Evening star., 1941-02-16

4llC 1fGll dllllNClouly y Va bilO ANo
tional Congress of Parents AND
Teachers, of which the District OF
Columbia congress is State unit
will be observed tomorrow. For all
these years, this great organized
group of parents and teacherS-for
the most part composed of women
has been functioning with the one
ideal always before 1.-THE better
ment of conditions surrounding the
children and youth of our country
That our founders-Alice McClel-
Ian Birney and Phoebe ApperSon
Hearst, builded we'll is evidenced by
the fact that the association has
had a steady and sturdy growth
until now it is one of the strong
est organized groups in the world
There are many avenues opening
to members of our association
whereby they may be of further
service to the young people of our
country-and through them to the
country itself During the past
year conditions have changed
radically: last year at this time we
were discussing the war from the
spectators seat; today We are con-
cerned with it from the angle OF
the interested partner. And be-
cause of this change in our view
point, there is also a change in the
opportunities and obligations laid
before us.
National Congress Statement.
A statement issued by the office
of the national congress contains
these significant words: These
emergencies need to be met, they
affect the morale of families, the
standards of youth, the well-being
of American childhood. Our pro-
gram of work should logically ex-
pand to meet this situation"
Continuing with a review OF the
changed status of community life,
the statement presents three prob
lens which should compel our i'm
mediate attention:
Il. That of coping with condi-
tionS growing out OF the inability
of the average community adjacent
to an Army camp to make adequate
provision for the young men called
to service. 2. That of coping with
difficulties connected with large
emergency settlements established
for essential war industries. 3. That
of maintaining normal human re-
lationships and of providing nor
NAL community services in a ma
tional emergency"
While perhaps all these things dc
not affect the people of Washington
many of them do. And one of the
most important is the influx OF
workers brought here by the total
defense program. Many of these
people are unmarried, but many
more of them are married, with
families. And the children in these
families will, of course. need to be
absorbed into the community life
of the section of the city in which
they live. They will go to the proper
public schools, and in many cases
these schools are already over
crowded.
Expansion Needed.
Here, then, is a place for us to
make effective use of our organiza-
ton by supporting the school appro-
priation section of the District ap-
preparation bill. New buildings are
needed-and needed at once; addi-
tional teachers are necessity; more
physical equipment to care for the
additional pupils. We can urge that
sufficient funds be made a"ailable
to take care of this situation, which
is Just as much an emergency rs
any other situation arising ont OF
the defense program.
In fact, there are many oppor-
tunities with their responsibilities
which we may we'll consider, and II
is toward these objectives that our
energies should be directed. I am
sure that the parent-teacher asso-
citation will find no better way in
which to honor it's founders than by
accepting these opportunities and
responsibilities as they present them
selves.
State News.
At the meeting of the Board OF
Managers on Tuesday nine recon-
mendations were adopted, which are
being sent to the heads of the Dis
trict government and to the heads
of the Police Department, all di-
rected toward an improvement In
traffic conditions as they now exist
in Washington. They are:
l. Additional police, in the tn
terests of traffic safety and for citi-
zen protection.
2. An increase in the personnel
in the office of the director of vehi-
cles and traffic, in order to better
facilitate the handling of traffic
business.
8. Enforcement of the present
speed limit laws.
4. A special traffic judge.
5. Additional traffic lights at busy
intersections where at the present
time there are none.
6. Better lighted streets.
7. Adequate provision for teach
ing traffic safety in the schools.
8. Opposition to the site for the
new Pan-American Union annex, az
suggested by the Secretary Of the
Interior. 1t is the opinion Of the
board that the erection of the build.
ing on the site suggested by the
Secretary would provide an eX-
tremely hazardous traffic bottleneck
The board also decided to ask the
Health Department of the District
of Columbia for a reinterpretation
of the language in the appropriation
bill for the District, so that pre-
school children may be admitted tc
the free dental clinics in the city
there being at this time no specific
provision.
Founders day will be observed
Tuesday with a program in charge
of Mrs. T. H. Young, chairman, ir
the N. E. A. Building. The meeting
will begin at 1870 pm. and included
on the program will be tribute tc
the late Mrs. Joseph N. Saunders
a past president of the congress, by
Mrs. z. D. Blackstone, who served