IN THE POWER-HOUSE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 280, 7 August 1909, Page 13

IN THE POWER-HOUSE.

OF THE Y.M.C.A.

(By H. T. B. Deew.)

Packed away in a tightly-fitting encasement the .mainspring of a watch is never soon, though tho prying eye notes'how the escapement feels its effect; the thump of the screw of tho. ocean-liner is prolonged across oceans by.tho engines which work so unostentatiously out of the way of the gold lace and saloon frescoes*; we see tho brilliant. illuminations of tho cities and Hhe. movement of the trams, 1 but the machinery that'supplios the power for the movement is working out of sight in some obscure location; and similarly it is not surprising to come across tho mainspring, the motive power,-of that very vast machine—the Y.M.C.A.—-ob-; scurely buried away in one of the smallest countries of tho world—in a little humblo office suite, half the size even of its farthest away New Zealand buildings, in Geneva, Switzerland. ; _ • '-■ : ',.' It was my privilege to be able to'enter the offices with a letter of introduction to the secretary (Mr. Charles Fermand); from the Minister for Education for New Zealand. - The attendant: on tho first floor, could only speak French, but directed me upstairs. The next.attendant accosted sent me on further, in broken' English, So I roamed about a little over the rooms, and saw nothing that was different from branches of the institution in other parts of the. world.'' Young fellows: were about the place. reading land writingand.smoking, eto. Then I found Mr. Fermand—or rather his office, for Mr.,'.Fermand bad gone on a little journey into. Armenia'. This information was given as if the trip was merely over; the French frontier, where Christians were not murdered periodically by Turks. So I was introduced to a joint secretary with' Mr. Fermand, '■' Mr. C. Phildius— but Mr. Phildius was just about to rise up from his desk fo catch his train south'on a run to Spain. It was tben'that one realised that ono was in tho power-houso. However, Mr. Phildius, managed to spare a.few. minutes fora brief interview and to ask one or two questions about far-away Now Zealand, where," he _ said,; his brother secretary on. a. recent visit had been so pleased with the work that'.had been- done. Mr. Fermand had.been some time'absent on the Armenian journey, but they, hoped for good results. The work. there was in the charge ofj-a young educated.native, who had had European; teaching'. It was in this way that a great deal of ; their pioneering work was done—im Japan, • for instance, ■ where the; present-day '• results were becoming v Bimply m-arvellous.

In America the association was progressing rapidly"in"its.'education-branches, -one school, for. instance,' giving, instruction in 97 subjects.' Yet another' very'.useful undertaking.; had. been; the'"collaring",'of young men emigrating from : Europo to America. Those young fellows, leaving all h6me influences, come rapidly undor tho • power of evil in .the "fast" trans-Atlantic' cities; and tho way / the socioty : wont j about tho work was to havo cards printed ■ containing seventeen different languages. Possessed 'of one these cards,' a. member boarded!emigrant ships at Italian; French; German,'; Holland, and ( Belgium : ports, ■ and, ,7 through: .'. this medium, got', into communication 1 with the men,.: and took their/names.;'' The, names' were then forwarded to Amerioa, .and'tho new arrivals were shadowed on their arrival, 'arid taken care of. This branch of work, and probable; ramifications, . relating to town andicountry. life, were to bo fully discussed at the coming World's that reminded Mr. Phildius 'of. this very important gathering;/and. that ho .had. only 'just completed his. share of preparations. ...•■:' • It .was to bo :opened on'.. July.2B ;in Barnien-Ebcrueld,. Germany. .'.Tho ' annual roport was, not..■ .'quite' ready.', owing to certain particulars not,having come to hand from Japan,' a .delay that had entailed the cost of sending a somewhat expensive, cablegram. Good progress would be shown'in tho' past year; tho: number of associations ,had.increased frour,7Bos .to .7823, the 'members from 800,573 to 821,209, the/buildings owned and occupied .by" associations from }069 to 1161,/ and/the ' approximate-.valuo 'of 'the'(buildings' from-221,997,140 francs to 250,038,200 .'francs. ; .Besides;' there, existed 2807 unaffiliated associations, with: 103,981 mombors. , In New Zealand, there ;<werq/12 associations, 2675 mombors, ;7. paid'-score-', taries,. and' 3 buildings owned by the association, tho value of .which .was':B62,ooo. francs.,-.- ; Mr-. Phildius then had to bid me good-bye and run, though this, was not the extent of his hospitality. '.' '. •; .'.■-..■ .-",,.'■".''. '•.-;'■".'

A natural "'obstacle in the way of an office which deals directly with branches in.almost every country in' the, worjj, branches governed byj the natives of tho countries themselves, is tho confusion; ;not of:tongues,; but of corresporidoucd. Tho thought, almost suggests romance. But, 'somehow,' the difficulty is 'overcome, l , mainly because the chief officer permanently on the promises at Geneva, is a scholar and a linguist.' Millions of letters in the last .few years havo been written and received from .various countries.; .Chiefly, however, French, English, and, Germaui-arq the.languages. used; 'Strange, to say, Esperanto does not ..recommend t itself, to'_. tliqso' who fill positions'of this ; kind, : though," I understand,'it had been. : tested. .

And; so I f oiind that beyond what, I have stated there was little more to interest, one in these central offices, besides, perhaps, a few. old' and valued photographs of past gatherings. There was little, or no surface show, no great central figure, like General Booth, to fire' the imagination. Tho machinery runs well, and runs smoothly, and is kept practically, out of sight. But' its results can.bo seen anywhere, almost—without tho aid.of a telescope. ; ,;. : '..'"..."'