Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-01-02
Y.M.C.A. HOPES
TO SECURE DONATION
Gift by Chicago Man Would
Greatly Benefit Washington
Organization.

CoIored men of the city who have been
| laborng to establish a well housed, mod
ernly equipped branch building of the
Young Mems Christian Association in
Washington have been very busy today.
Telegraphic Gdvices from Chicago an
nouncing the offer of Julius Rosenwald,
merchant in that city, to give $4,000
to any city in the United States that will
spend SI5,tsD for Il NJ. e. ~ building
for negroes have revived enthusiasm
among the local workers. for they think
they will be entitled to the award, if any
city is so entitled.
William knowles Cooper general sec
rotary of the city y. NJ c. A, and Lewis
f.. Johnson. secretary of the colOred
mems branca, were in conference with
other Washington officials of the Y. NJ
c. y. this morning and result the
wires to Chicago have carried a message
to l.. Wilbur Messer, general secretary
of the Chicago Y. NJ. C. A, who is Mr.
ROsenwalds representative in charge Of
awarding the $4,000 to the city qualify
ing. The telegram set forth the claims
of Washington to share in the Chicago
merchants benefaction.
Secretary Cooper Hopeful.
Up to this afternoon no reply had been
received by Washington officials of the
Y. NJ G. A, but General Secretary
Cooper said to a Star reporter he was
sanguinc as to the outcome of the mat
ter. so far as Washington is concerned.
''Colored men of this city constitute
third of the male population" he said.
They have labored heroicaly and with
success that has astonished their best
friends among the white Y. NJ. c.. A.
workers of this city and the nation. The
Rockefeller gift of $4,000 made three
years ago started the campaign which
has resulted, with its supplementary
gifts, in erecting a modern building De-
tween and T OH 18th street northwest.
The property and building under roof
represents an outlay of nearly $4,000
ITO complete the portion devoted to
living rooms. the board of managers last
Friday awarded contracts amounting to
$4,000, and work was begun this morn
ing.
If we can have $4,000 additional
money. Washington will have what the
international committee of the Y. NJ. Z.
A. has looked fora model branch build
ing fer coored young men in the ma
tons capital. and a model for the cities
of the nation to follow. 1t looks now
as though the $4,000 of Mr.. = ROsen-
valid would solve what has proved to be
an almost unsolvable building problem"
Result of Earnest Labor.
Mr.. Cooper,.who has been general secre-
tary in Washington a little more than
two years. found the colored branch
question in anything but a satisfactory
state when he took up the work here.
He has labored in season and out to
bring order out of relative chaos and
with the aid of Mr.. johnson, colored
branch secretary. and his associates on
the committee of management. of which
r. ]. Morton is chairman, the progress
made during the past six months has
been most encouraging. The officials will
await the advices from Chicago in keen
anticipation that it will mean the imme
diate completion of the branch building
en- 18th street
DR.. Norman Makes Address.
At Howard Theater yesterday afternoon
the first of a series OF theater meetings
for colored men was addressed by Rev.
DR.. NJ. w. D. Norman, pastor of the