Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1944-09-24
Assistant Secretary of State
Aids DeIinquents in Free Time
6. HowIund Shaw Finds
Genuine Interest in
Offenders Necessary
Ry FRANCES LIDE.


Assistant Secretary of State G.
Rowland Shaw probably holds the
record among Washington officials
for writing letters on Sunday. But
his Sunday correspondence is UNI
official.
That's the day he sets aside for
writing-in long hand-to boys and
men who have been in trouble at
one time or another.
1t would be impossible to esti-
mate the number he has kept in
touch with since he became inter-
ested in delinquents back in 1880,
but his correspondence ranges from
10 to IS or more letters and notes
weekly
Despite his work at the State De-
partment, Mr.. Shaw also makes
frequent visits in the evening to
the National Training School for
Boys here and occasional weekend
trips to the Childrens Village at
Dobbs Ferry. N Y, where he is
vice president.
BY carefully planning his free
time, however, he has managed to
combine his career with a pursuit
of the art of disinterested friend
ship" which has made him a ma
tional figure in the field of de-
linquency treatment
Heads Friendly Sponsors.
Although the larger share Of his
free" time goes into personal con-
tact with those he has befriended,
Mr.. Shaw is identified with numer-
Gus organizations dealing with re-
form and rehabilitation.
His latest undertaking locally is
the Craftsmanship of the Commit
tee of Friendly Sponsors under the
Corrections Division of the Coun-
Gil of Social Agencies. which will
offer personally unofficial service to
juvenile and adult offenders re-
leased from correctional agencies.
Mr.. Shaw emphasizes one point
above all others-that the sponsor
must genuinely like the offender for
whom he accepts responsibility.
These fellows are so quick at
getting on to pretense that it's no
joke" he commented.
His own wide interest in hobbies
has helped Mr.. Shaw in his first
interviews with boys-an extremely
important but sometimes difficult
contact. 1t also helps to know the
part of a city in which a boy lives.
In one interview with the vice
president of Harlem gang he got
of to flying start when the boy
learned Mr.. Shaw was an hon
orary member of another New
York gang.
But there are times" he admitted,
when you just have to accept the
fact that boy doesn't like you.
And if he doesn't you can't make
much headway."
To prospective sponsors who want
to know what to read by way of
preparation, Mr. Shaw skips pro-
fessional publications and recon-
mends Booth Tarkington's "Penrod"
or "Penrod and Sam" Most even
moderately successful adults have
forgotten what it feels like to be
boy" he explains
At the National Training School
he's member of the board of ad-
vlsers which also serves as a parole
board, but he overcomes this for
midable position by going into the
dormltories and just "gossiping"
with the boys as he puts it.
Doesn't Mince Words.
He may know boy for months
before discussing the youngsters
particular offenSe But once the
subject comes up his rule is not to
mince words or become sentimental.
He's also apt to tell boy some
thing OF his own youthful plumbers,
1T helps him in picturing you as
human sort of person" he explained.
II you feel you are doing good"
to Billy Jones, however, you had
better stop being a sponsor at once,
Mr.. Shaw believes.
And you must firmly resolve
that come what may you are going
to stick to Billy JONES'" he declared
That sticking process may lead
you to the, police station, and from
there to jail and on to the criminal
court and the penitentiary. But
perhaps at the very end of the
road Billy Jones will feel that in
the lousy world he has known there
has been one swell guy, and that
guy has been you"
Mr.. Shaw's interest in DELINQUENCY
grew out of his appointment as
counselor to Turkey in 193O-his Sec
ond tour of duty there. Learning
in advance that the Turkish gov
eminent was planning juvenile de-
linquency and other reform pro-
gram, he spent two months leave
studying the subject exclusively
and visiting institutions and courts
throughout the East. He worked
with the Turkish government on
several programs. maintaining his
connections in the field here at the
same time.
Since his return in 1887 he has