Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1918-01-22
TEACHING WAR LESSON
important Feature of School
Room Work This Year.
pills, Issued by Uncle Sans Bu-
reau of Education.

That the American teacher of his
terry is this year planning his work I'M
der conditions at once perpiexing and
inspiring, is the Statement of Uncle
Sans bureau of e1ucation's statement
in announcing publication of a book
let, Opportunities for History Teach
ers," retailing how the lessons of the
great war may be taught in the school
room. In its appeal to teachers the
bureau says:
''The nation has finally been drawn
into great war, a war which demands
for its successful prosecution not only
efficient and courageous service in the
army and navy, but also the loyal CO.
operation of millions of men and wom-
en- who are not enrolled in the fighting
forces nor directly responsible for the
civil administration on which those
forces depend.
First of all comes the duty of keep
ing, for teacher and pupil, the habit of
at least trying to see things as they
really were and are. This is not easy
at any time. 1t is peculiarly difficult
at such a time as this, when too many
people believe a slight distortion of
facts may be a patriotic duty. In the
long run loyalty to the country as well
as loyalty to history are best served
| by looking facts squarely in the face.
"The training of young people and
of the parents through the pupils to
take an intelligent part in the decision
of public questions is important
enough at any time, but it is peculiar
ly so in this war whose meaning for
the individual citizen is not so easily
brought home. In 1923 and 1927 when
the Monroe doctrine was under dis
cussion, Daniel Webster referred to
the people who thought that Ameri-
cans had no interest In the European
system of mutual assurance for heredi-
tary rulers against popular move
ments. What, they said, have we to
do with Europe? The thunder, it may
be said, rolls at distance. The wide
Atlantic rolls between US and danger !;
and, however others may suffer, we
| shall remain safe. Webster's answer
| to this question was strikingly similar
| to some of the utterances of President
| Wilson: I think 1t is a sufficient an
swer to this to say, that we are, one
| of the nations of the earth. .
| We have as clear an interest in inter-
national law as individuals have In
the laws of society," That was said
long before the steamship, the subma-
rine, and the wireless had broken
down still further our splendid iso-
lation.' Today we are fighting for our
own rights, but over and above those
special rights of our own we are fight
ing for international law itself, with
out which no nation can be safe, least
of all those democratic governments
which are less effectively organized
for war than for peace.
mo one can take an intelligent part
in a great conflict for the safety of
democracy under an orderly system
of international law unless he is real
ly interested in and knows something
I about other nations than his own
| about the difference between q Repub-
| lican government like our own or that
of France or the scarcely less Demo
cratic constitution of Great Britain on
the one side, and, In sharp contrast to
all of these, a strongly monarchical
system like that of the German en-
pire, in which the most important
measures affecting the national vel
fare may be practically determined by
single hereditary sovereign or q
small group of such sovereigns."