Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-11-29
WHAT THE GOVERNMENT IS DOING

what may or may not be accurate opin-
| ions. But whatever their conclusions
are. animosities and recriminattons
against one nation or the other appear
| to be the rule. Under these conditions
race antagonisms are allowed to de-
and that very spirit of neutrality which
our President SO earnestly desires Is
flagrantly violated.
This is the situation which confronts
| the teachers. What shall they do about
it? Their opportunity lies in correct
allow imperfect or prejudiced ideas to
find Judgment in the pupils minds,
especially on the subject which is so
vital to the civilization of the future.
Painstaking teachers cannot fairly es-
cape discussions on the war in the
schoolroom. Lessons in history, geog-
raphy, civics and the like cannot go
far without touching at some point on
what is actually taking place across
the water 1t Is right that the great
struction, and its treatment should be
indicated with careful precision.
80 delicate and intricate are the ele-
ments involved, however. that we are
impressed at the outset with the neces-
sity for eliminating the perilous phases
of the subject. Teachers should lead
pupils to understand the historical
causes of the war. to look upon the
spectacle OF human suffering and dew
astation with horror to contrast
world at war with a world at peace.
to comprehend the principles which
should govern the terms Of peace-in
fact, that would make another great
war impossible-to be conscious OF the
part which the United States, a natioh
founded on democracy, universal broth
erhood and good will, should play after
the cessation of hostilities. to realize
that every boy and girl has an interest
in the movement which should bring
about the reign OF law IN the place
of the reign Of the sword"
x*
Government physicians have had an
excellent opportunity. during the five
month campai n
nti-Plague against bubonic plague
p,: in New Orleans, to
'eA0"S' demonstrate further the
value of anti-plague vaccine and serum
in preventing the spread Of the dreaded
disease and in effetcing cures of per-
sons who have been stricken. Up to
date there have been only thirty cases
of plague in New Orleans and nine
deaths.
Precautions of every kind have been
used to protect the people who have
been in most direct contact with the
disease and sources of its infection.
Although the anti-plague vaccine is
used to prevent the disease, and the
anti plague serum Is used as a cure,
the government health officials have
also used the serum for the purpose
of vaccination. Inmates of the houses
from which plague victims are taken,
engaged in catching the rats which
carry the plague-infected fleas. and
others who have been in constant dam
ger from infection during the cam
paign have been innoculated. The eff
ficiency of the vaccine and serum Is
Indicated by the fact that not a single
one of the inoculated persons in most
direct contact with the sources OF in
lection has contracted the plague.
The anti-bubonic plague serum and
twenty years ago. and have been used
with success in campaigns in lndla,
Ecuador, Porto Rico and California
The vaccine is known Haffkines
preparation. named after it's discoverer.
and has been used in treating more
than a million plague victims in va
rious parts of the world In number
of outbreaks of the disease an abso-
lutely accurate record of the results
has been kept The vaccine has some
q
lutte protection. 1t is effective. how
ever, in most instances, and in many
anti plague campaigns, and according
to health officers, great good has been
accomplished by the use OF the aaH-
kline preparation. and it offers the basis
on which it Is hoped the most satisfac-
tory product may be developed. The
vaccine is made directly from the
germs of the bubonic plague.
The anti-plague serum, known as
Yersin's serum, after the name Of its
discoverer. Is obtained from the blood
of a horse which has first been inocu-
lated with dead germs of bubonlc
plague and later live germs. Officers OF
the public health service believe that
the anti-plague serum has saved the
lives of many persons in New Orleans
and that it will continue to prove one
of the most important agents IN nights
to check the ravages of the plague.
Government physicians. however. en-
phasize the fact that neither the use
of the vaccine nor the serum offers a
solution of the plague danger which
United States. The only effective means
Of Graduating plague, they say, is TO
rat proof the cities.
The difficulties in the work of educat-
ing the natives of Alaska are outlined
briefly in report just
Education made by Supt. William
I. Lopp, in charge of
IN Alaska. the Alaska division of
the United States bureau of education.
Because of the thinly settled condition
of the country. the work of organic
ing the schools of Alaska has been
more difficult than similar problems
presented in the United States. IN
speaking of the situation which con-
fronts the governments teachers in
the far northwest territory. Supt. Lopp
says:
I'm Alaska there are. approximately,
q, 900 natives in villages ranging from
80 or 40 up to 900 or 400 persons,
scattered along thousands of miles Of
coast line and on the great rivers.
Some of the villages on remote islands
or on the frozen ocean are brought into
touch with the outside world only once
or twice a year, when visited by a
United States revenue cutter on its an
nual cruise or by the supply vessel sent
by the bureau of education. During
eight months of the year all of the
villages in Alaska, with the exception
of those on the southern coast. are
reached only by trails over the snow
covered land or frozen rivers In spite
of the difficulties of the problem a
United States public school has been
established in each of seventy seven
villages. In many instances the school
is the only elevating power In the ma
tive community.
Every teacher is social worker.
who, in addition to performing the rou-
tine work in the schoolroom, strives in