The sun., 1918-09-22

or LIE In which WAsHIN0T0N de-
clared experience and ability are best
combined have justified the American
idea. Nay more, 1t has demonstrated
the merits Of our theory and practice
Of training for life as nothing else
could. OF the valor, rnpidity and te-
nacity Of our soldiers and sailors we
had little doubt, but their mastery Of
detail, triumphs Of mechanical genius,
and power Of many-slded adaptation
have done more than give our people
at home cause for Just pride. These
traits have provoked sharp contrast
with what the Germans boosted of
even to fulsomeness and our imitatOrs
Of them at home too often echoed.
While conscious Of our defects and
acknowledging possibilities OF i'm
provement, we have seen demon
strated the superiority Of American
ideals and tho triumphant vindication
| Of most Of its practice. There is a
reason for the manifested efficiency OF
our army and navy at work and also
I for the surprising potency Of a peace
/ full nation, suddenly summoned to
war, to meet an emergency.
This may seem Boosting. but 1t is
not. 1t simply describes a fact. In
confirmation of our claim, let US sum-
mon Japan as IN impartial witness
and judge. Here Is an old Asiatic
nation imperatively called, by the
shaping Of the worlds events, to step
out of medieval seclusion, not only
into modern life, but into a competi-
ton that meant quick adaptation, or
national disaster II not death. 1t was
a case Of the hermit in the market
place." as mirrored in their own prov
erb. What has been her experience?
Does 1t confirm our claim?
Briefly It Is this. After the New
Yorker TOWNSEND HARRIS in 1859
won the country to trade and CON-
merce. 1t was the American teachers,
almost exclusively, who brought mod
ern education and methods to one Of
the most eager Of peoples. Hear wat
the Englishman, Professor b. II.
CHAMBERLAIN, says: mo less a feat
than the reform of the entire educa-
tional system was chiefly the work OF
handful of Americans Ilater reen'
forced by thousand or morel. From
1859 to 1885 the Americans had full
swing and Japan's public. and private
schools, numbering tens Of thousands
totalling 3S,71O in 1916, produced moi
only the economic rehabilitation Of
the country but, in the nations wal
crises, with China and Russia, a pub
lie school army IN which an illiterate
was rarity and brains, as much as
valor, won."
About thirty years ago the Japa
nese Government began sending youni
men to Germany. and until 1914 the
notion obsessed many-happily no
all-educators in Japan that perfec
ton had been found at G0ttingen ant
Berlin. Not quite enough could b
said in aid Of German methods ant
; requirements. These notions wer'
sedulously fostered by the German
propaganda, so powerful as to mum
bers and diligence, which Ambassa
dor IsHu, now ut Washington, ha'
so recently and effectively exposed
. to the light Of day.
Yet even those experts in cduca
, tloual science in japan who acknowl
; edged in full the value OF menta
/ training in the reputed "Fatherlan'
of Thought" expressed grave doubt
concerning the benefit Of importing
t Germany's social system, which vir
tually ignored women-half the rae
: and kept the gulf flxed-7a sort O
military Hades-between command
ers and men. In the Prussianize
= army Of the Central Powers ther
5 are common soldiers In that G
the Allies are "privates'-a happ
= Inheritance from CROMWELL and tn
s English Commonwealth.
e While some Of our educators, Xix
1 the late JAMES MORGAN HART in hi
= book on German Universities" dt
clared that the education given i
them was more thorough than our
=. they acknowledged that it was les
wide awake" The American idea
g that our young men and wome
i should make use Of what they learl
@ In Germany they often studied unit
l. unable to apply their knowledge. Gu
i national requirements have called fd
: practical education. Moreover, Anne
J. lean training made we'll balance
l. Christian, or let us say civilized
8 gentlemen; that of the Germans pr
d duced one sided specialists in scienC
II and philosophy. Happily, despite
# host Of German educated men in OF
I, PROFESSIONAL chairs, many Of US di
e covered the reality. The learned &c
'. man was too apt to be On intellectu
II barbarian. He was not a civilize
l. man, according to the standards G
d which this nation was founded.
70 for no other reason, a system whlC
= ignored one-half of humanity WI
q neither reasonable nor just NJ
:. wisely economic.
IL Was the American judgment oil
sided? Hear the testimony of JapG
III after nearly forty wears Of trial