Evening star., 1923-05-30

years in hospital he recovered He
returned to the Virginia prison a
month ago to complete his term. FTaz
there been any petition for Fis par
don signed by prominent citizenso
X X 4 ssf
Yet again there comes the discour-
circulated among the most promt-
nent people in. America to get their
support for the unconditional release
OF fifty-two men who were duly sen-
fenced for. crimes of treason duriuf
the war. No argument for clemencv
is offered except that the war Is
over ,r
WHY. ask the American I.egionairee
let 10000 irresponsible Veterans SUI
fer. in spite Of the debt of gratitude
for their heroic sacrifices while the
men who sought to betray them. are
subjects now of sentimentaIity? WIN
put this premium on trea SOM
x = i:
Some Of TIE school officials nf
Washington are urging a radical re
form in the methods Of teaching br
the greater use of pictures in place
of text hooks. Assistant supt Kra
mer advocates the use of motion nic-
lures combined with lectures by the
teacher.
This method is many. times better
than book learning. saw the educa-
tors. as it not only teaches the spe-
cific lessons of the dav. hut il trains
the powers of quick observation, ard
that is of GraHter- value than any
fixed lesson They declare that the
brain cOmprehends what ii secs NAM
times more strongly than what Il
merely hears. II remembers better
X 4 i y
Thomas, a Edison teStif1eS that tcr
wears ago he urged this visual teach
ing method upon the commissioner ot
education. but nothing was done b.
cause the schoolbook interests were
opposed 10 encoura ging competitor
of text books
fsrhe movie interests argue against
the movement. fearing that it Will
take the edge off the regular movies
T. The kind Of films wanted for school
work are not now produced-flms
demonstrating scientific experiments
botanical growth. Industries and re
sources of foreign lands, historical
dramas. TRUE to life. etc.
y u,
In the course of few decades the
government films OF actual occur
rences in national history will b.
come available. How interesting will
be the scenes of the world war, OF
inaugurations: Of notable acts of
Congress. OF the development Of
new regions-AIaska and tho Amer
lean desert. And the development
step by step. of machinery and in
dustrial life'
The commissioner Of education, DR.
! John T. Tigert, tells teachers to teach
impartial truth about America, and
not attempt to leave the impression
that America is always right and
other countries always wrong
Some teachers. thereupon. demand
What is TRUTH"
Will they find the answer in Amer
lean history text books telling that
the American revolution was "uu
time Of the revolution and today
| that the Declaration of independence
| was a plagiarism. as was also the
! Constitution-copies Of English wis
dom of ages prior?
These patriotic teachers assert that
Americans have waited long enough
| for the elimination of British propa-
ganda from American text books,
slandering the fame of revolutionary
leaders. declaring the war of 1912
was "a mistake" the Mexican war =
territory grab and nothing else: that
the civil war was won by the north
only because England helped the
north against the cotton states? %
These teachers concede that they
| should teach the truth. for the truth
| Will save patriotism. while misshaped
stories of alleged foreign leadership
/ after foreign superior ideals OF lib
! erty. contrasting with American al
| legged puSillanimity. may make the
rising generation apologetic for he
| ing American. Is there real danger
| of being too patriotic toward Amer
| ica? What is the sentiment of Me
| mortal day orators?
} Copyright. 1923, by p. V. Colinsl