Resolution.

Resolved that this conference strongly recommends that those who are making arrangements for the Conference, as well as all writers and speakers at the Conference, bear in mind that, if the best and most lasting results are to be obtained, while frankly facing moral and spiritual conditions which call for missionary work in Latin America, and while presenting the Gospel which we hold as the only adequate solution of the problems which those conditions present, it shall be the purpose of the Panama Conference to recognise all the elements of truth and goodness in any form of religious faith. Our approach to the people shall be neither critical nor antagonistic, but inspired by the teachings and example of Christ and that charity which thinketh no evil and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth.

In the matter of Christian service, we will welcome the cooperation of any who are willing to cooperate in any part of the Christian program. We should not demand union with us in all our work as the condition of accepting allies for any part of it.

AUSTRIA III.

C R A C O W February 23-27, 1913.

NOT TO BE PRINTED

RUTH ROUSE.

Another tremendous intellectual somersault to pass
from the nationalism of the Czech to the still intenser nat-
ionalism of the Poles!

Cracow is the ancient capital of Poland and every
corner of it is full of Polish history. It is the university
of the Poles: no Poles study in the Warsaw University, the
university of Russian Poland, because the detested Russian
language and Russian professors are forced upon them there.
For much the same reasons, mutatis mutandis, no Poles study
in the German universities; they flock into Austria to Cracow.
The majority of the students probably come from German or
Russian Poland in spite of all sorts of difficulties made for
them by the respective governments involved.

"Poland a nation" - this is one' first and over-
whelming impression on visiting Cracow. Polish nationalism
is rampant, even more so than usual because of the recent war
scare. Cracow is only six miles from the Russian frontier.
For weeks the tropps were massed there and the Poles confid-
ently expected war to be proclaimed. They would then have
overrun Russian Poland and proclaimed Polish independence -
or so they thought. I have never anywhere had such a sense

herself had come back to faith.

There are a great many women students in the university ( statements varied from 300 to 600 ), and there are also many Art and Music students in the town. About half of the students come from Russian Poland, in spite of the many difficulties put in their way by the Austrian and Russian governments. The housing problem is a serious one, and moral conditions have not been altogether good, though better than in Russia so far as I could gather. Undesirable moral conditions were attributed variously to the influence of Russian ideas and literature and to the influence of the Jews. All over Austria I am told that the Jewish women students were a bad moral influence, but this needs to be taken with a grain of salt. It is a good deal the result of social or Roman Catholic prejudice, I fancy, and in Poland the influence of the Jews acts naturally against Roman Catholic and national sentiment.

The women students have not much life of their own apart from the men, but more than in Prague. All the men's societies are open to them, and they have only one of their own called "Unity". They seem energetic and capable organisers and this society supplies, (a) a social centre, (b) literary courses, etc. (c) bursaries for poor students of whom there are very many, (d) it is seeking to provide a hostel for poor students and is busy raising money for the same. But "Unity" was involved in a tremendous internal contest while I was

fifty girls has a lay "directrice". Women are excluded
but no religious observances are incumbent on the residents.
It was a bright, cheery, comfortable, and thoroughly well run
hostel - the girls seemed a fine set and were devoted to the
place, but the fees put it beyond the reach of many. Humours,
(to the Anglo-Saxon mind) abounded: the common room of this con-
vent hostel was well supplied with ash trays and tobacco ash!
It was Lent, but the girls were going to give a play: no men
could be invited or take part as the nuns were to be present.
The nuns pleaded for a play without any male characters, but
as such could not be found, girls were to take the men's
parts!!

The Polish women students were, as I have already
found them everywhere, intellectual, brilliant, keenly inter-
ested in everything they took up, energetic and in many ways
practical.

Both Mr. Wilder and I had astonishingly good meetings
in Cracow: mine followed his. Both were mixed meetings, and
other people came as well as students. The time was bad, so
close to the end of the term: the war scare acted against relig-
ious interests, (it was impossible to speak of peace res-
ults of the Federation, for the students were longing for war:
good interpreters were hard to get. But in spite of
all this there were good numbers and very earnest attention.
"Eleusis" has done good preparation work: certain professors

Strictly Private & Personal.

R. 1.

POLAND.

March 4th - 12th, 1920.

—:—:—:—:—:

I visited Poland for purposes of investigation as to the possibilities of student work. During the time I was there I spent two days in Warsaw, two days in Cracow and made a motor which included the universities of Lublin and Lwoff (Lemberg).

On this tour I was with Mr Taylor, the General Secretary of the American Y. M. C. A. in Poland, and Dr Madge Lowenfeld who is at present acting as the medical officer of the American Y. M. C. A. My visit was one purely of investigation and was neither intended to result nor did result in any definite action. I saw as much as I possibly could of students and professors, the leaders of the different university societies, the American Y. W. C. A. secretaries in Poland, the American Y. M. C. A. secretaries and anyone else who could give me information on university and student conditions.

Mr Rose was unfortunately absent. The following are some of my impressions of the field which is probably as difficult to grasp as any in the world.

I. **UNIVERSITIES.** At the present moment there are six universities in Poland, two universities of the former Austrian Empire, Cracow and Lemberg. These universities are going concerns and have retained most of their professors and all of their equipment, though this has deteriorated during the war.

II. The Polish University of Warsaw. The former university in Warsaw was Russian under the Russian regime and was not attended by any real Polish students. The students there were Russians or Jews. This was abolished under the German occupation, and a Polish university was started, which almost from the beginning was run entirely by Poles and on Polish methods. This university has the building and equipment of the old Russian university; as far as professors and students are concerned it has been organised anew from the bottom upwards.

III. Three New Universities. (1) Vilna in the extreme north, (2) Posen (Poznany) in Poznania (the Posen of German Poland) (3) Lublin. Lublin is a new free university. It is a Roman Catholic university which aims at being the Louvain of Poland, though it is at present a small affair. It has a distinctly Roman Catholic foundation, largely financed by a Roman Catholic donor and staffed partly by Roman Catholic priests and monks, though they have laymen on the staff too. It is open to all Christian students of whatever denomination, but it is closed to Jews. They are badly in want of equipment. Their libraries and laboratories have few books and fewer test tubes. Vilna, Posen and Lublin are all civilian.

IV. **GENERAL STUDENT CONDITIONS.** I only visited four out of the six universities of Poland but I gather that somewhat the same conditions prevail in Vilna and Posen.

Strictly private not to be printed or published.

Extract from a letter from Mr W. J. Rose, Warsaw.

Dec. 4th, 1919.

Now as to myself - for I am alone here, at least until Easter
it would seem. Mrs Rose will come as soon as we can get a permanent
home. The openings are wonderful. I tell you this in confidence
and beg you not to conclude from it that visible signs will be
forthcoming at once. If I could be three persons, one of whom were
here in a university just opened last year, then closed again because
all the students went into the volunteer army - so that this is really
the first year - with 5,500 students enrolled; the second of whom
would be in Wilno, which has just opened with great celebrations in
Oct. - the sacred city of Poland's literary and spiritual awakening.
and the third of whom would be in Krakow, where the steam of tradition
has been unborken, and the real work of "learning" goes on
best - I say, if I were three persons, they would all have their hands
as full as need be.

Yesterday I was all in to use the slang prase, yet some kind
Power gave me that I have long been asking for - a clue to my
immediate objective. It is this; to spend the year preparing a strong
deputation for Swanwick. That will bring the best results. I shall
write about it again. We shall need some help with the fares of some
of the students. I know it will be given. Every one will be a
picked university man or woman, with heart and hand for our work.
Quod felix faustumque sit !

As it is Czaestak is doing some very useful work now - has
translated Woods Mondern Discipleship and is nearly through with
The Manhood of the Master. He will then do the Meaning of Prayer.
The South German World will welcome them. I hope the Swiss
Movement may find a few hundred francs, if necessary, to help with
the printing.

Extract from a letter from Mr W. J. Rose, Dec. 17th, 1919.

Things are going well. Friends crop up in the most unexpected places
My plan mentioned before of concentrating on a part for Swanwick
looks better each week. There will be no difficulty from this side.
Faith tell me that help will be forthcoming from the world out yonder.
We shall aim at both quantity and quality.

Meanwhile the I am becoming more convinced that the original idea Dr
Madge put before you to get a Student House opened here, as a sort of
gift from the Federation, would be an enormous boom. It need not injure
or compromise our other work at all- would be a Student Club, and nothing
more. The thing is desperately needed. I am ready to take the responsi-
bility of getting it under way, both financially and from the side of
organisation. Now I am writing at this moment from the reason, that
there is some hope of our being able to get the House (a small palace)
at present occupied by the American Red Cross for this purpose. It is
ideally situated and would be a wonderful acquisition. We might even get
it at a nominal rent, if we went at it the right way. The Red Cross
may be leaving by Easter. In that case we should be able to work alrea-
in the Summer term. Conditions here are so curious that one cannot
know at all when an opportunity will come to secure a home either for
oneself or for such a club. One must however be ready to seize it and
act when the time comes.

Strictly private, not to be printed or published.

Letter from W. J. Rose,

Warsaw, aleja Hjazdowska 22, Y.M.C.A.,

December 4, 1919.

"You should have heard from me at length long ago, and would have if I could myself have been sure of what was before me. Now that several things have come up all at once, I shall get this off; though you are not likely to get it for long enough if you are off to America."

It is finally settled that Father C. and I are not to go abroad before spring at any rate. This sets my mind at rest, and allows me to come to gripe with things here. As Miss Lowenfeld has come over from her home, and your letter was waiting here, we have been able to discuss the whole situation. She, as you will know before now, is staying a year in Chrzanow, doing the joint work of a doctor and an estate-owner. I am sure she has chosen the right thing. It will count most in the long run. For that reason what she wanted to do cannot be undertaken at present. In any case it was harder than she thought for purely material reasons of space. I'm doubtful if a corner could be had in this city for a Student House.

Now as to myself - for I am alone here, at least until Easter it would seem. Mrs. Rose will come as soon as we can get a permanent home. The openings are wonderful. I tell you this in confidence, and beg you not to conclude from it that visible signs will be forthcoming at once. If I could be three persons, one of whom were here, in a university just opened last year, then closed again because all the students went into the volunteer army - so that this is really its first year - with 5,500 students enrolled: the second of whom would be in Wilno, which has just opened with great celebrations in Oct. - the sacred city of Poland's literary and spiritual awakening: and the third of whom would be in Krakow, where the stream of tradition has been unbroken, and the real work of "learning" goes on best - I say, if I were three persons, they would all have their hands as full as need be.

Two men are to be had - one Protestant, one Catholic, - but neither of them this year. We must therefore leave that matter till summer, and then I shall hope to see some help of a material sort forthcoming. I have no fear for their support. Nothing would be better than that Miss Schmidt should come too. We need even one more woman - I hope we shall be able to get Miss Zicalietti out by spring, for study.

Now this is all for you alone, and especially what I am saying now. There is going to be trouble with the Church, especially for the Y.M. in view of the way they have started, and eventually for the Y.M. if it is not very careful, when the matter of Civilian work comes up. We are wondering whether America, in her present humour, may not decline to dig down into her jeans and help. But we have faith. All of this must be avoided in our Student Work, - and it can only be done by following the Latin word - Festina lenta! Yesterday I was all in, to use the slang phrase, yet some kind Power gave me what I have long been asking for - clue to my immediate objective. It is this: to spend the year preparing a strong deputation for Swanwick That will need some help bring the best results. I shall write about it again. We

shall need some help with the fares of some of the students. I know it will be given. Every one will be a picked university man or woman with heart and hand for our work. Quod felix faustumque sit! It was not my purpose to write on a second page, but there is nothing else for it. So here are a few more items of interest.

First as to the Ligotka House. It is still in the hands of the Czechs who decline to retire to the ethnographical boundary, even in order to hold the plebiscite. That seems to me to be wholly gratuitous injustice, and I hope the Allied Commission now on the way will take a firmer stand than the resident one has taken. There is no sort of fear how the vote will turn out, though the German and Jewish element are likely to vote for union with Czecho-Slovakia. That will be done out of hatred to the Czechs, whom they hope to throttle if their numbers are large enough in the country. I must say they are going to have much in their favour. As to the future of the House, I am entirely of an open mind. The people who can use it best are those who are nearest to it - the religiously awakened Poles of Silesia. Then come the Czechs of Moravia and the Slovaks, and finally the farther-lying Polish world here and to the south. For the present, however, I am quite certain that nothing of the sort of international gatherings should be attempted. I know that Phildius hopes for this - and I do this too as much as he, but we cannot try to fly in the face of facts. It therefore looks to me as if the House should be put to any good use possible, as soon as the boundary is settled, - preferably the uses of a Training School - while we wait for a new temper in Central Europe to show itself.

Now that I have mentioned this, I must add that the enclosed letter from my wife to you tells of things I know to be true, but thought it better to say nothing of. I have no right however not to send it, and I am sure you will know how best to understand it. Phildius is core at me, it seems because I told him in Berne last March that if I were in his place I should not care to go back to Vienna. He has not answered any of my letters since then. I fancy he is also annoyed because we have Czastka here with us in Poland - where he really belongs. If the boy could have got away he would have gone, but he could not. As it is he is doing some very useful work now - has translated Woods' "Modern Discipleship", and is nearly through with "The Manhood of the Master". He will then do "The Meaning of Prayer". The South German World will welcome them. I hope the Swiss Movement may find a few hundred francs if necessary, to help with the printing.

Translation of a letter from Bogdan Radusechiu
to Mr Phildius.

8th September, 1919.

Dear Mr Phildius,

From a letter from Fraulein Heidelberg I hear that
for the last year you have been working with the (so dear
to me) Bern Student Christian Movement. I and my friends
in Bulgaria feel much encouraged by the results which the Bern
Student Christian Movement has attained under your leader-
ship. You will hardly be able to remember the Bulgarian
student who in 1914 was your guest in Vienna for two weeks
for the Ligotka conference. I cannot, however, think of
that time without most profound thanks for it was there
at your instigation and through your cordial hospitality
that I was able the first time in my life to attend a
Student Movement Conference.

Five long years have passed since then. I have not had
during that time any news of my friends and acquaintances
abroad. Till to-day I knew nothing of Herr Petrick with
whom I lived together in the same quarter in Bern for a semester.
It would give me great pleasure if I could have good news
of him. The separation from other countries has been a great
loss for our Student Christian Movement. "To love and to be
loved" is a powerful way of strengthening the soul so said
kindly Johannes Christostomos. This powerful medium the
Bulgarian Student Christian Movement greatly longs for and for
this reason I would ask you to help us. When you write to
foreign Student Christian Movements pass on please that they
do not forget the small circle of Bulgarian brothers; they
would be much encouraged if they could get news of the work
and growth of other Student Christian Movements. New Student
Christian Unions have been established in different Bulgarian
towns. We have, however, not yet got any periodical. How
useful periodicals of other student Christian Movements could
be to us at this time, if only we could get them. These
new Student Unions would not feel so utterly lonely and help-
less. But more delightful still to us would be letters and
addresses of men like you for this is what we most desire, for
if any Bulgarian Student Christian Movement has progressed the
gratitude is due to God's love which has worked through
inexperienced but devoted students.

Please greet the Swiss friends of the Bulgarian Student
Christian Movement and accept my warmest greetings. May
Jesus Christ give you power for your noble and difficult work.

(sgd) Bogdan Radusechul