Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-10-26

given to the children in the rural dis
trict. They are my chief concern.
"Clean living and clear thinking
| for our young people 10 the end to.
ward which we constantly are striv.
| ing. There 10 q line never shall for
get, for its appeal 10 enduring, ed
| ucation 10 the debt Eternal OF rnatur-
| ity to youth" Az Governor Of NatnG
1 hope to be able to make some def
mite contribution toward advancing
the interests Of the rising generation Z
| OF our State
Address by DIR. Thomas ."
DR.. Augustus o. Thomas, state
commissioner OF education, speaking
before the Teachers convention on !,
the subject THE Significance Of /
World Education" pointed out that,
world relationship has changed ma
terially in the last decade. from the !
time when nations lived pretty much
unto themselves. and that the chang
ed condition OF affairs will, in the ,
near future, be greatly facilitated by
a possible air voyage across the seas
in "a hours.
Science is watching experiments
the world over; the cunning Of metal
workers, musicians, artists, litera-
lures and dramatists is confined to no
nation but is the common heritance
| OF US all, DIR. Thomas declared. The
annealing process of change. inter-
change and exchange are rapidly for
cling companionship and making more
complex the worlds social problems.
Under such circumstances and con-
ditions, education must become the
flames of the crucible which con-
tains the hatreds previously exist
ing as the products OF wars-refning
them into virtues which will enable
the whole world to live together in
amity.
Under these conditions new aims
must be born, and these new aims
can be born only through the tea
ching processes well shaped toward
definite ends.
If it were possible to formulate
specific ideals which the world most
| needs, ana set up program OF In
struction for the teachers OF the
Eworld who with unified purpose and
technical skill, should teach them to
the worlds children 1t would be pos
sble for the future to realize the
ideals and standards taught.
World Conference on. Education
1t was with this in mind that the
National Education Association sent
out the call to the nations Of the
world to participate in a conference
OH education. 1t was my good for
tune to be the instrument Of means
in extending the call, in reaching out
the hand Of friendship and goodwill
to the nations of the world. The
eagerness with which the hand was
accepted exceeded all expectations.
Sixty nations with 500 delegates sat
down in the deliberations at San
Francisco while the general meetings
| were attended by ten to eightesn
| thousand interested people. 1t was
without doubt one of the greatest
audiences ever assembled and comes
more nearly representing the whole
| world.
" As set up in the call the detectives
OF the Conference We're: to promote
, friendship, justice and goodwill
among the nations of the earth; to
| bring about a world wide tolerance
of the rights and privileges OF all
nations regardless of race or creed;
to develop an appreciation of the
value of the inherited gifts of the
nations through centuries Of develop
| ment: to secure more accurate ana
satisfying information and more ade-
| quate statements in textbooks used
| in schools; to foster a national COM
radeship and confidence; to inculcate
! into the minds and hearts OF the
\ young the spiritual values necessary
! to support international agreements
and compacts; and finally, through
out the world, in all schools. to en-
| phasize the essential unity of man
! kind upon the evils of war.
World Federation Organized
The browning achievement Of this
| great convention was the organiZa-
ton of the World Federation Of Ed
! ucations with the adoption Of con-
| stitution making the organization
| permanent. The objects Of this AS
! ISOLATION are to secure international
| cooperation in educational enterpris-
es: to foster the dissemination Of
! information concerning education In
all its forms among the nations and
| peoples; to cultivate international
| goodwill and to promote the inter-
ests of peace throughout the world.
! The constitution provides for a beenf
NAL meeting. Scotland also has ex-
| tended an invitation
| The Conference went on record as
favoring educational attach's in con-
|
| tons; exchange of teachers and pro-
| fessors; provision for international
scholarships; the study of interna-
tional civics and ethics: correspon-
| dence among school children; to has
| ten the removal of illiteracy from
| ali countries; establish a program
| OF health instruction for the children
Of the world and established May
| 18th as World Goodwill Day.
One of the first responsibilities OF
the Federation is to establish an in
| ternational clearing hourse of edu-
cational movements and for the dis
! scmination of educational informa-
ton eventually looking to universal
library service for educational re-
search.
While the World Conference was
not called as a peace measure 1t was
the greatest peace movement in mod
ern history. 1t will hasten the fulfill
ment of that prophecy of nearly two
| thousand years ago when the shep-
herds of the hills oil Galiiee saw in the
heavens the angel choir and heard
the song GLORY to God in the highest,
| Peace on earth goodwill towards
men," g.
These delegates from all lands, earn
est, kindly, lovable with q deep sense
OF truth sat hour by hour celebrating
on great issues; not on finance, leav-
ing that to the financiers; not on
diplomacy, leaving that to the diplo-
mat. but upon that which will make
finance and trade and diplomacy
more secure and more righteous.
They were celebrating on the vast
potential forces Of human nature, the
development of which alone can make
life sweeter, business more prosper
Gus. governments more stable and
! Righteousness more certain. They