Evening star., 1940-10-06

OF misery, that def1ation could not
be stopped, and that the depression
was only the working of natural
economic laws In system of free
enterprise.
Philosophy Of Inaction
Rejected by Government.
The American Government,
through its elected representatives
in the legislative and executive
branches, decided to reject this
philosophy of inaction and irrespon-
sibility and indifference to the des-
titution of its citizens. In its place
was substituted a new doctrine
that the Government owed a con-
tinuing responsibility to see to it
that no one should starve who was
willing to work but unable to find
work. That was the responsibility
that the duty, which the collective
strength and will of all the people
imposed upon themselves, to allevi-
ate the suffering OF their fellow be-
ings and to stimulate recovery in
their national economy. That re-
sponsibility expresses itself in the
example which stands before us
here.
And remember that this Nation,
all the way from one coast to an
other, all the way from Canada to
Mexico, is dotted in almost every
one of its 5000 counties with schools,
to the construction of which the
Federal Government has contributed
new schools. useful schools,
schools to replace outworn schools,
schools that were needed by the
communities where they were erect
ed, schools for which the communi-
ties were willing to contribute their
own share out of their own pock-
cts.
There is not a single person in
the United States who has not seen
some new useful structure-a hos
pital, bridge, town hall, high
way, an airport a dam, a sewer
one of the hundreds of thousands
of new necessary Improvements
which were built in the United
States-illustrations of the results
of giving employment on useful
projects that were approved by each
community.
The public wealth of the United
States-the property of every man.
woman and child-has been in
creased in hundreds of ways Idle
funds Of the Nation have been put
to work so that idle hands could
be put to useful tasks
Into every project went money
for wages: the wages were spent at
local stores; the stores replenished
their stocks, and the wheels OF in
dustry and business moved faster.
Into every project went materials
for construction-mate from all
parts of the country. For example.
while our own local neighborhood
provided the stone for these very
schools. and perhaps the sand and
gravel for the concrete foundations,
almost everything else used was
made in some other part of America
Morale. New Hope
And Courage Developed.
In terms of dollars and cents,
no sounder investment could have
been made for the American people.
But the material return from that
investment was not the most i'm
portant gain. There came with 1t
a development of morale. a new
hope and courage, a new self-respect
among the unemployed-a definite
gain in the fiber and the strength
of American life. In building for
the well-being of America, we have
built for the defense of America as
we'll.
To you of the younger genera
ton who are now attending these
schools. I offer my very sincere con-
gratulations. You have the priv
ilege of improving your education
in institutions which have the best
OF modern equipment and high
standards of instruction and cur
riculum.
You have advantages which your
fathers did not enjoy. But we do
not begrudge you them. For it will
be the obligation of the youth Of
America to maintain under the more
strenuous conditions of modern life
our cherished traditions of demo-
cratic freedom.
You live in more complicated
world than your fathers. Your lives
will be much more intimately tied
with the lives of those in other
cities, in other towns, and in other
States.
You are vital part of an Amer
lea which, more thoroughly than
ever before, thinks in terms of ma
tional unity. That unity is steadily
improving in the desire for general
education. The older schoolchildren
here today will we'll understand the
difference that has taken place.
That unity has gone a long way in
their lifetimes.,
The older school district units
throughout the Nation are being
merged into consolidated districts.
in the cause of better education,
They In turn are operating in a
State system, which is constantly
striving to improve standards and
facilities. Finally, with the aid of
the Federal Government itself, edu-
cation is coming to be regarded
throughout the country as part and
parcel of the general well-being of
old and young alike, and as a neces-
sary factor in raising the standards
of American life.
All of this is typical of the knit
ting together of our people in every
State and every county and every
town, in a unity so necessary to our
salvation in these days of great
emergencies which threaten the
democracies of the world.
And so, my friends, I'm very
happy and very proud to take part
in the dedication Of these symbols
OF a new America, built on an old
America that iS ooipo to Eye