Evening star., 1928-09-09

and illustration. Congress by joint
resolution, passed as long ago as 1892,
made the scientific resources Of the
Government at Washington accessible
60 students. Since the passage of this
resolution many new bureaus and ac-
tivities have been established. Al'
scientists are aware of the original
character and scientific importance of
much of the work carried on in thu
Bureau of Standards.
Just as New York City may be said
to be the financial center of the United
States, because there a larger number
of important financial operations are
carried on than in any other city Of
the country. so Washington is the Gen.
ter of law, politics and government, and
offers close-view illustration OF the So
luton of problems in economics. gov
ernment. law and political science
which are not elsewhere to be seen. To
carry on these activities the Govern
ment has been able to attract to
Washington a very large group of en-
inent specialists in exceedingly divers!-
fed fields. This group constitutes some
thing more than an army OF lnveStl-
gators. 1t is also a reservoir OF poten-
tiai educators available for part-tinle
instruction of adult students upon a
scale impossible outside of Washington
and but insuff1ciently utilized here.
Pioneer in Negro Education.
In the institutional field Washington
may claim the distinction of being the
pioneer and representing the capSt0ne
of the education of negroes in the
United States, and through its public
school system and Howard University
1t has been and is playing part, the
Importance of which can scarcely be
overestimated in the solution Of one OF
the oldest and most important problems
with which the Nation is confronted.
Our city also has the distinction of
being the pioneer and the capStOne OF
Catholic education in the United
States; and Methodist education is
represented by the American University.
which was organized to play with re-
Spect to the members of that faith. a
role similar to that of the Catholic Uni
versity of America.
But 1t is in at least one other and
even broader field in which Washington
is the pioneer and has blazed the way
for an extension of educational oppor-
tlinity which, in the opinion Of the
writer, promises ultimately to be second
to none In the great educational move
ments which have been witnessed In the
United States during the last few dec
AIDES, and that is the field of public
and popular adult education.
Preparation for Living"
To the majority the word education
conjures up the picture of a child be-
ing taught something in a classroom
A proper definition carries with it thf
idea of the sum total of all the proc
esSes which prepare us for complete
living. These processes begin with the
dawn of conscious life, or indeed before
and conclude with its end. Classroom
instruction may cease at an early period
but ths adult continues the subject o
education throughout life. The great
est tragedy for society would lie IL
the premature cessation of conscious
purposeful and systematic effort by tht
adult population to secure further edu
cational opportunities and facilities. Th'
capacity for social service, in its In
elusive sense, depends upon the ac
QUESTION of knowledge, skill and dis
cipline through instruction and Socia
training. SyStematized and individual
instruction, while less essential to tn,
adult than to the immature, offers Il
the latter also great advantage owe
sole reliance upon the hazard of ex
perience. It is especially with reference
to the role played and to be played b.
the National Capital in the field O