The Washington herald., 1913-07-20

Wife Of the Assistant Secretary Of
Jean
likely to prove useful to them. Dead
languages. for instance. are at a dis
count. Largely for this reason II il
| that, although education is not COM
pulsory in the archipelago. there are to-
day 100000 children in the schools.
| The Filipino child is much more deft
| in the use Of the fingers than the Ameri-
| can youngster. Both boys and girls
show a striking facility in difiicult finger
manipulations. pupils from ten to twelve
years of age doing work which would
test the capacity of American children
| three or four years older. The Filipino
| is endowed by nature with an abundant
patience. and the child Of that race de-
| lights in toiling for a long period over
task which an American girl or boy
would soon tire of.
Art of Making Embroidery.
Twelve thousand girls are being trained
in the schools of the Philippines in the
art of making embroidery-a very remu-
nerative household industry. The United
States imports $40.0O0.0O0 worth of en-
broidery from Europe annually, paying
30 to 20 per cent duty. There is no duty
on the Filipino product. Here. obviously.
is a market opportunity. and In the
Philippines there is q great body OF
workers capable Of being trained in the
art and With special aptitude for II. In
five or six months mere beginners attain
proficiency in embroidering or lace-mak-
ing.
The School of Household Industries in
Manila drafts 80 young women each
year from all the provinces, and teaches
them TO make lace or to embroider. It
is expected that each pupil thus trained
shall return to her home town and es-
tablish a local center of instruction.
gathering about her a group OF women
and girls, whom, when they have become
skilled, she will herself employ at fair
wages. Steps are being taken to make
it possible throughout the islands to
purchase the requisite materials. and
also to insure a prompt sale for the
output. Local dealers will take over
this end of the affair later on.
There are now in the Philippines no |
fewer than thirty-six trade and man |
uaI training schools. Much attention |
is given to instruction in agriculture. |
and recently a feature has been made
of a corn campaign" Boys are taught |
how to plant and grow corn, and the |
girls how to cook 1t in various appe-
tizing ways. Rice is the chief food I
product of the archipelago. and de-
pendence upon il has been so great
hitherto that a short crop was ca
lamity. Hence the Importance Of in
corn to supplement 1t.
Progr.s~ Made In Porto Rico.
When the Americans first occupied
Porto Rico. fifteen years ago. 10000
children on the island were going to
school more or less regularly. There
was no such thing as universal educa-
ton. and the percentage of illiteracy
was high. Today 122.423 pupils are
enrolled Trade schools are being In
reduced: likewise agricultural schools.
A feature is made Of manual training,
md the girls are taught to cook and
sew. The largest educational institu-
ion is the high school at Ponce, which
has $50 pupils. Nearly all the teachers
IF English on the island are Ameri-
,ans. who receive SIS a month, with an
additional allowance of IS to $50 for
II
In connection with the educational
'ystem in Porto Rico, a special effort
las been made to introduce baseball
Ind other American athletic sports
These have been taken up with much
One rather odd sort OF
that had to be overcome was
hat the Porto Rican boys and young
neh were not good losers. Defeat In
game engendered jealousy and
latred. But this has been cured to
'reat extent, and the youngsters have
een taught that a losing team must
'e the first to congratulate the win
ers upon their victory.
On the island of Guam-which. as Al +
eady stated, is under naval administra-
ion-as much attention Is given to edu-
alton as in the United States. But in
truction is practically limited to the pri-
lary branches, and everything is taught
/ English. Such school buildings as
ave been erected since the American
are modest structures Of cor
ugated iron.
lay be said to have come into existence
uring the present year. under an act
assed by the last Congress. It held its
rst session at Juneau last March. and
rade law rendering school attendance
,mpulsory. Congress gives about S175.-
o q year for the support OF the Alaskan
.hools, which are under the charge of
le government Bureau Of Education.
Education in Alaska.
There are very few American children
Alaska, of course. and the eighty-six
hools distributed over the Territory are
II native youngsters. The latter are of
ur distinct races. In Southeast Alaska
q the Thlinget Indians. On the Yukon
ID other great rivers Of the interior are
e Athabascan Indians. In the Aleutian
lands and the Alaskan Peninsula are
Q Aleuts, a people whose characteristics
ggest a japanese origin. And in the
asst region. along the shores Of Bering
a and the Arctic Ocean, are the
Ikimo. All of these tribes. taken to-
ther number about 5000. and two
irds Of the whole. roughly speaking,
e Eskimo In the eighty-six schools
owe mentioned there are ASA pupils. n
The education Of the Alaskan ma q