The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-08-26
ENLARGING THE HORIZON.

From the Syracuse Post.
The educational side Of the late wal
is not the least in Importance in compen-
satory benefits. The war has been 3
school master. and the American people
have been taking lessons since the Name
was blown up. They know more about
history and geography and international
law, not to meEtion the principles of
warfare, than they ever knew before.
-:o:-
How many people last February had
any definite ideas about the Philippines
Probably a good many persons had n
vague idea that the Philippines were in
habited by the people referred to in the
Apostle Pauls Epistle to the Philippians
The majority of the people knew ABOUT
as much concerning the Philippines as
they did about the ythical inhabitants
of Mars. Now the average man ana
woman can tell you about the geography,
the climate, the history of the Philip
pines, can name the chief cities end
their important products, can describe
the general features of the country, the
pecularities of it's tribal system, the
value of its imports and exports, and
much other information of general inter-
est. The Philippines, instead of being
several thousand miles away from any
definite landmark of positive informa-
every schoolboy can tell a good deal
about them. When the war broke out II
would have puzzled good many well
informed people to have located in their
order the principal islands of the West
Indies. Now everybody can arrange
them in their proper row. The Wind
ward Passage sounds as familiar TO the
American people as Hampton Roads.
Few people at the outbreak of the war
could have told much about Porto Rico.
But this island today is almost as well
known to Americans as California Is to
the people east of the Rocky Mountains.
The long journey of the Oregon taught
Americans the necessity of a Nicaragua
Canal and impressed upon their minds
the geography of every coaling station
from San Francisco to Key West. Ha-
wall six months ago was almost un-
known to the average American. Today
Its cities. people and products are famil-
lar topics.
The exigencies of the war compelled
Americans to look beyond the West In
dies, South America and the Philippines
Camara's futile dash to the Suez Canal
turned the attention of intelligent peo-
| pie Eastward. Thousands of Americans
| discovered for the first time the strat egl I,
location of Gibraltar, the value of thu
Canaries, the importance of coaling st
| tions in the Mediterranean. The pCssi-
bility of a clash with Germany was
| enough to cost the country on the re-
| sources and the fighting strength of that
nation. In fact, all Europe came under
| review from day to day as the war pro-
| gressed, Cities like Hong Kong, Singa-
| pore and Manila, that if remembered at
| all by the average American recalled to
him only dot on map, became instinct
with life and living interest. The hori
zon was lifted, the American has look ID
out upon broader world than he ever
| knew before. He is a broader man in
his grasp of affairs than ever before. He
has been studying history, geography
| and international law during the last
three months to some purpose, and in
| intellectual vigor and breadth of view
the Nation is far more powerful today
| than 1t was when the war broke out.