The Washington times., 1938-02-07

TO

By Beatrice Fairfax

n Dld Guy uooN OI"' ~
"A discussing I h e latest
fictional-indictment against
our modern young people,
"The Prodigal Parents" by
Sinclair Lewis. And the con-
sensus of opinion by the
younger members of the club
seemed to be that the boy
and girl in the book-Sara
and Howard Cornplow-
were becoming out-moded
types.
Like the poor, which the
Bible warns will always be with
us. young CornploWs by any
Other name will be among those
present till Judgment Day. But
the half baked Greenwich Vii
lage type sighing for the Revol-
ution to Straighten the vision OF
a cockeyed world is becoming
less prevalent since youth is
better informed.
CTEARFR THINKERS
The Cornplows had well-to-
do father to fall back on, and
they beca m e Super-paraSlteS.
But as rich fathers grow less,
and boys and girls have to
scratch for their own worms"
they think more intelligently.
In spite of all wailings about
modern conditions. something
like evolution goes on automatl-
cally. And parasitical young
sters, depending on rich parents
for their daily dry Martins,
have a way of dying off before
they have children because their
bodies can't stand the pace. Like
the grasShopper of fable, they
have a grand time while it lasts,
but it doesn't last long.
A single edition of a daily
paper, bought casually at a
newsstand the day the Lewis
book appeared, set forth the
genuine accomplishments OF
flesh and blood youth against
the groupings Of the fictional
Cornplows. I wish there was
q space to mention all the things
intelligent boys and girls are
doing.
INTERESTING COURSE
It told of the enrolment OF
an astonishingly large body OF
students at the Farm Folk
School at the University of Wis
consin, at Madison. Gathered
from all parts of the country, the
students study from November
to March-the slack season for
farms. The curriculum, which
covers all sorts of farm wis
dom, also takes UP tariff and
economics. The IS weeks session
costs only S100 and if you come
from Wisconsin the tuition OF
$51 is free.
A little while ago, a couple
of weeks perhaps, it was almost
impossible to meet girl in
the Capital, who didn't
have a club badge or ribbon
pinned to her coat. The old
town actually Seethed with fed
erations, notifications, confer
ences for world betterment.
These clubs and groups were
all of the progressive type which
appeal to young people who
would laugh if revolution was
offered as a panaCea of any
thing.
RAISED THE QUESTION
They discussed war from an
economic standpoint and with
a refreshing absence of flag
waving. Another group dis
cuSsed maternal health and de-
manded why the United States,
the richest country in the world,
should have the great maternal
death rate with the exception
of one other country. Another
group talked about wise-Spend-
ing, homes, marriage and the
rearing of children. Nearly all
of them expected to marry. I
saw no "CornplowS" at any of
these conferences.
Hundreds of letters come to
me every month from boys and
girls wanting to know about
Adult Education and Vocational
Training. And the majority of
these young people stand on
their feet all day long earning
their living. In spite of the
Problem Parents. I believe in
the youth of this generation.
TS eaay3oc %o mo fha N6Ila mi - ~