The Minnesota fiery cross. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1924-19??, 1924-05-02

the battle Of Thermopylae. Leading
from Thessaly into central Greece Is
a narrow pass, pressed on one side
by the sea and on the other by rug
ged mountains. 1t was the year OIL
$50 b. G. when the Persian army
threatened Greece. Leonidas, king OF
Sparta, with 800 Spartan soldiers and
5000 allies, held the pass. The Spar
tans and their allies could be driven
from their adyantag eOus position only
BY an attack In the front from all In
dications, as the Grecian fleet SEEM
ingly prevented Xerxes, the Persian
king, from landing force to the
rear. For two days the Persians tried
I'm vain to capture the pass. Then
traitor told the Persians how they
might reach the Spartans and their
allies effectively by means Of by
oath over the mountains and strike
from the rear. Too late LeOnidas re-
ceiyed the startling information that
the Persians were approaching along
the secret pathway. At once the
Spartan king realized that Ii would
be impossible to hold his strategic
position. and so most Of his allies
allies withdrew. But for LeOnidas
and his Spartan soldiers there was no
retreat. The Spartans, and the 700
Thespians who refused to leave their
post Of duty I'm the hour OF trial,
died fighting the Persians. The pass
had been given to them to guard. and
they chose death rather than Hight
and safety.
From this bit Of history we can
learn q real lesson Of grim duty. our
NOrdic fOrbears have given to us OF
this generation a great civilization
to preserve inyiOlate. Strong forces
have united I'm one frantic effort to
destroy those things that have made
the United States the brightest star
I'm the constellation Of nations. The
white-clad Klansmen stand solid
bulwark against the enemies OF
Americanism.
The rObed guardSmen are Standlng
firm as the enemy delivers one terrii-
ic blow after another with a Jury
born of blind zeal. Thousands OF our
Protestant allies have revealed their
yellow streakS and have sought safety
in the background Of neutrality. The
hosts of Satan shall not pass. "On'
ward Christian Soldiers"
A RECENT visit to a one,
"A teacher school comes to
my mind. The teacher of this
school was trying heroically to
teach q classes. From 900 a. m
to 400 d. m. the teacher had 33O
minutes for instruction. Now oil,
vide $50 minutes by 27 and you
will get a quotient of IL minutes
This, then, was the average
length of the recitation periods
But according to the teachers
program, there were periods that
varied in length from five to Y
minutes. 1t doesn't take a knowl,
edge of pedagogy to understand
that a five-minute recitation Pc
riod has practically no educa
tional value. With 27 classes
day on the program. obviously
only a few Commute periods
could be arranged. We need not
be surprised that only the poor
est educational results were
forthcoming.
The one-teacher school is or
ganically wrong. This type OF
school makes effective teaching
nearly impossible. Even though
a well-trained and a competent
teacher is engaged, she cannot dc
justice to her pupils when from
five to eight grades demand hel
attention in the short space OF
one school day. The 100000 one
teacher schools in this country
are not giving American boys
and girls who are compelled tc
attend them an educatlona
square deal. DR.. George D. Stray
er has correctly said, There Is
no equality of educational oppor
tunity in the United States to
day."
rrr,ID ..z lou,~ 30 ~ onciant