Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1917-06-20
DON'T STOP SCHOOL.
U. S. Commissioner OF Education
Urges Pupils to Enter College.

sioner Of Education. Dr. Claxton
points out that there are in the high
schools Of the United States this
year more than one and one-half mil
mons Of boys and girls, and some
what more than 100000 Of them will
graduate this month, or have already
graduated. In an ordinary year 90
wv or more of these would next fall
enter college, normal school or tech
meal school to be prepared for such
service to society, State and nation
as can be rendered only by those who
have received education beyond that
which the high schools can give. He
says:
Many college presidents and 9TH
ers fear that OH account of our en-.
trance into the war few boys ard
girls will enter college next fall and
that the total college attendance will
be very small. The number ought,
however, to be much larger than
usual.
The more mature young men are,
the more serviceable they are in the
army. The selective draft will take
only those between q and 30. In
the total of 60,000,000 people of pro-
ductive age in the United States the
$4,000 students in colleges and
normal schools and technical and yo-
cational schools Of high grade con-
stitute only about one-half of one per
cent. More than half of these live in
cities and cannot be employed in ag-
ricultural production except as a few
OF them may find work on the farms
during the summer. Their going to
college will not lower the productive
capacity Of the country as a whole in
any appreciable degree. The col
leges, normal schools, and technical
schools will all be open with undi-
minished income from public funds
and endowments, and the expense of
their maintenance will continue It
is quite probable that many Of the
older students will not return next
fall and the higher classes will be
smaller than usual. The graduates
from the high schools should see to
1t that the lower classes more than
make up for this deficiency.
'This appeal is made on the basis
OF patriotic duty. If the war should
be long the country will need all the
trained men and women 1T can get
many more than it now has. There
Will be,men in abundance to fight in
the trenches, but there viii be
dearth OF officers, engineers, and
men Of scientific knowledge and skill
IN all the industries, in transporter
ton. and In many other places where
Skill and daring are just as necessary
for success as in the trenches. The
first call Of the allies Is for 1000 en-
gineers and skilled men to repair the
railroads OF France and England;
and other thousands will be needed
later Russia will probably want
thousands Of men to repair and
build her railroads. The increase in
transportation and the tax on our
own roads will call for large num-
bers Of men of the same kind. New
industrial plants, shipyards, and our
armies abroad will call for highly
trained men beyond all possible sup
ply unless our COLLEGES and technical
schools remain open and increase
their attendance and output.
When the war is over there will
be made upon lis such demands for
men and women Of knowledge and
training as have never before come
to any country. There will be equal
need for much higher average Of
general intelligence for citizenship
than has been necessary until now.
The world will have to be rebuilt and
American college men and women
must assume large part Of the task.
In all international affairs we must
play 4 more important part than We
have in the past. For years We must
reed our own industrial population
ana large part Of the population Of
Western ami Central Europe. We
must r2adjust our industrial and So
ci": and civic life and institutions.
We must extend nur foreign COM
:nerce. We must increase our y,,-
ductiou to ray our large war d.bta
and to- carry on all the enterprises
for the general welfare which have
been begun, but many Of which will