Evening star., 1931-06-11
800 GET DIPLOMAS
IN c. ". EXERCISES
Dr.. w. J. Cooper Cites DAN
gers to Freedom in Ad-
dress TO Graduates.
Es~-77.

Declaring that young citizens &C
capting degrees from college bearing
the hOnored name of George Washing
ton should give serious thought to prob
lens Of major Importance Tor the sur
Vival of this Republic" DR.. William
John Cooper. United States commits
EiOner of education. cited three mem
aces to American liberties for the con-
Sideration of the graduates of George
Washington University in that institu-
tons 10th commencement last night
in Constitution Hall
The commencement exercises were
opened with the invocation by Rev.
John Henry Taylor. John Russell Ma
son. orGanist, played as the 800 stu
cents advanced to the stage to receive
the degrees, certificates and diplomas
The exercises marked the first grant
ing Of Junior certificates" upon the
students Of the Junior college of the
university who had completed two years
prescribed work
Cites Danger to Freedom.
One OF the outstanding dangers to
freedom. DR.. Cooper declared. is the
possibility that a generation born and
educated during a war crisis such as
that through which the Nation is just
passing will regard the war attitude as
the normal condition of free people" !"
ana that rights which meant so much
to the COuntry'S founders will not be
appreciated by them, and so will be lost
10 their children
The second menace cited by the COM
missioner is the CHntering of more and
more power in the Federal Government
at washington while the third kind Of
danger lies in the amendments ap-
pended to the Constitution, he said
The forces working for centralza
ton are exceedingly subtle hiding be-
hind the most meritorious causes, DR.
Cooper asserted. "OftCntimeS they are
abetted by national organizations whose
purpose is the highest public good. And
If the proponents of n measure are well
enough organized in a CongrcSSman'S
district. he is unlikely to be against it.
even though he thinks it contrary to
the Constitution and his personal be-
lief"
Referring to the dangers of amending
the Constitution. DR.. Cooper contended
that the proponents of the prohibition
amendment were considering chiefly
the merits of their cause and did not
fcreSee such other implications as the
transfer of vast police powers TO the
Federal Government"
Hits Seventeenth Amendment.
Similarly, he continued. proponents
of the seventeenth amendment, provid-
ing for popular election of Senators,
believed it would prevent so-called
boss control of Senators. and would
prevent wealthy mon from spending
money lavishly to secure the office. not
fC:cSocing that p0pu'9r election in a
large and populouS State placed a poor
man al 2 disadvantage il contest with
rich men, and that an independent can
didaic would have NJ chance in oppo-
Siticn 10 well organized political ma
chine"
II conclusion Dr.. Cooper declared
that the educated man is the only free
man, for he is intcn;gcntly self-cCn-
trolled"
The foundation for such freedom"
he declared, you have scored here.
Resolve this Gay therefore. 10 be edu-
ted, for, says Henderson. the process
OF getting educated if carried out with
any degree of imagination ana skill, is
much too delightful a process to end
with the bachelors degree
AT the conclusion of the exercises Dr.
Cooper received the honorary degree of
doctor of science in education from Dr.
Cloyd Heck Marvin, president, in the
name Of the university
DIR. Wilbur Given Degree.
At the same time DR.. Marvin con-
fcrred the honorary Gegre2 Of doctor of
laws upon DR.. William Allan Wilbur.
provost Of the George Washington Uni
vcrsitv, whom DR.. Marvin referred to
in his citation as "a scholar an edu-
Gator and a Christian gentleman" The
ConvoCatiOu of the degree upon DR.
Wilbur had not been announced pre-
Nlously. and it was a surprise to the
host of friends and admirers of the