Y.

At Helsingfors, cleanly capital of Finland, Y. M. C. A. workers from 52 different countries met as the World Alliance of National associations.

Negroes and Chinese raised the question of racial interminglings, heard no practical solution.

The boys' group asserted that secret diplomacy impeded the world peace movement; suggested also that males and females be really frank with each other.

A German delegate cried: "American Christians have been to God but returned to earth to do social work, while European Christians often remain with God." Aging* John R. Mott listened solemnly. He was there as general secretary of the International (U.S. and Canada) Y. M. C. A. also as its foreign secretary. (Besides he is chairman of the World Student Christian Federation which does similar work.) There was little surprise when he accepted the burden of the World Alliance presidency. An aged man looked on, nodded approval at Mr. Mott's selection. He was Rev. Richard Gary Morse,/- now 86 years old. Eleven years ago he had given over to Mr. Mott the general secretaryship of the International Y. M. C. A., the position he had filled for 46 years. He had assumed it in 1869. (London Merchant George Williams [1821-1905] founded the first Y. M. C. A. in 1844.) Said Mr. Morse after the Helsingfors meeting: "The first International Y. M. C. A. convention I attended was in 1872 in Amsterdam, and since then it has been a procession of progress. The one in Finland was the greatest of all, because we have been enticed by extreme youth. Men in their teens from nearly 50 nations participated, showing that we are really reaching the youth in our work."

* He was 61 May 25. /- His uncle was Samuel Finley Breese Morse (1791-1872), telegraph inventor.