The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1921-01-14
BUILDING A SPIRIT OF NATIONAL SOLIDARITY
If We Are to Build Up and Keep Alive the America We
Visualize, We Must Give More Attention
to Our Schools
By MAJOR GENERAL LEONARD WOOD
Commanding the Central Department. L. s. Army.

There Is no room in~this country for
: more than one flag, and that Is the
American flag. We must put down the
: red flag. 1t does not stand for anything
/ which our government stands for. II
Is against everything We have strug-
glcd for. 1t is against the integrity OF
the family, the state, and the nation
1t floats only where towards are in
, power and where democracy mas been
replaced by mob rule 1t represents
everything which we want TO avoid.
These are times Of dangerous world
psychology. The barriers between or
dcrcd government and chaos are down
IN some nations and trembling in
others. We must stand sQuarely on
our feet in America. We must avoid
the dangerous doctrines OF the hour
that ate nlasQucrading under the ban
ner OF Liberal Ideas and Progress"
II is To time iOr unthinking action.
The world must once more get on an
even keel and settle down after the
recent uphcaveis. 1t is time now TO
keep our feet on the ground. our ideals
and purposes high. our eyes on God.
The experience OF the training camps
brought out very forc!bly the dcsr-
ability OF having but one language
az The Declaration Of Independence. Of
the Constitution. of Washington, Of
Lincoln. jefferson. Cleveland and Roose-
vet. It is the language Of the best
democracy.
We 81 = of course. require in our
higher schools and colleges tn" classics
and modern languages, for science. for
literature and for art. but in our grade
schools below the high schools there
should hc but one langAgc-that of our
own country. Nothing will aid more in
rsta5ii shing r condition OF national SOL
idar:ty. or tend more to better under
standing Of what we stand for Have
our people speak and think in our own
language We do not want our country
TO be babel OF tongues. or, as Colonel
Roosevelt put tive do not want Anu
erica to be j polyElot boarding house"
We must bond our energies 10 the
Uphu.iding Of good business and the
economical and intelligent conduct OF
Eati0na! affairs We should adopt a
budget system, rs 1t will be more CON-
ducivr to an economical administration
of public business. We must adopt q
sound system OF conservation OF our
general resources, In order that they
may be passed on to the generations 10
come. We should not waste these re-
sources but make such Intelligent use
possible. so that those who come after
us may avail themselves OF these
sources Of uucndng wealth and power.
We must provide for the better ply s.
zeal development OF our youth, for the
draft has shown the existence OF phys
zeal conditions which are alarming, con-
ditiDnS which incapacitated half OF our
men Of military age for hard military
service. This is serious from military
standpoint, but it is infinitely more ser!.
Gus from the standpoint Of industrial!
efficiency.
Recent events have proved conclusive
" that u" lose enormously through fail
.rc to attend properly 10 the physical
development Of our youth or both sexes.
"" must pay much more careful atten-
lion To this subject In the future than
&C.. ave in the past, for the old law or
.lr survival OF the fittcst" prevails. We
HAHi "ur nation. with It's splendid ideals
and n, :.Icndous possibilities, TO survive
IN tn. rugged competition which Is here.
II We are to build up a spirit or ma
t;onal solidarity, which can only come
through the building UP OF national in
trlligence. based on character and r we
arc - huiid up and keep alive the Amer
e.. w." l..:..,.Ze. we must pay more at
t......1 t. rl. schools. We must begin
; e.. ling those who arc charged with
IT," -. ruction Of our youth much he;-
ter s..lartes than they are at present
TIL i"achers. to whom We tarn over
our children and our youth to receive
their education, and incidentally their
Characters. are often paid lcss than first
class chautfeurs. Hero. at the very
root Of national life. is n most serious
defect The teaching profession Is full
Of loyal and faithful men and women.
many OF them working on because OF
love Of the work. As class. they ere