The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-01-28
REPORT is ON 500 QUERIES
Opinions Solicited From En-
plOyers on School Efficiency.
Capable Young Men for For
eign Agents Are Scarce.

New Orleans. Jan. 2S.-Serious de-
fects in American education were re-
veaIed in the results of QUESTIONABLE
submitted by the National Foreign
Trade councils committee on educa-
ton for foreign trade, to 500 corpora
tions. firms and individuals engaged in
foreign trade, with view to determln-
ing the efficiency of American educa-
ton in the young men for oversee
commerce. according to a report today
the third national foreign trade con
vention by Wallace D. Simmons. presl-
dent of the Simmons Hardware com
panv. St Louis chairman of the com
mittee The most pertinent conclusion
of the report is as follows
The inquiry instituted by the com
roittee reveals a widespread dissatisfac-
ton, not merely with the special train
ing for foreign trade, but with the
more fundamental teaching in our
schools, both elementary and sec
ondary. This point was brought out
more frequently than any other
Not Trained for Accuracy.
The committee quotes James J. Hill,
chairman of the board of the Great
Northern railway, as writing
..The greatest difficulty this COM
pany experiences in securing com
Detent EMPLOYEES is the radical de-
elementary branches. High school
graduates who come TO Us with good
record and recommendations are un-
able frequently to write a letter IN Idlr
English, to spell correctly or 70 make
simple arithmetical computations
either quickly or accurately From
this experience two conclusions as TO
the efficiency of current educational
methods may be drawn: FIRST, pupils
know little of many things. but no one
81 t,T~ rfn
thought appears to be given to the
best subjects for study and not enough
to the training of the mind in ac-
curacy. 1t is upon the correction of
these defects. especially in elementary
education. that attention should be
concentrated"
The report OF the committee on edu-
cation for foreign trade adds:
IF this criticism is as fully justified
3 so many seem to feel. it is obviously
Of the greatest importance and must be
thoroughly considered in any program
of education which shall equip our
coming generation TO appear TO ad-
vantage in competition with the rep
resentatives of other nations in which
such work has been thoroughly done
for many years.
Don't Want to Go Abroad.
The throughness of the report is evil
dent from the personnel of the COM
mittee consisting OF Wallace D Sim
mons. chairman; Dean Edwin F. Gay
of the Harvard graduate school Of
business administration, Prof. J. w
jerks of New York university. Prof G.
/. SwiEget. executive secretary of the
I'an-American Scientific congress;
Walter L. Clark of the New England
Wrestling Ouse company, Stewart X
Taylor of Mobile. Ala, and John f.
Fitzgerald former mayor of Boston.
Attention is called to the fact that
many American companies in foreign
trade have employed foreigners be-
cause Of the lack of qualified young
Americans a Chicago concern wrote
that it imports good material to
train to craftsmanship of its specially
y St. Louis house wrote. The
greatest trouble is that We have not a
class of young men willing to go
abroad and live as the Germans and
English do. Before they start, Ameri-
cans plan for a return within two or
three years. This is the time that they
are just beginning to pay their way