New Britain herald., 1926-05-25

NOtluI DtlldllltSs JuSt Stt llOW IldI Il it is 10 find and keep the peace on the continent of Europe! The con- tinental Sunday is as much to blame as anything else pr Europe's troubles.
 I've have presented 10 the local police this past year at least twelve complaints. These were mostly re- lating to liquor violations, We are glad 10 receive all information of this kind and we are pleased to add that the police and other depart ments Of the city welcome our co. operation.
 Respectfully submitted.
 B. B. Bassette "Sec'y." Mir. Shcrwood's Address Mir Sherwood spoke in part as follows:
 Our America $ at the forefront Of the life of the world in these days with it's swift and stirring life. Even the young people of today note the many changes wrought during the last decade. We have come through 8 great World War--the greatest in the history Of the world. We have seen the intense develop ment of the industrial revolution quiet, but none the less certain. We see, too. an uncertainty in the mat ter of the old moral standards not alone here but throughout the world. Especially do We see those dangerous tendencies in certain quarters against all kinds of author ity and all restrictions of law. We would not take the part of an alarmist--we are fundamentally optimistic~-but We cannot be blind to some Of these facts of our times.
 "All Of the facts cannot be given. but some point clearly to certain tendencies of our time, For eX- ample. in 1910 there were 5O,0o0 divorces in the United States. In 1922 over 15o,000 such decrees were issued. A large proportion of these are definite illustrations Of i iaWlessness by one or both parties ! involved.
 "There were 1o0O murders in the United States in 1924,
 "The robber and the highwayman carry on their practises in broad daylight in many of our great cities. 1 Crimes of this kind are the concern of many groups,
 Part of this picture of lawless- mess is on the negative side but mono ] the less perilous. There is a truism ] that a democracy must rest upon an intelligent and interested citizenry. and yet the story of the failure of voters 10 exercise their responsibility as well as privilege at the polls is one of the serious concerns Of ! thoughtful men. Not alone are there ! hundreds of thousands of citizens every year in this country who do not vote, but many of f osc who do vote do so apparently without much thought. In the last election in New York state, in addition 10 tho can- didatcs and personalities In which the voter might be interested, there were five proposed amendments to the state constitution Of great i'm . l bpllIllIP. Hey "tIt uloItoSth ho few such amendments have been discussed in press and on platform. Yet the difference between the num- hcr of people who voted for can didatcs and those who voted for amendments ran into hundreds of thousands throughout the state,
 Added to these specific reasons there is also a cheap and super clious cynicism on the part of some who would assume hlase att titude. They say that politics are evil anyway, so what's the use?
 What is the cause Of this present condition of lawlessness? Is there anyone who can give complete answer? Many superficial reasons are advanced but is there any ono reason to shoulder the whole blame?
 Undoubtedly 1t is due in part to the backwash from the great war Those forces which let loose re- straint cannot expect that restraint to be immediately adjusted 10 so- cial control. Yet the great war has been a convenient object to blanc for almost every unfavorable condi. ton. Men who had no other reason to give for variety of conditions ] with thoughtless ease, blamed then on the great war. Undoubtedly the war may be blamed in part for th, present situation.
 Another reason advanced is tha' there are large numbers of aliens within the borders of this country without a conception Of American ideals and who are dominated hN political and social forces that re. present the higher aims of social an( moral control. That there is tot much truth in this We must admit and yet 1t does not tell the whol' story.
 "Others will ascribe the cause tt
 the developing of a self-sufficienc!
 in this modern world of materia
 power and greatness that feels
 does not need God and His mora
 code. That one of the perils of tn
 hour is the lack cf religious educa
 ton on the part of millions Of peo
 ple. and that hundreds of thou
 sands of children are growing up il this country without any religion
 training are only too apparent, "The master reason for all law llessness is ascribed by certain force with only too apparent delight an desire 10 alcoholic prohibition | the United States. Whether prohihI tion in America has evoked lawless