Norwich bulletin., 1917-05-19
Launched Sl50, 900 Building Campaign
Under Auspices of the Y. M. C. A-Lieu Clifford B. Wilson, George s. Palmer Charles R. Towson and : Mayor Allyn L. Brown Among the speakers-Total of $2soO0 Already Pledged.

r. The '. M C. A. is one of the avenues along which Christian consecration clal relations. in their daily duties and plea surest and in the intimacies of secular life. ::Lt is. a ministry of Chris titan. Brotherhood"
 ~.-.s A. Christian Building.
 A Y. Mo. A. building is a Chris I tian building built by Christian money drawn from all quarters by the magic lof Christ's name and solely by that ] name. Drawn in large sums and small from men, many of whom doubt l from women who never can use it. but drawn from all with tl1e distinct | ifapnca ton that in it will be done 1 Christ's work iii the uplift of young 1 nen-phys ysical, mental. moral and spir- l ituaL All of it's activities. whether
 for work or plea sure. are to be satur- ated with the Christ spirit or they will be failures.
 Mems Christian Association is not an experiment., but is the survivor of many experiments. While other young
 mems organizations, social. athletic, have, failed this has succeeded and is | now in successful operation in over. eight thousand places in North Amer ica and throughout the world. Tke Dividends.
 The Young Mems Christian As soCtalion invests money: It gets man hood. It invests sympathy. it gets friendship, it invests small sacrifices; | it gets abundant and deathless divi- dends. It invests time and things that might otherwise perish: it gets char acter that continues and perpetuates itself in vital and constructive forces for the moral and spiritual up1ift of the world. It's investments are hu- man; its dividends are divine" Youths come to us at the most inn questionable period. in their lives. They come full of energy, full of half-de- fined notions and desires-ready to absorb anything Interesting without sound judgment or tried powers of resfstapce to evil.
 E It is the function of this associa- tion. to satisfy their need for sport, for exercise for knowledge, to stimulate this mental growth and spiritual life to give them all. good things with good fellowship but without the allure ments. to evil which too often the Devil uses elsewhere in resorts of
 We are here tonight to initiate campaign to raise s15o, ,o00 for new Y. M. c. A. building in Norwich and also to raise s1o.0oo as the quota of the Norwich district to so-caIIed War fund of $3.00o 900, now being raised throughout the country for Y. NJ c: 4. work among our soldiers and sailors.
 The Practical Aspect.
 I@eI us LOOK the practical aspect of this task. As, you go forth among the. citizens of this community tonight and following days doubt not yoB will be parried in. your request for sub scriptions by some such arguments as these:
 Yes, what you say in regard to the Y M- C. A. is all true. The work is all right. very valuable to the community are difficult times, Our surplus in comes are. to be largely absorbed by l drastic goxernnlent taxa tion Our in vestments. and our business are pre- carious. We are already feeling the ! strain of the increased cost of every | thing. really feel that I cannot at | present give much or anything to this 1 cause
 Unless. you can rebut this style of | req sonirig by sound convincing ar | gument, your campaign will fail of suc- i cess.
 The times are indeed critical and uncertain. But as we breathe the at of the mighty happenings | about us, ought we not to thrill with | exaltation that in the thick of destiny i controlling events we are permitted to | do our bit to uphold the cause of the | righteousness, justice and freedom | upon the earth.
 Our country is now in a world war | to sustain with it's whole fervor the | principle that government O fthe peo- | pie, by the people for the people |
 
 system of sovereignty which would ] q destroy- thai precious freedom which | dHmocracies have at such cost achiev- 1 ed
 Efficiency at Great Cost. - Tho mass of our countrymen scarce | ly. yet realize how assiduously for a | Germany has been organiz- | ing her industry. her commerce. her finances, her whole population for the | definite purpose of extending her bor- ftHa 1f T i1,,, and in many respects that organiza ton | which is nearer state socialism than | any other nation has dared 10 go has | produced admirable results for the [ comfort. security. and advancement of | her people. Its extraordinary ef1cien- cy. however. has bean obtained at the cost of a crass materialisn1. a poverty of spiritual quality: and a ruthless sell r with which the modern world | with it's -altruistically democratic lean | ipEs will not, live at peace. - new species of eman has develop ed in central Furope in the past half century. Franhenstein-in the old story-res embles him a man artificial | Iy made ,ahnormslly developed me chanicallv directed--becoming a ter TOT to- his kind-half unconsciousIv after raging through the world in, just and blood, finds his only resource in self.destruction. The modern German is showing by his atrocfous cruelty and senseless de- structlon that lp fanatlcal devotion to physical ideals he has atrophied his s6,.l.
 Such distortion of true values in hu- nan worth and achievement excited 'nlE ridicule and disgust until :. they{ were aggressiye1y thrust upon the at r. 'ention of mankind mighty military power: +
 Safe Democracy. ft
 But we must go further and prove in his trial by combat that democracy Is afe. for the world.
 We must furnish the test oe our own conception that the ideal of mankind s the self made map-the citizen de- /, -eloped amid wide freedom from dicta- ion and restraint-the man demand ] ng and according respect to diverse pinion-the man. of the square deal I he man wh<se hasic principle in gov i Y rnment, although he often fails to ( Tasp it fully, is implied in the law J Thou shalt love thy neighbor as ! hyself' We shall meet this test I