The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-04-20
MANY EDUCATORS
 OF SOUTH CONFER Switzerland Minister Tells of His Country DUE TO EDUCATION Commercial Prosperity Follows Thor ough Education-Conference Is Welcomed to Jacksonville
 By Gov. Gilchrist
DUE TO EDUCATION


 Jacksonville, Fla, April 19-The South ern- Educational conference opened here this morning and well-known educators from all parts of the United States and several foreign countries are in attend ance.
 The address of welcome from Gov. All bert W. Gilchrist was read, the meeting of the legislators having prevented him from being present. The feature of to- days session was the address of pr. Paul Ritter, minister of the United States from Switzerland.
 What education can do for the com mercial prosperity of country was the subject on which Dr. Ritter addressed the conference He used his own country as an illustration.
 Due to Education
 Switzerland supports a population of B. 100000, although in size is less than one third as large as the state of Florida. the minister declared, attributing the gen. eral prosperity which prevails through out his country to the wide diffusion of education.
 Switzerland, in physical respects" he said, 'is not a bountiful motherland, neither the climate nor soil is favorable for agriculture, yet it is surprising what good results are obtained through the general diffusion among the agricultural classes of much technical information, susceptible of easy apprehension and dxr ton Tn nf work the same holds true, he asserted.
 ''The Swiss government and people rec ognized early" he continued, that in healthy and progressive condition of commerce lies one of the greatest safe- guards of social peace and contentment, and they have made great sacrifices in the cause of education generally, in order that even if some of the children must start out in life burdened with poverty, they shall not also be burdened with ig- norance.''
 Result on Commerce
 After reviewing the educational oppor- tunities of the country, pr. Ritter called attention to their direct result success ful commerce." In no other country of Europe, he said, is there so large a per capita trade. 'The commerce of Spain, for instance" he added, with a popu- lation six times greater than that of Switzerland is smaller than that of the Swiss confederation, as also the amount of commerce of Japan. These facts are all the more striking when we remember that Switzerland possesses none of the natural advantages of other countries" The total imports and exports of the country in 1910 amounted to $5S2, GOO 900, as against s3S9, ,0O0. 600 10 years previously.
 "As a whole we may say" the speaker declared, that the Swiss education pro- duces practical men. able to turn their hands, and with success, to different things I myself have encountered them everywhere, all over the world, and here in the United States more than 100000 of my countrymen are living. Nearly all of them are successful. some as the heads of important commercial and industrial en- terprises, others in business and many as teachers. farmers and artisans.
 Switzerland has contributed small part to the solution of the questions of popular education. It has long had as its peculiar mission pedagogical reform. Not only did it give to the world the greatest thinker in this domain, Rousseau, but also some of the greatest workers, Pe- stalozzi, Father Girard Fellenberg and others. The efforts of these men were of a tentative character. but they contained the seed out of which a rich harvest was to grow; they opened the great book of knowledge; they were possessed by the splendid social idea which Is at the root of all true culture, and which is the radical principle of the Swiss republic. No Class Restriction
 "Education in Switzerland has neither 1la -t~t,t 1f1,. the country, in its desire for truly popu- lar education, early opened the doors of it's universities to women. In almost every town and village the primary schools are attended by the children of the rich and poor alike without distinction. In Swift zerland there is no class of vagrant or destitute children which the ordinary school system fails to reach; and the vis- itor may see side by side an orphan who is fed and clothed by the commune and the son Of rich man. both receiving the same instruction. each being under pre- cisely the same discipline.
 Tt will be easily understood, there fore, that the Swiss parent looks upon the schoolhouse not merely as the place where his children are fitted for making their way in the world, but as a political nursery where many of those doctrines cherished by the staunch republicans are developed and fostered among the young- CT generation.
 "The value placed upon education is further evidenced by the fact that the sum Appropriated therefore is more than twice as large as that disbursed for mili- tary purposes; and yet the Swiss mill tary service was adopted a few years ago as a model by Richard B. Haldane the English secretary of war. for the re- organization of the forces known as the British territorial forces.
 "At the present time technical schools and institutions of all grades are a good ly array. They are situated exactly where they are wanted. having been es- tablished to meet local needs"