Evening star., 1918-02-22
G. v. ]. GRADUATES
RECEIVE DIPLOMAS
James P. Munroe Discusses
Education Of Future by Rea-
son of War Conditions.
EXERCISES HELD TODAY

EXERCISES HELD TODAY
Education of the future, revamped by
reason of war conditions. will mean
conservation Of the time, individuality
and talents of the student. in the opin-
ion of James Phinney Munroe. vice
president Of the federal board of vo-
cational instruction. He was the pTin-
cipal speaker before the graduating
class of George Washington Univer-
stir at exercises held at IL o'clock in
assembly hall. arts and sciences de-
partment building. 20.3 G street. this
morning
The educational survey brought
about by war and its lessons OF econ
omy and efficiency he expects to de-
termine and apply the theories that
education is a serious business: that
time is LIMITED for acauisitiveness. and
that every moment and resource should
be applied without waste
Mr.. Munroe has supervision over re-
construction work for crippled SOL
diers, which will be undertaken. as at
other hospitals. at the Walter Reed
Hospital in Washington
Distributes Diplomas.
Rear Admiral Charles Herbert Stock
ton, U. S. N. retired. presided at the
exercises. He distributed the diplomas
to the eighteen graduates. among whom
were five girls and one Chinese. Presi-
dent Stockton also delivered brief ad-
dress. Invocation was said by Rev Da-
vid Ransom Covell. rector of Christ
Church. The exercises were punctuat-
ed with musical numbers
The graduates. in academic caps and
gowns, gathered at 1880 o'clock in the
library of the arts and sciences de-
partment building At the appointed
time they marched to the assembly
room, where they took their seats upon
the stage. There the faculty and
speakers Joined them.
Mr.. Munroe's Address.
Mr.. Munroe said, in part:
THE old world passed out of ex-
1stenee in that tragic August of four
years ago. The world in which you
young men and women will play your
part is one as different from that into
which l entered as mine differed from
that of the eighteenth century. The
last thirty-five years have seen changes
IN the scale of American social, busi-
ness and intellectual life vast in their
magnitude: and now, with the ending
of this greatest Of wars. there will be
a new leap forward. not only on the
side of industry and commerce: but
still more in those things which affect
the social, emotional and educational
life of the people.
We are going through the greatest
proportional depletion of our schools
and colleges since the civil war: yet
in and concern for education been so
acute as now.
Some Good Results of the War.
TN order for the good things involv-
Cd in economy Of living. in care for
human life and in sound education. to
pc understood and worked for it SEEM
1ngiy was necessary for our people to
be brought face to face with the awful
2zcts OF reckless expenditure. of waste
Of human life. Of threatening disaster
Through ignorance or through lack of
due reserve Of highly skilled and
highly educated men. And the silver
Inning to this hideous cloud of devas-
tatng war Is found in the fact that
cut OF its dreadful sufferings and
wastes and long-enduring evils viii
come in time. a thrift, q regard for
1nd1vfduaI life and a confidence in the
power Of real education that will not
Sniy be new to this country. but, In
1ts effect upon coming generations,
VIII be SO beneficial as almost to onset
the manifold evils of the war. -
Upon this shadowland Of question:
ing and doubt burst the great war, and,
ns is the habit Of catastrophes, brought
as race to face with naked and appall-
ing facts. That we found ourselves
unprepared to deal with such an enemy
e Germany. who has made war a su-
preme business for half century, is
perhaps to our credit: but it Is greatly
10 our discredit that we could not rise
quickly to vast emergency, whatever
might bs~fts origin or character. We
souno ourselves to have become,
through great riches and much absorn-
fion in them. slothful and self-indul-
gent We found that our sons and
aAughtfrs knew more about motor cars
xnAn about creative work. We learned
fast our government machinery was
1ysty with age and circumlocution. We
SRcovered that. far from having un.
dMfted agricultural and mineral re-
sources. a few months. or even q few
Oeeks. might bring us to national star
Nation and death from cold.
And we found ourselves comnalled
70 take exact stock of our human en-
efEy. to count it out, individual by in
9ivioual, Tor service in battle, in TIE
.actory and on the farm. and. to our
increasing alarm. we are discovering
th4t those human resources have a very
9ennite limitation both in numbers and
IN ntness for the tasks that they must
DO So. practically for the first time in
our haphazard American life. we are
facing the inexorable fact that we have
oeen a nation wasteful beyond all 9th
en and that this waste must stop. And
t9at stopping can come only through an
education which is no longer wasteful.
1no through focusing of that educa
ZION to a large degree upon the prob-
sens OF preventing wastes.
Education After the War.
Education, after the great war. will
no longer be, 1 believe, a spendthrift
IN itself and praiser and promoter
OF e1travagance. 1t will be, on the
contrary. an education conserving the
pupils time. his individuality and hi.
special aptftudes and talents: il will he
one that. directly and indirectly. will
M attention upon certain great funda :
mental wastes which must no longer
be permitted. and the prevention or
which is thing worthy Of the best
efforts Of mankind.
The supreme acquisitive years are
fhose between birth and majority, and
In those years the physical and mental
health, the character. the aims and
practically the life career of the indi-
~tdual are for all time determined. Yet
q large proportion Of those precious
tWenty-one years are now thrown away
because Of the ignorance Of parents as
70 what education means, because of
the adherence Of schools to traditions
which have meant nothing since me
dieval days. because of our fear OF
teaching Immediately practical and
useful things. because of our oueer