The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1918-09-13
National Defense News.


Professor Charles S. Richardson, as
chairmon of the Essay Judging Com
mittee of the educational propaganda
department of the Prince George S
unit of the Council of Defense, has an
announced the best compositions on
"What We Must Do to Win the War;
written by the children of the county
schools during the June examinations.
Only these in the first and second
grades were exempt from the duty of
writing the patriotic essay as portion
of the English test at the close of the
year. The results have more than met
the committees hope of well inform
ed school body in the county as selec-
ton of the best in each grade was diff
cult.
Practically every child in the school
system submitted an essay and the
preparation was accomplished through
general patriotic instruction. at home
and school. After the teachers of the
various grades had chosen those most
likely to be winning papers, Professor
Richardson and his committee decided
to pronounce the following as the ones
displaying the truest Interpretation of
the subject and having the clearest
presentation of that understanding:
Mary E. Brooks, Third Grade, Laurel
School; Dorothy Beall, Fourth Grade,
No school designated; Russell Jones,
Fifth Grade, Laurel School; Dorothy
Remington, Sixth Grade, Laurel School;
Nellie Richie, Seventh Grade, Richie
School, Richie; Anabel Mattingly,
Eight Grade, Fort Foote School, Route
B, Sta. H., Washington, D. c.. May
Ward, Ninth Grade, Baden High School,
Baden; Elsie Baden, Tenth Grade,
Baden High School, Baden; W. Hill
Sasscer, Eleventh Grade. Marlboro
High School.
During last Spring, the educational
propaganda department OF the woman's
section of the County Council of De-
tense wanted to have competitive
essay contest to arouse interest in the
causes, practical individual help and all
around American spirit of the war.
To this end, Mrs. H. ]. Patterson held
a conference with Superintendent E.
S. Burroughs of the county school. AS
a counter suggestion, he proposed hav-
ing the essay writing as part of the
usual examination for the promotion of
the scholars and this idea was so well
received by the committee that it was
Immediately settled upon as definite
future event. The available literature
at that time did not exist in the vast
range of subjects and many sided
phases of the war as it is new published
but some was distributed among the
teachers and parents to be read to the
young people under their care. Out of
this has come one of the brightest spots
in the routine of the essential war
work for those who have seen them as
the children have shown a patriotic in
terest and knowledge of the most en-
couraging kind.
Iu some instances, several essays
were of such equal merit that only a
minute analysis of the points to be
considered could sway the decision to
the one finally chosen. They were in
deed scraps of paper which would have
made the Kaiser wonder at country
which could procure in comparatively |
few months, such good comprehension
of the war in its rural schools when |
Germany has spent forty years~in train
ing her people 10 the slanted viewpoint |
they possess.