The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-11-27
SPEAKS TO NEGROES
PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT DELIVERS
 ADDRESS IN WASHINGTON.
Attends Ceremony of Laying Corner Stone of Proposed Young Mems Christian Association Build
 ing For Blacks.

Washington. Nov, 26-The presence of President Roosevelt at the laying of the corner stone at the home for the negro r. M. c. A., made the event a most notable one among the negroes of the District of Columbia.
 The weather was not suitable for an out of door ceremony. The attend ance was large and included not only a great gathering of negro residents, but many distinguished officials or the federation and local government.
 The President was the principal sneaker of the occasion, He appeared al the site of the proposed $1Oo,OOO building at 12th Street between S' ana T Streets, within a few minutes or the time set for the beginning of the cere- monies. p. m. He was given cneer after cheer. E. J. Morton, presluen' of the negro branch of the ', M .. A
 presided. .An
 twenty-five thousand dollars of the fund needed was given by John U. RockefelIer, the remainder of the cost of the structure being raised rom among the negroes in the district.
 President Roosevelt spoke as foi- lows: .,,,,.r pleasure to be present on tnis sofons oecasion oi s at the hn,iding tIy for the Coiored Young Msn,s Christian Association of Wash, inrton The Y. M. c. A. has Morksu among coioEed men nde Tor less os ra reasons, eer ssonie time after the work was be- gun. very little progress h was hiahv tbs indeed at first, coFiously yytsTonise enSnge the the twenty years the Y. M. C.. A. work among our colored felloWscitizens 1Ss ISs Very twenty years in which the colored race in America has. made most proS- ress The religious people, those sIShnu hos nn1v appreciate, as they failed to appre- cfata d quarter of a century ago. thas innocent sports and anusements snousq rast lesson to be taught to any men. of any race is that pleasure and vice are gynonymous terms. The bowling all leys. the. swimming, pools ana hnY gyydhinS ngYyyainss are adjuncts of a very important kind to the effort for the moral ana EeAg
 ious uplift with which the r. M: Y A; Asd moVemeqt MoTeoyer nTs the F.. M. c. A. reaches both the classes that are IeaSn atn
 ed by the churches and the classes that Snufsseth snp ss this is viii be is open every day and every evening. It brings In men of many different types. for It appeals to many different sides ot RuNah M q h1 has A memb ership in this country or nearly 10000, 5000 belonging to the student organizations. Of the $3O,OOO spent last year for the current expenses of the thirty-seyen city associations tn -fourths were paid by colored med. It is noteworthy that of the 10, GOO colored men attending the colored colleges of this country, half are aet,ve , members of the Y. NJ. C. A. This speaks well for the spirit of these col- leRes. and gives us hope and encour- agefnent for the character of the lead- CTS of the colored race in the future. Over 4 500 volumes were circulated last wear from the as yet limited number of colored Y. M. c. A. libraries.
 No city in the country presents better or wider field for useful r. M. CHA. work among the colored people fhan 20 900 coIored men, who have, un- foTt11nately, but few safe places to 1gb tcT ia 20 for innocent amusement. Hundreds of young colored men are every wear being lured away from the ba bif 6f Accent 1ivng because they are not sunpled with the chance to go where innocent and healthy amuse- rnents are provided in surroundings that encourage education and morality. I can not too heartily commend the action of those colored men who are Wbeu completed, it will be a tribute fo fine advancement of the colored race: and also a monument to the ad- vancement of the city of Washington. Tt will he a model for the entire seoun- fry: if will influence other cities; and if affords an excellent opportunity for both white and colored men to join in the work of uplifting class that soreiy needs aid. The colored man