Evening star., 1921-04-12
ton and to suggest favorable leg
iSlatiYo consideration

tion and to suggest favorable leg
islatiye consideration.
Governments obligation affirm
atively to encourage development
of the highest and most efficient
type Of citizenship is modernIy
accepted, almost universally Gov
eminent rests upon the body Of
citizenship; it cannot maintain it
self on a level that keeps 1t out
OF touch and understanding with
the community it serves. En-
lightened governments everywhere
recognize this and are giving
their recognition effect in policies
and programs Certainly no gov
ernment is more desirous than our
own to reflect the human attitude.
the purpose OF making better citi-
zens - physically. intellectually.
spiritually. To this end 1 am con-
vinced that such a department in
the government would be of real
value. 1t could be made to crystal
ike much of rather vague general
lzation about social justice into
solid accomplishment Events of
recent years have profoundly i'm
pressed thinking people with the
need to recognize new social
forces and evoautions to equip our
citizens for dealing rightly with
problems Of life and social order
Range Of Activities.
In the realms of education. pub
lie health, sanitation conditions
of workers in industry, child well
fare, proper amusement anu recre-
alton, the elimination Of social
vice, and many other subjects, the
government has already under
taken q. considerable range of ac-
tivities. assume the maternity
bill. already strongly approved,
will be enacted promptly, thus
adding to our manifestation Of
human interest But these under
takings have been scattered
through many departments and
bureaus without coordination and
with much overlapping of func-
tions. which fritters energies and
magnif1es the cost. Many subjects
of the greatest Importance are
handled by bureaus within gov
eminent departments which logic
ally have no apparent relation to
them Other subjects which might
we'll have the earnest considera-
tion of federal authority have
been neglected or inadequately
provided for. To bring these vari-
Gus activities together in q single
department. where the whole field
could be surveyed. and where
their inter-relationships could be
properly appraised. would make
for increased effectiveness, econ
omy and intelligence of direction
In creating such a department it
should be made plain that there
is no purpose to invade fields
which the states have occupied
In respect of education, for ex-
ample, control and administration
have rested with the states, yet the
federal government has always
aided them. National appropria-
tions in aid of educational pur-
poses the last fiscal year were no
less than $65.000,000. There need
be no fear of undue Capitalization
or of creating a federal bu
70 Of hof
ter to be left in state control. We
must, of course, avoid overlapping
the activities by the several states,
and we must ever resist the grow
ing demand on the federal Treas
ury for the performance of 'serv-
ice for which the state is obligated
to it's citizenship.
Race Question.
Somewhat related to the forego-
ing human problems is the race
question. Congress ought to wipe
the stain of barbaric lynching from
the banners Of a free and orderly,
representative democracy. We face
the fact that many millions of
people of African descent are num-
bered among our population, and
that in a number of states they
constitute very large proportion
of the total population. 1t is un-
necessary to recount the difficult
ties incident to this condition. nor
to emphasize the fact that it is a
condition which cannot be removed.
There has been suggestion. how
ever. that some of it's difficulties
might be ameliorated by humane
and enlightened consideration Of
it, study of it's many aspects. and
an effort to formulate. if not a
policy, at least a national attitude
of mind calculated to bring about
the most satisfactory possible ad-
justment Of relations between the
races. and OF each race to the ma
tional life. One proposal is the.
creation Of a commission. embrace
: ing representatives of both races, =
to study and report on the entire :.
subject. The proposal has real
merit. I am convinced that in