The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-05-23
NEED FOR Y. NJ. C.. A.
SERVICE SET FORTH
Four Speakers Addressed Conference of
Washington County Men at Mont
pelier Thursday Afternoon.

Some q men selected from different
towns in Washington county attended a
conference held at Montpelier Thursday
afternoon following luncheon, at which
four speakers discussed the work which
can be done by the Y NJ. C. A. in India,
China, the Balkan states and Russia
now that the war is over and stated that
the natives of these countries have seen
what the Y. NJ. c. A. is. These speakers
were Owen Pence of Constantinople, NJ
F. Kennedy, recently returned from In.
dia, w. J. Wen, who goes TO China to
take up the work, and William w Ban
ton, who was in Russia during the worst
conditions connected with the war. All
were very interesting speakers.
Mr. Pence was the first speaker and
told how the nations above referred to
are asking for the Y NJ. C. a. help, in
stead of the organization seeking the
extra work. The organization is trying
to develop these countries so that self
leadership may occur. He spoke briefly
Of the problems which the nations are
confronting; that the men who headed
the work in the great war when il broke
out were men who had worked long in
these eastern nations that the organ
ization was working in the belligerent
countries long before America realized
what the war meant.
He told Interestingly how General Pc
tain asked for the organization to bring
up the morale of his men Italy now
desired the work among her citizens;
Rumania, with its 100000 people and
a great expansion of territory since the
war is over, neSds it and has sent APP
peals for it as a result of four little huts
conducted during the war. CONSTANT
nople must have more of IT, The Greeks
ask it so that Turkey may be saved,
although this is different nation. He
said the war has Jared open the door of
every eastern nation for the Y. NJ. G. A.
work
Mr. Banton said the work in Russia
was race against time and that before
they could get the work well established
the army, under the German propaganda,
broke to pieces, but even then the Y. NJ.
c. A. men did not leave, but carried
along the work He claimed that Russia
helped save the lives of a great many
Americans because they fought in France
until this nation was ready to enter the
war. He told some interesting facts
about the condition of Russia, nation
with future once it comes into its own,
and that this must occur through the
efforts of the Y NJ. c. A. or similar or
carnations. The Russians have not
lost faith in the Americans and the work
is being carried on there now.
Mr. Wen spoke of the work that has
been done in China and there are now
800 Chinese secretaries in that country
and they are training more. Men from
the official circle have seen the value of
the work and are leaving their official
jobs to take up the work These are
men of means in the country hut they
must have American trainers for time
yet and this means expense. He told
some interesting data as to what China
has done in the war and the result of
their need for this work When the or
ganization asked for 100000 from China
they raised 81 100000. There were l50,.
600 Cinnamon working in France during
the war. They must go back to China
with different opinion of the Chris
tanned nations than they received be-
hind the firing lines.
Mr. Kennedy called attention to the
fact that 100000 soldiers from India
were holding the lines in France when
England Canada and other countries
were not able to get their forces there.
He told of the human lives sacrificed be-
cause they did not have training He
gave a dramatic story of the tragedies
of the first winter of the war when the
Indians suffered great losses and of the
obligation that America owes these peo-
pie and must now help meet, He told
how the y Nj. C. A. secretaries, while
not recognized by the army of England,
went along with the troops from India
The indian has always knelt TO the
white man but they could not under
stand why the white man did the In
dams manual work when they went
into war, citing the cutting of hair,
which was the lowest type of occupation
to the mind of the Indian. He also
spoke of the excellent work done in Pal |
estine, Africa and other fronts. No 9th |
err nation could have done what these
nations have done.
Vermont is expected to raise $4,000
for v M. c. A. work in these nations.