Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1917-09-26
Kaiser Uses Schools TO
Build Up Army Of PaWns
The Prussian System Of Teaching the Young Idea How
To Shoot, Exposed ~
tBy Milton Bronnerl.

N4ss tt \4py Il lVk1tOu nEOll1CIy
New York. Sept. 26.-Blind worship
of the kaiser, blind obedience to the
authorities, blind belief in military
glory, and the steady thought that
France is the enemy-these are the
things taught in Prussia's schools.
History, geography, composition are
all pressed into service to warp chill
dren into a certain mold.
Thes facts make many who know
Germany doubt whether President
Wilson can drive a wedge between the
Kaiser and the German people.
They are strikingly brought out in
a serious book to appear in the late
rail-. Singula.l9 enough, 1t was not
written as a war or propaganda book,
but ASA straight study Of Prussian
schools for American educators. Its
title is "Prussian Elementary Schools"
and its author is Thomas Alexander
of George Peabody college for teach
ers, Nashville, Tenn.
Through the courtesy Of the pub
fishers, the Macmillan Co. of New
York city, I have been permitted a
glimpse of the manuscript. Amid
much that is technical and for edu-
Gator alone, I find a sweeping indict-
ment of the n in which Prus-
sian rulers handled their schools to
prepare the fertile minds of children
for the war and conquest.
The schools are steadily used to
make the Germans ready and willing
to take their place in that part of the
social order in which they were born.
The result is a type Of citizenship
easily amenable to the orders of the
bureaucracy. This under-class COM
prises about 90sper cent Of the people,
including peasants. small tradesmen,
subordinate officials, artisans and
other classes.
Love for the kaiser is steadily
pumped into the children, who are
told Of the reforms of the ruling
house for the lower classes.
In 1889, fearing the growth Of
Soc1al1st1c feeling, the kaiser himself
ordered the schools should be used to
combat this. The teachers were or
dered to tell the children how the
power of state alone could assure the
individual his freedom and right, and
to prove by statistics how conditions
and wages had improved under royal
protection.
One of the ways of making good
Germans is the strictly questionable
answer system of teaching. Independ-
ent thinking and action are dis
to ask a question. The teacher has
toldN everything the child needs to
know.
Alexond dirty observes:
The German school child knows a
great deal, for it has beer poured into
him, just as water is poured into a
Jug; but he does not think for him
self. He is non-independent. His in
dividuality has been left undeveloped."
He points out the whole purpose Of
his Prussian education is to make the
lower classes docile.
"The ruling classes have decided,
one might say, what a boy or girl of
he lower classes is supposed to see
and observe. They know if Initiative
and individuality are killed in the chill
dren, these qualities cannot live in
them when they become men and
women. And to uphold the system of
government now in vogue 1t is apso-
lutely necessary that the masses have
neither individuality or initiative, but
rather think what they are supposed
to>think, n act as they are supposed
to act" baa
German propaganda 3is, therefore,
never forgotten. In geography the
pupils are taught how much they love
their kaiser. They are also wickedly
taught that France is the enemy of
Germany. and that war with her is
sure to come in the future.
A subject for composition is as
signed. The teacher gives the title,
What drives men to foreign lands?"
He explains the pupils are to have
an Introduction, a treatment of the
theme, and a conclusion whose moral,
is to be Never forget that you are a
German"
He discusses the topic and then
each child writes from memory of
what the teacher has told. Here is a
typical ending of a composition by a
girl at Steglitz:
"He who remains in foreign coun-
tries must never forget that he is a
German; he must love the German
language above everything else, and
maintain German manners and Gus
TOMS"
History is utilized for the glorihca-