The star-independent. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1904-1917, 1914-12-29
BRUMbAUCH FOR
STUDY OF SPANISH
Continued From First Page.

4
fortunate war has opened suddenly a
new market for six hundred million dol
lars of American products in our sister
republics to the South. They all use
the Spanish language. In New York
only a fortnight ago, that wise educa
/! tor-statesman, Ambassador Naon from
the Argentine Republic plead for oul
help in giving his progressive and won
derfully resourceful people the products
their advancing civilization requires
Shall this voice from the land of Sar
miento, the foremost man in all Latin
America, go unheeded, or shall we al
once teach our pupils to use the Span
ish language, the language Of the Pan
America south of us,-the language OF
one-tenth of our own people,-the
language that opens to us the doors OF
honorable trade in hundred harbors,-
the language that may and probably
will. because of the present war, be
come what it once was, the language
of diplomacy throughout the world9
With this as added equipment fol
our own national development should
90 such a detailed study of the Ameri
can Republic as to give our people an
understanding of their Institutions
their industries. and their rich and
varied natural resources.
Practical Education Wanted
tWe shall also be wise when we
heed the call for a training that shall
produce in an effective way the commo
dities the world wants. In the last
analysis, an education that does not
put larger loaf on workman s table
is scarcely the kind of education the
people should be asked to support. And
this can and must be done without any
lessening Of that liberal culture which
gives tone and character to our people
and ensures the leadership essential to
a progressive democracy.
"We have trained out people to en-
ioy and this is well. We must also
| train them to produce the things they
now know to enjoy. Thus we give
the complete equipment that rightly
| organized society requires for its per
| petutity and for its progress.
"There are many men of many
minds voicing educational hopes ano
helps. Let us, in this great State
| teach our children what it means to bt
| Pennsylvania, citizen of com
monwealth whose contributions to the
! civic, economic, educational and relig
ious development of our country is sec
| ond to none.
"There are new things to be done
vastly important ones. We shall dc
| them one by one as they press for con
sideration. We can never be a static
people. The best of yesterday is but
! a hint of thS ordinary of tomorrow
The call always has been, always will
| be, for men and wNmen of great heart!
and broad vision, who shall speedily
lead our people into all wise anC
worthful things. The best is none toe
good. To you the commonwealth turns
! to make actual for each up-springins
citizen the best ideals that our spirit,
may hold.'
Other Speakers on Program
| The devotional exercises of the aft
ernoon session were conducted by the
| Rev. L. S. Nudge, pastor of Pin,
Street Presbyterian church. Samne
| j. McCarrell gave the address of wei
come, and Superintendent of Schools
James J. Palmer, of Oil City, respond
ed. Music was furnished by the .Schu
mann Ladies quartet.
A number of departments of the
| State Association met simultaneously
this morning in various rooms in thu
Technical High school building, eacl
with its separate chairman and speak
ers. The departments included county
superintendent, city and borough su
perintendence, college and norma
| schools, High school classical language
history, mathematics and science, mod
| ern language, commercial, English
| graded schools, township schools, man
] ual arts and music. In each of thest
| departments, addresses were made by
| specialists in their different lines o.
endeavor.
Experiment Tried in Local School
One of the most interesting sessions
perhaps, was that held by the classica
! language section, in the social room o.
the building. Miss Katharine McNiff
of the Central High school faculty, thi
| city, who was chairman of the meet
ing, spoke briefly of experiments which
she has been trying for the past TIVE
| years in the teaching of Latin to frs
| year classes.
She told how she conversed in Latir
with her pupils and endeayored to in
terest them in the language by telling
| simple stories. In Latin, she said thai
| the girls understood her more readily
than the boys, and that all had a lot
| of fun. Testimonials which she re
! ceived from Vance C. Mccormick
| Bishop Darlington and other prominent
| Harrisburg citizens as to the benefit
| which may be derived from the study
and appreciation of Latin literature
aroused, she said, much interest among
the students, and served as incentives
| in their work.
Girl Got warlike Spirit
How the military spirit may be ac
| quired by a perusal of Caesars com
| mentaries. was illustrated bv on,
J speaker, who told of a girl who, after
translating passage from one of -
stirring chapters of Caesar, looked III
eagerly and said, 81 wish we had {
| war;
The closing address of the session
was delivered by DR.. Dennison. OF
Swarthmore College, on "H How Caesar:
Battlefields in France Look To-day"
There is tendency to-day" h,
said, ito point out the relations of the
past to the living present. The past
cannot be dead. After the passage OF
twenty centuries we can identify the
sites of Caesars battles in France
Belgium and Alsaee- Lorraine, the ter
ritory where nations are fighting TODAY
Caesars works were the first con
nected historical narratives of European
events. In his commentaries, he lifted
! the curtain on Northern Europeap his