New-York tribune., 1915-02-25
DR.. John II. Finley Wants
"War" Against Germs
Rather than Men.
WOULD DON ARMOR
TO COMBAT EVIL
N. c. Schaeffer Calls Army
Training in Public Schools
"Organized Insanity"
re- telegraph 10 he rrsun,


, supreme expression OF virils world
/ civilization, and we must not turn our
/ create public school system into re-
cruiting stations for this idea" This
was the tenor OF speech made here
before the department OF superinten-
dence of the National Educational AS
sociation by DR.. John II. Finley, New
York State Commissioner Of Educa-
tion.
DR.. Finlcy's subject was "Should Our
Educational System Include Activities
Whose Special Purpose Is Preparation
/ for War" His answer was both IA
orable and negative, depending entire
| ly on the definitions of the terms war"
and "our educational system"
"If YOU mean by war the greatest
savage game played under interna-
tonal rules. whose issue is absurdly
assumed TO determine relative values
OF civilization, my answer is MOI u"
said the Commissioner. "If you mean
| by our educational system the sub
stance of things hoped for In democ-
racy's highest faith, and II | may
make my own definition of war ] am
ready to answer Yes!'"
The Commissioner built his martial
system on the assembling of men into
an organization for a specific purpose,
/ the original meaning of the word war"
| But his conception Of the enemy was
quite apart from armed masses Of hu-
man beings lined up with orders TO
shoot.
"Journeying through a pass in the
Jura Mountains a few years ago. DR..
! Finley said, 81 saw silhouetted against
the evening sky the figures of soldiers
| climbing to their fortress at the end
of days scouting. II these men, COM
PEELED to military service, / thought,
could be used TO fight the real foes Of
city, a nation, or a race, what a
power would be released for the gen.
ersl good.
Better Fight Germs.
"Our awfulest enemies, the elements
and germs and insect destroyers, at
tack us every minute without ceasing,
vet we murder one another as II we
we're out of our senses. Think Of what
humanity could obtain II the 5,00O,OOO,-
600 working days that are spent every
year in displacing boundary lines could
be devoted to fighting our worst
enemies, the noxious species and our
hostile environment.
"Our vocabulary and our spirits have
been softened too much. We speak OF
public service and doing good wnen
we ought to be talking of war and
fohtin9 evil. We ought to put on our
armor and not take it off till we put on
our shrouds. r
AZ would have the conservation OF
health and the direction OF education
conceived Of as functions OF the war
Denartment, scientifically and austere-
10 administered for the common good'
! Kitchener's letter TO the expedltionary
force going into France is the pest
nossible literature for US who direct
| the forces that this generation IS send.
inc to battle in the second quarter OF
| this century. Here is a meeting OF the
/ General Staff-Generals Maxwell ana
/ Schaeffer, Claxton and Flagg- oung,
Jordan and Snyder-who must largely
| determine the next movements.
"If YOU say that this is all utoplah'
and that without war, as we now see ~,
We cannot foster courage and honor,
have but to point to Colonel Goetnals'
who has divided the continent, and 10
Colonel Gorgas, who kept away hostlie
diseases while this Hercules was AT
work. | would point to Pasteur, hght-
ing microbes for twenty years; 10 lhe
martial geologist Van Hise, to the mar
tial sanitarian General Wood and TO the
martial peacemaker Jane Adams.
al am not so impracticable as not 70
know that we shall have to prepare for
protection. For a time we snail nave
to train some men to shoot at other
men. and ! applaud the temperate and
sensible programme, so far as under-
stand il, of such practical antl-ml IL
tarists as General Wood and President
Schurman. Till We have taxed our
selves for schools as Europe is taring
herself for wars we shall not have done
too much"
"Organized Insanity"
The introduction of militarism into
the public schools of the United States
would be "organized INSANITY" accord
ing to n. c. Schaeffei, State Superin-
tendent of Public Schools of Pennsyl-
vania. who said:
when the demand is made that mill
tarism form an integral part Of voca-
tional training the teachers distraction
reaches a climax. II she should sue
ceed in fulfilling this latest require
ment the public schools would develop
a race of amaZons more fierce than the
militant suffragettes.
"The war brides need as much bodily
help and vigor as the soldiers who
marry them if future generations are
not TO show signs of decadence.
investigations have shown that mill
tary drill is injurious during the ado
lescent period, and that the graceful
ness of the cadets is not the outcome
Of drilling or marching, but rather OF
the hours spent under the direction u
the dancing master.
"The moral drainage which results
from militarism is still greater. 1t does
not develop the sense of duty such as
the Sunday school inculcates, but justl-
fes spying, lying, forging letters, teie-
grams and signals TO mislead the
enemy. Having been taught that 1t is
right to suspend the Decalogue for his
country's sake, the pupil afterward re-
peals the Ten Commandments for ms
own sake whenever any advantage can
thereby be gained in the political or
financial world.
"The great powers OF Europe have
come TO Judgment and are grinding one
another TO dust and ashes. Their fate
should be warning TO the American
people not 70 introduce and foster
militarism in the public schools"
FIANCEE RECEIVES ST, 600