India and the Work of E. C. Carter

Mr. C. A. R. Janvier, Princeton '80, of Philadelphia, gave a lecture on "India" in Phillips Brooks House last night. After a description of the general physical characteristics of the country, and of the intellectual and moral condition of the people, Mr. Janvier gave an account of the three great movements or crises of the present day in India, the social change in the breaking down of caste, the movement away from the old religions into agnosticism or atheism, and the political awakening stimulated by the success of Japan. He referred to the work of the Y. M. C. A., which is under the general charge of E. C. Carter '00, with whom he was associated in India, as one of the great forces for the regeneration and development of the country through her students and young men.

Carter has been in India since 1902. There are now in the Empire under his supervision 114 general and student Young Men's Christian Associations, with an aggregate membership of nearly 10,000 men and boys. The work is intensely practical and strong associations with gymnasiums, athletic fields, libraries, restaurants, and educational as well as religious work, have been developed in the great cities, such as Calcutta, Bombay, Madras, Bangalore, and Rangoon. The Calcutta Association has 12 secretaries, 1100 members, and 8 branch buildings for Europeans, Indians, and Eurasians, including a boys' building and four hotels for students. The board of Directors includes the Governor of Bengal, the Mayor of Calcutta, the Canon of the Anglican Cathedral, the minister of the Scottish Church, the Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce, the scientific officer of the Indian Tea Association, the manager of the Remington Typewriter Company, the head of the leading law firm, the Comptrolled of the Imperial post-offices, the manager of the largest publishing house, and two representatives of large commercial houses.

The first association for railway men in the Orient was opened a year ago this month at Jamalpur, a city of 75,000 on the East Indian railway: and during the last year work has been started also in behalf of the army, at Madras, for example, cheap suppers being served to an average of about 140 soldiers every night. Many of the associations provide facilities for tennis, etc., and some of the Association cricket and football teams are among the best in India.

In Ceylon, the Colombo association has a new building, and there as in many other places, the work is supported by Buddhists, Parsees, and Hindus as well as by Christians. Two prominent Hindus stated recently that "the Association restaurant has done more to break down caste in Southern India than any other agency, the Madras Railway not excepted."