Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-05-27
WORK OF Y. M. c. A.
IN JAPANESE ARMY

The army work of the Young Men tnrlS-
tan Association during time of war has
come to be a distinctly notable feature or
the associations efforts. In the japanese
Amy in the far east the Y. NJ. c. A. has
become very popular and the reports re-
ccived by the Washington association OF
the establishment and maintenance of the
work with the oriental soldiers are con-
sidered as especially interesting.
After the fall of Port Arthur the japanese
Y. NJ c. A. lost 10 time in extending its
army work to Dial ny. The first boat to
that port took two secretaries. who were
soon followed by two additional secretaries
and complete outfit of the usual supplies
At the request of the authorities a branch
was also established at Fengwanchen.
The following extracts from letters writ
ten by Secretary c. V. Hubbard who went
from Antung to Fengwanchen to establish
the Y. NJ c. A. with the army at the latter
place, tell of the successful opening OF the
work:
Our work in Fengwanchen has opened
with unexpected success. There were
CROUCH men sprinkled through the ranks
who knew enough of the work at Antung to
advertise it and the result was that 1t
opened with boom We have had from
200 to $50 every day and yesterday l spoke
to $50. all the place would hold and a good
many standing outside
ION the second day captain came in
and looked around. couple of other COM
missioned officers were In playing games
and the captain stayed for two or three
hours. Then he came around and said that
he had been a student in the Doshsha for
several years. He was interested IN
Christian work and was greatly pleased
With our enterprise 4 heard of this thing
| last night he safd and came right over
here to about it. l am the only com
missioned officer in my company at pres
| en- and | can't talk with the men for this
RI q citing hOyvjnQ and screaming The o.
| suit is. l am pretty lonesome and want
| company. Some Of my men have been fire.
| quently low drinking places In the town
| and l have winked at 1t because there was
| no other place for them to go. but now that
| you have opened up this place l will come
down hard on them.
| LAS we had to have a fire anyway and
as we had on hand two japanese bathtubs.
we decided to supply hot water to any man
with a dirty shirt who disposed to
! profit thereby. Be it said to the everlast-
| ing credit of the sons of Dali Nippon that
| this department is second in patronage only
| to the barber shop
"The other day chap with some skill at
| the clipper was furnishing free haircuts to
all corners. On the crown he left a single
| wisp after the manner that japanese moth
| ers shave the heads of their youngsters.
| As he managed to pull a solemn face the
| joke had made some progress before it was
| discovered
| ~ here is no mail service here aside from
| the military post. We had. of course. no
| claim on that. but have been permitted to
use it under certain merely formal restric-
| tons. l do not think that a single letter
| of mine has beer censored But today the
cCnmandant told us to go ahead and use
the same envelopes that we issue to the
| soldiers and that there would be no trouble
about it. This is another point gained"
DIR. J. II. DeForest, who has been sent
through Manchuria to visit the army asso-
Citations and deliver addresses, before leay-
ing for the front made the following state
| ment of his impression OF the army de-
partment of the association:
1.-The most conspicuous piece of Christian
work in Japan at the time when the war
with Russia is absorbing the whole ma
tonal heart is the army department OF the
Young Mems Christian Association.
What renders il conspicuous is the hearty
Endorsement of the movement by the war
department, with the full sympathy of H.
Z. Count katsura, the premier. OF course,
the young men, the foreign and japanese
secretaries. in with the enthusiasm ana
sacrifice of young men, but IT remains to
be SAID that the beauty and strength OF
the movement lie in the rare tact that has
won the confidence of the army authorities
without any friction or suspicion, such as
too often mars the initiation of Christian
movements in on-Christian environments.
When distinguished statesmen and officers
returning from the front say with
pleasure of this work that the Christian
movement is the only one that is worth
while and has the of all nations. no
other has. ard when the premier and the
n il lister of give letters of introduction
to the generals on the field and cordial
words of parting to one who goes TO the
fl ont with the distinct object of doing
little under the direction of the central
&C mmittee of the Young Mems Christian
Associations, it means that a new and great
and blessed advance has been made in
Outstanding the spirit that lies behind all
sincere Christian work.
x *
The military governor of Tairen has made
the following statement to the association
secretaries:
I'VE acknowledge the great benefit Of
fered to soldiers through your work in
this station since February of this year
Your work has been conducted with care
and with thoroughness in every arrange
ment.'
When the association first began its work
for soldiers in the japanese army it was
decided to limit its activities to the men
in the great base camps, leaving the sol
diers in the hospitals to other societies.
However, after the committee received the
report of Mr.. r. S. Miller of the American
lega ton in Tokyo. who kindly devoted two
months OF his furlough to a trip of investi-
Sc ton of the field for this work, it was
clearly realized that the association could
rot shift the responsibility of attempting
to do something to relieve the Sufferings OF
the men on the fighting line and the wound
ed men in the hospitals. The military Of
ficers heartily indorsed the plan to enlarge
the scope of the associations work TO take
in these fields. In Fengwancken II room in
the hospitals was set aside for the of
the association Benches, tables, fire boxes
and other simple equipment were provided
and a man was detailed To look after the
place The association put in magazines,
games writing materials. a photograph,
barber outfit and some homely decorations.
Secretary Hibbsrd sends the following in
terestiag report of the way the men use
tFese Injuries:
81 he men crowded in at once, hopping
and limpng and crawling. Such crowd
you never saw. Here is a man shot through
the thigh. The surgeons cut away his
trousers above the wound. but the leg. still
being good needed trousers so the patient
wears the amputated portion of his trousers
stco king-f shion, with a string tied around
the knee. There is man shot through the
calf of the leg and his trousers ripped up
to the knee so that as he limps across the
court one leg has odd nautical look.
while the other is strictly 'rikugun.' Here
again is a familiar face all smiles in remi-
nfscence of frequent meetings at Antung.
He was shot through the hand and is al
xryaD A 1On0-h1trpI nd bp