Evening star., 1923-05-27

~ of citizenship-fs about to be
~ launched for Americans. 1t
- Will be a contribution of the
federal government toward the de-
velopment Of better citizenship in this
country, with all that implies. And
the federal government. through the
Federal Council of Citizenship Train
ing, established by order Of Presi-
dent Harding. Is about to make public
the rules of the game.
Trading on the known popularity
of games among Aemricans-their
keenness when 1t comes to following
the "score"-the federal council has
prepared and will publish soon a
community score card On I. this
score card each community. If 1t so
desires, place a record of its good,
bad or indifferent citizenship. show
Ing what percentage of its citizens
go to the polls. what percentage of
its children of school age attend
school, etc. Americans like to play
the game Communities in this
country are eager to excell others.
The manner in which each jealously
watches for the census returns each
decade tells this tale. So it may be
expected that the new game will take.
4 r
The plans for the new game were
revealed at a meeting of the Ameri-
can National Council, an organization
for the promotion of better citizen
ship, held here last week. John ].
Tigert. United States commissioner Of
education and chairman of the Fed
eral Council of Citizenship Training,
and DR.. c. r. Mann, chairman of the
civilian advisory board of the general
staff and secretary of the federal
council. delivered addresses explain
ing what the council had been doing
since 1t was created by executive or
der January IL last.
The order creating the federal
council set forth the duties of the
council as follows: ITO make con-
structive suggestions as to how the
federal Offices may cooperate to Sc
cure more effective citizenship train
ing both In their own work and In
cooperation with all other public
and private agencies throughout the
country" A fair-sized job. particu-
1arly when it is taken into considera-
tion that many Americans, except in
times of stress-war time-are in
clined to let we'll enough alone and
visit the polls at rare intervals. If
at all. "-
y II. X X
The federal council so created con-
sists of representatives of the ten
executive departments of the govern
ment-State. Treasury. Justice. War,
Post Office. Navy. Agriculture, Inte-
rior, Commerce and Labor-and two
independent establishments, the Fed
eral Board of Vocational Education
and the Veterans Bureau. Commits
sioner Tigert was elected chairman
of the council; DR.. A. C. True, repre-
senting the Department of Agricul-
ture, vice chairman, and Dr. Mann,
representing the War Department,
secretary. The council has held many
meetings in the last few months. 1t
has analyzed the situation, defined
citizenship training, drawn a chart
showing where all the government
agencies touch the citizens in a man
ner relating to improvement of citi-
zenship and has prepared the COM
munity score card already referred
to.
The score card is Of special inter-
est, and will. 1t is said. soon be pub
lished. so that the communities may
make use of 1t. There is no plan to
make its use compulsory.
X \. X x
The federal government is merely
seeking to arouse interest and to CO.
operate with national, state and local
organizations created to improve
citizenship and living conditions in
this country, and not to impose any
particular rules or to dominate these
organizations. But each community,
through the use of this card. will be