Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1906-01-17
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Y. M. C. A. N EWS.
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Athletics Are Americanizing OrientaIs

The Y. NJ. C. A. rectnly introduced ino China and Korea has been foster iEg athletics wnich were previously unknown to OrinQtals. In Seoul, ko- req. the dumb bell and sett.ng-up drills have been taken kindly 10 by the high CT class young men. It has been the custom to wear their finger nails an inch long and to take pride in soft, white hand like d lady's, while to work and to perspire was hid6ous to them. The American Y. M. C. A. secretaries trained on the football field and cin- der path have brought in a gospel of masculine vigor which is changing the delicate Eastern members into strong and vigorous men. They are rcw as proud of blistered hands, bruis- shins and aching joints then day after an athletic meet as the American school boy after a football game.
 The Christian American athlete is eaining the same kind of leadership in the Orient as he has in America, and as a leader in Bible classes he is as popular and successful as in ath- letics.
 At Tientsin, the primitive old capi- tal of China, a crowd of 5000 was at tracted to the recent annual athlet c field meet of the association. 
 Japan is taking to American ath- letics Every college has it's base ball team, and last summer a Tokio university sent it's team, which was trained by a Y. M. c. A. secretary, fer a tour among American colleges. The Tokio association has six prominent Christian physicians on it's athletic promotion committee.
 The students of India have adopted football and other American and Eng lish games.
 This description of a recent field day held at Shanghai by the Y. M. c. A. was given by the editor of the South China Daily Journal This is new thing among Confucianists. American athletics will go along with the new education policy lately ap- l proved by the Chinese emperor.
 "The new life that is stirring China was strinkingly seen at athSsr sports meeting held by the Chinese Y. N. c. A. on Saturday last. When before in the long history of Cathay have we seen Taotais holding the tape at the finishing line, as their younger fellow nationals struggled for mastery on the ] 100-yard track or in the one-mtle. run?
 '"The day was full of prophecy. At the pole vault the secretary of Chi nese duke and the assistant mixed 1, court magistrate put aside the usual l reserve and were seen enthusiastical- lv standing on the tops of benches in ! order to hold the cross pole. In the hammer throw we observed the man. ager of the Imperial Chinese tele- graph doing yeoman's duty throwing the 16-pound weight back to the youths who were waiting their turn 4 leading bank compradore served 1 actively as voluntary marshal. and helped to keep the track clear for the 440-yards run, when the excite nent was highest.
 College students in uniform from different colleges were present. some Cf whom marched to the Y. N. C. A. grounds accompanied by bueles. The college yells indnlged in, after the American style. were scarcely known in old China
 Another striking feature was tho presence of Chinese ladies from prom inent families. Q special tent being re- served for them. Chinese ladies act cd as hostesses and also provided the refreshments.
 "Taotai Wong Koh-shan, chairman of the association. presented the prize winners at the conclusion of the sports to Mme Wu Tingfang, and as far as We are informed, for the first time in history, a Chinese lady brought a snorts meeting to a conclusion by , prescotat on of the medals.
 'Thc enthusiasm of the spectators was intense. and as one of our Eng fish contemporaries remarked, the presence of Admiral Sah's marine band played Yankee Doodle. and 1Eia- watha was certainly in keeping with the spirit of the day"
 
 Miss Minnie Rogers. who ras hesn