Evening star., 1941-02-14
S1,4OO in Gifts Start
Police Boys Club on
Way TO 100000 Goal
McNutt Sounds Keynote
To Workers as Rally
Opens Fund Campaign


The annual campaign of the
Metropolitan Police Boys Club
started rolling toward its 100000
goal today with ST 400 already in the
till and approximately 1900 volun-
teer workers, with the words of club
leaders and Federal Security Admin
istrator Paul v. McNutt for inspira-
ton. active in canvassing the city
for funds.
First contribution of the 1941 cam
paign for funds to prevent juvenile
crime through the work of the club
was check for $1,000 presented by
the clubs women'S auxiliary. Three
more checks, one of 5000 from Mrs.
Henry Alvah Strong, a second of
$3.50 from the Rockport Foundation
and a third of $50 from Mrs.
Thomas F. Phillips, also were re-
ceived at rally in the Willard
Hotel last night.
Mr.. McNutt sounded the keynote
for the campaign in speech broad
cast over Station VOL. More than
1,UUU PERSONS we're present.
Cites City's Restrictions.
In the country, Mr.. McNutt OBJ
served, boys still are confronted
with the opportunity to occupy their
leisure time along healthful, char
acter- building lines. But thousands
of boys in our cities" he said, lack
space and sunshine and freedom of
movement on the one hand and are
beSet on the other with countless
inhibitions and restrictions created
by the closely knit organization of
urban life.
Many of the programs run pre-
sumably for boys in many of our
communities are primarily con-
Cerned with selling the boys further
restrictions, keeping them out of the
streets, out of the rivers, quieter in
the libraries and off the grass"
Maj. Ernest w. Brown, he said.
recognized that delinquency could
not be met by "eXhortation. The
progressive decline of the number
OF arrests Of juveniles since his Po-
lice Boys Club was started repre-
sentS specific and real dividend
the community received from the
Metropolitan Police Boys Club" he
added.
Not Charity, but Responsibility.
In connection with the campaign
goal, he said:
This Is no charity which the
community is asked to perform. 1t
is the assumption of responsibility.
That responsibility is one
which, assumed by the community.
means real saving, in the economy,
the efficiency, the health, the hon.
esty and the loyalty of future citi-
ZenS.
You are building your commu-
nlty'S future. God help you if you
do not have the common sense to
build it on the granite of character"
The rally was opened with music
from the Police Boys Club Band,
led by Leon Brusiloff the singing of
the national anthem and recitation
Of the Lords Prayer by 11-year-old
Jack Smithson of the fifth precinct
club.
James E. Collif1oWer, president of
the Washington Board of Trade and
master Of ceremonies. ushered in the
program by calling for a song from
the Hecht Co. Glee Club, led by John
G. Klein.
First speaker on the program was
Morris Cafritz, club president. He
hinged his brief talk on a parable
In which boy succeeded in piecing
together a complicated jigsaw puzzle
which, when completed, was the
figure of boy
IF you put the boy together. the
puzzle will take care of itself" he
said. Flesh and blood boys. he
added are put together" by the
work of the Police Boys Club and
nodded into constructive future
citizens.
$500 Boy Members.
He said the clubs now have total
membership of $500 boys. The
work, he said, is particularly i'm
portant at this time, when forces
advocating other forms of govern
ment" are busy attempting to sub
vert and corrupt the American way
of life.
After a brief intermission. during
which the clubs harmonica band
played, Maj. Brown rose to say that
'the first duty of police depart
ment is crime prevention"
The work of the club. he said, has
been responsible for the reduction
of the number of juvenile cases from
352 in 1885 to Sc in 1888.
Not long ago, he said, a repre-
sentative of Scotland Yard in Lon
don visited his Office to study the /
work of the club. On a visit to one
Of the five clubs, Maj. Brown said, f.
this man saw a group of boys hob |.
nObhing with a policeman at the |,
street corner.
"Ahl You have the secret. The
boys and the police are friends"
Maj. Brown quoted him as saying.
Spreads to Other Cities.
The police chief said that as a
result of the pioneering work in the
Washington club cities all over the