The Washington herald., 1907-11-24
Report of Committee.

Following Mr.. Macdonald came II. o.
Williams. a member Of the international
committee. who announced that as 5000
was needed 70 defray the incidental ex-
penses Of the convention, a collection
was necessary. W. B. Mollar. army and
navy secretary OF the Y NJ. c. A, re-
ported the work done by his branch. Mr..
Mollar said that since the work among
the nations defenders started nine years
ago. it has grown greatly and has been
the subject Of favorable comment in the
reports OF the secretaries of these two
departments OF the United States govern
ment; Of comments in the messages Of
two Presidents CWilliam Mckinley and
Theodore ROosevelU, as well as of friend
ly comment from many other sources.
Mr.. Mollar said that fifteen years ago
It was hoped that 100000 might be
raised for Y NJ c. A work among sol
dlers and sailors. He said that now.
with little more than half that time
elapsed. nearly two million dollars-SI.-
S10.000-has been secured fo- these pur-
poses. He said that now almost $4,000
a year is spent in this work and that
000 men have visited the institutions
for these classes Of men in the last year.
Following this report, Bishop William
F. Mcdowell Ii. D.. of Chicago. spoke
on The truth Of God in the lives Of
men" Bishop Mcdowell said. that he
does not believe in the talk of an ascent
through nature to natures God. He said
that through Jesus Christ man should
ascend to God.
The Morning Session.
Tho morning session in D. A r. hall
began at 9:15 O'Clock with the customary
devotional service. Following these serv-
ices came the address OF the new pres!-
dent of the convention, Judge SeIden p.
Spencer, Of st. Louis, who spoke on The
Association-A Challenge TO Service"
Judge Spencer said in part: Il like the
subject which has been assigned to me
for this morning. 1t has a sound of con-
test, a note OF confidence, and a ring of
victory in it, The challenge is not
the petition of 2n untried organiza-
ton for succor, nor the wall Of a
failing movement 1t is the shout of
strength for more strength. The con-
tdent appeal 10 enlarge the work and
10 extend the power Of the organization
that appreciates fully the necessity for
its own existence, and that has abun-
dantly proved the wisdom of its method.
The challenge comes all the more strongly
because to-day service is the only human
need Of this organization. Once we had
TO contend with prejudice and ignorance;
once it was necessary for us to overcome
antagOnism to begin this work.
Now the position of the Y. NJ. c. A
Is invulnerable. 1t has the approval of
statesmen, OF business men. and Of the
young man who belongs 70 the movement.
Congress has specifically approved H.
individuals without number on whose
Judgment the world has been accustomed
to rely have sanctioned the movement, and
to-day the Y. NJ. c. A, l repeat. has no
other human need than that of service
WHO would have been rash enough
two decades ago TO have said that IN
this year of our Lord. 1907. 1000 repre-
sentative men would meet in convention.
coming from nearly 1000 associations
with a membership of $4,000, with 552
buildings, costing S140,000.000."
Judge Spencer said that among rail-
road men in North America, one cut of