Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-03
BACKGROUND OF EVENTS
BY PAUL Y. COLLINS.

wholly non-partisan or non-sectarian
spirit.
The united delegation was headed by
Attorney Goldstein, a Jew. who cut
lined the situation and proposed that
when the names Of boys In need OF
guidance are submitted by the police
they should be referred 10 the case
workers to visit the parents OF the de-
linouents-or. as they are termed. the
maladjusted boys-for the purpose OF
seeking a remedy or them. The boys
should be persuaded to join young
mems organizations, where good in
f1uences are in the air-always joining
an organization of their own faith or
sect or race.
several speakers referred 10 the recent
outbreaks of prisoners in the peniten-
tiaries. and blame was laid on the
Baunes law. because OF its extreme
severity in requiring life sentences in
case of a third felony. It is asserted
| that it RODS the prisoners OF hope, and
makes them desperate.
There was no attempt to check up
| that plea for Softening the punish
ments of habitual criminals by ascer-
| tanning whether the riots in the three
prisons concerned had really been led
by the sufferers Of the BaumeS law or
not No report has given any such
data. but the idea is easily caught up.
sentimentally. for many people are in
clined to heroic prisoners, regardless
Of their crimes.
~
What grand contrast between the
conditions and atmosphere surrounding
| the communIstic roisterers of New York
| with the scenes in London connected
with the arrival and marching OF 50.-
! 900 Boy Scouts. sent there from As
countries spread throughout the worldi
| Boy Scouts are not militaristS. they
receive no military training. They re-
| ceiVe no spirit of destruction, but only
| the spirit OF unselfiSh helpfulness and
usefulness whenever opportunity offers.
In contrast with that spirit, there Is
absolutely nothing taught the COM
! munistic youth except envy. destruc-
| ton OF order. arousing of class hate
and disorder and ultimate crime.
y y
In the iamboree of Boy Scouts in
England, where $4,000 Scouts from a
countries are in friendly competition.
! every boy is "first-claSs Scout'-which
means that he has shown application in
learning ana had done the required
| stunts for promotion. That sort OF
| training prepares him for the capacity
for infinite painStaking," and compels
admiration OF all observers.
| In the language of Wordsworth:
| Heaven lies about us in our infancy:
| Shades of the prison house begin TO
| close upon the growing boy
Has that truth ever been more tragic
ally illustrated than in the case or
| life prisoner IN Massachusetts, who was
transferred last week from a peniten-
tiary, where he has been for 81 years.
| to another prison. He was II years
| old when he mad a mania for numbering
children. He killed four. He was prob
ably mentally diseased. He is now II
years of age, and in all those interview
ing years he had never seen outside the
prison walls, Until he was transferred in
an automobile last week. He beheld
world which did not exist when he left
1t. He had lost all the development of
modern invention and the opportunities
of glorious life. He is now too old to
crave pardon, for he could not support
himself But he is a 17-year-old boy,
in II -year-old body. What a pathetic
tragedy!
once say 19-year-old boy hanged
for murder.
Copyright. 1929. by Psul v. CollinsJ