Evening star., 1933-11-27
DISTRICT LEADERS
URGE BOYS CLUBS
Plan Before Ickes Asking
Sum for Two Buildings Is
IL Heartily Ind0rSed.

Capt. NJ NJ Barnard, general super
intendent of District of Columbia penal
institutions, yesterday announced his
Endorsement of the plan TO enlist Pub
lie Works Administration help for the
construction of two Boys Club build
ings in Washington.
The veteran penologist said: The
move to provide boys clubs in Wash
ington is deserving of the backing OF
every one desiring to lend helping
hand to the lads of the Capital City
and I am sure no work can be more
worthy or productive of more good for
the community as a whole.
Many years OF intimate contact with
shipwrecked person ralities have revealed
to me the fact that most of the unfor-
tunates who have had to undergo dis
ciplinary treatment for their failure to
cooperate with society can invariably
trace their plight to a lack OF proper
boyhood surroundings The beginnings
OF the average penal character can
usually be unfolded from a story OF
sordid environment, lack OF parental
care, or a youthful unbridled fair for
misusing time in idleness with the
wrong Class of associates.
Fair Play Should Be Taught.
Given a little encouragement and
cultivation, many youngster can be
turned permanently to useful pursuits
If fair play can be indelibly impressed
under a guidance of chara cter builders
VINO train by the setting Of a good eX-
ample. To capitalize on cur future
citizenry is an advance in the right di-
rection. and it is hoped that the boys
club plans can be made to materialize,
for the move will 20 a long way toward
stamping out the lawlessness engen-
dered during OH recent years of affiuent
carelesSness.
Clark Griffith. president OF the Wash
ington American League Base Ball Club,
sent to The Star the following message:
Il certainly approve the plan for the
two boys clubs. They would be a Won
derful thing for the boys. for the city
and for the whole Nation"
Mark Lansburgh. past president of
the Merchants and Manufacturers As
sociation. said; "As the father Of three
'overprivieged' boys and a man IA
miliar with the attendant problems
heartily indorse the proposed boys club
buildings for the underprivileged youth
OF Washington. Education and preven-
ton OF crime are cheaper and better
than prosecution
Hogan Adds HIS Endorsement.
Frank J. Hogan, counselor at law,
wrote: Il am enthusiastically in favor
of your proposal for the erection of two
boys club buildings. AS campaign
chairman of the Community Chest 1
have had occasion to observe the work
OF three boys clubs which are already
members of the Community Chest and
which will be financed through it for
the year 1884 as a result of the current
campaign I think boys clubs are
among the most important preventa-
tiVes of delinquency, vice and way
wardness. If we could have boys
club in every neighborhood in which
gang life and wayWardness now are to
be found we could cut the delinquency
rate at the present time and the crime
rate of the future in half"
Rev. Dr. John C. Ball. pastor of
Metropolitan Baptist Church, declared:
Anything that will help to break up
corner loafing and yet preserve the boys
desire to huddle with their buddies
meets my approval"
boy Crop" Most Important.
Thomas P. Littlepage, past president
of the Washington Chamber of Com
nlerce. said:
This is most worthy project and
OoSAe W dPpNdI W CNCAy oIlS VIII uHdCi-
stands the importance of giving boys an
opportunity to improve and use their
spare time under good environment.
We near much these days about the
importance to the Nation of the cotton
crop, the wheat crop, the corn crop and
other crops, but there is no crop as i'm
portant to the future of America as the
present crop of boys. and the plans for
these boys clubs, if carried out, will.