Evening star., 1922-08-27
MOVIES FOR CHILDREN
Washington Woman Aims to
Stir Community Spirit.


MRS. Harriet Hawley Locher.
Atl writer of magazine stories for
children and of children's books.
is Washington woman who Is de-
veoping a new project which prom
ises to be of great interest and benefit
be adopted by other communities in
the United Stares.
Mrs. Locher was among the first
to realize the Importance of motion
pictures in bringing comfort and
cheer to communities which sent boys
to the front during the war. To ac-
tually see their boys marching to and
from the boats. drilling on the field.
enjoying sport contests. etc. was
satisfying and reassuring to anxious
parents. The pictures proved at that
time that they could reach their
audience as individuals and bind
them in a community spirit through
this personal touch
1t is this same idea which Mrs
Locher is trying to develop now
through the agency Of some neigh
oorhood theaters. She wishes to de-
velop community spirit through the
medium of these theaters by having
programs presented that are Of espe-
ciai interest to the individuals of that
community.
The first step In this program was
to take pictures of the children on
the Fairgrounds in those neighbor-
n hoods. SO as to let the mothers and
fathers see what is actually happen
To,
the municipal Fairgrounds. Many
parents don't have time to go and see
FOR themselves. and consequently
much OF the truly valuable work
which Is accomplished with the guild
ance of the competent young direc-
tors sent to the Fairgrounds under
Mrs. Susie Root Rhodes is not appre
ciated by them at the time it is being
given.
Next Monday an even more preten-
dren will be taken on the White
House lot, where they will be in
structed in the practical mass games
originated by. Frank Wyatt of Okla
homa City. who will himself teach the
children at this time.
Mrs. Locher. one Of the members of
the League of American Pen Women.
has been chairman Of the motion pic
lures committee of that organization
for the past six years and has been
very earnestly engaged in carrying
on campaign for better pictures for
children. No one realizes better than
she how insipH our up-to-date young
folks find the dainty little fairy tale
and woodenly portrayed American
historical subjects which have here
tofore been religiouSly prescribed as
the proper motion picture dose for
young America. Most children like to
go to see those programs just about
as well as they like to go to the
dentists to have a tooth pulled.
Why can't we make the wonderful
romances of our American history
just as interesting as Passion" and
Deception? We can. but nobody
has taken the trouble so far.
Realizing all this. Mrs. Locher has
organized an advisory committee to
work with her in arranging attractive
sce-not NECESSARILY what their par
ents think theys ought to want to
see-to be given at Saturday matinee
performances at these theaters. The
members Of her advisory committee
represent all of the children's organi-
! Susie Root Rhodes, municipal play
grounds: Miss Ruth White. girl
scouts: Miss Helen McQuillan. girl re-
| serves: Frank r. Jelleff and F: b.
Thompson. boys club; James G. Hall.
/ boy scouts of America: and Miss
Revolution.
Mrs. Locher is working out her own
! plans for the programs of these per-
! formances and is greatly ENCOURAGED
! by the letters which she is already
! receiving from those interested in the
/ development of community spirit and
, in settling the problems of pictures
, for the next generation in their own
cities and towns. They are anxiously
| awaiting the result of Mrs. Locher' s
/ experiment.
! wonderful what the children Of today
, are doing in actual accomplishment
| in their community interests and
: what a power the great youth move
ment is becoming. Why. when I was
| the General Federation Of Women's
| Clubs in Chautauqua. y. Y. re-
Gently, the hit Of the program was a
!; talk given by two children. sixteen
/ years old. who were representing the
! League of Youth. an organization OF
| New Jersey. One was boy. the
| other a girl. and they talked with the
utmost confidence and logic on prob
lens of the worlds work. More than
| 1000 grown women. representing Two
! million members of the federated
| clubs of women in our country, sat
there in semi-amused but interested
silence while these two children
| talked.
! "They were most delightful. They
| showed me how very important it Is
! that they should get the right views
Of life and not be given distorted
view of it on the bias through the
| screen or any other medium. l came
i back to my work here even more fully
| convinced Of the absolute necessity OF
! succeeding in seeing that these boys
and girls of today be given opportu.
| nitv TO see the very best artistic ano
| Interesting material that the motor
picture companies can produce.
am going to do everything in my
mower toward this end"
! Mrs Iocher was engaged in news
noner work for some years while livinf
On the western coast. She was so In
sn;red by the courageous, pioneer quail
ti.e Of the two young people at th'
hisnnial convention. which she ATTENDED
os q delegate that she wrote the foil
owine poem and dedicated it to tn
nresent generation:
YOUTH
The world is full of brasgart youth.
iHSH Without a care demanding truth
They gaze with clear eyes unafraid.
, Upon their lips
A dare, within each nand blade.
Like knights of old
On ouest within a world newborn,
They braveiy face
. An era Of all pretense shorn.
;Gsinst barriers that conventions raise,
| They waste no time
: In faitering while they upward gaze.
!, The barriers scale, triumphant stand
On higher peaks
And plant the banner Of our land,