The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-01-23

TO EXTEND WORK
Y. NJ. C. A. Plans To Occupy
Every Community in State.
Speakers Believe Time Ripe for
Great Expansion.
TWO-DAY CONVENTION IS ON
Secretaries From All Over state
Here for Meeting.
Henry Allen One OF Principal
Speakers for Tomorrow.
TWO-DAY CONVENTION IS ON

A plan to be proposed for the eX-
tension of Y. NJ. C. A. work in IN
state to occupy the field thoroly, was
presented at a meeting of county Y.
NJ. c. A. secretaries this morning by
Albert F.. Roberts of New York, inter
national secretary of county work
with the Y. NJ. c. A. Roberts is one
OF the foremost Y. NJ. c. A. men OF
the day, holding an international sec
retaryship. and having been appointed
by John r. Mott 20 be one of the
investigators of charges lodged against
the association in its war work. Rob
erts was also an appointee of Presi-
dent William Howard Taft to investi-
gate rural conditions abroad during
the Taft administration. He was for
merly a newspaper man and since his
entrance into the Y. NJ. c. A. field he
has become one of the. national ard
international association leaders.
His plan, which was discussed at
the meeting this morning and already
adopted by fifteen states, is to divide
the state into districts of about ten
counties each. appointing a secretary
to be an assistant to the state secre-
tary, Clifford Pierce. This assistant
secretary" Roberts said, would be
responsible for county work, district
work. boys work. student work and
in fact all the branches of the asso-
cations activities thru the districts
This plan would make 1t possible to
make the Y. NJ. c. =. availa BILE to
every community in tile state within
two years time.
Time. for Expansions.
1t seems to me-" Roberts said
that this is the psychological time to
project a plan of great expansion.
There is a hearty desire on the part
of the country communities for the
advantages the association would
trlng to them; the machinery of or
Eanization is already in order and
willing to continue to serve"
The new plan has not yet been
adopted by the Kansas committee, but
it will he presented to it in it's an
nual meeting to be held in this city
Friday.
toberts's defense of the Y. NJ. C..
A. against the ATTACKS that have been
made upon it by other war organiza-
tions, and by some of the returning
soldiers, explained some of the diff
fienlties under which the association
did its work. We had ten thousand
men in service abroad with the as
ISOLATION" he said. out OF that
number. it seems some were overzeal-
GUS for the morals of the men, and
some were not Jealous enough. Some
dent even look sufficiently after
thei- own morals. We had to send
some school teachers home because
they fell for the temptations from
which they were supposed to help
guard the soldier. We had to send
some of our women workers home
because they got sweet on the officers
and neglected the men. But in spite
of that we had, in the majority of
Cases the hest men available after
the army had taFen its choice for the
nfficors and the ranks.
Went on to Berlin.
con the other hand, it is never told
to our credit that we went with the
army to Berlin, and that we had a
hut there as soon as the army arrived.
The officers, knowing that we had to
buy materials in the open market at
greatly inflated prices; that we had
almost insupeTable difficulties in get
ting transport service. and that we
were moved from place TO place on the
shortest notice, have given us nothing
but praise. We were not told that
we could go into the war zone to help
the army-we were ordered to go. and
as we went on a larger scale than any
of the other organizations besides the
Red Cross, we had greater difficulties.
and received the greater criticism"
TwO-Day Session.
two-day Y. M c. A. meeting is
being held in Topeka today and Fri
day. The sessions opened this morn
ing with a conference of county work
ers, and a meeting of employed Off
GERS of the association in the state
will he held tonight at the Central Y.