Evening star., 1932-11-22
.GLASSFORD HEADS
MOVEMENT TO AID
WANDERING YOUTH
Former Police Chief Plans
Relief for 1000, 900 No.
madic Boys and Men.
DECLARES SITUATION
WARRANTS U. S. HELP
Federal Legislation to Be Asked to
Lift Load From States
in Providing Care.

Brig. Gen. Pelham D. Glassford,
former superintendent Of the Metropoli-
tan Police Department, announced TO-
day he had assumed leadership 10 q
movement for the relief of the nearly
100000 nomadic young men wanda
ing aimlessly about the country. re
said his first move would be to seek
an appropriation from Congress for ap-
portionment among the States to pro-
vide food and shelter for these men.
During the past few weeks interested
citizens throughout the country have
urged me to assume leadership in a
movement to secure adequate relief for
the hundreds Of thousands of young
men and boys now forming one Of the
Nations most battling relief problems,
said Gen. Glassford.
"I have agreed willingly to do what
can toward getting the Federal Govern
ment to take some constructive action
islation will be required.
100000 Mere Boys.
Those interested in this problem be-
ieve it must take the form of q Fed
eral grant to the States.
1T Is estimated that there are close
to one million of these wandering men
and boys now on the road. Fully 80
per cent of them are under IS. Some
zoo. 900 of them are mere boys. These
young men, most Of them from re-
spectacle and substantial families, have
been cast loose from their jobs and
homes by the depression and are en-
gagged in an afmless and ceaseless row
ing over the country. Right now they
are swarming over the South, South
west and the Pacific Coast. The indi-
vidual States cannot afford to care for
them from their own relief funds. Nor
are they properly charges upon the 10
cal communities. The States cannot be
expected to borrow Reconstruction
Finance Corporation funds, at interest,
for solving a relief problem that Is ma
tional In nature.
1.-THE result is that these boys and
men are being passed on from one soup
kitchen and flop house to another, a
prey Of every sort Of degeneratiye in
fluence. They hitch-hike and beat theiB
way on trains. Driven from freight
yards by railroad police they are given
at best, a flop and plate of beans, and
then driven back onto the road. This
charity, If 1t can be called such, has
for its sole purpose the protection OF
property with no humanitarian or re-
constructive purposes whatsoever.
Held Appalling Menace.
ITO care for these young men and
boys Is not only q human duty. I see
In this situation an appalling menace to
the manhood of the Nation. Being
forced to wander as they are, they soon
win become broken In health, or dis
ease. unemployable, and in many cases
criminal or degenerate.
Gen. Glassford left Immediately after
issuing his statement for a brief va
cation In Bermuda with his daughter
and indicated that upon his return he
would be prepared to go to Congress
and appeal for funds for the relief of
the wandering young men and boys.
He said he was unable to estimate at
this time the amount that would be
Gen. Glassford said he personally
was aware Of the. need of the wan
derers from his recent travels through
New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio,
where he picked up" number of the
young men along the roads and talked
with them about their problems.