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Show -' wiroimt. paw) rmn id 4J3 Eleanor Roosevelt PROPER SPIRIT This seems to me the opportune time to publish a letter which has just come, and which breathes the spirit which must be ours. It is signed by Margaret Rollo, and comes from Lanarkshire, England: "Dear Madame: "I have been given the very great honour of writing you on behalf of the Women's Rural institute of this village to thank the women of America Amer-ica through you for their most kind and thoughtful gift of vegetable seeds. I can assure you that this gift, one of so many, has touched the hearts of all the women of Britain. Brit-ain. These seeds have been put into the ground with many kind thoughts of American women and of good wishes for all Americans who are standing shoulder to shoulder with us in this gigantic struggle. "Not many days ago, one of our loveliest old cities in the South was badly 'blitzed' two nights in succession. Many people lost everything. ev-erything. A member of my family wrote and told me that she had been working in a rest center for 16 hours a day, helping to feed and clothe the homeless. She said: 'The garments we gave out all came from America and you have no idea of the comfort com-fort and cheer they gave! "I have seen many of those garments, gar-ments, for the house of one of my friends in this village is the receiving receiv-ing center for the upper ward of Lanarkshire. What struck me about the garments was their cheery colors col-ors and their look of warmth and comfort. Do tell the women of the United States how truly grateful we are for their help and wonderful generosity. "In this prayer we are learning what is of real and lasting value, and I pray God we may never forget. for-get. You would be amazed at the courage and cheerfulness of people who have undergone the most terrible ter-rible experiences. We have one dear little woman living in Robertson, Rob-ertson, who, in March, 1941, lost everything except what is most precious her husband and two small children. She comes down here to help us occasionally and she is like a tonic. Her parting word is always 'cheerio.' It is a privilege to help people with courage. cour-age. We are confident of victory however long and hard the struggle may be." FREEDOM IN EDUCATION There was a very interesting editorial edi-torial in one of the metropolitan papers recently. It brought up the much-discussed question of public schools in England. These schools, which correspond to our most exclusive ex-clusive boarding schools, are giving giv-ing consideration to changes for the future. Some of our educators, who are concerned about real freedom of opportunity op-portunity in education, are also thinking about what we should do. There are colleges in this-country in several of the bigger cities where tuition is free to the citizens of that city. There are state universities where titution is free to the young people of the state. Board and lodging lodg-ing is still a considerable expense, however, so we have-.jany young people who give up obtaining a college col-lege education because financially it is too much of a burden. That is why some of us have been so much interested in the National Youth administration grants to college col-lege students as well as to graduate students. I agree with the writer of the editorial that: "A democracy needs leaders, influential by talent and by character. The wider the basis of choice, the more successful success-ful the democracy will be and the more capable of resisting the vulgar 'fuehrerprinzip' which now afflicts so great a part of the world." To do this, however, there will have to be a. system of grants to students who are worthy of obtaining obtain-ing higher education, otherwise this type of education is available only to those whose families are able to pay for it. ... TRAVELING THROUGH U. S. One afternoon about 35 Hi-Y students stu-dents from the Northwest came in to see what rooms are now open in the White House. I talked to them for a few minutes. These young boys are between 15 and 18 and their trip is sponsored by the Young Men's Christian association. as-sociation. A great many of them had earned all or part of the money which they had used for this trip. I imagine, as the war goes on, that fewer and fewer trips will be possible. pos-sible. Yet, I am always glad to feel that even a few young people can take back to their communities the impressions gained by seeing their country and their country's capital. It may be possible for them in the future to see a great deal more of the world, but perhaps nothing will ever be as vivid as the first impression impres-sion which comes from a trip across the whole United States. There is such a variety of scenery, such a variety of occupation, that I think it is impossible for any young person per-son not to get a sense of the greatness great-ness and power of his nation. That sense is a good thing to have at the present time. It awakens a confidence both in the present and in the future. ... MILK POWDER A letter has just come to me on the value of milk powder. Milk in this form can be shipped long distances dis-tances and still retain its nutritive value It is cheap, but not whole milk.' As a sub-family head, I want to say at once that I am one of those who likes milk just as it comes, bu I also believe that there is great need at present for the education of the public in the use of processed oods in general. If you can not get good clean, whole milk, you should get powdered milk. |