Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1918-01-10
MAKING GOOD ClTIzEHs
National Security League Mousd aeVo-
IutIenize Civic Education.

Impressed by a surprising lack cf
individual responsibility in the govern
ment among citizens In all parts OF the
country, which has been startlingly
demonstrated by the nationwide cam
paign of Patriotism Through Education
| which It is conducting, the National
Security League is taking steps which
| It hopes will ultimately lead to the rev
| authorizing and vitaliEing of the en-
tire civic teaching In the schosls OF the
| United States. This question WA ems
! of the principal matters considered at
the recent conference Of educators held
| under the auspices OF the League at the
| Bar Association in New York recently,
| Carrying out the coneensus sf opinion
OF the leading thinkers OF the OeuRtry
who attended Tits conference, the Sc
curity league has laid before the prin-
cipal educational Institutions Of the
country q plan for the crOAtioA Of q
National Civic Education Faculty for
the consideration Of this problem.
The Leagues idea is embodied in the
following letter, which has been sent
by 1t to the heads OF the principal uni
versities and colleges Of the country,
educational foundations and state edu-
cation departments:
"Tn response 10 an iavttation issued
by the National Security League. dele
gates from eighteen important col
leges, universities and other educa-
tional foundations recently met at the
Association OF the Bar In New York
City. The meeting was called by the
League because three years Of expert
erce have convinced Ne that q work Of
vital importance can be done for
America and for the cause Of free gov
eminent everywhere II the great edu-
cational forces of the nation can be
brought to bear upon certain definite
problems which can be evolved only
by national and international thinking.
System Has Failed.
sour educators have been intent
upon local or upon strictly technical
problems OF education. No consider |
able body of them has been charged I
with the duty of thinking upon the
educational problems which are dis
tinctly national or upon those, every
day moro apparent which may be
called international. Our deeentralised
system, admirable IN many regards,
has failed seriously to attack the
greatest side Of public education. the
relation of the individual to the ma
ton, and to the nations.
after a discussion Of various as
poets of the problem how TO preserve
our decentralized system Of education
and yet face these questions. the dele
gates by unanimous consent instructed
the Officers OF the National Security
League to request certain Of eur great
colleges and universities to consider
the question Of delesAtinS for a year,
with full salary, ono Of their ablest
professors to Join with those from
other institutions IN q Systematic study
o. this problem. There Is a pressing
need for this work, and 1t merits the
best efforts OF an institutions estab-
lJshed to foster education for o free
people.
EFT was also the unanimous opinion
Of the delegates that the problem Of in
terpreting the meaning OF the war to
the American people Is one demanding
the constant labor Of able leaders of
thought and one in which all educa-
tional institutions are vitality inter
ested. These two lines of activity
seemed to the members OF the confer
ence ample justification for requesting
the donation OF intellectual leadership
from" the great educational establish
ments of our country. The problems
Of the war are great, but the problems
Of the coming days Of peace will be no
less so, and the educators of the coun-
try should form their plan Of campaign
With the least possible delay.
"PubiIe Service"
This is a public service 30 great
Ind so important as to require the
whole time and attention Of Q body OF
,ur ablest educators, and We ask you
10 do your part. We should be glad to
,o-opera in any way, our sole aim
being the accomplishment Of the
work."