Evening star., 1938-08-15
NAz| POLICIES HIT
. BY YOUTH LEADER
Suppression Is AssaiIed as
Harmful to Nation by
! British Girl.

British Girl.
fhs contributions OF youth or
ednisdtions to tpoyld progress are
discussed here BY the international
secretary Of the World Youth Con-
rress, ,Dhich rspresents l0,000,O00
yovng people all ouer the Uorld.
Ths writer, q 25syear-old British
1tyl, tpho Is q graduate Of the Lon
Uxtted States to attend the second
World Youth Congress. to be held
at vassdr College, August rs to a.
The only countries not participant
ing In the congress this year are
Germany and Italy, both OF which
declined inpitdtions.
by BETTY SHIELDS-COLLINS.
NEW YORK. Aug. Is NANA).-
For the first time in history, groups
OF young people all over the world
lives in terms of what Is necessary
:. not just for their own good. but for
their country as whole.
have gone over literally tons Of
material-letters and reports-at my
American headquarters here. bearing
out this somewhat amazing statement.
Studies Of such needs, naturally, have
been made from time immemorial.
, but what Is new about these particular
efforts Is that the studies and cam
paigns for better conditions are made
by young people: and. 1T that. not Just
students entering into the new sphere
Of activity. but workers in mines and
factories, fishermen and farmers,
Surely this is . significant factor in
. world which every day is getting
more and more cynical.
But some people. in spite of what
they see to the contrary, doubt that
any contribution Of worthwhile
nature can be made by young people
IN this sphere. For them would like
to cite 3 memorandum drawn up by
the British Youth Peace Assembly.
The memorandum entitled Vocational
and Technical Education and Appren-
ticeship." was submitted to the Inter-
national Labor Conference this year
and accepted as part of the official
material of the conference The re-
port freely criticizes certain aspects of
English education and makes sugges-
tions for improvement Such criti-
eism, made in constructive, not de-
structive spirit, and accompanied by
concrete suggestions for betterment,
obviously is valuable contribution.
Nations Need 1t.
It Is In this spirit that the World
Youth Congress and youth organiza-
tions throughout the world approach
their So-called intrusion" into the
sphere of government and make their
proposals for legislation of one kind
and another. We feel that, until the
. time when every citizen feels respon-
sibility toward the community, and is
prepared to shoulder it in whatever
way proves possible, q nation will not
benefit from all the potential sources
Of improvement within itself
Yet 1t Is an interesting and even
tragic commentary on life today to
ind that, in many countries, such
positive interest in public welfare is
regarded with suspicion and as high
treason. I cannot, myself, imagine .
Hitler-Jugend group making study
OF the methods Of education used in
Germany today and publishing before
an international audience its findings
and proposals. without very severe
reprisals. Nor, feel, would this be
possible in Italy. 1t seems to me to
b loss to these countries, for 1t is
surely the free play Of the spirit Of
investigation and constructive activity
that leads to the fun development Of
each individual personality.
Not long ago We learned that the
next Olympic games would not be held
In Toxic after all, and then came
news that the invitation of Finland
to be host had been accepted. I think
almost every one welcomed the news
that the Olympics would be held in
~such charming country. It Is very
generally felt, believe. that such a
setting would be worthy Of the long
tradition Of the games, that the SIM
pie yet friendly nature of the welcome
that is assured will be far better than
the military pomp and pageantry that
we're associated with the games when
they were held in Berlin.
What do wo, as young people. think
about this change Of venue for the
games, have been asked with in
creasins frequency. I would like to
give the opinion of Bunny Austin, IA
NOUS English tennis player. When we
asked him what he thought about boy
%HAff1n0 hA ha< H. f>rA
politics and sport should not be mixed,
and that the spirit OF fair play" should
exist at all times and should extend
even to going to Toxic in order to
spread more good will through sport
instead Of creating ill-feeling by boy
cottong country, even though &C.
knowledged by all to be an aggressor
country. would like also to give the
opinion Of Philip Noel-Raker, who has
captained the English Olympics team.
He has the vast majority Of English
youth behind him. 1t is hypocrisy to
be the guests of a country which Is
at tho same time bombing innocent
women and children, keeping down
al dissident opinion in the popula-
ton by force and brutality, he said.
while pretending to be a charming
and courteous host.
. Mira Roosevelt Secs Worth.
MY own recent experiences here and
IN other countries shows me that, in
such = complex situation, where war
and fair play come up against each
other, idealistic youth finds It dificult
70 see what Is right.
On other issues however, we find It
much easier to be in agreement. Take
the question of economic needs Of
young people-the growing opinion.
not only Of my generation, but of all
far-seeing people, is best summed up
IN the words Of Mrs Roosevelt. the
Presidents wife, with whom recentIy
had the pleasure and privilege of dis.
eussing youth problems.
e "NOt ero1Irh noon1e vat r.,1;,. 4I.I