New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-09-17
A SCHOOLBOY ANALOGY
Germany's Conduct and That OF
Pupils Under MIR. Easy"
me Editor Of The Tribune.

To me Editor Of The Tribune.
Sin: The way the German government
pulls the leg" Of he Wilson administration
time after time minds me Of an incident
that will never be forgotten by the boys OF
certain school in New York.
A rev teacher had come to the school
his name, let US say, was Easy. He firmly
believed tina: he was a strict disciplinarian,
but he believed just as firmly that teacher
should be patient with unruly boys and res'
son with them. The use Of force and even
the awarding of punishment. he thought,
should be delayed as long as possible. In
other words, what the boys would call
Showdown" was beginning to fade, as the
days went by, further and further into tue
future.
i goes without saying that the boys soon
sized UP" this Mr.. Easy-this man who was
an idealist, whose Showdown" never ma
:eralized. The inevitable result was total
lack of discipline. Some boy ventured
facetious remark Mr. Easy reasoned with
him, and the boy relapsed into apparent or
derlhess Then another lad started some
thing" More ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS IN fact
from Mr.. Easy Then lull, and the lesson
went on. Each breach Of decorum was a
shadt worse than the last one and, following
the offence, each attempt TO reason with the
delinquent was a shade more eloquent
All this time Mr.. Easy seemed to feel thar
in being patient, in exerting STEADY moral
pressure" he was gradually approaching
day, however distant, when all the boys would
see the error of their ways and reform.
| In the mean time, weeks and months passed.
and the class in Greek was thoroughly de-
moralized No work was accomplished In
that subject.
Then came the famous incident. From bis
desk, Mr.. Easy-cool, calm, dignihed'
righteous etook himself TO the middle aisle,
between the classroom seats. He stopped and
explained a point "in intimate fashion" Az
that momen, behind his prim back rssea!iy
boy, citing in the far corner Of the room'
threw his Xenophon textbook high over MI
Easy's head, and the boy at the opposite cor
ner of the ;oom-facing Mr.. Easy-caught II:
At once, Mr.. Easy turned to the thrower OF
the Xenophon.
"How dare you
And as he spoke, Boy No. threw the book
back over his head to No. l. The scnooi
teacher then turned in the direction OF NO.
2 and held him TO "strict accountability.
Whereupon No. l threw the book TO NO. q
Mr.. Easy by this time had begun 10 susPe's
the sincerity of bad boys. He turned around
again to No l, and told him he would assert
the rights of teachers without compounds
and at any cost" Boy No. promised TO DC
good. At last the teacher had won his We
toryl He had not resorted to force. Stesdy
moral pressure and reason had won the day.
Secure in this belief, the school teacher
walked back to his desk As he stepped up 70
II. pAu n
his heavy Greek grammar at Mr.. Easy. "i'n
thud the grammar struck the teacher De-
tween the shoulder blades.
This time he turned almost in wrath. YOU
promised me you would not throw your Keno
phon again"
80 did," replied the bad boy. u didns
throw my Xenophon; | threw my grammar.
Germany has not sunk the Lusitanis AGAIN
1t merely sank the Arabic.
AMERICAN CITIZEN
Annapolis, Sept. II, 1915.