1912 Watch Tower - A2Z.org

musical qualities.We visited the Y.M.C.A. in its new building. Welearned that its cost, $140,000, was subscribed in six days.It is conveniently arranged for its purposes. In the basementare bowling alleys; on the ground floor, the mainoffices, a cafe, a reading room, comfortable lounging seats,a room for checkers, chess and dominos, and quite alarge room for billiards. On the next floor above is thegymnasium, which is evidently one of the prominent features.Also on this floor is a large room for night schoolinstruction. Above the gymnasium, on the third floor,we understand, there is an auditorium, and also a smallroom on the first floor for class purposes. The building isin charge of very pleasant gentlemen, who treated uscordially.It is our opinion that the work in Hawaii is a goodone, viewed from the humanitarian standpoint, but an utterfailure viewed from the standpoint of Christianization.So far as we could discern, faith in the Redeeming bloodof Jesus, in His resurrection and in His coming Kingdomhave never been taught. But alas! this is becomingtoo true in Europe and America and amongst Christianpeople of all denominations. Only comparatively fewany longer sing understandingly, "In the Cross of ChristI glory."A gentleman who had resided in the city for forty-twoyears remarked that in his opinion the Hawaiians areretrograding, are less reliable, less temperate and lessmoral than they were twenty-five years ago.REPORT ON MISSIONARY WORK IN JAPANWe found the Japanese a very interesting people. Wetraveled nearly seven hundred miles through Japan, andvisited various cities aggregating four and a half millionsof population, which is about one-tenth of the entire populationof Japan. We found the people industrious, peace-loving,polite and kind to each other, and towards foreigners.Although our visit was in the holiday season, when,according to their custom, over indulgence in liquor wouldbe pardonable, nevertheless our entire party, scattered forthe purpose of wide observation, noted only twelve intoxicatedpersons, and three of these were Europeans. Parentallove and care were in evidence everywhere. We heardnot a harsh expression from parent to child, nor to anyone, and witnessed only one altercation, and it trivial.Everybody seemed industrious, minding his own business,and happy. Our united comment was, Would to God asfavorable conditions prevailed in Europe and America!We noted nothing resembling profanity, and upon inquirywere told that they use no profanity, and that their strongestexpression is "beka"--fool.We did not, however, conclude that the fretfulness,unhappiness, quarrelsomeness and rudeness and boisterousnessfrequently in evidence in Europe and Americaare attributable to Christianity. On the contrary, we surmised