The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-02-24
EDUCATORS GIVE AID
 IN ORATORY CONTEST
The AgeHerad Arouses Enthusiastic Interest Among Stu 2 g dents In Event For Which Handsome Prizes
 Are Being Offered

of The Age -Herald's participa tion in a national Oratorical contest and l de- sire to commend your paper for this and to indorse this undertaking. know of nothing that will bring about bet ter pnblic spirit than a nationwide movement to increase interest and re- spect for our constitution"
 Dr. John w. Abercrombie, superin- tendent of education, says:
 "A contest such as that suggested will result in greater knowledge of, deeper interest in and increased respect for the constitution of the United States, which is a consumma tion de- vouuy to be wished. I hope that ev- cry high school. in Alabama will quail fly for participation in the contest-s
 W. A. Gunter, Jr., mayor of Mont gomery, Ala, says:
 Respect for duly constituted author ity, for law and order and for the man. dates of the constitution of the United States of America, are the three ingre- dients which 90 to make up the key stone in the arch of safe and sane democratic government.
 "As interest in and respect for our national c0nstitutino is increased. and fostered. just 50 much stronger grows the fundamental principles of our gov ernment.
 ''To teach the children of each sue ceeding generation that the strength of our great government lies in respect for the constitution and laws of the land is heritage and a duty automat- ically handed down since the establish. ment of this free republic. To shirk this plain duty is truly indifference, and indifference has always been an able assistant of disrespect and decay. Past history shows that disrespect of govern ment always preceded the fall of great cities and empires.
 "The national oratorical contest, in- augurated by more than 200 newspa- pers, in my opinion, will prove of in- calculable value to the younger, as well as the older, generation. It has my hearty indorsement and I honestly be- lieve that it will be one of the move- ments which really tends to make for better government-an incentive to the boys and girls of today, who are des- tined to be the fathers and mothers of tomorrow.
 Time To Participate
 There are still a number of schools throughout the state which have not registered with the oratorical contest manager for participation. These schools should register at once. Their refraining from participation is prob ably depriving some worthy student of a college education. There are three scholarships given by The Age Herald in cooperation with the Montgomery Journal and Mobile Register and Mo- bile News-Itenh, for the states best ora tion, and these scholarships cover a four-year course at the university.
 In addition to this the champion of Alabama may win the honor of repre- senting the south in grand final meet held in Washington, at which time the southern representative will be awarded one of the highest honors ever offered to high school student-that of de- liyering his or her oration before the President of the United States, the supreme court len ehs and other national and iptsrpa atiopal dkpress in. competition with representa lives from other parts of the country for the championship of the United States and cash prizes of S3. 800, 5000 and $500. =
 There is positively nothing for sale in this contest-it is altogether and ab- solutely a public-spirited contribution by this newspaper toward better citi- zenship, and registration of a school merely consists of that school notifying the Oratorical Contest Manager, 1628 Age-Herald building, Birmingham, of She schools willingness to participate.