New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-12-15
Let Our Soldiers Teach
vho, youno Men in Uniform Could DO ToDard the Making
of 4 mericdnS

The blind suspicious ana fearS VI '"'i' -,
days in the old country grip them why
should this be? 1t didn't happen before
WHY should there be fighting now! mus
speak the old folks.
The American viewpoint as presented by
our President in our daily papers does nov
sIwsvs reach them. They do not read our
American newspapers. Many cannot reau a.
ali By the time the Presidents message has
nercolated through their foreign-tongu.
newspapers il has lost some OF its pristine
nurity. Editorial note and comment at times
helm denature and pervert it. The lint
crates among them-and they are numerous
have 20 depend on sidewalk rumor and
domestic gossip for their information. Their
halt lead their blind.
The Problem
To reach these helpless people, 70 aiiay
their fears and TO win their confidence ana
support TO the government, is a. problem IN
education that government can solve. why
not utilize a simple means now close at hand
the 100000 pupils in our public schools
and the soldiers from out Of town?
When the late Mayor Gaynor wished TO
spread a knowledge of fire prevention in the
homes he took the shortest route. lie sent
bright. young, athletic fremen, in full uni
form. to deliver crisp talks every week to
the assembled school children. He recog-
nized the psychological potency of the uni
form in imparting the information.
The 100000 instructed children daily acted
az missionaries They carried the desired
data and directions back TO the homes, where
they were most needed. AS a result Of this
method of popular education to-day fire pre-
ventior is known in every home in New
York
Why not organize this school army for
the cause Of good citizenship and diffusion
of patriotic knowledge? Why not make use
of the opportunity now afforded By these
thousands of khakicd citzen-solders from
all parts Of our wide land who are abiding
near our city just now? Let their officers
at Camp Mills and Camp Upton call for VOL
unteer speakers from among these young
men. They include in their ranks men OF all
civil callings- mechanics, professional men,
business men, executives, clerks, farmers,
students Let the officers Of the environments
select one hundred and fifty young men OF
easy platform address and attractive person
atty and furnish them with a syllabus out
line of topics and treatment Of the talk TO be
presented to the pupils No preliminary train
ing is necessary. Being Americans, flexible
minded and adaptable. they will easily as
sumo their new functions These teacher.
should circulate through the three hundred
grammar and high schools OF the FIVE Dor
oughs and, via the children, reach the old
folks in the sef-segregated colonies, thus
making far greater canalization of the
cty's foreign congeries, through which the
healing waters of Americanzation may
freely flow The talks would deeply impress
the children and through them make for a
clearer understanding by their reign-born
parents of why America finally had to get
into the war.
Example Rather Than Precept
The cost Of such lecture system! Virtu-
ally nil. Nor would much time be lost from
service by the soldiers il the assignments
are equitably distributed The soldiers I
have spoken to on this subject anticipated
doing this bit" with evident relish.
In teaching one concrete example is worth
ton Of precept. II the khakied lecturers
would include in their talks interesting de-
scriptons of their home towns and locale
and occupations in peace times it would
arouse the imagination and vision of the
children and parents and they would begin
to realize that New York City is not the en-
TIRE CHitcu states, puI merry the euSe VI
the lip of the brim Of this wide and wonder
full and variegated country of ours. Such
knowledge might arouse in them a desire to
see more of our country and to migrate 70
parts of our country where their services
to-day are badly needed
These teacher-soldiers, too. would get an
other view of the many faceted problem Of
Americanization, and when they get back
home they will interpret to their folks New
York's problems with deeper insight and
sympathetic understanding.
The teacher-soldiers chosen should be rep
resentatiyes of the various parts Of the
Union. They should wear their regulation
dress uniform while addressing the assem-.
bled school JULIUS HYMAN.
New York, Dec. 10, 1917.