The Washington herald., 1914-06-21
CHINA'S YOUNG MEN
SEEK CHRISTIAN EDUCATION

Mr.. L. Wilbur Messer, q traveller In the
Orient, writes that the Student Young
Mems Christian Association ls doing ef-
fectiye work in the famous Using Hua
College near Pekin. China This college
was founded by the indemnity fund.-
amounting to over Ao,0ooo vol
unfairly returned to China by the
United States government 1t viii oe
remembered that a hundredd students
were sent to America each year for four
years, after which fifty was the minimum
number, to specialize in art architec-
ture, banking, mining, engineering, rail-
way administration, law, government,
etc. The Y. n. c. A. co-operated In Sc
curing American members OF the faculty,
and in helpful service to students. The
new building OF the Pekin Association.
the gift of John wanamaker, Is also men
toned as recently opened by the Presi-
dent of the republic, Yuan-Shi-kai, the
educational department Of which Is al
ready overcrowded. Mr.. Messer writes
also Of Paotingfu which has a popula-
ton Of about 10000, and is ninety miles
from Pekin. The city is great student
center, with 5000 students Of college and
middle school grades. Three thousand
of the students attended the Eddy evan
geIistic meetings, and over 300 registered
their names as Christian inquirers. OF
this number % were enrolled In Bible
classes, and forty-six have already been
baptized or enrolled as probationers. The
religious attitude of the students Of
China is well stated, as follows, by Rev.
A. NJ. Cunningham, Of the Presbyterian
Mission
The present attitude Of the student
class all over China toward the Word Of
God is most significant This 10 a move
ment of momentous portent for the future
of one-fourth of the human race. The
tens of thousands of students who crowd
ed the meetings led by Mr.. Mott and Mr..
Eddy spoke OF hunger Of soul, Of spiritual
unrest, of dissatisfaction with their pres
ent religious beliefs, and of an open mind
to hear the Truth. Students by the thou
sands are entering Bible classes to study
the Word of God, the way Of life, are
looking to the Sacred Book OF the West,
the book that makes men and nations
great, the Truth that satisfies the crav-
ing of the human soul in that IL presents
adequate atonement, salvation from sin.
a solution for the problems of life. an
eternal redemption through the living
Triune God"
The Young Mems Christian Association
has an important place in the recon-
struction and development Of China. The
missionaries as from its inception, are
demanding the extension of the asso-
citation TO unoccupied cities and schools.
At present the association is at work in
nineteen first-class cities, where eighty
five foreign and ninety-six Chinese secre-
taries are located. Ten missionary So
cieties have delegated ten missionaries ~
serve the associations as secretarial lead
ers, as the opportunity OF finding the
points Of contact with the non-Christian
men is SO much greater in the associa-
ton. There are 1,900 walled cities IN
China and in only fourteen have assc-
Citations been organized. The policy Of
the national committee is to only organ
ize associations where two trained for
eign secretaries and a building can be as
sured, and this requires more men and
money from the American association.
All associations are controlled by Chris
tian Chinese boards Of directors, and the
number of Chinese secretaries is steadily
increasing. The appeal Of the associa-
ton to the student is as effective in the
government school as 1t is in the Chris
tian mission schools and colleges. Alto
gether there are now 120 student associa-
ton in China, and in all of these Bible
study Is the strongest feature. In one
government school, where q year ago
there was one Bible class with three
students there are now thirty classes
with 325 students; and In the government
schools where the association is the only
Christian agency, there was an attend
ance of over 5000 last year in the re-
ligious meetings
National Secretary Brockman gave Mr.
Messer a statement Of imperative needs
on the part Of ten different associational
enterprises in China. They are summar-
lied as follows:
l. A building for Kirin, capital Of a
province in Manchuria, requiring SIS. 90
in gold.
2. A building for Hanchow, capital Of
Chekiang. $4,000
s. A building for the University of
Hongkong. $4,000
4. Completion of the national head
quarters. Shanghai, $4,000.
s. For government school at Wuchang.
10000
6. Secretaries needed this year to the
number Of fourteen each, requiring .
budget Of 5000.
7. Publication department annually for
fve years. 5000
8. For the training of secretaries. an
nuaily, 5000.
.. scholsrships for secretaries study