Norwich bulletin., 1917-07-13
LETTER FROM THE NORWICH
 SECRETARY IN CHINA
Secretary Hill Receives Report of Paotingfu For Y. M. C. A. Annual Meeting.

Through the kindness of number of friends in Norwich the local Y. M.
 c. A. is able to support a general sec-
 retary in the Young Mems Christian
 Association in Paotingfui, China. and the following letter regarding the an l nual meeting of that association has
 been received by General Secretary
 from the Norwich representative which will be of unusual interest to people in this city. The letter fol- 1 lows:
 The Paotingfu Young Mems Chris
 tian Association stepped into the lime light on the occasion of the fourth an l niversary meeting. It must be admit
 ted, however, that most of the light was glory reflected from the person | of the American Minister to China Dr.
 Paul s. Reinsch, who was the person 1 of honor on that occasion. Something
 of the character of this gentleman may 1 be judged from the fact that he was
 willing to leave the gay capital and his busy office in order to help our
 little association in winning the
 friendship of the key men of this city. When Dr. Reinsch, unattended, step- ped unpretentiously from tine train, the trumpets blared drums boone ed | long lines of Chinese soldiers saluted, | and the leading officials of the city | stepped forward to be introduced by | the association secretaries. After ex- l pressing to the Chinese in gracious l words his surprise and appreciation of their courtesy, he was invited to take a cup of tea in the official waiting i room and then to ride in the military l governors carriage to the association | building.
 Through crowded streets lined with l soldiery, the minister and the some | what abashed secretary drove to the 1 association headquarters. These are in | the heart of the city, in the tallest | building on Its broadest and busiest i street The association, which has hitherto done almost exclusive stu dent work, moved in February to these l newer and better rooms with a view to l winning the support of the officials | the gentry, and the merchants, which l classes must back it if it is to support
 the promised s25,000 building which
 American friends are giving in mem 1 ory of the Tnartyred Horace Tracy 1 PitlSin.
 1 The fourth anniversary meeting was | enthusiastic from the start. The size | of the auditorium limited the audience l to very select group of about two
 hundred. These included tho leading | military and civil authorities. edu- cators. gentry, merchants. bankers, and | prominent residents of the city. The chief of police loaned us his band which rattled the panes right royalty | It was evident from the first that there was to be la.ek of applause. St. Lul<e's account of the Good Samar- 1 itan brought forth the first good fOuIiu OL Hdnu Cldpplng, ana what 1Ol- lowed the prayer might have been taken for an encore. When it came to Minister Reinsch's speech however his sentences were punctuated by en- thusiastic approval on the part of the Chinese. He spoke of the Old Chi na and the New, emphasizing the value of the treasures handed down from China's great past and the need
 of conserving them through the broadening social relations sSld of ex- pressing them through the new politi- cal forms of the present He touch ed on the friendship between the Unit ed States and China and the desire Of his country to co operate in secur- ing the best in both old and new for China. He referred to the Y. NJ C. A. as being a concrete expression of this feeling of the United States as well as being the expression of the spirit of Jesus Christ, wishing to help to the utmost in the all around devel- opnlent of men. Dr. Reinsch's ad-
 dress was well adapted to his audi ence and was highly appreciated by them. At first the noise of passing ricl1shas threatened to be disconcert- ing, but the chief of police was seen to give an order and quiet was re- stored as all the traffic was diverted to side street.
 Then. after song by the auartette opportunity was given for the audi ence to take the platform, and there was no oppressive silence and pro- longed waiting. The chief of police first strode forward and shouted his approval of everything in general. ending with Ten thousand years to Minister Reinsch. Ten thousand years to the United States! Ten thousand years to China. Ten thousand years to the '. NJ. C. Al" He was followed by
 the district magistrate, who. to the great satisfaction of the foreigners present. pointed out the fact that the association was not a foreign asso- ciation, hut a Chinese Y. NJ. C. A.. and furth ermore that the local organization was the Paoti1gfu Y. NJ. C. A. and still further that it was not limited to young men but that old men with young hearts might have an equal share in it. He then spoke of the spirit of Jesus. who spent his life in serving men and was nailed to the cross for their sake: this spirit he said we cannot but most heartily ap-
 prove The ht,, next .st N volunteer speaker Christianity with Confucianism and Buddhism, calling attention to points in common, especially between the two former
 There next followed a brief report in Paotirgfu, after which the climax of the evening was reached when Gen. Fang Yu Hsiang, who is just moving to Paotingfu, but who has been in contact with the association else
 where. announced that he would give S2e0 for the local work. He was call ed upon for speech and briefly and
 modestly spoke of his approval of the
 type of work done by the associaation
 and of his desire to help. He was
 loudly applauded, though some of the
 officials doubtless wished he had set
 g little lower standard than his gift
 Tea and cake were then served and
 an opportunity given to talk inform ally to Dr. Reinsch.
 The following morning before train
 time, the Tao Yin, or Prefect, our
 leading civil official, invited Dr.
 Reinsch. the association directors, the
 secretaries, and the other male for
 eigners to a banquet at his yamen.
 Associated with his name on the in
 vitation card. were those of twenty
 leading citizens of the town On this occasion much good feeling was ex-
 pressed between Chinese and Arneri-
 cans and many toasts were drunk, IS
 Dr. Reinsch put it, to the two great