New Britain herald., 1917-06-12
ED: TRAINED LEADER
 SHIP.
WANTED:

tory of this or any other nation when there was no need for trained lead, CTS. The world could never ad- vance very far without leadership. The very first rumblings of tho American revolution came under the direction of men capable of doing daring deeds, and directing the worls of others in proper and systematic channels. With the onward march of progress across this continent the names of leaders. men who prepared themselves for any and all ordeals. have been engraved on every enter
 prise. The list is formidable one. Also, 1t Is a source of encourage ment to the boys and girls of pres ent-day America. If there ever was time when leadership was in de- mand 1t is now. If there ever will be time when leadership will come into it's own. it will be after the war. The young boys and girls who are in the preparatory schools and the high schools and the colleges of the nation at this time must not forget
 what the future holds for them. With the proper amount of appltca- ton in any given line. with the spirit
 of determination to succeed, these youngsters of today may. and can,
 become the great men and women
 of tomorrow. Nl
 It is sad thought, but . true ono, that the war will kill off the very cream of the nations leaders.--even
 the leaders of the world. If they are not killed in battle. as many will be. they will be broken down
 under the/ great strain that must come to the human system of each and every one of them. This being SO we must prepare other leaders to take their places. United States Commissioner of Education, Dr. Phil ander F. Claxton, has long ago called the sattenton of the nation to this pressing need. He has asked parents to be careful in their decision to take children away from school at this time. He has called attention to the plight England finds itself in because the little ones were forced to leave school early in the war. The nations abroad are suffering now, and will suffer much more later. from this very thing. They have taken their growing men and women away from educational tasks. Thus they fail at the very outset to insure g replacement of trained leadership They fail to make provision for re- placing those who have gone to the front perhaps never to return. l Trair ed men are needed in every walk of life today. Trained women have advantages their sisters can never know. With every one that l goes to the battlefront there Is room for another at home. And 50 the work. of training leaders must go on. It must not be hindered by the war. Otherwise the world will suffer even greater than 1t has under the burden
 1t carries now.
 This newspaper has previously
 called attention of the high school pupils to the great advantages to be { gained by remaining with the books.
 The tendency, of course, is for young | people to seek adventure,-more. life.
 The attractions pf the battlefield are
 vividly pictured in the minds of those
 who read of war. The lure is great
 among those who know nothing, of
 actual conditions In the trenches. Tn
 smaller degree there is the same ] attractiveness to the idea of going to
 work. Ambitious boys would rather
 earn their own living than keep step
 with the procession that every day
 wep6s its way to the clasa-room.. It is only after men. and women have
 laid aside their school books that they
 realize the advantages contained in
 being trained for any Eiven task.
 The tendency to forsake the schools
 for the varied fields of life is the
 evil at which the officials Of the gov
 ernment intend to strike. They want
 the boys and girls to remain ,sat I school wherever 1t Is possible to do 70. Instead of falling off in the \. number of students. taking higher
 courses there should be an augrnen-
 tation in the immediate future. Ex-
 cept in cases where boys and girls
 are called upon to render special
 service for the government there
 should be no dropping off of attend-