The farmer and mechanic., 1915-08-03

uat spirit through the German school
.veiem. from kindergarten to univer-
sity we're described yesterday by
U.an lanes r. Russell, of Teachers |
college, in a lecture at the Horace
nanr School, Broadway and 129th |
street. says the New York Herald DIR. |
RUSSELL who devoted several years to |
,he inyestigation Of the German school !
s,.etern for the United States Depart |
ment of Education, has aroused coun- |
trvvide interest through recent utter |
ances touching upon Germany's amaz- |
ing educational preparation for the |
present war.
pr Russell showed the extent Of
The hold taken upon each German
Loy at birth by the State, and ex-
NAMED the reason why that boy upon
reaching the age OF understanding is
ouite willing to submit to the will of
the state, even though the State has
made certain that he will whether he
wills to or not. The process by which
the German teacher attains the end
in view from the outset-that is, 1.-The
making of God fearing, patriotic, self
supporting subjects of imperial Ger
many'-Was explained In detail.
THE two dominant subjects in the
Curricula Of all German schools" said
Or Russell, ARE religion and the Ian
gtage, literature and history of the
fatherland If the teaching of re-
hgion is intended to beget respect for
authority and obedience to superiors,
the teaching of the German Language,
literature and history is intended to
focus the respectful and obedient
mind upon the greatness of German
civilization. The making of young
Germans not young Greeks or Ro-
mans is The object Of German educa-
tion as IT was explained to the edu-
Gators of Germany at the great con-
ference OF 1890. If the discipline and
enthusiasm of the schoolmasters are
calculated to develop subjects of a
military power. then these studies are
destined to make loyal, ardent pa
uots out of obedient schoolboys. And
night well does the programme work
out
Magnitude OF the Machine.
The result of this system is seen
In the uprising as one man Of sixty
millions Of people defiant of the rest
Of Europe and determined to uphold
th" generally accepted ideals Of Ger
man civilization
If anywhere in the world or al
any time in history a parallel can bt
found for the superb machine fol
| the education of Germany / do no
know of it. In its conception, it
magnitude, its precision and its per
fection of operation it must comment
the admiration of the educationa
world And whether Germany goe
down to defeat or goes forward t
the conquest of the world her mod
Of education will forever stand a
an object lesson to every State tina
aspires to national unity and hope
for national greatness
What does this war mean? Is
glttering men marching in files (
e,x1 T.. ~re,v
of the kind pictured in boyish imagi
nation? Whatever war may hav
meant to us before, war today has
new meaning for every inhabitant @
This globe. If you want to knoN
what this war means ask that mothe
across the water who sits in the sod
den ashes of once happy hOm
gricving for husband and sons who's
bodies lie rotting in unmarked grave
Ask Englishmen, Frenchmen, Gel
man Austrians, Serbians and Rus
slams what it means to be suddenl
plunged from the bright MONDAY
happiness into a night so dark ths
not a single ray OF hope may pent
trate 1t. Ask those who have bee
reared in plenty, those who have bui
up prosperous commercial and indus
trial enterprises, what it means
iose ones grip on this worlds gOot
daily experience.
We may reason with ourselves vi
vi we are speechless. we stretch OF
Imagination to the breaking point, b
no one Of US removed three thOusar
miles from the scene Of conflict ca
nave an adequate conception of VIII
This war means
Are We to Become VaSsals?"
Are we destined to become vassa
oi world empire more imperial tn;
nome ever was, or shall we see &
eolidpse of thrones buried under G
MASSES of men who proclaim the
rlsht TO life. liberty and the pursl
vi happiness? What have our educ
uonal systems been doing these ma
y'drs that such things can be?
" possible that what we teach
iaise or that our influence is so slig
a. 10 have no effect on the brute n
.ure of man? Are we merely tools
.he hands Of those who would use o
IuUIiS ar, fh,