Evening star., 1934-08-20

General approval is given in edi-
torial comment on the report Of the
Committee on American Citizenship
of the American Bar Association,
which points out that schools and col
leges lack adequate teaching Of the
nature of the Federal Constitution.
Such knowledge is held to be essential
to good citizenship and 1t Is recon-
mended that institutions of learning
provide substantial courses in the
subject. to be required as preliminary
to graduation.
1t Is observed by the Nashville Ban
ner that the committee points to
amazing conceptions Of the meaning
of the Constitution, and that paper
states further: "A campaign Of educa-
ton to awaken an interest among the
masses of citizens in the Constitution
is urged. One of the suggestions is
that the courts of the country set
aside one day during their terms for
public gathering at which achieve
ments in the field of constitutional
government would be reviewed and
oratorical contests among high school
students dealing with some phase Of
the Constitution be held as means
of disseminating knowledge Of the
organic law"
More will be heard of this report" "
says the Dayton (Ohio) Herald, when
1t Is presented at the annual meeting
of the association in Milwaukee. No
doubt greater stress will be placed
upon knowledge of the Constitution
and our form of Government as q
safeguard against forces which have
crippled or destroyed democratic in
stitutions in other countries. In the
meantime the report should give food
for thought to Americans in general.
Most of them already know a little
about the Constitution and its dra-
matte history, but thousands have
never taken the trouble to read that
document. Under the circumstances 1t
is a question whether the apparent in
difference, which the report notes, Is
more the fault of the schools than
Of the public"
1T is q good idea" in the opinion
Of the Jersey City Journal, Ito urge
that all colleges make some knowledge
OF the Constitution requisite for q de-
gree" That paper adds: THE. CON-
mittee will urge that all colleges make
such knowledge prerequisite for ad-
mission. Such requirement would
compel the average high school
throughout the country to include in
the curriculum preliminary or high
school grade course of study of the
fundamental law of the land No high
school would care to be stigmatized
as the school where pupils fail to pre-
pare properly for college because the
school omits course on the United
States Constitution. The Nation
Is running q serious hazard in per-
mitting succeeding rising generations
TO forget the principles of government
which men have learned through the
ages are workable and fair and desir-
able. Let any American educator ex-
plain, If he can. why his school or col
lege ought not to compel every candi-
date for graduation to prove that he
or she has learned the fundamental
principles Of American life and gov
ernment, as embodied in the Consti-
tuition"
THE increase in radical thought is
not surprising" remarks the Atlanta
Constitution, which emphasizes the
facts of history: THE great intellects
OF America-the Jeffersons, Clays and
websters-attained their mastery of
human knowledge through attendance
upon grammar schools where they
were soundly based in the three Rs,
with none Of the fol-de-rols with