The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1917-12-05
EDUCATIONAL WORK
DONE AT CAMP MEADE
Speeches And Writings of President
Wilson 10 inspire Men in Canton-
ment-Educationa system to be
Thorough.

Camp Meade Dec. 3-President
Wilson has been drafted by the au-
! thorities OF this cantonment to help
! the selected men here in their bayO-
net charges across No Mans Land
and down into the trenches Of the
enemy. The President doesn't know
that his services have been called for
and to all intents and purposes he
has no thought of giving personal
combat to the boches.
The President is going TO do most
of his fighting with his brains in di-
recting the people of this country in
| their onslaught against autOcracy;
! With his pen in writing those persua~
! sive, inspiring speeches of his to fill
! the hearts of the American people
! with determination to battle for the
| right.
That is just how President Wilson
! is 10 be used here. He is TO be draf-
I ted by proXy-,hrough his speeches
| and his writings. Those speecnes and
! those writings are to be studied by
! thousands OF soldiers at Meade in
| order to saturate their brains and
/ hearts with the thought that defeat
| in this war means disgrace, the tri-
| ton of militaristic dynasty that will
! be an ever-increaSing menace to
civilization as the years roll On.
1t all gets back to Psychologist
once seemingly Intangible thing that
| IS being made part of the warp and
Woof of the military training of the
boys of Meade. After drills they are
to gather in the Young Mems Chris
4 lN l. t,rl- Dg -
! lumbus Buildings or thCi;' barracks,
and study Wi!sonia.
They are to be given in that spIen-
didly lucid language Of the President
clear explanation of the causes that
led up to this war and the results
that Will ensue if the kaiser is vic
torious or defeated.
The moral effect of these speeches
is expected to help the men in the
trenches. The words of Wilson are
to become a part of their makeup.
When the nights are cold and dark,
and water fills the trenches; when
the shells are screaming; when dan
ger and death Iurk all around; when
home-sickness grips the heart, and
when physical endurance is pushed
to the breaking point the men will
realize that they are enduring all for
the biggest cause on earth. the tri-
umph of the principles that have gui-
ded this Republic and which should
guide the world. They may not ev-
en- think OF Wilson, nay never think
of word he has said or they have
read, but the subconscious influence
of those words will linger and will
hno ri thnYn Tho words will have
the same effect as the mothers ad-
vice or the chaplain's exhortation
when spiritual temptation comes.
Such advice, once given, will go deep
into the soldiers heart and becomes
such a part of his being that he can
fight against odds
The study of these speeches and
other works that deal mainly with
the world-war of today and which
show the treachery and scheming of
the Kaiser will form a most impor-
tant part of the educational curricu
lum here. They have established
that educational system at the can
tonment on a solid foundation. This
cantonment has its mayor in Major
Ezra B. Whitman. 1t has its fire de-
partment, waterworks and sewerage
department, its merchandise stores,
it's own theatre, its central library,
and the other agencies that go to
make up city. 1t was inevitable
that the educational system should
come.
The head of the system is Joseph
Hickman, former superintendent OF
schools of Lancaster, Pa. Mr.. Hick-
man was one of the leaders in this
o1
plan of study and in urging that the
schools be used for community meet
ings, smokers and entertainments,
that they be used day and night
throughout the whole year, instead
of only a few hours a week. Mr..
Hickman has been the principal of
number of high schools and colleges
in Pennsylvania and is fitted by his
work to be the head of the system
here. He is a graduate of Columbia
University.
Mr.. Hickman is associated with
the Young Mems Christian AssOcia-
ton and the educational work will
be carried On under the direction or
that organization, with the cO-opera-
ton of the Knights of Columbus, the
Jewish Welfare Association and 9TH
I'll OISdD oOlut VI lIlC NIelp
lains of the various organizations,
Catholic and Protestant, are teachers
under the plan. These chaplains and
a number OF officers have organized
classes in French, English, history
and geography.
Mr.. Hickman plans to extend the
system. Almost any branch can be
studied here, provided the right num-
Der of men are obtained for class.
If 10 men want to study chemistry,
a professor in chemistry will be OBJ
tanned for them. If 10 men want to
take up mathematics, trigonometry,
ancient history. geology, surveying
or Italian, classes will be organized
| for them also. All that is asked is
! that at least 10 men in the camp qua
| lify for a branch. All the Young
| Mems Christian Association secre-
| taries are making up lists of those
| who want to attend these schools and
| they will submit these lists to Mr..
| Hickman.