Evening star., 1927-05-26

Rejoice, q young man In tny
youth, and let thy heart cheer thee
in the days of thy youth. "-Proyerbs,
IL, 9.
That is a good text for Little Falls,
Minn., next Sunday. 1t Is equally
serviceable for the preachers in the
homes of Comdr. Byrd and the almost
forgotten American aerial circumnavl-
gators of the world. and likewise in
the homes of the millions of other
American youths who have such pos
sibilities wrapped up in their strength
and souls. 1t would be applicable up
in Canada, where lives boy named
George Young, who looked upon the
arduous labors of his mother and saw
that there was a prize of S25 900 for
swimming the Catalina Channel. so he
borrowed a motor cycle and few Of
his mothers precious dollars. crossed
the continent and swan the channel
then laid his SIS 900 in his mothers
lap. Modest youth!
So the world this week gives homage
to youth, as never before and every
man who thrills at the accomplish
ment of Charles Lindbergh, whether
consciously or unconsciously, finds in
his own heart the spirit of the same
young courage and adventure. more or
less strongly in proportion to his
kick" at the American kids" sue
cess. Every man is young again, If
he thrills at Lindbergh's 2S-year-old
fight. for as Lord Beaconsf1eld said:
Life is not dated merely by years.
Events are sometimes the best calen-
dars." So what Of the background Of
events?
It is the habit today to sigh at the
folly Of youth. 1t gives the senile old
codger such an air Of superior wisdom
to reproach. But "the thoughts of
youth are long, long thoughts He
flies right op through n thousand
miles of sleet and fog and stOrm-as
Lindbergh f1ew-not always knowing
his own course, for his guides are so
unreliable.
If we could be caught by the Colo
RADIO Judge who had to try num-
Der of small boys arrested on vari-
Gus charges Of youthful delinquency,
we might learn something. On the
day of trial, all the parents of the
boys appeared in court to plead for
clemency Then the. wise judge an
nounced that the case required jury,
box to listen to the testimony. When
the evidence was all in, the court
charged the jury:
'The burden rests with. you. You
carry the razz, jazz and carnival life
Of modern times into your homes, your
churches and wherever you go. Your
citizenship and moral standing are no
better than your homes"
That parent-jury found all the lads
guilty of the offenses charged. But
what court arraigned the jury itself
on higher crimes and misdemeanors?
If there be any one crime greater
than others today in America, it Is
that of parental complacence, in the
face of responsibility.
** x X
There are two divergent CURRENTS
Of influence making the youth into
men. At a convention Of the Boys
Club Federation, now in session at
Syracuse, n. Y. Rowland c. Sheldon
of New York City. secretary Of the
Big Brothers Federation, said yes
terday that crime costs the country
$4,000, ,000, 900 a year. to arrest and
prosecute the criminals, not includ-
ing the losses of their peculations,
and "the criminals of 1887 are the
KIDS or To-Day.
President NJ r. Hall declared
that "the gang spirit among boys is
the fundamental cause of crime =
Tenement house life leads to gangs
who have their headquarters in the
streets. without supervision, without
proper surroundings. There
must be some place for them to play
to meet their gang. If there is not
such a place, trouble is sure to fol-
low. The gang spirit cannot be taken
away. We all are gangsters at
heart"
The Boy Scout organization
throughout the world is based upon
that very cact-the gang spirit
and that is one secret of it's success.
No boy can join the Boy Scouts who
is not voted in by the gang. He
must run with his gang and stand
up to the gangs ideals of loyalty to
God, his country and his home, or he
will get nowhere. Some gangs, be-
fore the Scouts were organized, ran
to crime, but Boy Scout gangs run
to manliness and loyalty and unself.
ishness.
Look out for the Boy Scout who
fails to pull his four.in-hand or COW.
boy tie outside his vest before night,
for to him 1t Is not the lend of a
perfect day" il that tie lies hid in
side his ve;::.
Here is a story that is not new,
but 1t is typical:
The mayor Of Scranton, Pa, q
prosperous business man, sitting be-
fore his Office window one afternoon.
noted q baby girl crying and wander.
ftA Ufr fa<a