Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-17
TWO CONSTITUTION
MEASUREMENTS
AREPUT ON RADIO
Presidents Letter and Ad-
dress by Representative
Usher in Celebration.
BAR ASSOCIATION BACKS
NATIONWIDE PROGRAM
Other Talks Are Scheduled to Go
on Air From Washington
by Thursday Night.

Expressions from President Hoover
and Representative James M. Beck OF
Pennsylvania, who delivered an adj
dress, featured the first of a series OF
radio programs broadcast from WASH
ington last evening in ushering In a
Nationwide observance of Constitution
week.
Familiarity with, and respect for
the Constitution, asserted President
Hoover in a letter read over the Column
bla BroadcaStipg Co. chain of stations
by F.. Regis Noel, sis essential to our
national welfare" Mr.. Noel is chair
man of the District of Columbia COM
mitttee of the American Bar Associa-
ton, which sponsors the observance, and
the letter from the President was adj
dressed to Quincy E. Newlin of Chi
cago, president of the association.
tits with great interest" Mr.. Hoo
yer wrote, that note the work which
the American Bar Association is doing
is disseminating information relative to
our national Constituencies history
and purposes.
Respect Essential.
Familiarity with and respect for
this greatest of all charters of govern
ment among our fellow citizens is es-
Sential to our national welfare.
while understand the associations
work along these lines is carried on
throughout the year., it has come 10
my attention that special emphasis is
given to these activities during that
week which includes September II, deS-
ignated as Constitution day.
You and your associates are en-
dering a splendid patriotic service in
this connection, and I desire to eX
press my appreciation of this service,
with the hope that it will be continued
with increasing benefit to all con-
cerned."
UNLESS the spirit of the Constitution
is preserved in the hearts of the peo-
ple," declared Mr.. Beck, the Union, be-
cause of its very size and greatness, will
one day disintegrate."
He suggested that great as the Con-
stitution is, it cannot endure unless the
people have real sense of what Grote
once called Constitutional morality
meaning the self-restraint which ac-
cepts the wise limitations upon their
powers. Unless they have the spirit to
resist the abuses of government" Mr..
Beck asserted, ANY constitution will,
sooner or later, become scrap of
paper"
Benjamin Franklin, were 1t possible
for him to ask himself whether the sun
of the Constitution were rising or set
ting, would find little evidence today of
that constitutional morality, said Mr..
Beck
"It is both the strength and weakness
Of the American character" he said,
that. whatever it wants, it wants to-
day. oblivious of the past and forgetful
of the future.
UNLESS the spirit can be changed"
he declared, "the perpetuity of the Con-
stitution becomes conjectural, for no
people who lack the 'time-sense' can Sc
cure the permanence Of written form
Of government.
1.-The Constitution cannot save it
SELF" he concluded. only the American
people can preserve it. Let us dedicate
ourselves to this great duty, so that we
may, in the language of the noble pre-
amble, secure the blessings of liberty
to ourselves and our posterity.'
Recalls Statement.
Mr.. Noel, in q brief address intro
ducing Mr.. Beck, referred to President
Hoovers address in April to the Asso-
ciated Press, in which the Chief Execu-
tive said that the people ARE not suffer-
ing from an ephemeral crime wave, but
from a subsistence of our foundations"
"a solution of this problem is offered
By the American Bar Association" said
Mr.. Noel. ut consists in calling atten-
ton of the American people to the
fundamental law of their country and
urging them to take greater interest N
its history and the functions OF gov
eminent"
Two other. addresses are to be de-
livered during the week. Rev. DR.. Ed
mund A. Walsh. head Of the Foreign
Service School of Georgetown Univer-
sity, will speak tonight, and Thursday
evening District Commissioner Sidney
F. Taliaferro will talk on THE Consti-
tuition of the United States and the
District of Columbia" Both addresses
will be broadcast over the National
Broadcasting Co. chain.