Evening star., 1936-10-14
" the Associated Press.

It Is good to see once again
smiling faces, and to hear happy
cheers from young America.
I have just come through
Eastern Colorado and Western
Kansas-parts Of our national dust
bowl-where deep holes in the
ground and swirling clouds Of dust
show the erosion which years Of
mans neglect has wrought in the
soil. And in your own States you
have all seen other examples Of
waste in the physical resources Of
our country-water, trees, birds
and other wild life.
But through the years Of this
depression We have had destruction
even more tragic than that-waste
In men and women, in human skill,
character and life. OF all Of the
appalling waste Of the days Of false
prosperity and recent disaster,
human erosion has been the most
cminous.
There was, unfortunately, for
long time in the high places Of
Government in Washington
school of thought that human
waste was the concern only OF
private charity and local commu-
mites. We have learned a lot
since those days. We no longer
believe that human beings hit by
food. drought, unemployment or
any other National disaster should
be left to themselves with the sole
help of such charity as may be
locally available to them. 1t may
not be enough to 60 round.
Yonth II Most
Priceless Human Asset.
Government since 1888 has be-
gun to take stock Of the human
resources Of the Nation and it Is
determined to preserve them.
As we take stock, we recognize
that the most priceless of our
human assets are the young men
and women Of America-the raw
material out of which the United
States must shape its future.
Natures deepest instinct is the
concern In every parents heart
for the welfare of the children. 1t
Is q law Of nature which equals
even the instinct for the preserva-
tion Of life. Indeed it is part of
that law, for without the preserva-
ton Of youth, the race itself would
perish. And 50, the highest duty
Of any Government Is to order
public affairs so that opportunities
for youth shall be made ever
broader and hrmer.
We Americans have never lost
our sense Of this obligation. To q
greater degree than any other
peoples we have sought to give
each rising generation little bet
ter chance in life than the one
that preceded it. The little red
schoolhouse for the education Of
the young, and the church for the
training of his spiritual qualities,
have always been the first struc-
lures to rise in every new settle
ment, as our ancestors pushed new
frontiers through the wilderness.
The school is the last expenditure
upon which America should be
willing to economic.
Feel Responsibility To
Boys and Girls in Ruins.
Those of us who helped build
up the fantastic jazz era Of the
nineteen twenties, which crashed
down over our heads, must feel q
peculiarly deep sense of RESPONSE
bility to our boys and girls who
were sunk with us in the ruins.
I need not remind the young peo-
pie Of this country of the black
future which lay ahead Of them
In those days. That was the era
Of the wanderers-boys and girls
who had grown tired Of living on
the vanishing savings of their par
ents, and who had set out on the
highways in all directions to look
for work which they could not find.
Those in school and those out of
schools could not look forward to
q place in the community. The door
OF opportunity had been slammed
In their faces. Hanging around on
street corners, roaming about the
country in bands vainly looking
for work-there was the real dan
ger, which America faced. When
the history of the dark days out
OF which we are now coming is
written, it will be said that the
great marvel of this period was
that those young people have come
through, with full faith in DEM
ocracy and with a high resolve to
preserve 1t at all costs.
Government Acted
to Put End to Condition.
Cities couldn't help, counties
couldn't help, States couldn't help,
even big business couldn't help.
The youth Of America had appar-
emily come to the end of the road.
That was the condition that con-
fronted your Federal Government
on March 4, 1893.
Your Federal Government acted.
Before II laid It's hands to any
other problem-and there were
many of them-it set up the c. G.
G. camp to put an immediate end
to that hopeless condition.
It cost money to do that, Just as
It cost our pioneer fathers and
mothers money to build the schools
In which we have all been trained.
We have done much in the way
Of beginning to improve the
things in America which have made
for waste In human beings. On
the farms and in the cities
throughout the Nation-we are
starting to remove those glarfng
inequalities, those deep-rooted NAL,
adjustments which did 50 much to
bring about disaster.
The American people Joined with
Us in 1888 to start this job. A vast
majority Of the American people
In 1896 are with us to see it
through. We have made the start
In these days, confident that you-
the youth of the country-wil
carry on to finish the Job.
That is why we have q national
youth program. That is why