Evening star., 1925-05-09
Sees Pedge of Security.

W lthln the year since the last oc-
caSion similar to this, the voting mil.
hons of the Nation have given their
thought and judgment upon the same
set of questions which this million
ana half of young people have been
considering in the preliminaries to
this contest. Looking back uDon that
Nationwide reconsideration of our So
cial fundamentals. | think we are
under obligation to acknowledge a
debt to those who organized his series
OF annual competitions. For by what
they did they turne< the thoughts,
not only of the great student body.
but of millions of parents and teach.
erS and guardians and mentors, to
study of the prime essentials. the
spiritual and institutional foundations.
OF this Nation. Who shall venture
TO say how great a part these stu
dent contests had in preparing the
public mind to give verdict which
was pronounced by the voters last
Autumn? And, turning our eyes to
the future, who can doubt that these
studies of the underlying elements in
our Government constitute a pledge
OF security for those institutions in
all the years to come?
Reason for Rejoicing.
should be rejoiced that these Young
people of today. who will be the citi-
zens of tomorrow, should thus have
had their thoughts directed to the
basic things which concern the franz
ing of society. Our Nation has a
weighty responsibility. not only for
maintaining its own welfare. liberties
and power. but for the utmost DOS
sible contribution toward organizing
10 nd
ratlonS and the ways of peace. Here
is field for institutional development
TO which the thoughts of men and
women everywhere are turned as they
never were before. Though their
scale Is greater, vet the problems in
, this realm of world organization are
essentially the same as those to which
mankind has been addressing itself
from the beginnings of society These
are the problems of assuring Justice
alike to the weak and the strong:
of assuring peace with honor. of en-
throninS conscience in places of au-
! thOrlty too long uSurped by mere
| force. The same humanity that has
( been able to erect the rule of law and
liberty on the scale of great nations
and mighty federations will at last
find institutions by which to place in
| ternatlonal relations upon the same
/
Perhaps the inspiration to leader
ship in such a work of world states
manship may have been born in some
of these young men or women be-
cause of the studies that lie in the
background of this occasion II is
none too great a hope to entertain
! of so worthy an enterprise. But
! whether or not such a fruition be DOS
Sible, we can at least be sure that
the thought and effort which find
their elimination here have been de-
voted to a noble and generous pur-
pose. They have aimed to raise the
standard of civic usefulness and in
dividual equipment for the greatest
duties that will be imposed upon men
and women in the generations that lie
before us
Hammond Praises Contest.
! John Hays Hammond, the presiding
| officer, introduced the President. In
! his preliminary remarks he ranked
! the national oratorical contest "as
| one of the major civic movements of
| our time.
| 1T is hard to properly evaluate a
movement of this kind" Mr. Ham
! mond said. 'lt reaches so far plumbs
! SO many depths of human emotion and
| conduct, gives such sweeping wings