Arizona republican., 1921-11-22

school yesterday morning. An un- official estimate placed the number of teachers present at 1900. The school auditorium was crowded with the visitors when the convention was officially opened with program by the Indian School band.
 Intense interest :n everything on the program was evidenced by the many assembled at the convention and they found action every minute of the day. Of the greatest general interest was the morning session, but the sectional meetings brought out several spirited discussions and aroused questions pertaining to the very life of Arizona's educational system.
 Will c. Wood, commissioner of education of California, delivered the principal address at the general ses- sion and was kept busy throughout the day in the sectional meetings and at the banquet of school teach CTS giving short talks and answering questions.
 coneratulates Arizona
 Congratulating Arizona upon its progress under State Superintendent Elsie Toles, Commissioner Wood out lined the general advancement of education throughout the nation.
 With all their faults and short comings," he said, the schools are among the most successful institu- tions in America today. It is true that we have millions of illiterates, millions who need Americanization and other millions who are only on the border line of 1iteracy. However. this situation is not due to the inef- ficiency of the American schools so much as to insufficiency of educa- tional facilities. America must awaken to the fact that overcoming illiteracy and the assimilation of the immigrant are problems of national importance and that better facilities for these purposes must be pro- vided"
 Pruning to the question of the ac- complishments of the school, Super intendent Wood claimed that much of the success of the American nation is due to the opportunities afforded by the schools for merit to rise to it's proper level.
 Education Brings Success
 "America is successful nation" he said. Tt has the greatest per capita of production, the greatest per ctpita of wealth. It has a transpor- tation system and a banking system that have proved their worth in the great crisis The nation also leads in the applied sciences. To America the world is indebted for the steamboat the telephone, the telegraph, the pho- nograph, the cotton gin. the sewing machine, the reaper and many other inventions that have revolutionized modern life. America has made tre- mendous contributions to modern civ ilization."
 What accounts for the success of the American people?" the speaker asked. "We cannot attribute 1t to heredity. Our European ancestors were splendid people but they were not successful. The chief reasons most of the forefathers came to America was their failure to achieve success in Europe.
 Neither can we attribute our suc- cess to our national resources. They are indeed very great, but Mexico and Russia are quite as rich in ore and in soil. In spite of these re- sources no one would say that these countries are successful We cannot therefore attribute our success to either of these factors.
 "When all other explanations have been analysed and weighed we can come to but one conclusion. The in- i stitution to which America is most l indebted for the success of her people 1 is the school which has enabled ability to rise to a place where il may serve If America is to continue 1 in the way of success she must keer 1 the avenue for success open by SUD- porting the nations schools" Interest in Sectional Meetings l Superintendent Wood also led a 1 discussion on the Administration of 1 Rural Schools in an afternoon sec