The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1919-03-20
COUNTY Y.MC.A. WORK
DISCUSSED LAST NIGHT

| Remarkable Meeting Held at The
f, New Almory in The Interest OF
! Starting Rural y. NJ. c. a. Work
| In This County.
The meeting held at the New Al
mory last night to explain to the
public the ADVANTAGES to be obtained
from a Rural Young Mems Christian
| Association working branch in this
| county was not very well attended /;
in fact, most of the business men of
| Cambridge were very conspicuous by
their absence, because as one looked
| around through the audience to see
| if this one or that one, who certainly
might have reasonably been expected
| 10 manifest at least enough interest
| in the matter to give a hearing to
! those who were here to explain it,
: were present. their absence attracted
much more attention than their pres
! ence would have done; there was not
a minister OF the gospel, a doctor,
| only three lawyers, and not more
than two of the business men of Cam
bridge present, and yet this is a
civilized community, where there is
presumed to be al interest in every
thing that tends to better the moral,
religious and physical conditions.
1t may reasonably safely be pre-
sumed that nine out of ten dismissed
the proposition without making any
effort to ascertain what its objects
were. They knew nothing of it and
they cared less. If the boys and girls
OF Cambridge and the surrounding
county, who are to be the men and
women Of the future, run the streets
at all hours Of the night: if wicked
and vicious leadership obtains in
stead of that which makes for their
betterment; if immoral habits and in
furious vices are acquired and Guilt
waited by the younger generations,
and few, if any, parents are acquaint-
ed with these things, because they
take so much FOR granted, then all
good and we'll; it's nobody's bust
ness anyway, and why need any pro-
fessional or business man concern
himself about the welfare of the com
munity in which he makes his mo-
ney, and in which he rears his faml-
lily? He thinks he can look out for
his own business and his own family,
and let the other fellow do the same
| thing. That is plain talk, but what
other deduction could one draw?
There are some people sore on the
Y. N. c. y. because they have heard
of one or two things that it didn't
do, or did do, overseas, but these PEG
pie lose sight of the many things
that it has done during the sixty
years of its existence. The first
speaker of the evening, Mr.. George
L. Goodwin, Of Washington, d. c.,
called particula" attention to these
facts. He asked the audience if any
| of them had heard any complaint OF
its work during the Civil War? II
they had heard any complaint of its
work during the Spanish-American
War? If they had heard any COM
plant of its work in the numerous
environments throughout the United
States, in which environments had
been trained nearly three million sol
diers? If they had heard any COM
plant OF its work with the Italian
Army? Of it's work with the French
ArmE2 Of it's work with the Russiaa
Army, in which country today it is
the only stabliZing force? Of its
work with the British Army? All OF
| these countries, Italy, Russia, France
and Great Britain, had made special
requests for the Y. II. c. a. work in
order to strengthen the morale OF
| their troops, having seen and been
! impressed by the work it was doing
for the American Army. Lad there
| been any complaint about the moving
pictures, when it had run millions OF
feet of reels each week, the best fea-
lures produced in America, Great
| Britain or France, or any other
source from which it could be OBJ
tanned?
Had there been any complaint
| about the y. NJ. c. A. work in the
cities of the United States, work thai
has been going on for over sixty
years? Had there been any com
| plant over thei" efforts to bring tc
the young men and women and the
| boys and girls whom they served
such influence as would tend to make
them better men and women and
keep them away from the snares and
pitfalls that are set for them in the
great cities? Had there been any
complaint from right minded people
Of their efforts 10 break up gambling
dens, immoral resorts Of all kinds
| and all those influences which ten
ded to undermine right living? Had
there been any complaints over the
warm fires which they kept III
France, the cheerful huts Or homes
which they maintained in order thai
our soldiers might have a nice, warm
cosy place to come and get dry anc
enjoy some real comforts during
their service overseas? Had there
! been any complaint over their send
! CContlnned on Page Two.)