“ON THE WARPATH”

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 172, 21 April 1928, Page 3

“ON THE WARPATH”

CIVIC CONSCIENCE IN AMERICA AWAKENED “YOUTH PATRIOTIC AND IDEALISTIC” EFFORTS TO ROUT CORRUPTION AND GRAFT In my travels and contact wit-1 youth on five continents, I found the youth of America to be magnificently patriotic and idealistic, yet extremely practical. Of course, in America there is the great slogan, “America first,” but the American yvutti has gone beyond that; lie is thinning internationally. The student party of America is thinking internationally and desires to link up internationally.

This extract from her remarks summarises the conclusions reached by Aliss Graccio L. Houlder, an Australian lady, who is of some standing as a prohibition lecturer. She has spent four years in the United States investigating the subject nearest her heart, in the course of which she gained some interesting experiences along other channels. She arrived in Wellington by the Tahiti and spent a few days here while waiting for the Sydney steamer. Miss Houlder strongly deprecated the statement that the youth of America was developing the “hip pocket flask” habit, which she labelled as an aspersion, although it had been effective propaganda on the part of the “wets.” The American youth had the spirit of constructive idealism, which was epitomised in Lindberg, the power to achieve. Some years had passed since the end of the war, and the proposals of President Wilson in the direction of world peace, and there were new thoughts in the minds of the American citizen of to-day. President Wilson had sown seeds which would germinate in the coming generation for international peace and good-will, for once in the mind it would materialise, and prejudices would be subordinated by the outlook and spirit of the new age. The older generations regarded these great change, such as prohibition, as premature, but what was premature to-day would be generally accepted to-mor-row.

Arousing Civic Conscience. Aliss Houlder addressed many meetings in Chicago and saw the rout of the Crowe-Thompson party at the polls during her six months stay. The Christian Citizenship Council had brought together a great and influential body of people who had directed attention to the need of an enlightened church vote. Civic conscience had been aroused, corrupt politicians had been put out of action, citizenship was on the warpath of corruption and graft, and the last word expressed in the ballot-box had been the means of routing the Mayor (Air. Thompson' and his anti-British propaganda. The result of the elections was a challenge to those holding public office, a threat to criminals, bootleggers, moonshiners, and law breakers, a demand for justice, integrity, and rectitude, and a promise of more satisfactory conditions regarding public administration and State affairs. Constructive Work. The world had been hearing a great deal, she said, of Chicago gangs’ warfare, political corruption, hold-ups, bootlegging, etc., but little of the constructive work going on amongst the churches and the organisations of decent people. There was a large foreign element, thousands of whom could not even speak the English language, and had not imbibed the A B C of American principles and ideals. Their children were fine little patriotic Americans, gatherings of which she had addressed in schools and churches. Selfish, corrupt politicians used or exploited these “foreigners” for their own ends, and others who should know better set a low example by their own disrespect for the law, and violation of it jile'ased thgin. _ The Better Government League of Chicago had been working in close co-operation, with other movements, and the defeat of the Crowe-Thompson faction registered a protest and declaration that citizens were against the laxity. and lawlessness that had prevailed owing to political interests and graft. Speaking of prohibition itself; Miss Houlder concluded: “Alcohol and efficiency do not go together. Alcohol and health do not go together. Alcohol and happiness do not go together. Why prohibition ? Because it will guard the heme, shield motherhood, and sanctifv babyhood.”