Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-10-18
MORE ROOSEVELT.

Whv not send Colonel Roosevelt with
100 600 volunteers to Russia? He would
do more to arouse the wavering spirit
Of the Russian republic than anything
else could. For his fame as hghter
and apostle Of democracy is world
wide, His going to Russia would oe
much like Lafayette coming, TO Ameri
ca during the war for Independence
Bows Advocate.
If Russia would welcome assistance
of the kind suggested by the Advocate
there is no man in the United states
so we'll qualified to lead as Colonel
Roosevelt. He is known the worio
over as an intense patriot who Tears
nothing and who hesitates at no haru
ship 10 do the thing he has mapped
out to do. OF course, such an unoer-
taking is a delicate thing and cou!u
not be thought of, unless the Russian
government Is sure the Russian people
would look with favor upon 1t. POS
sibly the matter has already been dis
cussed by Washington and Petrograd'
FOREIGN PAROCTTLAL SCHOOLS.
ICedar Rapids Republican
One correspondent wants us, or
some one, 10 make an investigation OF
foreign language parochial schools
which, he alleges, do much OF the mis-
CHIEF Of un-Americanism. He says
that there are in this state German
church schools in which the English
language is hardly alluded to. The in
struction is all given by the pastors
of the churches and the pastors may
have brought all their ideas OF pa
triotis,n as we'll as Of education from
Germany. For a couple Of years they
din into the, poor children nothing out
gruesome catechisms and German
kuItur and the catechisms are most
dismal, embracing a theology which
is now archaic. He says that teachers
who have afterwards received such
pupils find them very backward as
well as much prejudiced in their
views The little ones are not given a
decent chance to start life inteliisendS
for their young minds have been over
clouded with old superstitions ana
with notions that do not at into their
American lives. Instead OF permit
tins the young lives to blossom forth
IS do the fowers Of the fields around
them. they are hampered and sup
pressed, as much SO as the heads OF
the fathead Indians who tied boards
over the soft heads Of their infants 70
make them grow into odd shapes.
The man who furnishes US this in
formation is one who has been In
position to observe and for whose con-
clusions in al! other matters we nave
the highest respect. We have no douot
that such things are done in school
houses In Iowa. But We must con.
TESS. we were not aware that there
were any schools in Iowa in which the
language OF the country was taoooed.
1t in news to us. We can see no oo-
tecticns to parents teaching their
children their own languages. but wo
can hardly believe that any would De
so foolish a. TO exclude from those
children the necessary knowledge OF
English, necessary for living In Amer
lea
We must confess that we are not
co.npetent 70 pass judgment on such
schools for we have tnever been inside
OF one Of them. neither are we 40
uuaintd with the objects and the mo-
tives Of their promoters. But we VIII
concede tina. it is a subject which IS
worthy OF some investigation. 1t VIII
do no harm TO let little daylight IN
since We have found out to our sur
prise and also sorrow that such insti-
tutionS have a great deal to do with
the formation OF the American char
acter, or lack OF American character
Those German parochial pastors
probably labor under the Idea that the
American public schools are goddess or
something else that they do not ike.
We can see readily how man
brought up IL the heart OF things Ger
man-parochially, not broadiy-misht
look with horror on an American free
for-all school. The object then Is 20