Evening star., 1934-05-10
|CKES ADDRESSES
NEGRO EDUCATORS
President Sends Good
Wishes as Conference
Opens Here.

Hope for the cultural. social and
economic advancement OF the Negro
was voiced by speakers at the open
ing of the National Conference on
Fundamental Problems in the Edu-
cation of Negroes at the Commerce
Department auditorium last night.
Secretary Of Interior Harold l..
Ickes declared that the colored chill
dren Of the Nation should be better
schooled and that the Negro prob
lem should be recognized to be indi-
yidual and not racial"
DR.. George F. zook, United States
commissioner Of education, called for
increased adult education among the
colored people so that those who
missed the advantages of school IA
cilities in their youth when the Negro
race was only beginning to rise out
of disadvantages which would have
worked havoc on a less strong peo-
pie might make up the losses and
thus contribute to the advancement
of their whole people.
President Roosevelt, in a letter ad-
dressed to the opening session OF the
conference, expressed the hope that
ing the significant service it aspires
to render to our country and to the
Negro race" The President sent the
conference his "heartiest good wishes"
for the success of its deliberations.
Keynote Is Sounded.
The conference will continue in &C
tive sessions in various auditoriums
here through Saturday. Last nights
meeting marked the sounding of the
keynote of the meetings and ended
with a reception In the Commerce
Department aquarium in the base
ment of the Commerce Department
Building.
The business of the conference was
begun at $50 o'clock this morning
when functional committees and the
Committee on Financial Support of
Education met simultaneously. The
committees, their respective chairmen,
and their places of meeting follow:
Committee on Home Life, Mrs. Mary
Mcleod Bethune Of Daytona Beach,
Fla, Red Cross Assembly Hall; Com
mittee on Vacations, T. Arnold Hill,
United States Chamber of Commerce;
Committee on Citizenship, Dean w. E.
Daniel of Wiley College, Marshall,
Tex, Brookings Institution: Commit
tee on Recreation and Leisure Time,
E. T. Attwell, New York City, United
States Chamber of Commerce; Com
mittee on Health, Franklin o. Nichols
Of New York City, United States
Chamber of Commerce; Committee on
Ethics and Morals, DR.. Willis j.
King of Atlanta, Ga, United States
Chamber Of Commerce, and Commit
tee on Financial Support of Educa-
ton, Fred McCuistion of Nashville,
Tenn, Interior Department.
In the opening address last night
Secretary Ickes paid tribute to the
conference method of considering ma
tional problems. The trend toward
the conference on important topics
the Secretary declared, is born of
the necessity Of finding wisdom for
future conduct less in q study Of the
past than In the minds Of persons
who are constantly graphing with
particular problems of the present.
Constant Counsel Is Required.
Particularly is this true" he de-
clared, with respect to problems Of
education. 1t is clear that the chief
contribution in the field Of educa-
ton today is to be made by those
who, while diligent students of the
past, follow a clear vision of the
future. To make good on this vision.
to make sure that what is believed
to be a vision is not something merely
visionary, contant counsel of the best
equipped minds Is required. This is
the best assurance of protection
against serious mistakes" The prob
lens of Negro education, Secretary
Ickes said, lend themselves particu-
larly to the conference method OF
consideration.
He pointed out that within 10 years
the colored people have marched from