The Washington herald., 1913-05-18
Evangelical Test Retained by
Y. M. C. "A. Convention Vote

The very fact that the association is
to such q degree q public institution has
led many men to show impotence over
any theological limitations. They frankly
are not interested In doctrinal matters.
On the other hand. the leaders of the
churches-and all active members Of the
Y. NJ. c. A. are members OF evangelical
churches-are declaring that the asso-
cations faith Is Its life: and II IL loses
its distinctively religious and evangelical
character. II will mentally decline and
die. So. in all seriousness. the struggle
may be called a life and death one.
Because OF the growth of students as
socfations-no college Is completely
equipped. nowadays. without its Y. NJ.
C. A.-there has been difficulty In main
tanning the evangelical test" The stu
dent associations and their members are
often unwilling to subscribe to the state
ment of evangelical belief. The natural
tendency Of the student is to take the
most advanced" view of all subjects, re-
hgion included. 1t Is from the student
secretaries that the principal objections
to the present doctrinal basis have come
Many Delicate Problems.
OF quite another sort is the objection
against the test which would mako all
active members of the association and
all officers members Of the evangelical
Protestant churches, for in the railroad
and industrial branches Of the association
there are a great many members Of the
Roman Catholic Church, and these feel
that they should be entitled to repre-
sentation on the governing boards II the
recommendation of the COMMITTEES is fol-
lowed. the old rules will still remain In
force.
Even more delicate is the problem OF
the standing of the local association,
which does not conform to these tests
II Is reported that this subject of stand
ardizing the association vii be acutely
up at Cincinnati.
The fact that the association has re-
sisted the ''liberalizing'' movements of
the day, and what is regarded as the
dispirituslizing tendency in the associa-
non' Will De acclaimed by many churches
with delight, and will assuredly draw the
association closer to the churches. as
well as silence a great deal of criticism.
The strictly religious side of the many
sided work OF the association will re-
ceive renewed attention now.
The oversight Of the training schools
will be strengthened by this convention.
TINS movement. too. hanks back to the
theological question BY greater control
be better regulated The schools are Of
three kinds-the training schools at Chi
cago am Springfield, the summer schools
and the local Fellowship classes in con-
nection with local associations. The con-
vention Is recommending that a college
training. or its equivalent. be required
Of all young men entering the ranks of
the secretaryship.
This matter OF procuring recruits for
nm i
rectly bearing on IL is the fact that no
provision has bean made for the old or
WORKOUT workers. At Cincinnati a re
tirement fund.- Is to be started, to pro-
vide pensions for the veterans This IL
radical step. but inevitable. The fund
Will be not less than s., 90, CO.,
VIII Honor Mr.. Mott.
Undoubtedly, the outstanding person.
atty OF the convention is John R. Mott.
the great American missionary and edu-
cational leader, who Is once more in the
home country, having returned from his
round-the-worid tour to attend the in
ternational convention of Young Mems
christian Associations in session this
week at Cincinnati All in all, the trim Of
Mr. Mott and his travelling companion.
sherwood Eddy, has been the most ex-
traordinary circuit of the earth made by
any representative of any interest for a
generation past. Mr.. Motifs mission
undertaken at the request of the con-
tinuation committee of the Edinburgh
conference, has fulfilled two great func-
tons, bringing about an unprecedentedly
thorough discussion of foreign mission
methods with missionaries on the field
and anording the opportunity Of a wide
spread and marvelousIy effective preach
ROSnaI 70 i
universities of the chief non-Christian
nationalities. The evangelistic results
among the students in China in particu-
lar, from the appeals of Mr.. Mott and
Mr.. Eddy, have been so notable that
they promise TO mark a new epoch
among the forces at work to make the
China of the future
Incidental to the trip. a new distinction
has been given to Mr.. Mott in the ewes
or the world at large by President VIII
sons urgent pressure to induce him to
accept the post of United States Minister
TO China-a request cabled to him while
in Korea Few men in all Christian his
tory have had so severe a test of per-
sonal judgment placed upon them as was
thus laid on Mr.. Mott when he was called
upon to decide between two positions of
such enormous importance-obiiged 10
balance his present vast RESPONSIBILITIES,
as chief of both the continuation COM
mittee and the Worlds Student Fedora
ton against the Unreasonable opportuni-
ties for influencing China which would
certainly come to him as a diplomat in
Pekin.
As is well known. a year age Mott was
offered the National Secretaryship OF the
Y. NJ. c. A. to succeed Richard c. Morse
and It Is expected that his formal an
nouncement of acceptance will be given
at Cincinnati
Colombia Refuses to Make Up.