Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1939-09-10

EAABlOA ASes'
In this month by custom set apart
for the opening OF school sessions
throughout the length and breath
of the land it behooves us as parents
and interested citizens to ask our
selves whether we are the positive
forces we should be in achieving a
better tomorrow for the SCHOOLGIRL
dren of our United States.
This tomorrow, the trend OF pres
ent-day events has demonstrated as
never before in the worlds history,
can be achieved only by holding fast
to the basic ideal of our democracy,
that those who govern shall do so
only with the consent of the gov
erned
Best Should Be Given.
AS means to the furtherance OF
life. liberty and the pursuit of hap
piness" among those who enjoy the
privileges of being citizens OF the
greatest Republic in the world. 1t
has long been accepted that the
benefits of the best possible public
school education within the gift OF
the state to bestow should at all
times be available to the children
Of our Nation.
How far we are falling short Of
this ideal in America today is EVIL
denced by a significant fact in this
community and elsewhere. Long
suffering parents, despairing Of pro-
curing adequate and desirable edu-
cational advantages for their chill
dren during the most formative
periods of their lives, are turning
more and more to the excellent pri-
vate schools which are being de-
veloped to meet certain OF the more
manifest inadequacies of our public
schools. These are, in the main,
overcrowding, insufficient play space,
the DETERMINATION of teacher
personnel, because of low salaries
and uncertain opportunities for ad-
vancement and the inability of over
burdened teachers to give Johnny
or Kate the individual attention
they require-whether they be in
dividualistic top stars in the edu-
cational armament or only dimly
twinkling, but very worthwhile
dummy dears.
Interest Tags.
The result is an inevitable loss of
interest in the public schools on
the part of those who should be
their most powerful advocates, be-
cause of their standing and influ-
o~ce II, tho cOr,, v,,1pitIy opd tho toyes
which they pay to sustain 1t.
In the lifetime of President Theo-
dore Roosevelt, his son. Quentin
Roosevelt, who later met heros
death as an American aviator in
the World War at the hands of
German bombing plane, attended
the Force School here, on terms of
perfect equality with his classmates,
drawn from all walks in life.
Factories Of Citizenship.
On December 10, 1905, President
Theodore Roosevelt said to a group
of Washington citizens meeting At
the White House with him in con-
nection with the centenary cele-
bration of the public schools Of the
District Of Columbia: 1T has been
my good fortune that all Of my
children have received, or are re-
ceiving, a part of their education
in the public schools of the District
of Columbia, and I feel the ad-
vantage to them is incalculable
The public schools are not merely
educational centers for the mass of
the people, but they are the fac
tories of American citizenship"
At subsequent mass meeting in
the Congregational Church, William
H. Taft, at that time Secretary of
War, made this comment: Il should
be lacking in gratitude to the citi-
zens of Washington if I did not
testify to the excellence of the
schools here" But he also took oc-