The Washington times., 1922-07-02

i think OF the outlook! ~business
is recovering and should do quite
well once these labor troubles are
settled.
but the outlook that troubles
me most is the outlook regarding
our young folks, especially the sons
and daughters of well rated-to-do
parents"
whats the matter with them?"
l asked.
THE number of them who live in
idleness spending all their time
and money they didn't earn-in
frivolity is appalling, heartbreak-
Ing" he replied. Look around this
town at lunch time or in the after.
noon and note the number of auto.
mobiles driven and filled by young
men and women. They're not stu
dents home on vacation. They're
just idlers. Some Of the young fell
lows make a pretense of being as
ISOLATED with their fathers bust
ness-if that business happens to
strike them as genteel. Most Of
them though just CAB around with
out pretending to earn a living.
FOR the grade OF amuseIrents
they go In for-well, the effect is not
conducive to the building up Of clean.
strong, purposeful manhood"
As I'm supposed to be on my va
cation--my first real vacation in half
dozen years. went to the golf
course in the afternoon. l must con-
Tess that l was astounded aes the
number Of youngish men there dur.
ing business hours.
My observations elsewhere rather
confirmed the truth of the citizens
depressing statements CONCERNING
the younger generation.
You may recall that Sir Charles
Higham, the British member OF
Parliament, recently declared In this
column that the one thing which as.
founded and saddened HIM most on
his current trip to this country was
the demeanor Of the younger people
on their way to work In the morn
ings. Last time he was here some
years ago they looked bright,
sprightly. energetic. enthusiastic.
Now, he said, they looked and actci
as II they were tired. bored disgusted
at having to drag themselves To
work.
Your young folk strike me as
having a bad stump" he said.
Now We all know that every
where we go We hear and read
about the ongoings OF our uobD-d-
hair flappers and our spineless.
pleasure chasing, purpos eless
youths. Also about the shortconi-
ings OF domestic responsibilities by
so-called better class" married
couples. And 1t may be there is
occasion for alarm.
For example, the citizen already
scarcity of unskilled workers in this
city, but the park benches are
crowded every day with the out of
works who would rather stay idle
and go into debt than take any kind
Of work they could get. as you and
1 would gladly do IL we were In
their SHOES.
After pondering the whole matter
some Of my reflections are these
see IL they in any way agree with
yours: True, frivolity appears to be
flagrantly rampant. Yet were ever
such Plumbers of young men and
young women graduated from our
colleges and universities as are
graduating this year? Did Ameri-
can colleges and universities ever
before have SO many youth earn
ing their education? Were evening
classes ever half as well. attended
years ago as they are now?
Then take business organizations
How many Of them had educational
classes in the olden days. and how
many thousands Of young men and
classes and industriously strive to
improve their qualifications and
their status?
Again. our libraries tell rs that
the demand for business and other
serious books has In recent years
exceeded all former records.
And what Of the amazing growth
Of correspondence schools and sim
liar organizations supplying cduca.
ton to young men and men no .ong-
er young? The Alexander iamil-
ton Institute. the LaSalle Extensioa
University, the International Corre-
spondence School, etc, are all ex.
panding at an extraordinary rate.
But here's the explanation as I
see II.
This eager demand for education
comes largely not from the soas and
daughters of the well-to-do, but from
those in humber circumsta ices,
just as a great many of the highest
scholastic honors are won by chill
dren and youths born Of working
class parents, including a conspicu.
Gus number Of the immigrant classee.
Nor is there race suicide among
the poorer people.
What does this portend7
That the energetic. tho ambitious,
the purposeful youths Of obscure ur-
igin are fitting themselves to dis
place the gilded youths who are
revolving in idieness and frivolitv.
Also that the unchildrened Lluto.
cratic families Of today will sub
merge. RI
| The process of from shirt sleeves.
to-shirt- t-sleeves-in. three generations
Is going on. In other words. the fit
| teat ,ara fitting fhamaalvea m gilr-