Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-05-02
TO OBSERVE PEACE DAY.
Public Schools to Hold Celebration
May II.

Peace day will be celebrated in Wash
tngton public schools May II, as the set
day. ay Is. falls on Saturday. DR..
William NJ. Davidson. superintendent of
schools. has issued a circular letter au-
thoriZing the proper observance of the
day.
The District of Columbia branch of the
American School Peace League is doing
all possible to aid in the furtherance of
the movement. This branch is headed
by y. T. Stuart. director of intermediate
instruction of the schools, and Miss Edith
{. Westcott, principal of the Western
High School, is secretary of the branch.
The growth of the day might be esti-
mated from the fact that the bureau OF
education this year issued a bulletin de-
ScribinS methods of celebrating the day
and outlining programs for teachers.
DR. Philander +. C1axton, commissioner
of education, in a report made to the
Secretary of the Interior recently, said, in
part:
Among the many movements of mod
crn times for the advancement Of civ
ilization and the relief of humanity from
unnecessary burdens of expenditure and
of paralyzing fear, none is more signifi-
cant than that for arbitration and world
wide peace. This movement has, / be-
HeVe, been made possible by the educa-
ton of the masses of the people in all
the more progressive countries of the
world. and will succeed finally only
as education becomes more uni
versal, Like all great constructive
movements for the uplift and free
dom OF the people. it must de-
pend on the intelligence and understand
ing OF the people themselves. To any
such end no agency is more effective than
that which works through the schools in
which the citizens of the future are
gathered during their formative years.
Because of the constant increase in the
number of children in our schools, it is
increasingly true that whatever We would
have in the nation of tomorrow we should
put into the schools of today. In these
workshops of humanity the future is
formed and determined to an extent and
degree greater than anywhere else
In this movement for international ar
btration and peace the schools are in
terested for another reason. The cost of
war and of armed peace is still larger in
the civilized countries of the world than
the cost of schools and of other formal
means of education. Were ii possible to
deliver the world Immediately from this
burden of an outgrown and antiquated
institution by bringing in the reign Of
reason. good will and constructive CO.
operation, the opportunities for education
might at once be increase from two 10
four fold throughout the world without
any Increase III the total burden of taxa
ton.
One of the most effective ways Of fix
ing the attention of children and making
lasting impressions on their minds Is
through well arranged and attractive pro-
grams for days set apart for special pur-
poses. For these days children and
teachers make unusual preparation.
Facts and principles are committed to
memory. never TO be forgotten. and are
emotionaized and vitalized by poetic
sentiment. music and song. The whole
Is emphasized probably by one or more
addresses made by prominent citizens of
the community"