River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1918-11-21
]. W. Crabtree
Writes to Editor OF
Saturday Evening Post

Ter WHEN we PUBLISH UGlOW
NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS
WASHINGTON, D. G.
Mr.. George Horace Lormer,
Editor Saturday Evening Post,
Independence Square,
Philadelphia, Pa.
My Dear Sir:
l have read your editorial on ED
UCATION in the Saturday Evening
Post of October 26. | regret that in
order to reach the conclusion that.
Public school instruction must find
its points Of departure in the living.
busting world to which pupils in
terests naturally turn" truth we'll
worth presenting, you make it grow
out Of statements which do not have
a fact foundation.
You start up by relating the in
stance of a meeting of the city
superintendent with his principals in
which Nobody ever limited that the
subject of a world war might be
mentioned during the year to those
fifty thousand young Americans.
You lead us to infer that in this par
ticular city the superintendent, prin-
cipals, and teachers are not giving
time and attention in their schools
to war matters and to the home work
necessary for winning the war You
say that this city is typical. You do
not give the name of the city. Per-
sonallv, | do not know of even one
city of fifty thousand children where
the insinuations would apply. If
one such CITY should be found you
are not justified in assuming that it
is typical of the cities of the country.
You indicate that the teachers
take no cognizance that such a thing
as Western Front exists in the
war;" and you also say, eff you are
of ace probably you do not realize
that the fiehting round Santiago.
Cuba, is the latest American exploit
which is brought to the attention of
the coming generation by those who
are especially trained and paid to
engage it's attention." know of
no fact basis for such assertions
You imuly that teachers are not
aware of what is going on and are
not interested in the war work of
the schools Were you in touch with
what teachers are teaching and did
you know of the vast amount of war
work actually done by the children
in the public schools. you could not
write an editorial which reflects, as
does this one, on the efficient work
and loyalty to the teachers and
schools.
The schools have been tested by
this war as never before. The men
who went to the front received their
education in the public schools. The
loyalty and success of this product is
the measure of efficiency of the
school. The Government needed the
teachers and the school machinery,
in order to reach the homes of all
the people with important informa-
ton. The response came before the
request was made. More than half
million teachers have given them
selves and schools over to the Govern
ment eyer since war was declared
against Germany.
state superintendent show that the
schools of the whole country have
been working on war modified pro-
gram. The educational magazines
of the United States reflect the man
ner in which schools have adapted
themselves to new conditions and
new demands. The cooperation of
teachers and advanced pupils in maxi
ing the record of the selective draft,
their activities in every school in COL
Letting funds for the Y. M. C. A..
the Y. w. c. A. and the Red Cross.
and their aid in promoting the sale
of Liberty Bonds and War Saving
Stamps. are all items of common
knowledge.
The Food Administration certifes
to the use of its outlined courses in
food conservation in elementary
schools, high schools and colleges.
Mr., Hoover in letter expresses his
personal appreciation for the support
which teachers have given to the
work Of his administration. There
are now more than 260, 900 War Saw
ing Stamp Societies in the public
schools and millions of leaflets on
questions IF saving and. war. pre-.
pared by the Treasury Department.
have been used for classroom in
struction in the schools. The De.
partment of Labor, though it's Boys
Working Reserve, modified in con-
nection with the schools of the
country, more than three hundred
thousand young workers in food
production The Boy Scouts, or
ganized largely in the public schools
distributed five million copies of
President Wilson's Flag Day address
The Committee on Public Informa-
ton sent out on request eight hun
dred thousand copies of DR.. Hard
ing's Outline on the Study of the
Groof War For .1Co - A. 1oLo1t-