Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-05-01

Inc Star during the year, and detailed accounts
of the work undertaken have been covered In
six Haskin articles the last one appearing in
The Star Of April 10.
dress of Jane Adams on The Church and the
Social Evil delivered before the congress last
week: and Mr.. Jones has been asked to inter
pref for readers Of The Star in two articles the
outstanding impressions Of the campaign land and
article will appear tomorrow.
How the Movement Started.
It was Washington leader in religious
work for men who originated the idea of
the men and religion forward movement.
4 A New York man, best known as an
. evangelist to men, but who is really a.
born promoter of religious movements,
seized the idea and projected it. A WASH
ington. newspaper man got the ear Of a
big New York banker, who believed in
/ the Washington mans idea and the New
York evangelist's project, and wanted to
see the thing done in America and by +
clever interview published in forty big
metropolitan dailes is said to have
pushed the project over" OF course
there is a lot more to the account Of
how 1t started. but on the human side OF
| it, quickly stated, this is the inside story
of how 1t came to be.
| 1t is the old story of personality grip
ped by a vital idea-in this instance the
idea Of vast cooperative religious enter
prise in behalf of the religious life of
men and boys of continent. A con-
tinent-wide committee of ninety-sev
men actualized the idea into program
that provided for bringing the whole
force of PrOtestanism in America face
| to face with the real problems of the
Church and society in the twentieth CEN
hundreds in the cities and towns Of the
United States and Canada. committed
themselves to working program Of in
vestigation, of constructive thinking and
we'll defined, clear-headed. aggressive &C.
ton in the field Of social service. study
of the Bible, the moral and religious life
| of older boys. missions, the new evan
gelism, the rural church, church unity
and publicity.
There is not space to dilate upon the
/ personalities of hundred leaders who
have, during the last seven months. made
history In this fascinating story Of men
and religion. 1t is probably fair. how
ever. to say that the Washington man
who thought OF it was Harry w. Arnold;
that Fred b. Smith was the promoter OF
it: that James G. Cannon, New York
banker. fathered and financed it: while
James B. Morrow of Washington wrote
the story that pushed it over! Thousands
have had a share in it since that day in
1907 when Arnold first caught the vision
of nationwide campaign of our cities
| in the name of a vital Christianity. after
| the unique first day city-wide evangelistic
crusade here in Washington during the
International Y. NJ. c. A. convention.
And where does God come in?" I hear
some one cynically ask. Ny answer is,
| now, as it has ever been, in the words Of
Phillips Brooks: The truth of God,
| working through the personality Of man,
has been the salvation Of the world. In
crease the personality and you increase
the power" And 1t is the answer. too.
Has It Been Worth Whilep
In the series Of great meetings in New
York city of the Christian Conservation
Congress last week the initial campaign
ing period of this movement came to an
impressive climax. The question on every
lip throughout the cities which have par
ticipated was, What has it done?" Has
1t paid?"
OF all the men who have placed an es-
innate on the value Of this movement in
its year OF preliminary skirmish-for this
Is but the forerunner Of a fve-year cam
/ paign by all Of the churches and organi-
cations interested in enlargfng and in
tensifying the influence and power OF
vital Christianity in America-the man
who has spoken most clearly and fairly
to my mind is Howard A. Bridgman of
Boston. editor of the Congregationalist
and Christian World. In answer to my
question, Has it paId?" Mr.. Bridgman
had this to say:
1.-The cost, in time, energy and money, of
the men and religion forward movement
has been heavy. For many months COM
Ipetent religious administrators have been
giving their best thought to it's organiza-
ton and development. Experienced teach
ers and workers in various fields of Chris
tian activity have turned aside from i'm
portant duties to give the benefit of their
| knowledge and experience to a hundred
centers of influence throughout the land
| Men prominent in business and financial
| circles have furnished the sinews Of war.
The plan of campaign has involved
large staff OF office workers and many
| long journeys.
1T would be easy to point out the de-
fects and limitations of the movement
If sanguine leaders expected last Sep
TENDER that it would sweep like a flame
| through the country, they must be dis
appointed today. 1t has deeply interested
a considerable number of men. 1t has
made more than transient impression
upon the public mind in a number of
places; but neither before, during nor
after the meetings has the main thought
OF the masculine portion of a community
been directed to the things of religion.
The frequenters of social clubs, Of hotel
corridors. of smoking rooms on Pullman
cars and OF other places to which men
I resort are not overhearing today a notice
able increase in the amount of conversa-
ton on religion compared with a year
4 ago. Men in New England. and women,
too, are talking about labor conditions in
the cotton-making cities: in New York.
Meek" and throughout the country about
the presidential campaign.
But when all deductions have been
made that candor compels. the movement,
as whole. stands out justified
What Has It Donep
Pressed for more specific things in an
swer to the question, 'What has the
movement done?' Mr.. Bridgman pointed
out how 1t had charted afresh the work
OF the Church Of Christ In America. It's
searching surveys, its getting at facts
as to the need and opportunity in the
community, its proposal Of definite pro-
grams of service, have given hundreds
OF churches new view points, clear OBJ
jectives and invaluable help as to how to
make things go.
| Hundreds Of these churches declared
| Mr.. Bridgman. know today better than
they did last September how to go after
| retain and help the boys; how to make
Bible study interesting and profitable:
how to go with the message of Christ into
| the shops and factories; how to promote
civic reforms: how to apply the spur to
those within its own field who have never
kept step with the missionary army"
| The movement has been justified in the
| men 1t has discovered and put to work
| Definite things have been started and ac-
| complished. Here new work for boys,
/ there q chance to create a social center
| In a needed district out of some unused
| public or private building. elsewhere a
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