Evening star., 1941-03-25

Women Hear
McNutt
Security Chief
Urges Citizens to
Study Problems

The new and pressing problems
imposed upon communities by the
national defense program will not
be solved by indifference on the
part of the citizens, nor is mere flag
waving evidence of real patriotism,
Federal Security Administrator Paul
v. McNutt told members of the
Woman's National Democratic Club
yesterday at luncheon. New prob
lens of housing, health and recrea-
tional facilities should be studied
dividual communities, which should
not look to the Government to settle
every question which arises In the
locality, he said.
mo single problem of community
life will ever be solved solely by
admitting the Federal Government
to partnership with the States and
localities" he declared. The only
place to solve a problem is at its
source"
Local indifference to serious prob
lens is too frequently evidenced by
the brief remark so what" Mr. Nc
Mutt asserted
When families of defense work.
ers are compelled to set up house
keeping in concrete sewer pipes un-
| loaded on railroad siding so what
Is an inadequate answer" he de-
clared.
Such conditions have suddenly
arisen in certain communities, he
declared. with many other distress
ing problems brought about through
great increase of defense pro-
gram workers demanding living
conditions and other necessities un-
available in rapidly expanding COM
munities.
Indifference will not do when a
community has to offer make
shift school for children of defense
workers in an abandoned one-room
country church, unheated insani-
tary and totally unequipped," the
speaker continued. Nor when 10
or II year old neUsboys are getting
rich quick by charging 50 a head
to introduce local girls, many
under IS, to hundreds of out-of-
towners working in a long CLOSED
but now rejuvenated factory" he
added.
These are Just samples of the
kind of problems, the urgent, we'll
nigh desperate emergencies which
today, in great cities and in small
towns from coast to coast, are de-
manding community action in ma
tional defense" Mr.. McNutt de-
clared
These problems are a challenge to
individual citizens as we'll as to
Government agencies and public
officials, the Federal security ad-
miniStrator emphasized.
IF indifference will not do" he
continued. neither will mere flag
waving, Patriotic fervor and COM
munity conscience are all necessary
attributes of effective democracy.
but even men of good will cannot
get very far with these alone" he
added
Citing examples in which some
communities have met present day
conditions Mr.. McNutt declared
that the emergency problems of to-
day are challenge of intelli-
gence--to the capacity for wise
thought and planned action in be-
half of the kind of life We believe
free men are entitled to live"
Mr.. McNutt, who is so-ordinator
of health and welfare in the ma
tional defense program. was intro
ouced by Mrs. Izetta Jewel Miller.
Mrs. Paul McNutt, vice president,
presided in the absence of Mrs.
Curtis Shears, president, who is
with her husband on a business
mission to Cuba. Mrs. McNutt an
nounced for Mrs Shears that the
annual spring fete of the club would
be a "Pan-American Fiesta" to be
held on May Is.
Mrs. Glen Clifford was chairman
of the day for the luncheon.