Evening star., 1932-12-11

family where budgets are being re-
peatedly reduced, where chickering's en-
sue, and where boyish pride is rampant
or activity necessary. Or, again, the
family elders, while actually in finan-
cial comfort. may be without under
standing of the enterprising son. Many
boys hitch-travefng today could return
home to the warm welcome of the
prodigal were 1t not for boyish pride,
thoughtlessly injured.
I have encountered many drifting
youths who are true orphans. Some
seem without ties whatsoever, and these
show early maturity. Still others come
from families broken up by divorce or
separation by mutual agreement. Fam
lily life has gone awry. Family ties have
been loosened, If not withdrawn.
The spirit of adventure, the acquisi-
ton of knowledge, pride, ambition,
broken family ties, due often to eco
nomic stringency-sucha are some of the
forces responsible for the transient
American boy of today. And he is, al
most entirely. of purely American stock
In every case these forces have been
made doubly or trebly effective by low
family finance and the lack Of employ
ment
Personal histories I shall relate in
this series Of dispatches will show at
least minor evidence of an all but in
tellectual movement of youth away from
its moorings of family or community.
This in itself does not constitute a new
movement. 1t is greater, however,
through virtue of tagging employment.
Is Still Social Minded.
The young man does not wish to be
considered a problem as there
is before him and the country the prob
lem Of adequate work He has worked
He is willing to work If for the moment
he does not seek work it is because he
has been hammered down to momentary
inertia by repeated refusals of work.
He remains cooperative. He Is still
Social-minded
He recognizes, for instance, the duties
the railroad puts upon the special
agent" who frequently shoyels the
hordes Of non-paying passengers from
| the freight trains He recognizes the
obligations assumed by the police. He is
surprisingly peaceful and generally
honest. This accounts, in general, for
his all but genial relationship with the
railroad agent and the city police.
/ The young hitch-traVeler undoubtedly
is a nuisance to many communities. He
| Id liOI yet iIClldCC- Lie u,
moment-to-moment life has its pitfalls
Of idleness and vice, but these have not
| yet won over the sturdy young man.
Were he a lesser individual he would
| long ago have Succumbed. He is no part
of any already-defined political or So
| cial movement. He constitutes quest
ing movement of his own. Deep within
him he has hopeS-chiefly of eventual
employment. Likewise, he has cultural
aspirations AS his own stories will
show he has amazing potentialities.
This fellow is Of bright personality,
by virtue of which he manages to travel
surprising distances without monetary
| payment. He will be the recipient of
only direct charity. He can tolerate no
middlemen, who to him are the MASTERS
of organized giving.
From One Boys Diary.
IT don't know where I will sleep
tonight, but I hope it won't be no
jail, have had pretty good luck
so far in managing to keep out of
the hands of the law, although I
don't see why they should bother
me. I don't do anything that I
shoulder, and all ask Is just enough
to get by on. I don't try to cause
them or any body any troubel. I
have never asked for any money, not
| cent. although 1 have gone two
days without food"
Thus writes one 19-year- in his
diary. Come from West Virginia. he
is sojourning in the sun at Long Beach,
Calf. His story and his diary will be
mentioned again.
There is no secret process by which
came into possession Of diaries, love
letters, details of SO intimate nature
william Woodin, James Cash Penney.
Owen D. Young, Gene Tunney and
others have taught me that almost all
men. approached with friendly ques-
tioning or argument, can be led to talk
of themselves.
Why should not lonely boy, hungry
for companionship and understanding
conversation, respond to an approach