The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1918-12-10
when the War Was Won

when Haig Issued his famous backs
TO the wall order last spring, he eH-
pressed his faith in the AmerIncan sol
der. And when the Americans were
placed under the leadership Of that
greatest OF st%rategists, and | am tempt
ed to say that greatest Of psychologists,
Marshal Foch, the war was won, and
from Chateau Thisrry to Sedan the
American soldier never knew the word
retreat This, ] believe. was largely
due 10 the kind Of schools they attend
ed in the United States, while in Ger
many the children were taught TO be
cogs in the military machine,
I'VE are now in the power OF our
achievement. but the war has made us
stop to consider the problems which we
were too apt to overlook before, 1t was
shown early in the war that the best
soldier was the man with the best edu-
cation, and the test of a soldier was
largely the test OF a trained lntelli-
gence. The army learned that the NIT
crate can not make a good soldier, and
II IL up to us now to realize that the IL
literate--uive millions Of them)-can
not make a good citizen.
THE army also told us that one third
OF the men between the ages Of 81 and
81 were unfit for military service, Thai
fact Is an Indictment against our nation
and against our education, and II means
that we must provide sufficient health
education, II means that there must be
~ tlAtNANAA NAAN lAAtAAANA ~
spection, and that the record of disease
and deficiency must be wiped off OF the
cards and out of the lives Of the boys
and girls Of our country.
1T doesn't pay to have Inefficient
people in society, The establishment OF
clinics for the treatment OF all the de-
fects Of school children will bring a
big return. Add to the 2hc or soc which
we now spend for medical inspection, 81
for a health service, and we Will truly
be repaid for our efforts.
AT the beginning OF the war 1t was
forcibly brought TO US that many OF our
people we're not Americans, and that
the situation was due to our neglect,
We allowed many types and sorts Of
schools TO exist. and children we're
taught In scores OF different languages,
When a child Is taught in any language
other than English, he cal not develop
into an American citizen; they are not
members Of our democracy II they do
not speak English.
Program of Americanization.
Two things are going to happen.
Teaching In any language other than
English will be forbidden, and we will
enter upon a program OF AmericaniER-
ton to allow those who come to our
shores to share our educational oppor-
t%unities and to understand us and our
institutions. have seen foreigners In
New York who could not speak Eng
lish and whose children could, curse
the day Columbus discovered America,
because their children had been taken
from them by American ideals, while
they themselves were unable to follow.
That can be remediod our duty ia
to provide a kind OF school different
from the present, where many peoples
can come to understand us, And the
last census showed hat there were 10,
600 900 Of them,
'sThen appthar situatInp has dkyal
Qped from the war, That Ia the prob
LENS OF providing teachers for American
boys and girls, The department OF the
interior recently sent out a circular
which set forth the fact that thou
sands OF schools over the country were
closed because of the lack OF teachers,
Such a situation would be alarming
anywhere and II is appalling in q de-
mocracy. Five million children are
now being taught by unframed teach
o. the same inefficient schools which
they are helping TO perpetuate,
When we teachers get together as a
great national organization when VI
shall all stand together tAr the proposi.
tion that In order to have good schools
we must have good teachers, and ir
order to have good teachers we mus,
pay good salaries, II IL then that the
teaching profession will be able to ac,
complish its intended work Of tehchins
inc NuuNH OF me Ianu.
THE average salary OF the teache,
$500 a year, The people are gettint
Just what 1they are paying for. Most O.
the teachers are dependent upon thes,
wages. ! am frank with you when | sa,
that | expect the pay OF the teacher,
- 20 double during the next generation
expect this not because | want IL 10
you or for myself, but because | wan
II for America, You can not expect
young man or woman to take a tvs,
years normal course preparatory l.
teaching, and then step into a toI
which pays less than one which the,
could start to work at day after TO
morrow.
america is the only civilized natlor
which has permitted this condition L
exist; With the position OF Leadership
which has been thrust upon us, W
must not be second In educational ia
cilities. In some parts Of tho countr
there are palatial schools with goo
teachers, and / am thankful for il, bu
IN other places children are taught i
novels by incompetent teachers,
Think nationally. Senator Hok
Smith has introduced a bill into IN
senate for the creation OF a department
OF education In u government. Year
ago 1t was realized that pigs were i'm
portant enough that a department c
agriculture must be created later tn
labor problems led TO tho creation c
o department OF labor, and now tn
day may have come when somethln
will be done 10 provide In q nationa
way for the wants Of boys and girl,
| Senator Smith has a bigger conceptio
v than that. There would be an annus
appropriation of Sl00. o00, 900 for tn
twhois nation; there are 80 e~ducations
Ngencies in Washington now trying
cost is more than 800. 600, 900, TIL
country may take Its choioe-fifty de
partments Of education without any ap
propriation or program, or n depart
snent for Ewing sid the distribu