The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1917-11-08
TEACHING WAR LESSON
important Feature Of School
Room Work This Year.
information on How TO Instruct Pu-
pills, Issued by Uncle Sans 5u-
reau Of Education.

That the American teacher OF MS
tory is this year planning his work un-
der conditions at once perplexing and
inspiring. is the statement of Uncle
Sans bureau of education's statement
in announcing publication Of book
let, Opportunities for History Teach
ers," retailing how the lessons of the
great war may be taught In the school
room. In its appeal to teachers the
bureau says:
"The nation has finally been drawn
into Il great war, war which demands
for its successful prosecution not only
efficient and courageous service In the
army and navy, but also the loyal CO
operation of millions of men and wom-
en- who are not enrolled in the fighting
forces nor directly responsible for the
civil administration on which those
forces depend.
First of all comes the duty Of keep
ing, for teacher and pupil, the habit OF
at least trying to see things as they
really were and are. This Is not easy
at any time. 1t is peculiarly difficult
at such time as this, when too many
people believe a slight distortion OF
facts may be patriotic duty. In the
long run loyalty to the country as well
as loyalty to history are best served
by looking facts squarely in the face.
"The training Of young people and
oF fh, tINrnVNuh tho nnnilS t0
take an intelligent part in the decision
of public questions is important
enough at any time, but it is peculiar
ly so in this war whose meaning for
the individual citizen is not so easily
brought home. In 1923 and 1927, when
| the Monroe doctrine was under dis
cussion, Daniel Webster referred to
the people who thought that Ameri-
cans had no interest in the European
system Of mutual insurance for heredi-
tary rulers against popular move
ments. What, they said, have we to
do with Europe? The thunder, 1t may
be said, rolls at distance. The wide
Atlantic rolls between US and danger
and, however others may suffer, we
shall remain safe. Webster's answer
to this question was strikingly similar
to some of the utterances of President
Wilson: I think it is a sufficient an
swer to this to say, that we are one
of the nations of the earth.
We have as clear an interest In inter
national law as individuals have ir
the laws of society," That was said
long before the steamship, the subma
rine, and the wireless had broker
down still further our Splendid lso
lation.' Today we are fighting for oul
own rights, but over and above those
special rights of our own we are fight
ing for international law itself, with
out which no nation can be safe, leas
of all those democratic government:
which are less effectively organized
for war than for peace.
mo one can take an intelligent par
in great conflict for the safety o.
democracy under an orderly system
of international law unless he Is real
ly interested in and knows something
about other nations than his own
about the difference between a Repub
lican government like our own or tina
of France or the scarcely less Demo
cratic constitution of Great Britain OI
the one side, and, in sharp contrast t.
all Of these, strongly monarchica
system like that of the German EN-
p're, in which the most importan
measures affecting the national wei
fare may be practically determined b.
a single hereditary sovereign or
small group Of such sOvereigns."