Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-11-26
BEST KNOWN IN WORLD
FAME OF WASHINGTON 7. n. c. A.
CIRCLES THE EARTH.
Mr.. Fred B. Smith Tells Men Who
Sent Him of His Trip Around
the Globe.

known association in the world; 1t has been
the most talked of from one end of the
earth to the other sad Fred B. Smith to
over eco of the most prominent members OF
tho local association, in attendance at
banquet given in honor of Mr.. Smith in the
general assembly room at the new associa-
ton building last evening The banquet was
gwen to allow Mr.. Smith to tell the prom1-
nent members of the association which put
up the money of his years trip around the
world in the interests of the Y M. c. A. In
foreign lands. The speaker praised the To-
cal association and then pointed out its re-
sponsibilities in it's high position. President
S. w. Woodward presided. and the meeting
was opened and closed with selections by
the Daley quartet.
Mr. Smith said in part:
Il see about me here about ten men who
will remember the luncheon at the La Fetra
Hotel, in which the matter of this trip
was talked over and finally decided upon.
There the generous and wholeshearted men
of this association said that we ought to
respond to the call from the countries across
the deep for man of the Y M. c. a. And
1 well recall what led up to that call from
the foreign countries We had a remark
able five years in the North American Y.
M. c. A. especially in the religious depart
ment. with which l am connected. Students
in Bible study had increased fTom32. 000 to
71.O0o in one year, gifts to missions had
Increased from SZ5cUO
ance at religious meetings, which was ex-
tremely small in 1895, had increased to an
average of 10000 per Sunday, and CONVEX
sions had numbered 22, 4S2 in one year. This
work attracted the attention of the world,
and the foreigners wanted to learn some
thing o. the methods which had proved so
efficient.
In Europe.
while the work in England, where the
bad re ic q
par with ours, still there were peculiar con-
ditions to he met there. But did learn to
have most profound respect for the English
men, for there is one word which gets
into him to stay-duty. That sense of duty,
private, public, religious, has made that
country the great one it is. And l spent
five weeks in Scotland, where l found the
Scotchman stubborn as | had been told
he was.
Poor France, SO far away from God.
Poor France; forgive me Mohamme dism,
Buddhism or any of the others rather than
no religion at all, such exists in France.
There are men working in Paris who gave
us the brightest hope for the taking of
the country for Christ. l shall never for
get the charm of Switzerland. l remember
a meeting | attended there of about 200
young men, and when l arose to talk they
called Give us English When you ex-
pect to go around the world, don't try to
get scattering of French and German
old Anglo-Saxon and with that you can
get along anywhere. Then / enjoyed Italy
although Rome was disappointment. I
expected to hear there clang of the glada-
tor. to see a chariot turn the corner with
a Ben Hur in it; but instead, l saw street
cars, automobiles, skyscrapers, etc The
ruins are there, but you have to hunt for
them. When you go there, don't expect to
find the people like the usual run of those
that come to this country You will meet
instead the prince of men, men of great
purpose and ideals, like Savoarola
Australia Like Home.
when l got TO Australia I felt that /
was getting near home That country was
the surprise of the whole tip. for it is going
to dominate the Pacific ocean more than
we realize. It is only fifty years old and
started with criminals, but it now has
population greater than Canada and is a
more powerful country than Canada.
But India Don't forget India for she
needs to be recloned with a power in
the world For instance, look at the gov
eminent. When arrived at the boundary
of any province in that vast country the
fTSt man to greet me at the railroad station
or the boat landing was the lieutenant gov
ernor, and the first five of those heads of
vast domain and of vast populations and
the representatives of the English govern
ment were presidents of the Y. NJ. c. A.
branches in the cities in which they lived
Let no man ever, here or elsewhere, pass
any sentence of criticism on the mission
aries IN heather countries. For of all
heroes they are the greatest / was shocked
beyond all compare when l saw for the
first time the raw heathens, that raw jeer-
ing, dirty mob that followed US up from
the station at my landing at Columbo. The
task of the missionary is tremendous. First
the task is in loving such a people, with
their bodies greasy and dirty; secondly. the
task is In preserving the converts when
they are obtained, and, thirdly, the task is
in overcoming the loneliness, after sacrific-
ing home, happiness, ambition in this life
for those dirty, greasy people in India. Yet
with all this, they are the optismists of op-
timists. Quit whining at home and go to
work, is the message which 1 bring from
this visit. You, as members of this great
ASSOCIATION, ought to be proud and ought
to work for its upbuildng."