Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1918-08-15
**************** ***
A GERMAN-ANERICAN
SCHooLMASTER.
By J. Minor Dorey
Of the Vigilantes.
= **************** =

There is q certain German American
sehOolmaster, somewhere in America
who has all the earmarks of patriotism
but whose general temperament and esu
catiOnal pronuncements would indicate
otherwise. Probably he is not to blame
and .yet-he is accustomed to absolute
rule, to dogmatie utteranee, and to tn,
absence # criticism or opposition. More
over, he believes profoundly in the Ger
man Kultur, and German efficiency. H,
tells believers that it is his duty tC
spread these educational ideals ovel
Anglo-Saxon civilization. Therefore
while he may appear to be talking the
war up and the kaiser down, and to be
supporting everything that comes along
yet in his heart he is in state of angry
plethoric rebellion.
THIS GERMAN-AMERICAN SCHOOL
MASTER is PATRIOTIC, NOT BE
CAUSE HE BELIEVES IN DEMOC.
RACY AND WANTS TO SEE II
GROW, BUT BECAUSE HE Is EN-.
RACED THAT THE GERMAN MILL
TARY MACHINE HAS INTERRUPT
ED HIS EDUCATIONAL PROPAGAN
DA.
1t is not the purpose here to dilate
on certain well-known intellectual and
temperamental traits Of the Gcrmas
sehOolmaster-his egotism, his arro-
gance, his dogmatism, his tendency to
generalize from insufficient data, his
aggravating habit of borrowing ideas
and exploding them as his own, his per.
nieious habit of instigating movements
mothers and then absolving himself
from responsibility, of seeing only ono
side Of an argument, Of making narm-
less discussions matter of bitter contro-
verSy, Of forcing his educational theories
down others throats, of lack of tast.
and tact, of brusqueness of manner, or
overfondness for red tape and admins
trative detail, of persistent itch to
make the public schools the field for all
sorts of new experiments, Or over-insis-
tence on the utilitarian, of seorn of all
imagination or of clements that cannot
be defined and labeled. Many of these
inclinations often have merit, wnen
properly directed, or when taken not too
seriously. He is energetic; lie believes
in promptness, system and efficiency.
He is strong for the proprieties and con-
ventions; his morality is sound, and he
believes in thorough drill in the fuuda
mentals. Ali of us believe in these
things, not alone for young people, and
because Of the German-Amsrican S de-
votion to principles we have welcomed
him into our public school system.
But We are at war with Germany. We
have come to regard sceptically some of
these educational ideas brought over
from the FatheIland. AT least we want
them thoroughly adapted to our needs
thi. In consequence, he is estop-
But the German-Ame rican schoolmaster,
before the war, wanted them just as
they were. He did not want them AM
erieanized. He believed that We needed
German educational ideals. He believed
this profoundly. In consequence, estop-
ped in his great scheme, he is baffled
perturbed, alarmed, and enraged. He
had the choice of abandoning them, re-
constructing them, or forcing them on
us. He would not think of the first;
he cannot do the second without hypo-
crisy, and he dare not do the third.
he is trying the second.
The German-American sehoolmaster is
patriotic. Oh, yesl He breaches pat
riotism to his school. He forces it, if
need be, to sell Liberty Bonds, and to
subscribe to the various funds. He does
these things to conceal his wrath at the
state of things, and to advertise his own
patriotism and efficiency and to divert
suspicion. But he critieizes the conduct
of the war on all oecasOns-not violent.
ly, but craftily. He questions the need
of this. He objects to this appointment
that expenditure. He calls attentions to
forms of government in other countries
that operate better than ours. lie i'm
pugns the motives of the president. He
charges this official with playing poll
tlSrJ UT Ci1llCiAcS duOlHcr lOT utldNb Ht
knows nothing about. He rarely men
tiens the president in his talks before
the school or his class, but subtly prais-
es the judgment of well-known opposi.
ton leaders. He would delay this speed
that; he deelaims against waste here, or
urges vast expenditures there. He reads
only the literature which supports his
opinions, and he believes il vital that
everyone should agree with him. All
Of this political propaganda is done in
the name Of constructive criticism, but
in reality it is half-veiled remon-
stranee against the need of doing any
thing about anything. He would have
the country at peace so that his chief
business is not interrupted. He appears
to be urging the war on to a speedy
and complete defeat Of Germany, but in
reality he is frantic to restore normal
conditions lest German Kultur be com
pletely repudiated.
Such is a certain German-Ameriean
He does nothing Grimm.
al. He can point to his shore in war
enterprises. He calls attention to his
LOYALTY and his industry, and no one
can gainsav him. But to say the least he
IS an aggravatiOn. a nuzzinp problem.