The courier-index. (Marianna, Ark.) 1917-current, 1918-05-03
SCORES TEACHING OF
GERMAN in SCHOOLS
EDUCATOR DECLARES PRoPA-
cANpA is RESPONSIBLE FOR
pREsENcE-INSTILLS TEUToN
IDEALS.

Little Rock, April PSI cannot
believe that the report sent out from
Denver purpoting to give the recon-
mendation of a special committee of
the National Educational Association
concerning language teaching is alto
gether correct" said President John
G. Futrall of the University of Ark
ansas, who is in Little Rock today.
If there has ever been time in
the worlds history when cultural,
that is to say, humanitarian, things
needed to be taught in our schools,
that time is the present. 1t seems
hardly debateable that the overem-
phasis that has been placed on the
practical, or material, in the German
schools is, in large part, responsible
for the frightfulness that Germany
has brought on the world.
"The idea underlying the declara-
ton that to spend time studying cul-
tural subjects during the next two
or three years is unpatriOtic, If there
Is any such idea other than hysteria,
is the thought that school children
should spend their time solely in
equipping themselves to do practical
things in order to assist in the con
duct of the war But in all human
probability the war will be over be-
fore the great majority of these
children have finished their schooling.
The suggestion that Latin and all
other languages except French be
eliminated is both unwise and UNI
practical. The teaching of Latin in
the high schools is almost universal.
There is available large body of
vel trained and experienced Latin
teachers, and no high school subject
is, generally speaking, better taught
man Latin. 1t would be impossible
10 find enough competent French
teachers to replace anything mare
than small per cent of the good
Latin teachers of the country. Aside
nom the educational value of Latin,
which is still holding its ground in
1 49, Va 'hN hii6hty dttdchS lud' huNO
been made upon it, and admitting for
the sake Of argument that French is
more valuable study than Latin,
there still remains the fact that any
subject well taught is better than
any other subject poorly taught.
The widespread movement to drop
fireman from the high schools is due
IN very large part, to the discovery
'hat the German language in the
schools has been used as a means of
DISSEMINATING German propaganda
among young Americans at a time
when their minds were most inn
pressionable. 1t is not due to any
accident, or to merely natural causes,
mat In those high schools which
.cdch only one foreign language, that
.ahsuage is, in almost all cases,
uerman. German has no cultural or
educational value that stamps it as
superior TO other modern languages.
practical value it is not superior
70 French and Italian. and. for Aemri-
ans at least, it is certainly inferior
~ spanish, which is the language of
'"sIco and South America.
Inc presence OF German in the
a,sn schools, almost to the exclusion
= o'ner modern languages. is due to
carefully planned and well carried
NV campaign by Germany and the
sernans And this campaign was
ssssd on no feeling Of sentiment or
e IN their language. but it's OBJ
~ ~ was to influencesyouns minds by
\ - - inclusion in German text books OF
an articles and extracts from
ae'man literature tending to idealize