The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-05-14
Chinese Y GOT
OUTSIDE START
SAYS SPEAKER
Fletcher Bro0knan. Founder OF
Eastern Organization, Tells of
Efforts In Orient.

The Y. M. C. A. organization OF
China gained its first foothold in
Japan according to Fletcher Brook
man, who until recently was gener-
al secretary Of the association in
China, who delivered an address at
the Moline central Y yesterday.
MIR. Brookman gave as a reason
for this the fact that Japan had ac-
cepted the ideas of western civil
ization much earlier than China's
awakening took place. and that the
only way to reach the Chinese lead
ers was after they had flocked to
Japan to learn modern ways there.
When l first reached China l
found that the greatest obstacle to
the Establishment of the Y there, not
excluding the Chinese language,
was the lack of common interest
ground between Americans and
Chinese. l had come from a col
lege that taught modern science.
mathematics and the history of the
western civilization. The China
man of the educated class, through
which I had to work in order to
reach the influential people of that
country, was interested mainly in
history Of ancient China and in Con-
fucius.
MY efforts to put the Y. NJ. C. A.
on a permanent basis were not
very successful until the Russo
japanese war was fought. This
war showed the Chinese the power
OF western methods. by means of
which Japan was able to conquer
Russia. Immediately the literati,
or educated began an exodus to ia
pam to learn the lessons that the
Japanese had already mastered.
These men had never before been
out Of China. while the japanese
had never had to, handle such a
mass Of immigrants. Officials in
Toxic we're at a loss to solve the
difficulty.
Here was the Y chance. With
the hearty consent of the japanese
government a Y. M. C. A. was es-
tablished in Toxic, where we could
be friends to the homeless Chinese
while they stayed in Japan tc
study, where they also learned thai
the Y was there to help them in
every way.
When the Chinese revolution
came on these students were in tbs
front rank of the revolutionists
against the old order. AS soon as
the republic was declared. the,
wanted Y. NJ. c. AS established all
over China. We had calls for q
thousand secretaries from all parts
OF the empire. One city up the
Yangtse-Kiang river had a gen.
eral. 16 years old, who had beer
with US in Japan. He went to the
governor and said that the city
must have Y. NJ. C. A. The Y wa.
organized with only one Christian
on the board Of directors, althougi
all the prominent men of the city
were included. When we sent Z
representative to tell them that only
Christians could be on the board
they asked for Bibles SO that the,
could study and qualify. There wa.
such a demand for Y. M. C. AS tha
we had to copyright the name. Ant
all this was because We had be
friended the students who wers
strangers in Japan.
Shortly dfterward Juan Shin Kaj
first president. gave a dinner to Y
NJ. c. A. men at Picking. He said a
the time that his reason for adm.
the was that the Y built character
and that character was needed il
! a republic"
Z. ]. Copper, Minneapolis bust
ness man who came with Mr.. Brook
man. spoke of the results of Y worl
in China. He said that he had in
vested money in the foreign depart
ment of the association for a Ion,
time and that he went to China I,
see what were the returns on hi
investment.
After travelling through tn
! country and seeing an association
building in every principal city an,
after realizing what the Y. M. C. A
had meant in the growth of China
l knew that my money had brough
a greater return than l had real
ized," he said. Some of us can d,
such deeds first-hand. For thos
who can not, the Y is a powerful
kagency."