Evening journal., 1918-03-06
French Children No Longer
Play "Hooky!" They Must
Work and Lean--For France

and earnest scholars with their sleeves
rolled up and their white arms turkey
red
lronns boards and hot irons and
the pleasant smell Of scorchine starch
i'm the next little room. and the largest
and most enthusiastic class Of all in
the big sewing room. where they mend
and make lingerie and lace. and where.
as a compliment 90 the visitors. they
sang cXccllently the star Spangled Ban
ner i'm English. unslngahe high notes
and am
Afterwards they sang the Marsell
laise ami the pep they pat into Il
explained a lot Of the wonderful strong
lhings IN the French character.
Of course, there T. an applied science
department. and particularly IS there
fine arts department. for this Is France,
where beauty Is not q luxury. but a
necessity Here industrial designing Is
taught. and the class is a busy one,
since the war, Of necessity. has broad
ened education for girls even 10 fore
ing open for them the professional
classes in the big universities for young
men.
The one strongly marked note IN this
whole school was keen. earnest. pur-
poseful application This was the note,
too in the magnificent intermediate
school for girls which we visited.
In this school the higher branches arc
taught. and the tendency toward a
broader and moro practical education
has boen markedly shown with each
year Of the war
or course they IND time here. as
cveryvhete clso. Go work for the sol
dlers. the young ladies and the alumni
mol only sewing but clubbing together
/ go hire sewing women.
Even the woo small young kiddies IN
The primary department bring their self
denial penny a week for the soldiers
, inst as the Youngest toddlers i'm tho
other school we visited save their sugar
or chocolate and bring II for the sol
diors without oven nibble on p cor
. ncr: which takes remarkable strength
of mind when one is only three or foui
! years old
! The same intense application $50
p found among Mo girls was 10 be- found
r also among the BOYS. particularly In tho
classes Of the especial Industrial schools
, whore serious citizens Of a learn "a
5 hammer and saw, and manipulate iron
and discover with a cinema' ograph how
, bcc- make honey. or sii with foldfl
arms and profoundly knitted hrows
while the professor Of applied chemis
try. with test tube and flame. explains
, lho miracle of coal and rs thousand
p commercial products.
The absorbed altentlveness through
.ul ihe schools could not escape com
mcnt and me comment brought tho
} smile of a happy man 10 the face of
the Inspector.
q THAT is The pretuest story ID
% France said he: then We learned how
c iho school children Of this land an
o. sNered The call of La patrie
When the war broke out so sudden
e ly. and with o fury unprecedented Il
Ne history, everything was disrupted II
,o the tremendous task Of mobilization.
IN 70 became necessary, particularly i
m the cities near the front, for the mil
nv iary authorities 90 take over all useabl
Il public buildings, including the school
lc for barracks.
ne Instantly The school authorities say
ss the danger of the suspension OF edt
cation II this war were to be Of IN
duration which its magnitude threat
a cned France more than ever would nee
n a high standard Of education and cans
rs bilily and moral responsibilities i'm hC
M future citizens.
The school authorities were d