Evening star., 1950-04-23
Citizenship Session
Here in May TO Have
Wide Representation

The Fifth National Conference
on Citizenship is the important
sounding title of an affair which
gets under way in Washington
about month from now.
At least 1000 delegates are ex-
pected to be on hand for regis
tration on May 20 at the Hotel
Statler. They will represent some
500 public and private organiza-
tions and, through their member
ship, draw from a large part of
the country's $50 million people.
The delegates also will represent
as diverse a croSs-Section OF opln-
ion as could be conceived-rang-
ing from the Daughters OF the
American Revolution to the I'M
migrants Protective League; and
from the Federal Security Agency
to the Loyal Order of the Moose.
To Talk Over Problems.
=. On the Joint invitation OF the
National Education Association
and the Justice Department, the
delegates will assemble to talk over
their common problem as Amerl-
can citizens. In it's simplest terms,
it is the problem of how to make
democracy work in the world.
The idea started after the war.
while the fighting was going
on, it was simple to be good citi-
zen" conference leader ex-
planned. Then, when the peace
came, the letdown came too. The
tendency was to sit back and let
the country and the world run
itself"
Originally, the idea of the con-
ference was to talk up Il am an
American Day" But. in the opin-
ion of it's sponsors, it soon over
shadowed the formal ceremonies
of that occasion. 1t seemed that
there was a chance to do some
thing more than Just talk about
good citizenship one day of the
year.
So conference leaders sent out
invitations to every organization
In the country interested in cit
izenship. The suggestion, in effect,
was that the time had come to
stop talking and start acting.
BarkIey to Be Chairman.
After two experimental confer
ences sponsored by the NEA in
Philadelphia in 1916 and in Bos-
ton in 1947, the conference moved
to Washington in 1913, with the
Justice Department as co-sponsor.
That year, delegates of 400 Or
ganizations met to discuss the
theme of citizenship: Rights and
Responsibilities" The late Charles
Evans Hughes served as honorary
chairman.
Last year the conference met
In New York with the emphasis
again on the responsibilities of
citizenship, in politics, In the
world, and in the community. Vice
President Barkley was honorary
chairman.
Mr.. Barkley will play the same
role for the conference this year,
The theme will be Loyal Citi-
zens in Action-You Are Your
Government"
The conference will start with
special discussion led by repre-
sentatives of the Immigration
Naturalization Service dealing with
the problems of new citizens and
the displaced persons program.
Ives to Be First Day Speaker.
The first general session will be
held Monday, May %. with Sena-
tor Ives, Republican. of New York,
billed as the principal speaker.
Afterwards, the delegates will
break up into the small working
groups to discuss the topic In
telligent Voting, Every Citizen
Voting"
At 4 pm. the conference will
adjourn to the Capitol Plaza to
participate in Il Am an American
Day" ceremonies and hear an ad-
dress by President Truman.
Topics for Tuesday May % will
be Accurate Information, Life
Blood of Citizenship" and I'm
proving Citizenship Through Our
Organizations" All of the dis
cussion groups will take up the
same topics simultaneously.
At the final general session
Wednesday. May "a, Vice Presi-
dent Barkley will be the speaker.
AS the program indicates, the
leaders of the conference have
limited their objective. Concen-
tration this year has been on the
practical means of improving
citizens, through the mechanics
of getting out the vote; through
getting over information on vital
issues, and through improving
the organizations programs.
Some Problems Ducked.
Significantly ducked are some
equally vital problems in the more
theoretical field; for example, the
question of who is and who isn't
a loyal American.
Conference leaders do not deny
the urgency of such questions
They point to their list of at
tending organizations and urge
patience.
I'VE just have to be practical
about things like that" one OF
them explained. I'VE have fire
works enough as it is without
asking for more"
The idea is that by sticking to
what can be done in the practical
field. the conference is fulfilling
an important need in the coun-
try. Above all, it provides a forum
where leaders can exchange old
ideas and breed new ones that
will help on the local level.
We're not naive enough to think