Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-07-07

inspiring record. The obstacles that
the North American colonies had to
overcome were not SO formidable as
those which confronted the revolted
Spanish colonies. The story of this
struggle, If properly presented and in
terpreted, woulds make the youth of
our country appreciate the similarity
of ideals which dominated the found
ers of the political system of the
United States and the leaders of
Latin American independence, and
would serve to develop sympathetic
understanding of the political life and
institutions of these countries. During
the last century the American con-
tinent has been the great laboratory
of political evolution, furnishing a
body of material to the teacher of his
tory and civics which we have hardly
begun to utilize.
Development of Solidarity.
The development of that true spirit
of continental solidarity with the peo-
pies of Central and South America for
which we are striving would be set
forward immeasurably if we would
give more attention to their language
and literature. The teaching of Span
lsh should be made compulsory in our
public schools. At the present time we
rarely think of citing Latin American
no reference is ever made to Latin
American literature. We pay little at
tention to the currents of thought of
central or South America. unmindful
OF the fact that important contribu-
tons have been made and are constant
~ being made in every department of
literary and scientific effort.
Upon you rests the task of develop
ing in the youth of the country a
broader understanding of the forces
that have shaped American history. a
keener appreciation of the Significance
of the DEVELOPMENT of free institutions
on the American continent and Il deep
er sympathy with the aspirations of
endeavoring to translate into realities
the ideals of American democracy"
Gen. Wood Makes Fighting Speech.
Gen. Leonard Wood addressed the as
ISOLATION at its general session last
night in Madison Square Garden.
Gen. Woods talk was straight from
the shoulder. He did not mince words.
He arraigned the schools for teaching
false history. He defended the army
from the assaults of civilians, using
the words you and I'VE" to draw as
sharp a line as possible between the
assailants and assailed You" were
put in the dnenviable light of making
false charges against us whose duty,
II would be to get you" out of the war
III which we had been plunged bv
your" ignorance.
1t was not a conciltatory speech; it
was a fighting speech.
And the audience liked it. Gen
w God dashed right ahead without max
ing any pauses for applause or seem
ing to care whether he got any or not
but the audience insisted on cutting off
his sentences by enthusiastic bursts of
it. He said in part:
we do not want a large army-no-
body wants large army, we do want
a good navy; we want good National
not state; and we
want citiZenry trained to arms
we talk too much of our moral ex-
cellence. the impression we make on
the world. Go out for time and see
what impression it is we have made
on the world
And wherein lies our superior moral
excellence Our criminal and murder
rate does not prove it. Compare our
rate with that of Switzerland, and you
Will find theirs far below ours per mil
lion of people. Yet the citizens of
switzerland are prepared to do reason
ably well their part in the event of
necessity. And the Swiss are
not militarists in any sense of the
word. These same Swiss, with their
murder rate far below ours, are as
quiet, peaceful and decent lot as you
VIII find anywhere on the earth"