The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1908-03-16
The Peril of Ignorance.

/
| II is fashionable TO talk OF the yellow
peril" The J,ngOes could not get on with
out this war CRY. Now comes Hobson
with many followers 70 shout these famil-
lar words from every platform. and as
sert the necessity for great navy 10
save ourselves and Christian civilization
from the Orientals- He asserts that Japan
would overmatch our navy In actual
conflict. So build more and better war
ships.
Undoubtedly. Japan could now destroy
our navy. Man for man and ship for
ship, she far surpasses US IN power to
deliver crushing blow. He who does
not know that is deplorably ignorant of
the situation. Japan has trained its peo-
pie TO work. to family life. to the most
exalted standard OF devotion 10 duty and
10 patriotism.
The people OF this country had such
training; two generations ago. They lived
in the country and small villages. Every
boy worked on the farm or was early
apprenticed and served several years to
master a trade. Schooling was not
neglected, but it was not allowed to take
the place Of useful work. Teaching was
thorough. and training at home supple
mented the school and produced the men
and women who have done the great
things that make this nation famous
From all this we have gone far away.
There is marvellous progress in many
lines Invention has prodigiously increased
productive power. and we have accom-
pllshed marvellous feats in conquest of
nature Abundance of all good things
flows in a mighty river. and the splendor
OF the great cities was never eQualed.
As a people. we have more wealth than
any other and ii still grows apace with
the passing years.
But with all this. we have neglected TO
train the children Of the land 20 be equal
to their environment and the needs of a
new time. Japan has done II. Study
Japan; initiate her in this most vital
matter Then you will have no need to
surpass her fighting ships. Our cheap
pinehbeck education. the veriest fraud
and most fragrant imposition OF our age,
must go. II not, with al our colossal
wealth. we shall go limping down TO de-
served decay as a nation.
On every hand we are smitten in the
face of evils that spring from lack OF
lTdlnlnS-O1 real education Were the
people trained wisely, do you suppose
they would tolerate for day the schemes
by which they are robbed burdened, and
life and property made insecure? From
the highest to the lowest, mo man." as
Carlyle says. feels safe or satisfied" The
most essential thing in human society is
the power 10 combine and sct efficiently
for self-protection or to secure some great
good The powerful and gifted unite
The mass can only follow the leaders
blindly. And these leaders are often blind
10 the most precious interests of their
following or deliberately mislead for their
personal gain. Trained intelligence and
virtue instinctively choose the wise and
able to guide and govern.
A people thus equipped by aIl-around
training cannot be made the tool Of DEM
agogues. They will penetrate the fiimsy
DISCUSSES OF the quack in medicine or
statesnanship; they will sweep away old
abuses, while guarding what is best with
sacred care. In shor., they will be intelli-
gent, patriotic, and eager to secure all
that is best for their children, to whom
they will hand down that precious her
itage CT freedom and intelligence which
alone makes nations great.
Such a people will develop every re-
source of natural wealth. achieve material