Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-07-15
WHAT THE GOVERNMENT is DOING

I ent in very minute quantities. These
minute quantities are believed. how
! ever. to be vitality important to tho
body because OF their effect in prcmot-
ing growth in the young and in keeping
the body well.
| It has been said that many of tho battles
| OF the civil war would never have been
fought had there been topo-
Topography graphic maps, for those in
| 81 W. command could have studied
a map Of the country about
them and they would never have sub
jected their men to such marches as were
made and then have expected their men
to fight. But topography In it's general
sense and as it is shown today on tho
maps of tho geological survey was little
known in the sixties. The Engineer
Corps Of the army was highly efficient,
even at that time. but the Topographic
engineer did not appear in the American
army until August 3, 1861, when an act
of Congress authorized the enlistment of
one company of Topographic engineers.
, This company was afterWard merged into
the Corps of Engineers
Today within the wide boundaries of our
country, which embraces more than three
million square miles, there are a hundred
million people. They live on farms. in
villa yes and in towns and cities. Their
dwelling places may be separated by broad
rivers and rugged mountains, but the use
of the topographic map is gradually knit
! ting them systematically Together. and ut
any time that this widespread popula-
ton may be REQUIRED to move In con
certcd action for a common cause the
topogra phic map will give the leaders q
Comprehensive view Of the geographic re-
tl,,4} hot of, inc n
be solved more quickly and with better
judgment The Topographic map. it is
pointed out by experts of the survey, Ike
the telephone and the typewriter. has
become a necessity, and We wonder now
how VIC have ever done without it
The man in tho street" may have
thought little OF the value of the work OF
the geographic engineer, and to nm ana
others who have not considered the I'M
portancc of that work some Illustrations
of its value might be interesting.
! A well known author. soldier and topo-
graphic engineer found tho topographlc
maps of the survey Indispensable in every
branch of his work. BY studying coun-
| try before going into it he became so
familiar with the details OF many inter,
esting features of which the natives 'nsd
never heard that his stories acquired
realism that could not have been Infused
into them had he dwelt in the country a
| lifetime.
Again, Is cents spent by reclamation
cheering project saved his company 80
600 and established a project which would
never have seemed possible haa not the
three Topographic maps he pufchaseu
given him =. comprehensive. view OF sew
eral hundred square miles of very nat
country in Wisconsin, where the drainage
problems are most intricate ana deicate.
Many such examples are cited by officials
of the survey.
X
officials of the bureau Of education
strongly contend that 1t is of the ut
most Importance that
r1,o yr7,r,5 there shall be no low
ering in the efficiency
EQucdtlOu. of our systems of eau-
cation because of the war They be-
lieye that schools and other agencies Of
education must be maintained at what
ever necessary cost and against All
hurtfuI interference with their regular
work, except as may be necessary LOT
the national defense. which is. OF
course, our immediate task and must
be kept constantly in mind and nave
right of way everyw here ana at All
times. From the beginning of our par
ticipation in the war, they point out,
we should avoid the mistakes which
some other countries have made to
their hurt and which they are now try
ing to correct.
Right in this connection it is pointed
out that If the war should be long and
severe, there will be great need in its
later days for young men and women
of scientific knowledge, training and
skill. and it may then be much more
difficult than it is now to support our
schools to spare our children and youth
for other service and to permit them to
attend school, Therefore, contend
Uncle Sans educational experts, no
school should close its doors now or
shorten it's term unnecessarily. All
| young men and women in college
| should remain and use their time to the
. very. best advantage, except such as
may find 1t necessary to leave for i'm
mediate profitable employment IN some
| productive occupation or for the ac-
| ceptance of some position i'll some
| branch of the military service. which
| position cannot be 50 well filled by
| any one else. All children in the ele-
| mentary schools, and, as nearly as pos
| sible, all high school pupils should re-
main in school through the entire ses-
F, sion.
| This question of the war and educa-
| ton has been taken up seriously by eX
pcrtS of the bureau. They point out
further in this connection that when
! the war Is over, whether within a few
months after many years, there will
| be such demands upon this country for
men and women of scientific knowl-
! edge, technical skill and general Gull
| ture as have never before come to any
| country. The world must he rebuilt.
| This country must play a far more I'M
| portant part than it has in the past in
agriculture, manufacturing and com
merce. and also in the things of cul-
/ tural life-art, literature, music. sclen-
tiic discovery.
| a right conception of patriotism should
| induce all students, say the bureau Of
| icials, who cannot render some nim.e-
I date service of great value to remain ia
| college, concentrate their energy On their
| college work, and thus be all the more
| ready and fit when their services may ie
needed either for for the impCr-
| tant work of reconstruction and develop
ment in our own and other countries when
the war shall have ended.
All schools Of whatever grade should
remain open with their fun quota Of
| officers and teachers. The salaries Of
| teachers should not be lowered, it is con-
] tended, in this time of unusual high cost
! of living. When possible, salaries should
| be increased III proportion to the services
| rendered. Since the people Of the count
| try will be taxed heavily by the federal
| penSeS OF the war, it. IS urged by the
| officials that teachers should be willing
! to continue to do their work and do it
as well as they can as a patriotic duty,
even If their salaries cannot now be in
| creased. Schools should be continued in
| full efficiency, but in most cases costly
building may be postponed.
| During school hours and out of school
| on mornings, afternoons, Saturdays and
during vacation all oder children and
| youth should be encouraged and directed
| to do as much useful productive work, it
| Is urged by, these experts, az they can
| without interfering with their more i'm