The Washington times., 1918-12-20
and
the Future /
BY DR.. VIM. A. McKeever.
(Ons Of the Nstion's best-knowa ..
Geological WEiters.)

-0-N84~-A aHA-~4Asl
"HB many thousandS Of pa
rents who are reading ny
articles doubtless keep In
touch with the = stirring
world events Of today. Very welt
permit me to give you a reila5le
standard, with. which to measure
human progress. beginning with
the center Of the polItieal world
and coming back to your own
households follows -
First. watch as best you can the
many new governments forming.
and the old ones reforming. in Eu-.
rope DO not base your estimate Of
them on the mere name or outward
form which they may assume Try.
to determine first Of all whether or,
not they are providing for the
Great Common Man and his family
their nurture. housing, safeguard
ing. education and general enlight-
eminent CEt
Is the new government conscious
of the fundamental need Sof provid-
ing for the rearing of q better gem
Grafton OF men and. women through
Improved child care and culturef
That Is the real test OF the perma-
nent worth Of any o. those new Eu-
ropeau nations 81
second, watch our National Gov
ernment - how II handles the
weighty child labor problem with
which Congress must now again
wrestle; how II plan8- for. q larger
public school subsidy, as demanded
by the present unprecedented strain
on our entire educational maehln-
cry; how II succeeds with its eour-
ageous effort to train more and bet
ter teachers and fill the alarming
number OF vacancies in the teaching
profession. how It gets on with the
pretentfous -vocation&i movement a.
authorized by the Smith Hughes bin
enacted by Cngress. Watch closely
these matters and you may then
more safely predict our future as .
nation. -.
Ihird, watch your State and city
government5 as they wrestle with
their soz<alied big problems and de-
terinlne as to how adequately. they
are dealing with the no6dE 1of the
great horde of children---Do not be
deceived by fne school Buildings
and complete courses OF study and
by the flashy appearance Of things
in the shops, the >theaters and On
the street,
Just what program does your
State. your city, offer for Develop
ing the whole nature OF the most
common child In the most common
family? Are these given a fair
opportunity as to sound health. hap
by play, creative induStry. clean
sociability, wholesome religion. gem
eral schooling. vocational direction:
and the like7 Thus keep, an eye On
IN the making ~
:, Fourth, :. watch your local eity
neighborhood. Do the@sboys and
girls there have q real chance-to
attend good school, toTom5 and
plaHS1aily onf of DOORS to pasf
upon khe streets without having
their moraH- offended or their pure
shocked. t0realize that
you and the other parents OF the
ne6ghboFhood are trying, to give
fAem In every way q square deal a.
demanded by their growing nar
tures?
2 Fifth; watch yourown household
Are the children therein being ade-.
quakely attended to Sin-Fespeet to
physical health and sanitation: Ia
the matter Of q cosy room In which.
they may spend an hour with you
at evening; IN their need for 4 con-
slant "home adjusterS,. betweea
themselves and theiE school lessonss
in respect to a firm but kindly sys-
tenn of. rules for their home dis
cfpline and obedience; in the full
filment OF your duty to- see that
they. have the advantage Of 9
whole life plan" for their com
plete training?
These. in short. are the signs
which shall follow" In. the wake Of
: progressive. civilization wherever
Il may appear, either afar-or near
by you.