Evening star., 1926-05-02

that lesson at an early age. Very
soon they will be engaged in carry
ing on the work Of the world. Some
will enter the field of transportation,
some of banking. some of industry.
some Of agriculture: some will be in
the public service, in the police de-
partment, in the fire department. in
the Post Office Department, in the
health department. The public vel
fare, success. and prosperity of the
Nation will depend upon the proper
coordination of all these various ef-
forts and upon each loyalty perform
ing the service undertaken. 1t will
no longer do for those who have as
sumed the obligation TO society of
carrying on these different functions
to say that as a body they are abso-
lutely free and independent and re-
sponsible to no one but themselves.
The public interest is greater than
the interest of any one OF these
groups. and 1t is absolutely neces.
sary that this interest be made su-
preme. But there is just as great
a necessity on the part of the public
to see that each of these groups is
justly treated. Otherwise, govern
ment and society will be thrown into
chaos. On each one of us rests a
moral obligation to do our share of
the worlds work. We have no right
to refuse.
The training of the Boy Scouts fits
them to an early realization of this
great principle and adapts them in
habits and thoughts and life to its
observances. We know too we'll what
fortune overtakes those who attempt
to live in opposition to these stand
ards. They become at once right
fully and truly branded as outlaws
However much they may boast Of
their freedom from all restraints and
their disregard of all conventionalities
of society. they are Immediately the
recognized foes of their brethren.
Their short existence Is lived under
greater and greater restrictions, in
terror of the law, in flight from ar
rest, or in Imprisonment. Instead Of
gaining freedom. they become the
slaves of their own evil doing. realiz-
ing the scriptural assertion that they
who sin are the servants of sin and
that the wages Of sin is death. The
Boy Scout movement has been insti-
tuted in order that the youth. instead
of falling under the domination of
habits and actions that lead only to
destruction. may come under the
discipline of "a training that leads to
eternal life. They learn that they
secure freedom and prosperity by OBJ
serving the law.
Power of Good Developing.
This is but one OF the many or
ganizations that are working for good
in our country. Some Of them have
a racial basis, some a denomination
basis All of them in their essence
are patriotic and religious. Their
steady growth and widening influence
go very far to justify our faith in
the abiding fitness of things. We can
not deny that there are evil forces
all about us, but critical eXamina-
ton of what is going on in the World
cannot fail to justify the belief that
wherever these powers of evil may be
located, however great may be their
apparent extent, they are not realities,
and somewhere there is developing an
even greater power of good by which
they will be overcome.
We need a greater faith in the
strength of right living. We need
greater faith in the power of
righteousness. These are the real
tiles which do not pass away. On
these everlasting principles rests the
movement Of the Boy Scouts of Amer
ica. 1t is one of the growing insti-
tutions by which our country is work
ing out the fulflllment of an eternal
promise.