The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-11-08
TUTORS NATIONS
MORAL PARENTS.
PERICORD SAYS
Frenchman's Address Fitting
Climax Teachers Convention.
Asks That Shattered Nations
Lean on Americas Arm.
INSTRUCTORS HOME TODAY
Auditorium Session Ends 3-Day
Topeka COncIaye.
Kent Named Vice President
Northeast Conference.
INSTRUCTORS HOME TODAY

From France to America: Thank
you"
Capt. Paul Perigord, French war
veteran, brought this message to the
Kansas teachers, assembled in the
fourth general session of their conven-l
ton in the auditorium this morning.
Further he brought a message of
encouragement; an appeal to carry
on" a prayer that the shattered ma
tons of the world may lean upon the
stalwart arm of America.
While tears welled into the eyes of
his audience. Captain Perigord paid
a glorious tribute to the men who had
died for France; to the teachers who
trained them in the ways of life and
to the mothers who had given them
up that the world might be saved to
a higher civilization.
The fifty-sixth annual convention of
the Kansas State Teachers association
ended with the session this morning.
Already hundreds of the tutors have
returned to their homes. The out
going trains today were almost as
crowded as the incoming trains a few
days ago. 1t is estimated that more
than 5000 teachers of the northeast
conference attended the convention
which will be recognized as the most
important in the history of the asso-
citation.
Enlisted as Private.
Captain Perigord was a native of
France, but was educated in America
at Chicago and Columbia universities.
He was at Harvard when the war
broke out, and. returning to his ma
tive country, he enlisted as a private
soldier. He went thru the earlier
years of the war and during one of
the big engagements all the Officers of
his company were either killed or
moNally wounded. Perigord took
command the c0YnnanV and let it
forward, thus winning his title. Later
he was made a member of the French
high coram.ss;cn to America.
.L brought only two. words from
France" he ted. the teachers, 'sbut
those two words I was instructed to
speak from the bottom of my heart.
They are: Thank you
Captain Perigord told the teachers
they were the spiritual parents of
America. He praised the spirit of
self-sacrifice in the mothers who gave
their sons during the war. With the
eioQuence only Frenehman may
command he praised the work of the
American soldiers.
you don't know them" he de-
clared. How could you know them
when you haven't seen them? That is.
seen them as have? This half
trained young army of yours defeated
in every encounter the best trained
fighting machine in all military his
will not forget. Your boys brought a
new revelation to the Old World
When I first saw the stars and stripes
in France I wondered if it could be
vision. Three years 1 had prayed in
the trenches it might come to, pass.
And now, how shall express the love
of the sons of Lafayette for the sons
of Washington ?"
America, Mankind's Leader.
Captain Perigord declared there
Id be no doubt about the outcome
the present industrial struggle
that those who had conquered on the
battlefields would conquer again
Pointing to the shattered nations of
the earth, he (implored that America
realize her duty as the moral. spirit
ual and political leader of mankind.
A plea for a better classification of
children was the keynote of an adj
dress by Supt. J. H. Francis, of Co
lumbus, o. Francis advocated grad
ing children according to ability in
stead of by age. The brightest were
held back by those of lesser mentality
and the latter's heads pulled off try
ing to make them keep pace with the
more intelligent, he said. This was
costing the county millions in time
and. money, he declared.
Francis prayed for unity. service
and understanding in the schools. He
fCOntinued on Page Two r.