Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-04
Un.Americanized Americans.

In President Hoover the children OF
America possess an old and tried friend
OF his many and widespread activities
those in behalf Of child welfare have
been notable. 1t is only natural that
once his attention was called to the
plight of that isolated group OF noun
taineers in the vicinity of his Summer
camp. his interest would be aroused and
that he would take those steps neces-
p. sary to alleviate conditions that are
almost unbelievable. This FIRST step lies
in the provision Of school, not so mucn
with the view of intoxicating IN the
minds of children the principles OF the
three RS as to establish base OF oper-
atoms. adequately financed, from which
trained workers may undertake the re-
generation Of a community that has
fallen so far behind o world that lies
Just over the ridge.
To do this work does not require
great deal Of money. which is not as
Necessary as tact and skill and SYM
pathy in going about the dificult task
of shaping old lives into new channels
It is not q task that can be accom-
plished overnight, nor ended with the
building Of a school house and the en-
gagement of teachers. A new spark
must be kindled in the minds Of those
who live in the mountain holloWs near
Rapidan, and once kindled. 1t must be
famed gently and kept burning.
The series Of articles which have
been appearing in The Star describing
these mountain folk have necessarily
confined themselves to a discussion OF
some of the rudimentary aspects OF a
condition that creates an extra ordinary
amount of popular interest because OF
the relatively close proximity OF the
locale. The picture of group OF chill
dren within a dozen miles of the Pres
ident's camp, and within one hundred
miles of the American Capital, who have
never heard the Lords Prayer nor seen
the American. nag, strikes the magma
ton because of the colorful contrast that
1t suggests. But the picture presents q
more fundamental problem than that
which lies in teaching these children
the Lords Prayer or coaching them to
sing America" How many other COM
rnunities, scattered in the rural sections
of this broad land, occupy status that
puts them on q par with the cabin
jewellers in the Shenandoah National
Park area?
Statistics tell part of the story.
They show, for instance, that the
average school term In the city Is
nine months, while it is only seven IN
the rural district. They show that there
is "A per cent illiteracy in the city. but
1T per cent In the country. Twelve
per cent Of the city children suffer eye
defects, but twenty-three per cent OF
the rural children are so afnicted.
Seventy-one per cent of the children
from fifteen to eighteen years old are IN
high school, while but twenty-five per
cent of the rural children Of comparable
age progress that far in their educa-
ton.
In these days Of million-dollar schools
and compulsory education laws, we OF
the cities associate illiteracy with
freshly arrived immigrants from abroad
and Americanization work with teach
ing these immigrants and their chill
dren something of their adopted coun-
try. Conditions In the nearby Shenan-
doah National Park area emphasize the
proportions Of the problem that lies In
making available to the descendants Of
generations Of one hundred per cent
Americans the same opportunities for
education and better living that are
thrust upon the newly arrived alien
from abroad.