The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1906-04-18
me LEXINGTON DISPATCH.
Wednesday. April l8, 1906.
International Student conven.
ton.
TO the Editor of the Dispatch:


To the Editor of the Dispatch:
Inssmuch as three Lsxingtonians
had the privilege of representing
three of the leading State colleges at
the International Student Convention
recently held in Nashville, Tenn, l
thought that brief account OF that
significant gathering might be read
with some interest by readers OF the
Dispatch. The other two delegates
to whom I refer were Prof E. 4.
Hardin, of Woford and Sam. J. Wes-
singer, OF Clemson college.
The Nashville convention was the
ffth conference of the worlds stud
ent volunteer movement for missione,
and il was the first ever held in the
South. This convention convenes
once in every student generation
the meeting four years ago having
been held in Toranto, Canada. At
Toranto meeting some two thousand
delegates we're present and the
amount, pledged yearly for foreign
missions, was twenty thousand dol
lars
The recent meeting was the largest
missionary conference ever held.
Nearly FIVE thousand professors and
students, representing seven hundred
institutions Of the world; fraternal
delegates from almost every quarter
of the globe, and representations
from every mission field were pres
ent.
The sessions were held iu the
Ryman auditorium, which is the
largest building Of it's kind in the
South, although, seating about four
thousand, and it was inadequate for
the needs of the convention. Ali
during the four days hundreds were
turned away for lack of room. To
accommodate this over-plus services
were held each day in the First
Presbyterian and the Vine street
churches.
Ia the auditorium, at the back of
tho large stage, printed in letters
about four feet square hung the
motto of the convention. "The evan.
gelization of the world in this genera
tion." Beneath this banner, side by
side foated the flag of Great Britain
and the stars and stripes. On ropes
stretched from ceiling to ceiling hung
the flags Of many nations of the globe.
The delegations sat by states or
counties and all through the inn
mense crowd could be seen placards
denoting each delegation. Manitoba
sat to the right of South Carolina.
A grand feature Of the occasion
Was the singing led by DR.. Peck, of
New York. A "Convention Hymn
book" was given to every person, and
il was, indeed, an inspiring privilege
to hear those four Thousand voices
blended in song. The work of the
association quartette was especially
fine.
AS speakers we heard some of the
strongest men in Christendom. The
names of Robert E. Speer, secretary
of the Presbyterian Board of Foreign
Missions, and John R. Motto, are
enough to give some idea of the type
of the master intellects who addressed
the convention. Among about q
hundred others I may mention Sir
Henry Durland, British ambassador
to the United States; Hon. VIM.
Gunter, who had Germany's greet
ings; j. T. Manly, educational secre-
tary of the World Mission Society;
and Hon. B. f. McFsrlan, chairman
board of commissioners, District of
Columbia. Miss Helen Stone, the
American missionary wildly describ-
ed her experiences while held captive
by the Turkish brigans. She also
told of the domestic life of the Mosl-
ems and most forcefully emphasized
the need Of the Mohamedan world