The Dolores star., 1924-06-13
PEACE PROGRAM OF
AMERICAN CHILDREN
JUNIOR RED CROSS cEMEhTs
FRIENDSHIP OF NATIONS.
Bows and Girls Of All Countries WORK
Together Through Sehoo'
Correspondents.

The children of the schools in the
states of Arkansas, Colorado. Kansas,
Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma anu
Texas are actively promoting the cam
paiisn for international friendship IN
augurated three years ago by the Amer
Icun Red Cross through Its Junior aux
ilinries. These states constitute tine
Southwestern Division Of the American
Red Cross, and the campaign Is belnS
worked out through international com
munIcntion, schools In America CORE
spending with schools In foreign coun'
tries and receiving replies In klnu from
these foreign schools.
Auxillaries of the Junior Red Cross,
which Is the ChiIdren's branch of the
American Red Cross, now are CORE
spending with children In the schools
of Albania. Austria, Belgium, SEecho-
Slovakia. France, Holland, Hungary
Italy, Jugo-Slavia, Poland, Rumania.
Scotland. Switzerland, South Africn
and New Zealand. In many cases they
are getting very Interesting replies. In
a few Instances, such as laska, Hh-
wall, the Philippines. Porto Rico and
the Virgin Islands, all Of which are
American dependencies, there Is an eS-
change of correspondence material that
Is very helpful in working up the let
ters going to foreign children, Also, cor
respondence between the schools In the
Urited States Is helpful in promoting
the international correspondence and
MANY of the Indian schools Of the Unit
ed States are corresponding through
their handIwork us well as their let
ters with children in other schools OF
this country.
This correspondence Includes actual
letters composed by IN entire class,
picture books, scrap-books, specimens
of needle work and various textile art,
and sometimes outlines Of the work
done by the children Of the class send
ing them.
The portfolios which American chill
dren make up give motive for study and
description Of America and American
life. These portfolios stimulate the
young recipients abroad to a live inter.
est In similar affairs and happenings in
their own country and usually elicit
portfolios In exchange.
Besides the promotion Of Information.
al friendship, this work on the part
of the Juniors has other benefits. Chill
dren who hate geography suddenly find
their interest in this dry study awak.
ened by the desire to know just where
their letters are going. History, also
distasteful to many, is made pleas.
ant pastime for the same reason, and
languages become absorbingly interest.
ing because the American children want
to know something about the difference
in the words which they use and those
which their correspondents across the
sea use to mean the same thing.
Internationally, all this Is Of great val.
ue, American educators believe. and
so strong Is their opinion on this sub.
| ject that at the last annual meeting OF
the National Educational Association
resolution endorsing the Information
al correspondence was passed unani
mously.
Those who are promoting the under
taking, however, believe that great as
Is the educational value, the value In
ternationally is far greater, because |,
definitely cements understanding and
friendship between children of differ
ent nationalities and races and, there
fore, makes for permanent Information
al peace. Publicists. as well as edu
caters, are Of the opinion that 1t Is the
| longest step forward for lnternationa
understanding which has been taker
| in many years.
There are now 100000 children en-
rolled in the Junior Red Cross and mp
proximately 1926 schools engaged lr
this correspondence.