Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-10-20
TEACHING PATRIOTISM.
Love of Country One of the Most
Aboriginal of Human Sentiments.

From the London Spectator
In his speech at Bradfield College on
Friday week Lord Roberts dealt with the
objection often urged against military
training in schoolS-that 1t will create a
taste for war in the English people He
argued, wisely enough that. on the con-
trary, ii the best deterrent to fool
ish Jingosm, which had for its chief in
Rredient ignorance of what fighting meant.
A man who has got to the stage of knowl-
edge which consists in realizing how little
he knows will be much less inclined to
venture rashy than the man whose self
conceit has never been wounded by a prac-
teal test. But, anxious are to see
every boy trained to arms, we are still
more anxious to see him trained to
patriotism. We are far too ready to
assume that the common virtues are
finished products, given denied to
men at the beginning. We argue that
those who have not family affection
or the love of country people who, as
we say. are wanting" They are sup
posed to have some flaw in the structure
OF their being which cannot be remedied
by taking thought. Such a view has no
warrant in psychology or in common ex-
perience. A child may by nature or by
the accidents of his early training have no
proper sense of honor, but If he falls into
good hands he may turn out an honor
able man. Or he may begin life with a
complete lnSenSlDlllty 10 the beauties OIL
nature, and by fortunate chance find the
secret OF appreciation. 1t is a dangerous
end shallow creed which dogmattzes on the
absence of special qualities as a sign of
some mental or moral deficiency that can
not be supplied. Michael Angelo saw in
every block of marble a statue, from which
it was the artists duty to strike off the
encumbering fakes. So, too. with the char
acter of the child. The statue is there, if
we can only get rid of the she'll The
creative hand may never touch II, and the
block may remain to the end dull and
formless: but there is the permanent
chance of making something of beauty and
value out of the stone. This view to the
philosopher may be fallacy, but it Is one
of those working assumptions of life with
out which progress Is unthinkable.
We have long desired to see the teaching
of patriotism made one of the foundations
of our education. Our business is to train
the young to become not only good men
and women, but good citizens. If educa-
ton is state duty, then this ideal must
be the justification of state effort. man
may be yirtuous and capable, and yet re-
main an Isolated unit his creed one of in
dividual attainment uninfuenced by any
corporate responsibility. But patriotism
means the sense OF citizenship the in
dividual's belief that happiness must be
sought and ambitions realized In and
through the community of human beings
of which he is a member 1t has many
elements in 1t. First, there is the love OF
country, the homely affection which man
feels for the place where he was born and
has grown up in. 1t is one of the most
aboriginal of human sentiments, and may
be narrowed into love of parish or broad
ened and deepened into a kind of imperial
patriotism People often argue as IL such
love. to be Intense must have for its OBJ
)ect something small and private-a house.
village, glen-and that If 1t is expanded
over wider area IL becomes thin and
Feeble But there is no warrant for this
view either In history psychology. Such
anection II not = thing Of limited amount