Evening star., 1919-07-20
September II Expected Be Day of Wonderful Significance to the
World ALI Allied Nations Will Cooperate - Famous
Historian Tells What Americas Future Work Must Be-

VOlVeu, ana most OF the tnlHSS III
volved were represented by the Amer
ican Constitution. Eventually, Amer
lea saw this and plunged into the
combat.
"In the victory, won at last. the
allies and America have performed
two feats: They have assured the
lives of their own democracies and
institution which MontesQue once said
had been born In the forests Of that
country. If the natural processes are
permitted to operate that nation
which will gain most from the con-
flict will be Germany, for her chains
have been broken and her birthright
has been restored to her.
But the point which am especially
anxious to make, and which l may
have spent much time in making, is
that in this celebration of the birth
day of the American Constitution all
the world Is as closely interested as
the Americans. Surely 1t Is worthy of
it's celebratiOn!
but we shall not have the right to
expect from our beloved nation the
best that we should get from 1t until
we really have made education uni
versal here" Prof McElroy continued.
I'VE must have people who under
stand before we can expect to have
representatives in Congress who un-
derstand. Until we have them we
cannot hope to set fully in order the
affairs of the republic
"Radicalism. as we find 1t here. Is
not advanced thought distorted, but
ignorant thought. There Is no excuse
for ignorant thought in any consid-
erable amount In the United States.
yet. at the present moment, we have
10 per cent Of illiterate in our popu-
lation. Among this percentage Of H.
literate are. approximately, 100000
young men of military age. If we
should gather the illiterate of the
nation into one city we would find
this dark community as large as New
York. Chicago and Philadelphia COM
bined.
"The fathers knew the grim un-
wisdom Of such q condition. We were
warned Of danger by the men who
laid our national foundations. 1t was
clear to them that tho republic could
succeed only on the basis Of an edu-
Gated electorate and on that Of equal
opportunity for all. The war has
made It clear that we have neither an
universally educated electorate nor
equal opportunity for all. the latter
being quite impossible without the
former.
I'VE who are engaged in the battle
against radicalism In the United States
must look facts in the face. Have we
bred radicalism and are we breeding It?
There is not a great difference between
two nations in one Of which those born
to certain families by that birth arc
guaranteed certain social advantages
over others and in the other of which
education Is reserved for those who are
born into certain types Of families.
IAN absolutely true democracy would
give education to all, thus discovering
every highly gifted mind. and. having
discovered 1t, finding means for giving
1t the special training which would in
sure society the fullest benefit of it's
particular gift Highly gifted minds
come by no rulo which humanity as yet
has been able to formulate; they are
as likely to be born In novels as in pal
aces. But In this republic, despite its
Constitution. they are less likely to be
fully developed If they are born in
novels than II they are born in palaces.
That is something which we should re-
member as we celebrate our tonstitu-
tional birthday.
AT present, too, we have education
in terms Of localities. A boy being
reared in the country suffers perhaps,
disadvantages therefrom reared in one
city his opportunity may be less than it
might be in another. This nulllfes our
vaunted scheme. If there Is such a
thing as an inalienable right in de-
mocracy 1t ;is that every child cduca-
tionally' shall be fitted for that career
for which he or she is naturally fitted,
the will Of parents and the influence Of
locality Cor environmentJ notwithstand-
ing. The world owes no man q living,
but 1t owes every man that equipment
which will enable him to use to the full
est extent those talents which have been
given to him. and. through them, maxi
ing living for himself.
THE patriotism of the future must