S leading citizens lately
said that the chief assets Of CITY were
! not its commercial: enterprises, Industrial
plants. banking institutions, but its young
NJ en- VIVA is: true of an American city,
Is llReWlse. true rof Havana. It is a ter
zr.!c gauntlet Of temptation which the
young men Of that city have to run. It
IS, therefore. not surprising that Bishop
Gambler, OF the Southern Methodist
church, wrote a strong letter to the IN
terna tional Committee OF the Young Men s
Christian Association. urging that they
SEND Immediately a secretary to organize
d I mt work for the Young m en-. Though
THIS appeal was made more than two
years ago, and has been supplemented by
others, it Is only recently that ANYTHING
definite has been done towards answering
the appeal An efficient man has been
called, and it is hoped that he will short
~ reach Havana. to inaugurates the
movement for the young men Of that
city. -.
Inc Young Mems Christian Associat
nave assumed the supporter this secre-
tary, and the State Committee through
It's executive officers. is aiding the special
committees Of the local associations in
securing gifts. which are in most cases
made in monthly payments. It is ex-
pected that all the city and railroad as
soclations, and those in the interdenomi-.
national and State colleges will share in
providing the support needed.
Since the beginning Of the foreign work
department OF the association, in 1889.
when the first secretaries were sent 10
Japan ndtzIndia, to the present-with
thirty six secretaries in ten foreign coun-.
trles-the development has been rera rk-a
able. Mr.; L.. D. # Wishard, the pioneer
worker among Students and Mr. ohm r.
Mott, who is considered one Of the lea d..
,ers IN Christian work in America. gene
raj secretary Of the Worlds Student Fed
Grafton each made world-tour Of inyes
tigation. and for. purposes of strengthen
lns and extending the movement among
The young men of other countries.
Through their efforts and the efforts Of
tie secretaries In the field, there are now
three hundred associations in foreign mis-
sion lands with over 1l.otO members, oc-
&cupying fifteen buildings, valued at over
$s00, COO 4
The foreign work department of the
association has not only the approval
OF the missionaries at the front, but Of
foreign mission boards. and no secre-
tary has been sent out except at the
requestgof missionaries approved BY mis-
sion boards.
We believe the work soon to be inau-
gurated in Havana-with its open door
as a resort Of wholesome influences, with
its gymnasium for physical development,
with it's educational classes, reading-roorn
and lectures, for mental training, to-
gether with Bible classes and gospel
meetings for spiritual improvement-will:
be beneficial to the multitudes Of young
men of that city