Evening star., 1927-11-07
c. P. TAFT CALLS
" CURE FOR CRIME
President and Mrs. Coolidge,
Together With Chief JUS
tice, Hear Address.

Character building, with a religious
foundation. as eXemplfied In the
Young Mems Christian Association. is
the best possible cure for crime.
Charles Z. Taft. I'd, son of Chief Jus.
tice Taft, declared yesterday after
noon before nearly 5000 persons, in.
cluding President and Mrs Coolidge,
gathered for the diamond jubilee of
the local Y, NJ. c. \. in the Washing
ton Auditorium.
Society, aroused to the menace of
the crime wave. must strike at the
root of the evil, he said, by taking
active steps to improve the environ.
ment of potential criminals.
Such organizations as the Y. NJ. C.
A. are proving to be an adequate .
remedy for social conditions con.
ducive to crime, the speaker stated.
Parents Hear Address.
Chief Justice and Mrs. Taft sat In
box with President and Mrs. Cool.
ldse. 1t was the first time the Chief
Justice had heard his son make n pub.
lie speech, and although he refrained
from applauding, his face radiated a
proud paternal smile throughout the
ADDRESS. Mrs. Taft could not restrain
ner impulse to clap now and then.
however.
More than score of foreign diplo.
mats ana q number of cabinet mem.
bers occupied boxes for the celebra.
tlon' In which large delegations from
many of the city'S civic. social ed,I.
cational and religious organizations
Joined. 'io"'
Inc younger Taft. who is prosecut.
ing attorney of Cincinnati and a mem.
per or the National Council of the
1. NJ. Z. "A. pointed out that he first
became acquainted with the "Y"
while he was living at the White
house: At that time, a mere boy, he
ardently desired to learn to swim, he
SAID. so he Joined the boys depart.
ment or the local association. His in.
terest in the organization grew from
that time on. he declared.
Mr.. Taft told of the great expan.
sion OF the Y. NJ. c.. A. movement in
foreign lands, with the exception of
Russia
Denies BOIshevist Doctrines.
Vigorously denying "a report that
the Y. M: c. A. is fostering bolshevis.
TIC doctrines" he asserted that the
bolshevists hate" the organizationl
| and have prevented establishment
| OF any associations in Russia. 1t is
| impossible. he said, for the Y NJ. C. A.
to be friendly to an organization that
| destroys the ties of home and for.
bids religious instruction to children.
Russia is antagonistic to the Y, M.
Z. A. because of what the organiza-
ton has done for China, the speaker
stated. There are four hundred Y. M.
Z. A. secretaries in China, he said
| Y. M. c. A. camps In the Balkans
have upset tradition and done what
previously was declared to be impos.
slble-developed a friendly relation
between the various races-Mr. Taft
| asserted.
The Y. NJ. c. A. is an important
| adJunct to the church, he said.>
| Churches which have built their own
| gymnasiums and swimming pools in
competition with the Y. M. c. A. have
found that they have white elephants
on their hands," Mr.. Taft declared.
Such projects require close super
vision by experts, and churches are
unable to provide this. he explained.
| Hugh A. Thrift, president of the
local 7. NJ. c. A, in introducing Mr..
Taft, disclosed plans of the association
| to seek the erection of four new build
ings in Washington. The buildings
will cost, in some cases. as much as
| S4oO,00O, he said. An endowment fund
also is needed, he added. Mr.. Thrift
sketched BRIEFLY the history of the
Y. M. G. A. here and predicted a de-
velopment during the next 25 years
equal to that of the past rs years.
| William Knowles Cooper. generpl
secretary of the local "Y." read a
number of congratulatory messasss,
including one from Comdr. Byrd, who.
Cooper stated. attributed his excellent
| physical condition on his North Pole
flight to the two years of training he
received in the Y. NJ. C.. A. gymnasium
here. Other messages were from the
| National Council of the English Y. NJ.
| G. A, the president Of the American
| National Council, the Montreal asso.
citation. which was the first in Amer
lea, and w. III. III. Smith. Oldest living
member Of the Washington associa-
ton. who joined in 1862.
Egyptian Greetings Read.
Mr.. Cooper read the following greet.
ing from Minister Mahmoud Samy
Pasha of Egypt: "Your institution in
Egypt has proved it's value, as it does
not distinguish between religion, race
or nationality. and Is true brother
hood in every respect. This is a prin.
ciple. which, If thoroughly followed,
will lead to the peace of the world"
| A musical program preceded the
speeches. There was an organ re.
cital by Miss Edith B. Athey, organist
Of Hamline NJ. E. Church, and selec.
tons by the Y. M. G. A. Glee Club, un.
der leadership of Louis B. Thompson,
and by the Interhigh School Festival
Orchestra, under the direction of Lud.
wig Manoly. E. N. C. Barnes led the
congregational singing.
| Invocation was pronounced by Rev.
Frederick Brown Harris, president of
the Washington Federation of
Churches, and benediction by Rev.
| Dr. Freeiey Rohrer, president Of the
| Ministerial TJniop