The Washington times., 1920-05-09

The editor of this newspaper receives pathetic letters
from and regarding lack Of education in youth
wondering whether II Is late make up and asking
advice about books to read
Evidently millions think that to have READ certain
number of books or to have gone THROUGH certain
college means POSSESSING AN EDUCATION
Education is in books and the skeleton of education
is in the colleges merely reading books alone merely
going THROUGH college does not mean education or
knowledge.
Young men that would like be athletes do not say
~ had opportunity in my youth what kind OF beefsteak
pork chops and potatoes would advise me to eat In
order to be athlete?"
There Is strength in beesteak and potatoes But the
mere EATING of them doesn't make an athlete.
81 So with books you THINK your way through half a
dozen books literally only HALF DOZEN you may be
in limited, but in real, sense an EDUCATED HUMAN
BEING.
81 What, many will ask, ARE the half dozen books? You
could make out c dozen lists, each different
- First you must UNDERSTAND what you read Under
standing is books what digestion is to food You would
not expect beefsteak to make you strong you didnt
digest It. aa b5R
IS To understand q book you must know WHAT you are
reading you must chew the book that u.s. your mind must
work on It, ,
When you read that Jenghs Khan and Ata the forces
Of Mohammed and hundred other invasons from Asia
tried in vain to conquer western Europe must think
over what that MEANS not merely try to memorise the
fact that Ata beaten at Chaons Marine in the
ysar M and died two three years later Remembering
dates won't do any good -,s,
4. You must think what would have happened If, as a
famous author suggested Charles Mae had been beaten
by Mohammedans instead of beating them at Poers
in 1872 All Of western Europe would have been
and the Koran would have been expounded from the pupts
Of England France Spain and perhaps the whole world
outside of China.
If you read only to remember dates you not
digesting your beefsteak.
But if you read and see the proof that thought
among the half barbarans of Europe in the middle ages
conquered Asia, you do digest the mental food
1t isn't hard to get knowledge to give you the founda
ton Of an education Head good astronomy that you
may know WHERE and WHAT you in this universe.
Do not like most of believe that the earth is round
as a matter of hearsay. KNOW 1T FOR YOURSELF
Don't read astronomy merely to remember how many
million miles the is distant from the EARTH how many
billion miles separate from the nearest fixed STAR how
many thousand miles light travels in second how long
takes light to this earth from Vega the blue
star above your head.
Read astronomy to UNDERSTAND the magnificent
universe you understand your city village.
Be able to close your eyes and yourself you are
microbe but THINKING MICROBE, glued by the power
ravitaton tiny speck of EARTH only eight thousand
miles in diameter whirling around the million times
SIS big this earth that travelling through space
companied by neighbors million times as big as itself.
When you open your eyes be able to FEEL that the
earth is santng off, downward right and left front and
back Think your way through astronomy and geology
until you realize that you travelling wonderful
errand, Heaven knows where, on spinning ball
Study GEOLOGY, not as though you intended to be
geologis enough know how the earth developed
through million centuries
Study the history of men. One good history of the
world will show you if you THINK your way through it,
how simple in reality is that history which made pain
full and difficult.
1t is simple actually the history of pack of
wolves Do not waste time trying to memorize every
of the wolf fights Rather follow with thinking