Evening star., 1927-04-18

says of the Constitution, THE study
of ones government is cultural; a
knowledge of it is an accomplishment.
Without it, no one is well educated
"In patriotic, educational and
Americanization work, where one
deals directly with the children of the
foreign born, these same principles
apply. They are of even more pliable
material and can be easily nodded.
Therefore the fault is clearly our own
if we fail to make of these children
good American citizens.
"After several years of work among
the immigrants on Ellis Island, /
know whereof I speak when1I say
that the majority of those WHO seek
homes in our country have within
them the capacity for good citizenship.
"Their first great desire is to
please those to whom they look for
leadership, and early training makes
them instinctively seek that leader
ship. They can be taught and bent
to the purposes of the teacher, and
their development along the lines OF
Americanism depends entirely upon
who gets hold of them first.
No Better Medium.
For the youth of today there can
be no better medium of Development
outside of the good home-than mill
tary training both in school, Reserve
Officers training camp units. in the
citizens military training camps and
also in that fine organization known
as the Boy Scouts. For girls, there
is also that admirable sister organi-
zation, the Girl Scouts-one of the
essential developments of American
girlhood.
This applies to all young people,
whether they be Americans or foreign
born: whether they live on the broad
highway or in the humble byway. In
any association where the keynote
is discipline the youth learns habits
of order, obedience to a higher au-
thority and the great and lasting
value of unselfish service to others.
''It does not necessarily follow that
this kind of training makes for po-
tentiaI soldiers; but it is certain
that those thusly trained will grow
up with q respect for law and order,
and will be much less likely to fall
victim to that astounding new cult
whose slogan is, L will live my own
life and will be law unto myself.
Indorse Military Training.
1--WE have indorsed whole heartedly
military training in school and in
camp and we have lent our personal
aid throughout the country to the
Boy and Girl Scout movement, and L
can recommend no better work for US
than a continuance of that much need
ed cooperation.
1.-THE fact that the Communists
fight both organizations should rec
ommend them not only to us but to
all right thinking American citizens.
"It is my understanding that the
Daughters of the American Revolu-
ton are accused in some quarters
of being militaristic. Complete
ignorance of such state of mind
makes the task of refuting the ale
CATION exceedingly difficult for the
simple reason that, being an Amerl-
can, I have never gone abroad for
the express purpose of making
study of the military tactics of ag-
gressive, warning nations. My life
has been spent among peace-loving
and altogether optimistic people who
do not harbor age-old race hatreds.
From my knowledge of history and
my own personal experience with two
wars, know that my country has
never been prepared for the wars into
which it has reluctantly been forced.
Forced Useless Sacrifice.
"I know that it has taken fathers
from happy homes and left women
and children to practical destitution;
that it has sent out empty-handed the
beautiful youth of America with re-
sultant tragedy. All this was done,
not because my country wanted to;
not because it did not value its man
power and love it's youth, but because
unpreparedness and stern exigency
forced the useless sacrifice.
1.-THE natural supposition is that
militarism is first Unborn, that it must
be nurtured by training and expert