Evening star., 1932-11-19
Character Enil1ers.


ove- 2 country and pcoplo &C in dis
t"ss5 the spirit cf charity is stirred In
Tho heests CT thsse who ere less
tirae iesllr effected. Tilet spirit nat
rrsry nanIeets i.5e!f in practical and
cooperative endcavor to afford relief
to the ricti.is fond TO 81 in sorest
ned. In Washington the Cohlmuhity
Chest IS the institution through which
mency is collected for hunanltariah
burposec. THIS yea- ee.7l pc" cent Of
eseh dollar d,sbIr3cd to constituent
cgencles b. the Crest Is appropriated
10 6rect relief in t3et1s or f3od, cloth
Ing aha si,citer, and ll4s per cent Of
ccch d5lst IA aliocated TO thc main
tchehce eF building AGENCIES.
The latter assignment has not been
clearly understood By the public.
Il Is for the solution Of TIE more
subtle and difficult problems of the
poor that the Chest apportions s2T8.-
1921 OF It's t5tsl collection of s2,4l9.-
7S7 to ''the home defense guard" An
appeal for bread requires no apology.
Il Is rrim'tive ard fundamental, and
rse6s no explanation But an appeal
FOR the means to develop Or TO sustain
sslE-~espect In an individual is nc quite
So obvious. It deserves Interpretation.
Consider typical case: In family
Of fge. the father is unemployed. Tkc
moths. he's pert time work. The in
CORE Of the group is Just enough to
keep body and s5pl together. The
eldest child. A boy twelve years OF agc,
has got into mischief and Is being
watched by the police. T'te second
child. girl ten years old, Is frail Of
health and inclined to b. florhidly it-
irrespective; she has told mofe than
one person that she would be glsd''
If sha were dead The youngest child,
a boy six years OF age, Is backward
and SLOW, patho,ogically sensitive. The
family lives In two small focnis. The
place is ciesn and neat. cut unattrao-
tive. At present there Il enolsn plain
food and A kindly landlord has been
tolerant about the rent. Acute physical
suffering is not the niajot problem.
The difficulty Is psychological. what
is to be done?
SUPPOSE the magic wand eotld be
waved: The twelve year r-old boy who
prefers a nortorius gangster to George
washington as a hero and who thinks
the chances that you won't get caught
t:e pretty good" would become an
AZ i've and useful member Of the Boys
Ciuo. the Northeast Boys Club or the
Boy Scouts. His leisure would be
agreeably occupied and supervised He
would be guided into more constructive
ideals. He would be cultivated into
decent citizenship. The little girl would
join club at Friendship Iiotise or at
Neishbofhood, or wotild become mein-
Der Of the Girl Scouts. Her innate
ulated. She would be taught to make
beautiful things. She would be initiated
into the privilege Of helping to make
others happy. She would ne persuaded
to forget herself in co-operat;ve aetivi-
ties, like group dancing, group games
and group reading. Her small brother
would attend the neighborhood settle
ment house clubs suitable for his age
Ee would find a comrade handicapped
more or less like himself ana they
would be pals, helping each other and
standing up to the world together. Ii
might take long time, but in the
right environment and, with the aid
of his brother and sister, he would
learn that life Is not just succession
of threats and blows
1t is to work of this sort that the
character building agencies are dedi-
Gated. Is it worth while? Sociologists
say that it Is imperatively necessary
Physicians declare that whatever pro-
NOTES happiness promotes health, and
psychologists affirm that whatever
makes people happy makes them eff
Client. These are genefslities, OF course
hut they are t1ieasurably scientific.
Social order and social progress are
not accidental growths. They have tc
be cultivated. That is what the char
ter-build!ns agencies are doing. Be-
Gauss this is true. every contributor tc
the Community Chest this year may
justly feel that his gift is not only
/ feeding the hungry, but also is bringing
Joy to human hearts. Man does no
. live by bread alone, and the troublss o!
the poor cannot be solved in every in
stance merely by the gift of the mate
rial necessities OF life.