Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-08-30
lptbe1f!9@!4T !|!! Religion
GREAT WORLDWIDE RELIGIOUS
MOVEMENT Is |! NOV Y On ITS WAY

-
tons relating to a life of righteous
ness in action, right there in Kioto.
Well, We were somewhat surprised
When we arrived at the auditorium
the first evening we found it jammed
inside, and outside was an enormous
crowd of Japanese men who actually
were struggling to get to the doors.
The committee in charge hung out a
sign. saying that the hall was filed
and that no more could get inside,
but the men outside. did not believe
it possible, and insisted upon being
allowed to enter.
Clergy Must Wake up.
Then the committee (supposing
the crowd did not really know what
was going on) put up another sign
saying that it was religious meet
ing, and the crowd cheered and in
sisted on getting in just the same;
shouted that's what they came there
for, and they wanted to know what
the Americans had to say regarding
the practical working out of the
Christian religion. Exactly the same
thing occurred when we got to Ma
Mia, where we had the largest build
ing in the city.
"That does not look to me-" Mr..
Smith remarked thoughtfully, "as il
interest in religion had died out alto
gether from men. But / wish to add
that in every country we visited the
same discussion was going on that is
going on here in America-the rela-
ton of man to the church as an or
ganized institution; and we found
the same logical sequence. Wherever
the church really serves men, spirit
ually, mentally, physically, men value
it and support it and work with it.:
At the close of a six days campaign
in Melbourne, where nearly $4,000
men attended the various meetings,
the lord mayor of the city said to me,
We have been amazed here to see
the tremendous interest In the re-
ligioHs spirit shown by the men Of
Melbourne You and your associates
have filed the town hall day after
day, discussing phases of this one
topic, while we have never been able
to do ii for a corresponding period
upon any political theme that has
ever been brought forward
At Manila, Mr.. Smith and Mr.. Rob-
ms visited the Chinese community
and, through interpreters, addressed
several thousand residents there.
Some OF. those present wanted to
know what would be good thing to
start out with, and when Mr.. Smith
suggested that a Chinese Y M. G.
A. be formed, with all the religious,
educational and social features usu-
ally included, the entire audience
arose and cheered its approval and
decided to get to work on the propo-
sition.
ct was a particularly apt moment
to make the suggestion" Mr.. Smith
says in Teferreing to the matter,
"for the athletic features of the Y.
M C. A. will certainly appeal to the
men at present, and with these fea-
lures can be taken up those that are
distinctly religious, educational and
social
In Japan the Americans found the
heartiest kind of welcome, for the
Men and Religion movement in the
United States and Canada was well
known over there Mr.. Smith says
that he heard and saw nothing which
would lead him to think the great
mass of intelligent japanese have
any but the friendliest feelings for
the United States, although he was
there at the time of the excitement
over the passage of the Webb anti
alien land holding bill The Y. NJ.
C. A. of China is SO well organized
that 1t was able to prepare thorough
ly for the visit of Mr. Smith and Mr..
Robins and their associates. Mr..
Smith, however, reports that in Aus
tralia, where labor legislation is per-
haps more influential than it is in
any other place in the world, it was
with the greatest difficulty that even
Raymond Robins, with his long rec
ord of work for the laboring man,
could get as much as a hearing from
labor union assemblies. On the other
hand, when the Americans reached
South Africa, they found exactly OPP
posike conditions.
Not merely were business and pro-
fessional men in South Africa inter-
ested actively in the program of work
laid out, but news of the affair spread
TO unexpected quarters. A few days
after arriving in Johannesburg, Mr..
Smith received a call from the head
man of a krall of 5000 Zulus a big,
powerful fellow Of commanding pres
ence. Through an interpreter, the
head man said that Ne had heard of
the strangers who had come to his
country to help make life happier for
Zulus as well as for Englishmen; and
lie invited Mr.. Smith to his hut for
talk about the matter. Mr. Smith went.
and he says that the time spent in
the nut of the head man. the leader of
5000 Zulus, was one of the most i'm
pressiye episodes of his life.
In reviewing his world tour. Mr..
Smith said that one of the hopeful
features he saw, especially dn the
east, was the fact that churches are
pulling together. working for the com
mon good, as they never have in the
United States. The Men and RELIGION
Movement of the United
States and Canada is now in its third
year. The actual campaigns of in
struction and inspiration formally
ceased with the Carneeie Hall con
congress- IN April. 1912. But