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Report on the Rochester Convention. The first session of the recent quad rennial convention of Student Volun teers, international, convened Decem ber 29th, in Rochester, N. Y., at 3 o'clock p. n. The convention was presided over by John R. Mott, presi dent of the Students' Volunteer Move ment. From the very beginning of the convention, the great convention hall, capable of seating something like eight thousand people, was simply crowded. The first of the routine of excellent speakers to address the convention was Mr. George Eddy, known as far as missionary work is known. His sub ject was, "Is our Christianity worth pi.opagat4on?' Mr. Eddy aseems to have been born not only a speaker, but also a reasoner. More conclusive reason could not be set forth than that advanced by him to reach the final conclusion that our Christianity is worth propagation. The other speaker at this session was the noted Robt. E. Speer, on the subject, "Jesus Christ can meet all our needs." There are two men known and loved throughout the student world; they are Robert E. Speer and John R. Mott. J ~When Robt. E:. Speer rose in this great convention hall, on December '2c 29th, last, and many of us who had felt his influence and knew his power, c3 although we had never seen the man ch before, looked upon him, we saw a man that anyone would love to model his life after. Mr. Speer is not a preacher; he is a speaker, and before he finished his speech on this first day of the convention,' he raised the con vention spirit to high tide. The principal speaker at the eve ning session of the first day was Arthur J. Brown, who presented very vividly the "Mission needs in India." Mr. Brown told of the low, degenerate life in India. He told us of the ignor ance, suffering, and cruelty existing. He told us about the few mission fields that have been worked up in India, then lie compared the life lived in these fields and territories with the life lived in the many, many fields where no missionaries had gone. The comparison was indeed convincing. Tlie morning session of the second day was given over to the report of Mr. John R. Mott, Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Student Volunteer Movement. Since the or ganization of the Student Volunteer Movement, in 1886, more than four thousand volunteers have sailed for foreign fields, and students are now contributing $127,000 towards mis sionary objects. The watchword of the movement is, "The evangelization of the world in this generation ;" the plan or object of the movenment is ful fillment of this watchword. John R. Mott has, perhaps,'a more potent and beneficent influence over students than any other man living todlay, and to conic in touch with him is an extreme ly rare treat. Even in nmaking his report, he makes an impression on you that sticks, and benefits. It would make this report too elab orat to try to dwell at any length on every speech and every speaker. Suf fice it to say, that there were always good speeches and good speakers. We would like miuch space to dwell at length on the speeches of I-on. James J. Brime Ambassadrin from Enand,r1 Mr. J. L. Murray, Educational Sec retary of Student Volunteer Move ment, Dr. J. E. Boxworth, Dean of Oberlin Theological Seminary, Guy von Aldrich, Traveling Secretary of Skudlents' volunteer Movement, Mr. E. H. Marling, Bishop E. R. Hen dricks, and others of like calibre. There are one or two others who de mand special mention also. Robt. E. Speer delivered a touching and con vincing address on the missionary needs of South America. For a solid hour some seven thousand delegates listened breathlessly to this wonderful man as lie dwelt on the condition an(l needs along missionary lines in South America. The appalling needs of this continent were presented in a con vincing manner. He, as indeed, all missionaries home from foreign fields, told of ignorance, cruelty and woe, and told of the remedies that mission aries are bringing about, and of the need for more workers in the field. It, his speech, gave us an insight that we had not seen before, in what mission needs really are, and how easy the remedy really is if only Christendom will- get behind the matter with the spirit and with the vim. Yet another speaker deserving spe cial mention was Dr. S. M. Zwemes, missionary to Arabia. He depicted the fallacies of the Mohammedan faith. He told of the degraded con dition of the Moslem women. He gave us an insight into the rigid, cruel, void lives of the Mohammedans. Dr. Zwemes has written several books on the condition of affairs in the Near East, with which region he is perfectly familiar. The climax of the convention came on Sunday night at the final session of the convention when the student vol unteers, who are going to set sail within the next twelve months-nine ty-six in number-stood tip before the convention and in a few select words told us where they were going, and why they were going. Some, espe cially of the women, were going to be home-makers for some one they loved who are laboring in. the foreign fields, but the majority of them were going because they had heard, the call, "Come over and help us." They are making a noble sacrifice in responding. Such was the convention, briefly given, but perhaps we might summar ize with profit to you: especially as to the Student Volunteer Movement. 'TIhe statements are: The Student Volunteer Movement is not a missionary board, but an un denominational recruiting agency, and has in the past twenty years furnished over four thousand men and women wvho have gone to the foreign fields. It concentrates its wvork on the col leges, universities andl professional. schools, seeking to p)resent the world as a field for Christian service. Its aims are: First-To educate the student - bodies of North America in a broad viewv of missionary history, motives, p)roblems and present dlay conditions, laying special stress on existing critical conditions in the Orient. Second-To presen.t the students the foreign field as a p)lace of unsur passed opportunity for Christian ser vice. Thirdl-TIo help students in .their p)rep)aration for foreign service and to FATI Mq 0 20 for Glee Club-sweet m plenty of fun-with 1 a comforting smoke < Fine Tui blended, two yean In a ne, c '' package, cigarette,, THE A F. W. WAGENER & CO. 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