The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1917-06-09

high school, have been restricted by
a lack of realization of your needs, or
bv a species of social selfishness and
to the importance your
preparation win have for your per-
sonaI careers and for the welfare Of
the city, state and nation tat you
will help to build and govern. We
are not talking secrets when we say
that the public schools of our city are
not up to the demands of the times,
and our children have right to feel
neglected 1t will be for you in the
near future to see that tEOse who .
come after you do not suffer a like .
neglect. The state is of ugnt re-
sponsibIe for its citizens, and those .
citizens are in turn responsible for /
the state.
There is not, I believe, within the
hearing of my voice any American /
who would not follow Old Glory over /
the bloodiest battlefields of France in
defense of the principles he sees sym
bolized in the beautiful and eloquent
arrangement of its colors. IIany
have the extreme regret that they
will not be permitted the high privi-
| lege of offering their lives for as de
Tense. But it is we'll that you bear
| in mind that all it represents are the
| principles that are nurtured in our
| public schools, and if these principles
| are not to perish our schools and the
! education on which a free state is
| founded must be broadened and HUI
manized to meet the conditions as
they are today and will be tomorrow.
Your battles, hope. win all be
fought with implements of peace. But
it takes a finer courage to fight val
iantly with these than it does to follow
banner to a charge. This means
standing firm to duty in the face OF
darts of scOrn. Of ridicule, of insid-
ious temptation and appeals of SEEM
ing self-interest, with no weapon Of
offense or defense than your own
conscience and strength for right
| eOusnesS,
Now there is not a member of this
class but has had the thought OF
doing his or ner part in our great
struggle All you wish to know IS,
. how can l serve? Permit me to tell
: IOu.
, Our government in its wisdom has
? decided that you are too young coi
, fighting at the front. as it finds me
, and others too old. But what thC
D United States will do in this war WI
VI depend Just now more on what we d(
2 at home. than on what our soldiers
= can do in the trenches; more on Wha
{ we can make back home for them an'
r, their companions than on how man.
- we can send, for numbers will not b.
: lacking. There are fields to be plOwed
It crops to be gathered, places to b
q filled in mills, in mines-everyWher
there is useful work; for every sol
e der we send there viii be needle
fl some fifteen or twenty to supply VIVA
" he needs. And especially, young la
le dies and gentlemen, there will be a
l. appallinglv large number OF Vacaf
r. cies in the ranks of educated yOun
a men The flower of England, France
m Germany, Italy and Russia VIII hav
g. been more than decimated at the en-
at of this struggle and we will have cor
II tributed our toll Their places are
e. be filled with educated, trained, Ell
n cient men and women, if we are
liz hold our own with progress. IheI
" are economies to be praCtiCed, If a
our population and our allies are
IS be fed. In short, there is need of
\. not Stop the '' cotbef9kiJRyg ing. nation L
ne planned. You are worth more
V your country taught than untaugH
ne And when we start on the work
US rehabilitating this shattered worl
i'll it is to you we must turn. Your OF
is portunity for really great service wi
ed come then; prepare yourselves ar
m sieze it.
lg Heretofore our battles have bee
i mainly of national concern, as v
1y were fighting out our own destin
eS Now we are standing as the ~
~ tector of all that we think is be
I" worth preserving in the world, and
er the purpose OF aiding in the exte
lie minatIOn of what we regard as II
Sc greatest danger to our security ar
ne the peace of the nations. On US d
We ponds not only our own destin
S but that of our mother, countr
w On US depends The very existen,
ne of that kind foster-mother, TIL
a. splendid country. France, whose qua
al tiles of greatness have doomed b
no fore the world as one Of the magnit
es cent spectacles of all times. standu
or with a quiet herOism that has new
lg been surpassed, as the bulwark
r freedom against imperial militarisI
he With scarcely a murmur she has bee
IN bleeding for US and liberty as tru
lie as she did in the persons of those h
n roes that came to share the burden
ty of our greatest patriot in the defen
tie of young liberty. All nations ha,
ty something to teach US, but from MOI
We can we derive more inspiration in OF
of work for humanity and Justice thu
te from that nation which has adoptt
er and consi-Erc7.'v nved up to the den
ed
oa