The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1922-11-19


lege boys talking. They seemed to be
very fine fellows and they came from
two great universities:
Now look here. we must not lose
sight % each other. Let's arrange 10
meet In New York (naming date).
/ viii bring couple Of fellows, and
know some bully girls we can get.
Wen have a good time at the Bit
more"
I The girls he referred 10 we're OF a
perfectly good family. as / aiterward
found out. These girls are allowed by
Their parents 10 so down 10 the Bilt-
more % dance and have supper after
ward. II they are clever enough 70
csade the Eighteenth Amendment they
viii have liquor. These boys are from
two Of the finest families in two OF our
cities.
such experiences are quite common,
and all the head masters with whom /
Z have spoken agree with me that this
dancing In New York on Saturdays by
men from the colleges and universities
is having a very bad effect upon the
morals o. tho nation.
am not quite 40 sure, however.
that tho modern trend Is altogether
wrong Ny boys assure me when /
talk 60 thcm about these subjects that
E 7 pat IDEAS into their heads that they
never have when playing around with
these girls that they do talk per-
fectly frankly with regard 10 matters
that would have brought blush Of
shame % a boys face IA my youth.
but that II IL IN the position Of COM
radea. They keep on assuring me that
very nttlc wrong goes on. IL Is hard
20 believe. Last year I took a most
drastic attitude and abolished the
dance. I have been in "A dilemma all
summer Ia regard 70 this influence
that IL affecting the modern boy, and
( | have. come 20 the conclusion that We
cannot stop e. 1 have come 10 the
conclusion that We have got 20 guide
Il. As you know, am very. very close
10 my boys. and / get them TO talk
10 me quite freely about matters con-
corning their characters and their
souls. and l really believe that we Of
the older generations may not realize
what Is taking place; that we may be
retarding a movement which I'm the
I end may bring ont something more
magnificent than has existed before.
I I see no way OF brinrin" back the world
of boyhood and girlhood to what we
think. perhaps puritanically, is the
I proper basis for the relations of the
I sexes. OF course, the whole thing has
been brought to pass through the re-
I volt of womanhood and the desire Of
l women TO be on an equal plane in all
respects of what they call freedom
with men. My boys contend. in talking
I IL over with me. that the things which
were done I'm our day In the darkness
are now done In the light of day; that
now. just as then, there are bad and
| good. and that no man who respects
himself will play with the bad. just as
IL was in our day. They contend that
the greater freedom makes for moral
ity: that there are certain girls. for
| instance. that no self-respecting man
VIII dance with. just as there are GER
| tain mon that no self-rcspccting girl
Will dance with.
| il is really a terrible question; II Is
a question which keeps me awake ut
/ night. think that I was drastic last
year. Lately have had most serious
talks with my boys. and I begin 20
doubt. Certainly have aever had a
4 finer number OF boys under my charge
than during the last two years. In
| fact. this modern boy surpasses IN
every way any OF the boys that ! have
had TO deal with IN prior years. The
average modern boy Is absolutely truth
full. hates a sham and Is not afraid TO
assert his opinion. But there Il no doubt
a.. A.
most tremendous power over the mod
ern boy. and we have 10 handle IT,
Here again the modern parent Is OF
very li;tle use as an aid 10 the devel-
opment OF character. The modern
mother seems 10 care very little about
the way her girl behaves. provided she
Is popular. The modern father. when
he himself breaks the Eighteenth
mendment. cannot expect that his
boy will have very high ideals with re.
gard to liquor or law. There Is no
doubt that our own generation Is
largely responsible and ultimately re-
sponsible for the present state Of
affairs. When tell you that q mother
came 10 the hotel last year and asked
for ice 70 make cocktail the ingredi-
ents for which she had with her, per-
haps you will understand what the
educator n UP against. And she vas
of one Of the so-calied best families
OF her town and had her daughter
with her. So we have the foregoing
situation 10 face. and yet We have 20
put through our IDEAL
IL is curious that again the private
preparatory school seems 20 be called
in question. Certain q our friends cry
out that we are "undemO-atic that
our curriculum is "hid~bound" ard
that we are an "anomaiy' IN America.
/ that the true American viii send hif
| boy TO the high. school 7 should hEn
10 take your time 20 rny a few words
in our defense. although our drfensc b.
SO obvious that wonder 10 are ever
/ called In question.
I Democracy is such a wide term anu
has SO many Interpretations that Y a.
rather hard 20 answer the urxumeui
/ that VIC are "uncemocratic" To q De-.
mocracy an institution that wiil pre-
vent it's finest brains from getting the
finest sort OF educstlonT Bccausr. n
il Is undemocratlc 90 educate ths hcat
boys I'm tho country % Tho hiTaest
Z possible efficiency, then cf course t1e
]