Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-03-29
CRAY AND COTTON
TELLCREAT WORK
Leaders of Y. NJ. c. A. in Foreign COun-
tries Describe Wildly Wonderful
Results Accomplished.
BANQUET At LOCAL Y BUILDING
India Land of Extremes in All Con.
ditiOns-S0uth America Has Been
Awakened to Possibilities.

Rock Island had the unique expe-
rience last night OF listening to
speaker from the far east who for five
years worked in the Y. NJ. c. A. build
ing in Calcutta. India Probably the
first missionary gifts to Y. NJ. c. A.
work in Illinois came from the Rock
Island association more than 80 years
ago, and was contribution toward this
building in Calcutta. DR.. ]. H. Gray,
who is physical director for India,
spoke last night on the marvellous op-
portunities, as we'll as the great strides
that have been made in the progress
of this nation along lines of physical
training and hygiene. He referred to
India as the land of extremes, where
they have the highest mountains In the
world and more low lands than any
country in the world. The heaviest
rainfall 600 inches in one year, in
one section, and the most intense
droughts in other sections. A nation
Of palaces and mud huts, nation of
culture and gross ignorance. These
are some Of the conditions which con-
front the Young Mems Christian asso-
citation in it's effort to do work for
these people.
He told of the successes that had at
tended association work on all sides.
So successful, in fact, that the govern
ment of India was contributing large
sums for the propagation of this work.
He told of how the association had
been able to break down cast lines
that had existed for centuries.
DR.. Gray, who is the son of a mis-
sionary. went to India in 1908. Prac-
tically all of the progress made in that
! country has come within the past 10
years and its unlimited possibilities
was presented in the most graphic
manner.
Cotton Is Heard.
Following Dr. Gray, E. T. Cotton
spoke on the general policy of the for
eign work of the Young Mems Chris
tan association. One fact of striking
significance which is not generally
| known is that the Y NJ. c. A. has never
sent man to the foreign field except
where there has been a unanimous
call on the part of the missionaries In
| that field, and even now there are calls
on file in New York that have stood
! for five years and few instances 1O
years, simply because the men and the
means have not been available. He
referred to the famous White house
conference held during Taft's admin
istration when 100000 was pledged
for buildings in foreign countries, and
stated that DR.. Ross, probably the
greatest psychologist of the present
day, gave as his opinion that the Y. NJ
C. A. in foreign fields was 100 per cent
efficient. He also referred to the testi-
mony at this same meeting of Pro-
lessor Burton, who, after having lis
tened to the stories of facts as pre-
sented by the Y. NJ. c. A. secretaries
from these fields, said the half had
not been told" Professor Burton is
qualified to make such a statement
inasmuch as he had experienced is
months in the orient studying social
and religious conditions as the per-
sonal representative Of the Rockefel-
Ter foundation.
Work in Latin America.
Mr.. Cotton further referred to the
work Of the Young Mems Christian as
ISOLATION in Latin American countries
raising one point with the statement
that in conversation with a minister OF
the gospel in one of the large cities OF
South America he had asked how
many students of the university at
tended his services. The minister re-
piled that during his 25 years in that
city probably not more than a dozen
had ever been inside the church. Mr.
Cotton contrasted with this the fact
that within year after the opening
Of Y. NJ. c. A. work in that city more
than 300 members were enrolled This
result is being duplicated throughout
the foreign fields, and the reason is
that the association does not present
its claims from a denominationa1
standpoint, and therefore it must never
be considered as a competitor of the
church. Mr.. Cotton showed a states.
manlike grasp Of political and civil
conditions In the various countries thai
existed. His numerous trips around
the world have given him a marvellous
grasp of the forces at work. These
addresses were in connection with The
supper at the Y. NJ. C. A. last night