Omaha daily bee., 1906-12-30
Widensall in st. Petersburg

Continued from Page one.)
lectures to the membership on the same,
that would in time take the place of the
present manner OF work and be rightly
classed with true association work in all
other lands.
met in this building Baron Paul
Nicolay, a graduate of st. Petersburg uni
versity, who is intensely interested in as
ISOLATION Christian work for the students in
this university. had a personal interview
, with him alone in the Light House building
and afterwards by appointment, and with
other university students in my room at
the hotel. 1t was most gratifying to meet
such representative of such a university
ardently DESTROYS to do a safe, yet vigorous
evangelical work in the name of Jesus
Christ among the university students
In company with Mr.. Gaylord l met with
some of the representative men connected
with his work In St. Petersburg among the
rest was a noted instructor, General Peter
Sideroff at the head of one of the first
government schools in st. Petersburg. He
is a very good man. so Mr., Gaylord tells
me, intensely interested in his work of
education and very helpful to Mr. Gaylord
in his work for young men. He received
us very cordially and gave to us much of
his valuable time. He read many of my
letters from other countries and expressed
his hearty appreciation of them.
met with the secretaries of the Evangel
ical association and through an interpreter,
young banker spoke to them of the as
-socis ton work, its far-stretching influence
and especially Of the Importance of the
secretary's work in all association effort.
They seemed highly pleased with all 1 had
nh. fs. Co
rotary, Mr.. Waldemar Kranel, is a very
spiritual man. Having means of his own
he gives his time and services almost
gratuitously to the association work
On Wednesday, September 10, the last
evening spent in st. Petersburg, attended
a meeting of the representatives of the st.
Petersburg Young Mems Christian associ-
alton appointed to meet me, fine body of
Christian men, Among them was Pastor
Herru Findeisen, member for Russia Of
the Worlds committee Young Mems Chris
tian association and chairman of the Rus
sian National Association committee, as
we'll as president of the local association.
He is a most efficient and devoted Christian
man. The meeting gave me most
attentive hearing to all l had to say and
asked a number of important questions.
This association is purely evangelical, made
up mostly Of Germans, Lutherans and re-
formed at a ratio OF one reformer to eight
Lutherans, but all under the greater de-
signation evangelical.
This evangelical association is on the
right basis and can be made to do a safe
and great work in St. Petersburg and
Russia. II is constituted OF representa-
tives OF the only real reliable body Of
evangelical Christians in that city that is
large and permanent enough TO inaugurate
and maintain a true association work.
But like all others II needs outside en-
enlargement and help at first from the
where the association work IS
strong But while 1t should receive en-
enlargement and assistance from all coun-
tries where the association is well devel-
oped, It should especially receive the more
Immediate help of the German associations,
or at least through German representatives,
who would understand the present working
more than any others and as
a matter of course could more intelligently
and wisely direct them in the purpose and
methods of true association effort. Be
sides, the Russian young men are for va
rlous reasons not as capable at present
as the German young men to maintain
true Young Mems Christian association
work in st. Petersburg.
I was intensely interested in all the asso-
citation work saw in st, Petersburg,
Russia, and would have been glad TO have
spent a much longer time in that city TO
help inaugurate a far-reaching association
work for its young men and eventually
for the young men of the entire Russian
empire.
The field for Young Mems Christian asso-
citation work in Russia is large and in
viting The apparent difficulties must not
be allowed to prevent the Inauguration of
the best and truest work. True associa.
ton work will win in Russia as in other
lands. II rightly started and rightly main
tanned, while every other work, however
promising at first will eventually fail be-
cause 1t cannot and will not have the help
OF Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.
ROBERT WEIDENSALI4
Paris, France, Dec. 10, 1906