Omaha daily bee., 1918-08-20
'LUTHERANS give
SCHOOL REPORT
TO THEIR SYNOD
Make Public Statement Here
tofore Submitted to State
Council of Defense in
This Relation.

Deshler, Neb.. Aug l9-(Specia
Telegram -Four thousand five hun
dred Lutherans of Thayer count, and
vicinity and delegates of the Lutheran
synod, celebrated the annual join: mis-.
sion festival Sunday. Morning and
afternoon services were held IN the
grove. Rev. NJ. Mahler's subject was
why should Christians be especially
active and alive in all branches OF
mission work during these atterdays
of tribulation?" Prof. c. Weller
Seward, and chaplain and camp pas
tor Rev, Edward Krause, Fort Worth
Tex, spoke in the afternoon An H.
lustated lecture on Lutheran mis-
sions in India was given by Rev
II. Harms in the evening. Forty
Lutheran chaplains were reported do
ing camp pastor work. Prof Wells
said the contributions of the Missouri
synod to the government loans, War
Saving Stamps and Red Cross amount
to nearly $5l.000,000. He further
said: Our Missouri synod has given
to Uncle Sam 2O,S00 boys who serve
i'll army and navy"
At the business session the commit
tee on schools advised where pastors,
besides doing pastoral work in two
languages, supply the place of a
Christian schoolmaster. that Congre-
cations employ women teachers who
have received the necessary training
1t was reported that the normal
school at Seward carries in its curricu
lum all branches, emitting it to be an
accredited institution" A commit
tee submitted a report concerning
is cooperation with the State Coun-
Gil of Defense. The report said.
/. We find that the Evangelical Lutheran
Synod of Missouri. Ohio, and other states
maintains 2.3lS schools, and that about 15l
of this number are in the state of Nebra ska
This number includes about 20 summer
schools, Saturday schools, and catechumeu
classes. few small schools have been dis
continued.
2. The schools in Nebraska are conduct
ed by pastors and 10 teachers and attended
by 1890 scholars.
"Of the 1874 pastors and teachers from
whom we received answers to date, 1l0 are
American citizens by birth. 20 by adoption
failed to take out his first papers. All the
schools fly the American flag. None of
these schools receive any aid whatever from
the state. The average time devoted to the
teaching Of religion in these schools
(catechumen classes excepted), varies from
40 minutes to one hour, and the same time
is devoted to the study of the German lam
guage."
The chairman stated however, that now
English is exclusively used also In religious
instruction in all schools. The report con-
tinued; 'The remainder of the time. from
four to four and one-haf hours, is devoted
to English. All the secular branches. such
as arithmetic, geography. physiology, United
States history, drawing, penmanship, etc,
are taught In the English language Most
of our schools are In session 10 months.
The German national hymn is not sung
in a single one of our schools. The Ameri-
can national hymn and other American pa
triotc songs sung in all our schools.
As to text books used, all are published by
the Concordia Publishing house. ST. Louis,
Mo. They contain nothing that could be
used In any way to make propaganda for
the cause of the enemy of our country.
Children leave our schools when about 10
years of age. and their schooling Is not com
pleted. for according TO law they are still
of school age and required to attend some
school They generally enter the eighth