The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1906-05-15
TO STRENGTH
PEACE MOvEME Mt
State Superintendent Baxter
Sends a Letter On the
Hague Conference to Be
Read In All Schools
MODERN IDEA OF PATRIOTISM

/ =
MIR. BAXTER THINKS THE YOUNG
IDEA SHOULD BE TAUGHT NOT
HOW TO sHoof BUT HOW TO
KEEP IT'S GUN UNFIRED.
State Superintendent of Education G.
J. Baxter sent this letter to the teachers
and pupils of the schools throughout the
state:-
Trenton. May 8. 1906
Fellow Teacher
believing that the public schools can
be made a most important factor in
Strengthening the present peace move
ment, should be pleased to have you
read the following letter to your pupils
on Friday. May IS, the day set apart
for commemorating the opening of The
Hague Conference Also, in the absence
of other exercises, to have you assign the
appended quotations to such pupils as
you shall select. with request to each to
learn and repeat from memory.
&c. ]. BAXTER,
State Superintendent.
MY Dear Pupils:-
in April, 1898, prepared letter to
be read on Arbor Day to the boys and
girls who were then in school, concerning
the beauty and usefulness of our native
birds. and asked for their valuable help
in preserving them. This was done in
| the belief that it would prove source
of pleasure and would benefit them quite
as much as the birds. write this letter
to call your attention to matter that
is still more important, and which will
prove most potent and far-reaching in
| fuence for good.
"4As We grow older in years and our
circle of knowledge enlarges, we often
find our selves either giving up OF modi-
! flying some long=cherished views Many
for whose opinions we have great respect
think that the majority of people have a
wrong conception of the meaning of the
word patriotism They believe it
should be associated in our minds with
1 La L;o1
which contribute most to human comfort
and happiness, rather than with the blare
of martial music floating banners, boom
ing cannon and bloody fields of battle.
Though the belongings of war and deeds
of valor stimulate the heroic in our ma
lures. they do not appeal to that which
is highest and best. Realizing that
| In the gain or loss of one race
All the rest have equal claim
we should, in connection with pride of
nationality, faith In form of government
and love Of country, maintain kindly
interest in the nations of the earth, give
highest place in our thoughts to the vic
tories of peace, and honor most, those
who have done most for the welfare Of
humanity.
1T is not my purpose. however, to
preach to you, but to call your attention
| to the greatest conference that hass ever
| been held. / hope you will be 50 much
interested in 1t that you will improve
every opportunity to learn more about
| it. 1t was called by the present emperor
of Russia, August a, 1898, to meet at
4 The Hague under the auspices Of the
Netherlands government. Twenty-six
nations, including all of the leading pow
ers, sent representa- and this grand
conference, numbering in all one hundred
| delegates, was formally opened on May
i 1S, 1899, the anniversary Of the emper-
or's borthday. What an imposing gath
ering it must have been Prominent, rep
resentative men of nearly every nation
1 ality, dressed in their distinctive garbs
met for the purpose of establishing a
worlds court to which disputes between
nations might be referred. and means
thus provided for avoiding the horrors Of
war.
"Much to the delight of all peace-lov-
ing people and to the surprise of many,
all essential measures were agreed upon
and signed, and on April /, 1901, the
agreement entered into had been ratified
by the governments Of sufficient num-
Der of nations to make high court. of
4 humanity for the settlement of interna-
tional disputes happy, abiding reality.
The United States Senate honored bith
| THREE-DAY TOUR TO WASH
INGTON
The last Personally Conducted Tour Of
the season to Washington via Pennsyl-
i yania Railroad. will leave New York and
Totsf, 5nlx.f,n rb.vreIor MAY II Rafne