The Washington herald., 1921-04-22
LILLIAN RUSSELL
URGES DRAMATICS
IN SCHOOL COURSE
Community Center Con-
ference Hears Noted
Actress Views.

Establishment of community cen
ters in schoolhouses. municipal and
! community buildings throughout
! the country will accelerate Amer
iIanization work, increase educa-
tion in health and morals. and re-
duce crime. in the opinion of speak
ers who delivered addresses before
the opening session of the National
Conference on the Community Cen
ter, held in Central High Schooi
last light.
The conference was called for the
purpose of improving the commu-
nifty center movement in this coun-
try by T. P. Claxton, United States
Commissioner of Education. Ses-
sions will be held today and tomor-
row, with the evening meeting to-
day at the Central High School and
the day and Saturday meetings al
the Thomson School.
1000 Attend Sessions.
Upward of 1000 community CEN
ter representatives from all sec
tions of the country were in at
tendance at the opening of the con-
ference.
Views en- the need for the conduct
of community centers on a larger
scale were expressed by p. p. Clax-
ton, Or. Abram Simon, president OF
the Washington Board of Educa-
tion: Miss Cecil 3 Norton. general
secretary of the Washington Com
munity Centers: Brig. Gen. DR.
Charles E. Sawyer. Mrs. Lillian Rus
sell Moore and Edward J. Ward.
Justice Frederick l. Siddons. presi-
dent Of the Community Center Or
Ganization Board. presided.
The schoolhoUse should be made
the capital of our democracy. the
center of education. physical i'm
provement and entertainment" said
Commissioner Claxton. opening the
conference. The social center, or
community center. should be ex-
tended to every part of this coun-
try.
The people Of a community must
have some place where they can
tind amusement. education. physical
upbuild and cooperation All OF
these will he made possible by 4
more general use of the community
center movement. and it is in the
hope that this may he made possi-
BILE that this conference for the ex-
charge Of ideas was called"
After reCountinE the community
center activities in this city, during
which, he pointed out. that there
were at present twenty Centers in
operation. Dr. Abrams said: "Ev-
cry school should be made a minia
ture republic where the activities
Of the community are centered. The
quicker this method is adopted the
better for the future Of this coun-
try"
DIR. sawyer Is speaker.
Brig Gen. DR.. Charles T.. Sawyer
explained the method he used in es-
tablishing a Community Club in the
rural section of Marion County,
You are creating an American
spirit and making better men and
women; therefore. your responsible
ity Is as great as that of the Presi-
dent of this country ANY move
ment that makes for better physical.
mental and moral men and women
will have the earnest support of
this government"
LDdian Russell Speaks.
Every school. public or private,
should have in its employ a dra-
matte instructor" said Mrs. Lillian
Russell Moore. The cultivation of
the dramatic ability creates "A vivid
imagination, and Imagination will
make for better citizens. II the
criminal were imaginative and could
visualize the results Of his crime, 1
am certain that he would not COM
nit them"
Mrs. Moore explained at length the
work which has been carried on in
the slums of New York and the
benefit to tine children and parent $
that resulted from this work. She
declared that the greatest medium
for the fostering of Americanization
was the production of weIl-chosen
dramas, as they are an education
for the player and the hearer.
Never before in the history of
this country has the public been
called upon more forcibly to uphold
the laws Of the land than during
this period of reconstruction" said