Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-04-15
MIND POWER

HhlE important educational conference at
Il tho University Of Pennsylvania last
week showed the serious and constructive
spirit in which teachers are facing the
problems Of tho war In the gathering Of
all the splritua; and physical powers OF this
nation FOR our supreme grapplc with the
enemy OF humanity there is no more I'M
perative nceI than the expansive and
dynamic force Of wise educational pro-
grams.
Germany has at least forty years. start
Of Us in Matchmaking the power OF educa-
tou. She has been drilling into genera
tons Of students the surrender OF their
souls to the state. the dedication OF theW
impulses to an all-puissant Germany when
should absorb a wider area of sunlight. Tho
fact that her greater place in the sun bids
cair to become d suns;roke does not after
the truth that she srasped the enormous
cumulative value Of child-power preceding
man-poUer.
II is for trained techuicians in this field
to lay down definite programs for our
course. but the general purvicw Of the
problem may be outlined here.
The total student enrolment Of this
country, before wo entered the war, was
nearly twenty -four millions, including uni
vcrsities, technical schools and all grades
OF the public and private schools. 1t is
less now, OF course ana VIII be loss stu
whom tho lower limit Of the draft age Is
reduced, as it may be ultimately.
1t is essential that the processes Of edu.
cation should so on, as far as possible uu-
restricted 10y the war. We shall lose hun
drcds Of thousands Of our citizens in tho
prime OF life; their ranks must be recruited
by those able 10 replace them worthily.
Our schools are the shrine Of our
patriotic idcalisu. More than ever, the
minds and hearts of our youth must be
dedicated to the ideals Of humanity and
liberty for which We must pay SO terrible
a sacrifice. Our children of today are to
be sanctifed TO ar ideal just as enormously
us were tho children OF Germany in past
years: but not an ideal Of one al-dom-
mating State, but the ideal OF all-conduer-
ing Humanity More than ever We need in
our teaching stats the finest human ma
tcrial that can be obtained, broad In out.
look and noble in vision.
The magnificent response OF the colleges
to the war is beyond praise. We have not
yet como to the condition of oxford and
Cambridge, where only handful OF
students follow their books, surrounded by
buildings given over to tho wounded and
convalescent. But our collegiate enroll
mcnt, which was more than 10000 before
the war. has been cut down at least one.
third. Every large institution il conduct
;..t.
have a direct bearing on military success
The term has been shortened 80 that
students may 10 agricultural or ship
building work during the summer, But the
point to emphasize is that VIC must exert
every precaut!on not to stunt or abridgo
our educational PLY siquc. Germany Is TO
be mot and conquered not with weapons
alone but with the mind also.
We are seeking in those days to CO
ordinate and focus every force ut this
nations command, strengthening and sum-
moniug tho righteous and triumphant
force" which shall inevitably prevail. The
most righteous and triumphant force
known to man is that Of Truth. In history,
in geography in ethnology, in economies
We are to find the answers to questions of
which we as a nation have been ignorant
It is urgent not only that We fight this
fight through TO the end, but that VIC know
what We arc fighting for, why we are fight
ing; and that We keep the enemy in
creasiugiy aware Of our aims and intcn-
tious.
The cdihcc of this republic IN the future
must be built ON q broader and more
generous base than ever before. Mind
Power Is as essential as Man-Powcr, and
retrcnchment in educational programs
must not be dreamed. We look to the
teachers to build anew and yitali2e with
humane ideals the living tissues Of life that
are daily torn from tho countrys bleeding
size.
international Force will be discussed tomorrow
Every decent hand in