The sun., 1919-03-30
Association of New England
Has Annual Meeting at Wheaton Collge

/ entraIce examination board. gave an in
teresting talk on Latin Examinations
a. Tests of intelligence" Prof, Mary
Gilmore Williams read a paper on Rec
ognition Scenes Old and New: An En-
during Fashion In Thrills" drawing her
| illustrations from both ancient and mod
ern drama In an effective and telling
manner.
Dean Andrew +. West OF Princeton
University then spoke on The Proposed
American Classical League" saying In
part;
Whom the abnormal conditions of war
time are ended. the rebuilding of our ed
ucation on a normal basis will be Of the
highest Importance The situation must
be taken in hand and not allowed TO drift
, aimlessly. The coming reconstruction.
while leaving full play for all genuine
forms OF practical education, whether
vocational, technical or professional,
must Also provide amply. definitely and
securely for the fundamental and there
fore more important general education
In all Its stages. primary. secondary and
higher. For unless this Is done. and
done WELL the education OF our nation
and the priceless interests that depend
on II will be impaired.
AT the present time there Is dan
ger that the so-called practical stud
les, so valuable for immediate war pur-
poses and so much moro valuable at all
times when intelligently related to gem
eral education. will be considered by
many as sufficient education and even
as the best education. Yet II there is
any lesson clearly taught by the war,
II Is the elaborate practical education OF
Germany. freely enlisted in tho service
or ruthless destruction and uncontrolled
Tor humane ends, has become an intol-
cradle danger. Such education, IL con-
trolled for human welfare should be en-
couraged, and IL subservent to inhuman
ends must be suppressed-or civilization,
being made the slave instead Of the
master OF its mechanism. will be de-
based and destroyed by the powerful
agency which was created to improve IT,
Another present danger springs from
what may be called the sentimental view
OF education, which rests on an excessive
emotional impulse resulting from a re-
vulsion against pedantry, teaching that
no student should have 10 study any
subject he finds 'uninteresting' and that
mental discipline Is an absurd and in
furious thing. So far as this enfeebling
theory prevails It destroys the possibility
OF vigorous and comprehensive training
and makes the chance preferences OF
Immature minds the basis for the cur
riculum. In addition 10 the wasteful
cost of such so-called education It's
supreme folly Is seen in the disastrous
undermining OF the Ideas OF discipline
and duty on which both tho intellectual
and moral integrity OF every one do
pends
"As the practical forms OF education
are sure to be strongly sustained be-
cause of their obvious utility, the prob
lem OF our general education is the one
ti,o ,iartI L. ia
and will always be needed. The prl-
mary stage needs to be centred in our
national language and history, because
here all our future citizens will get
their first training and because these
studies are at the heart OF our national
unity. Then as much more OF the be-
ginnings OF general knowledge should
be added as Is practicable In the timo
allotted. In the secondary and higher
stages OF general education, also known
as liberal education. the problem takes
on a larger form. Tho indispe nsab bio
preliminary national basis having been
laid In the primary schools. those who
go to the higher stages should be given
studies which introduce them, not only
10 knowledge OF n national nature. but
primarily 10 the wider knowledge which
is fundamental to our Western civiliza-
ton. Unless this Is done there is no
sure guarantee that We shall have our
share in the highest general civilized
progress OF the world and we should
then have TO fall back In our secondary
and higher education on a separate ma
tionalistic culture. exclusive and possibly
hostile to others, as has been advocated
for the last thirty years BY the Kaiser
In regard 10 the Kutur OF Germany, |
against which We have been contending.
'In this civilized liberal education the
classics have necessary and not
merely traditional place. They are fun
damental TO our national language and
TO other important modern tongues
They are demonstrabiy an agency OF
the frst value for training the young
mind TO clearness. exactness and thor
oughnesA They arc Of great help In pre-