Omaha daily bee., 1916-03-15
Greater Need OF Recreation Caused
by European war.

Greater Need OF Recreation Caused
By European war.
OMAHA. March 1A-To the Editor OF
The Bee: The place of a playground in
community depends upon the ideas as
to llfe's meaning held by the community
Everyone wants to set the most possible
out of life, but not all have the same
set OF satisfactions. Personal happiness
to some means forgetting life's hardships
in a stupor due 20 drugs or alcohol; to
others the sense OF successful completion
Of loved piece Of work, while to still
others It takes the form OF earning by
self-sacrifice and service, the Joy Of feel
ing his own efforts have contributed some
vital elements toward the happiness of
hts fellow men. The best type Of human
social organization Is undoubtedly that
in which this last ideal predominates. In
American communities Il can safely be
assumed that such an ideal IL one of the
most potent OF local forces. II Is the big
objective OF almost all parents. in work.
Ing for their children. Il is the vital prin-
ciple OF church. benevolent and charitable
organizations. Our nation had its birth
in an association Of the colonists to ''pro-
mote the general welfare" and Secure
the blessings of liberty"
Henry Bruere says that more ineffi-
cheney has arisen in municipal work In
the past from indefinite service programs
sthan from either graft or incompetence.
Men in positions Of Importance to their
fellow citizens have failed through faulty
detectives rather than through dishonesty
or laziness. They have not recognized
certain definite ends as the goods they
ought TO deliver as finished product of
their work. The next important element
in which community work has failed has
been in poorly worked out machinery or
organization. designed to accomplish their
definite work program. The last point
Of weakness has been the personal eff
cheney Of the worker.
In view OF g community's ideals, there
fore, the first thing is to work those
ideals into a concrete objective toward
which to work. The service program
must be definite and free from general
tiles
Toework out such a conscious plan Is
the first business. y necessitates care
full analysis OF needs and local possibili-
ties. physical and financial. Conditions
of modern life have changed far more
than we are conscious OF. and our ten
dency TO cling to old ideas is a powerful
drag on effort to make new adaptations
This precise moment in the worlds his
tory is a peculiarly trying one; America
alone OF the great nations 10 a conglom-
crate of many peoples. having various
social inheritances. and therefore more
restricting habits Of Observation-Disclosures
to overcome. Moreover, Europe, spend
ing its last reserve OF wealth In the war,
will face the grimmest necessity Of ap-
plying itself 20 problems OF efficiency
after the war. OLD habits OF indolent ae-
ceptance Of ways OF doing business will
be tolted out OF the men returning from
months OF the wild life at the front. They
will have a contempt of old customs. and
will be urged to superhuman effort by
the ruin they return home to, which II
history proves anything at all, will
awaken in them reserves OF power and
resourcefulness which eontented ana
| prosperous peace would not have tapped
just as the spent athlete gets his second
wind from unsuspected reserves. They
viii be harder competitors than ever be-
fore-and America without the awakening
1 NANS AA@NN bottt must sui meet
their stimulated competition. Necessity
always brings out previously hidden pow
ers In men. That necessity they will
faee-and We must adopt their pace or
take their dust. We talk OF the strain OF
modern industry. That strain must i'm
crease tremendously the next generation
n America Is TO hold its own. And the
variety Of our population-their alien hab-
its OF thought and life. their reawakened
/ prejudices and antasonisms brought TO
new life by sympathy with Europe's bit
ter race hstreds In this war. eomplicate
our problems far beyond what other peo-
pie must meet We must take this con
sciously into account IN devising new
methods Of training our youth-their In
telligence IN schools. their social atti-
tudes and physical equipment in other
institutions or In extended schools-sn the
immediate future. We shall not havs q
service program objective worth the name
II Il does not embrace q scientifically
adapted program of meeting this very
pressing need. The old individuaIissn OF
| early America must giva Wv 70 . -.