establishment and other communities, slowly gave way, and to-day all evangelical Christians extend to each other the right hand of fellowship and often work together for the evangelization of the people. We are reaping that which we sowed. To-day the great National Church of our different cantons interests itself in our work, and participates in it. Invariably when we hold a general assembly or annual festival, churches and town halls are placed at our disposal, magistrates accept our invitations, speak at our meetings, and encourage us to persevere.

Our Swiss associations have also contributed to the wellbeing of the country by drawing the different classes of society into closer contact. Sons of bankers, of merchants and clerks; house owners and tenants; employers and employees, make one another's acquaintance by working together for Jesus Christ; they come little by little to understand and love one another, and their previous prejudices disappear. And when later on they meet in the conflicts of public life, it is in the light of the gospel that they consider them, often arriving at a peaceful solution; mistrust, hatred, abuse, calumny, give place to a calm and intelligent study of the questions under discussion.

Several of our associations have to-day gained a position, which if faithful to their trust, will enable them to exert an ever-increasing moralizing influence upon the country. Foremost among these is the association at the Chaux-deFonds. Our valiant association in this center of industry in the Neuchâtel mountain district, is to the front in every good cause. It is to it that appeal is made to carry through such popular petitions as those against the state protection of houses of ill-fame, or against the circulation of immoral literature and other like social evils. It has a special organization by means of which it is able to consult the entire population in the space of two or three days. It has already undertaken ten campaigns of the character above mentioned, and has thus gained well-merited popularity. The authorities respect, utilize and lend an ear to it. It is a force which has to be taken into account. It overcomes evil with good. Twenty-four years ago this association numbered fifty members; today it numbers four hundred.

Statistics. The following are the comparative figures for the past six years:

Groups
Associations
Active Members
Boys' Branches

Boys

Secretaries
Buildings

1894

1900

ASIA

CHINA

I. Work for European Young Men. The first Young Men's Christian Association organized in China was composed of European young men living in the port of Shanghai. It is difficult to determine the exact date when this work began (probably somewhere in the later seventies) and it has had an intermittent existence from that time until merged into the present larger and more comprehensive organization. In its earlier days there was a lack of lay leadership, the work being largely dependent upon the missionaries, and this fact unfortunately prejudiced a large class of young men against the organization. While it is believed that many young men were helped during these years, yet it is to be regretted that at times the association lapsed into little more than a religious debating society with agnostic and even skeptical tendencies. With such odds against it we are not surprised that the association was several times disbanded; yet the fact that it was always again resuscitated is proof that no other organization seemed adapted to fill its place. Also the failure of the work as it had been carried on emphasized the importance of wise general supervision and the need of a trained man to give his whole time to the local leadership. In the fall of 1899 the International Committee assigned Robert E. Lewis to the Shanghai field, and plans were at once made for a thorough reorganization. The young men themselves became interested, the cooperation of the leading European merchants was secured, and a good sum of money was pledged by the residents, payable annually for four years, with a view to thoroughly testing the possibilities of such an organization. A four-story building was leased for this period, nearly two hundred members joined the association, Dr. H. G. Barrie-a Canadian secretary who had done excellent service in the army work in South Africa-was called to the general secretaryship, and the work began at once to commend itself to the warm interest of the best citizens of Shanghai.

A work similar to that in Shanghai is contemplated in Hong-kong, where the field and opportunities are very much the same. Walter J. Southam, the representative of the International Committee in that city, is encouraged to believe that a strong work can soon be organized there.

In 1894 a Young Men's Christian Association for European young men was organized in Hankow. The work is

carried on only during the winter months, and thus far those reached have been of the sea-faring class. Although there has been no employed secretary at this point, large numbers of young men have been brought under the influence of the organization.

A very effective work for soldiers and sailors was carried on by R. E. Lewis during the earlier stages of the Boxer war in North China, and later by Robert R. Gailey at Tientsin and Dr. J. M. Phipps at Peking. The work at Tientsin during the winter of 1900-01 was especially fruitful and was greatly appreciated.

II. Work for Chinese Students. The most prominent phase of the work for Chinese young men is that which is carried on among the students. As early as 1885 a student association was organized in the Anglo-Chinese College at Foochow. A year or two later one was formed in the North China College at T'ungchou, near Peking. A little later one was formed in the Hangchow College at Hangchow. Still others were organized, but only the three named were able to survive the disintegrating influences of isolation and ignorance as to methods. These three associations had no knowledge even of each other's existence, and in each case depended chiefly upon the help of some foreign professor who had been in touch with the work in North America.

During the year 1896 John R. Mott, general secretary of the World's Student Christian Federation, made a tour of the colleges in China which resulted in the organization of twenty-two new student associations. The previous year the International Committee had sent D. Willard Lyon as its first representative to China, and he had organized an intercollegiate association among the government colleges in Tientsin; the association in North China College had grown into two-one having been formed in the Gordon Theological Seminary-so that the first of November, 1896, the student associations in China numbered twenty-seven. On the third and fourth of the same month a convention was held in Shanghai, attended by delegates from all but five of these associations, and a national organization, the "College Young Men's Christian Association of China," was formed. A second convention was held in May, 1899, attended by one hundred and two delegates, of whom fiftyfour were Chinese, coming from nine different provinces and from twenty-four colleges. Of these fifty-four, nineteen were professors, three pastors, thirty students, and two business men.

At this convention the following statistics were reported (on account of the recent troubles the work is temporarily disorganized at some points, and it has been impossible to secure later statistics which are accurate):—

Total number student associations,

44

student associations organized during year,
students in colleges where associations exist,

Total number these students who are professing Christians,

students uniting with church past year,

Chinese teachers in colleges where associations exist,
these teachers who are professing Christians,
active members in associations,

44

II

4,700

1,350

90

250

115

1,300

620

600

members purposing to give their lives to proclaim-
ing the gospel,

230

These figures bring to light the following interesting facts:

(1) That the average number of students in a college is about one hundred. This means that the association movement has been anchored in the colleges of China in the infancy of their existence. With such a start it should be able to keep pace with the sure growth of the colleges, and thus be a strong factor in stemming the tide of infidelity and skepticism which sooner or later is sure to deluge this empire. (2) That forty per cent of the students in these colleges are either active or associate members of the associations. (3) That twenty-nine per cent of the students in these colleges are professing Christians. (4) That practically all of the professing Christians in the colleges are active members of the associations. (5) That forty-six per cent of the Chinese teachers in these colleges are professing Christians. (6) That nearly half of the active members observe the Morning Watch." (7) That eighteen per cent of the active members purpose giving their lives to proclaiming the gospel.

The only colleges in which associations have as yet been organized are those which have been founded under foreign influence, and in which the teaching is along lines approved of by Western nations. Most of these colleges are under missionary control, but some are under government management. The number of students in all these modern colleges is very small in comparison with the multitudes of young men who are studying constantly in preparation for the triennial examinations held by the Chinese government. This large class of young men is practically untouched by any Christian agency; it constitutes a legitimate field for the association; it has appropriately been called the Gibraltar of the student world.

III. Work for Chinese Young Men in Business. Early in 1899 a Chinese association for young men in business was organized by Mr. Lewis in Shanghai. It occupies a rented building of thirteen rooms in a central location. Over four hundred young men were members during 1900. Its budget of $1,667 (gold) was secured entirely in Shanghai. Thirty-six religious meetings were held with an

average attendance of thirty-four; thirty-four lectures had an average attendance of one hundred and nine; the educational department conducted during seven months of the year enrolled one hundred and forty-two members. The active membership numbered fifty; membership fee, six dollars (gold).

In the spring of 1901 the first steps were taken towards organizing an association in Hong Kong for Chinese business young men. On account, however, of the appearance of the plague in that colony, it was found impracticable to complete the work of organization. Mr. Southam reports that the prospects for a strong work as soon as the plague subsides are excellent. He has gathered about him a group of spendid young fellows who will form the working nucleus of the new organization.

In Tientsin a beginning has been made by Mr. Gailey towards reaching this class, although thus far there has been no organization separate from the one for students. In the reorganization called for by the changed conditions brought on by the recent war it is evident that greater prominence must be given to work for this class. In nearly

all of the port cities of China there is opportunity for similar work. The cities most in need of secretaries to man such a work at once are Hankow, Peking, Foochow, and Amoy.

The

The destiny of China depends upon her young men. The reform party is composed chiefly of young men. martyrs to progress, who sealed their testimony with their blood in the fall of 1898, were young men. The old men are bound hand and foot by tradition and official obligation; to the young men we must look for the courage to break away from the past and carve out a new destiny for China. As an organization the Young Men's Christian Association has the opportunity to mold the opinions and lives of many of China's best young men. May the opportunity be recognized and the obligation be faithfully met.

D. WILLARD LYON.

INDIA AND CEYLON

The history of the Young Men's Christian Association in India divides itself into two principal periods. The first began with the starting of the earliest association in 1870, and extended through two decades to the arrival of the first general secretary sent to India, who landed December 29, 1889. This was the period of introduction during which there was no supervision and no concert of action.

Two chief factors operated to bring the associations into existence. The first appeared in the far south, where