Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-11-21
EDUCATION DECLARED REMEDY
FOR WORLDS ECONOMIC ILLS
A. o. Thomas, Association
Executive, Sees Learning
as Basis of Growth.
Progress Seen, Not Only in
Mans Products, but Also
in Man Himself.

Education is the best means of ending
world economic depression. according to
Augustus o. Thomas, secretary general
of the World Federation of Education
Associations, who has come to Wash
ington to establish the federaton's head
quarters.
Education is the basis of economic
growth and prosperity of q community
or q nation" Mr.. Thomas said today
during q discussion Of the declarations
plans. 1T IS the basis Of prosperity be-
cause a primitive people doesn't use re-
fined products and education creates in
them an appreciation, q desire and
finally q demand for the output Of the
markets of cultured centers."
Mr.. Thomas asserted that II the peo-
pie of the United States could be
brought up to the proper norm in edu-
cation and culture, wed have a do
nestle market for the output of every
factory here" Likewise, he believes
that II the world, which now has an IL
iiteracy rating of 81 per cent, could be
brought to high educational standard,
"there'd be no idle factories, no idle
men and no idle dollars anywhere"
Through scientific advances labor is
being changed, the educator. pointed
out. Machines are making engineers"
out OF "laborers," with the result that
IF every man and woman in the
world today did his work in an educated
way, the tasks of the world could be
performed in three hours a day" he
holds.
And that is the challenge to educa-
ton" Mr.. Thomas asserted. "Educa-
tons duty is to prepare people for the
fluid age in which they are living
to prepare them for this rapidly flow
ing and, changing life. which almost
overnight smashes the old order as rep
resented by factories and corporations
dealing with yesterdays products and
creates new industries in the producers
OF products based on new scientific
developments"
mans products but in man himself,
Mr.. Thomas believes. Far more chill
dren are reaching manhood today than
two generations ago. and the men Of
today are of as good caliber as his
tory's heroes.
IT have no patience with those who
Say-and you hear them all around
that the world Is not producing the big
men that it used to. AS a matter of
fact only the perspective of time. will
show definitely whether the men Of our
memory and today are as great as some
Of the worlds heroes.
But believe Abraham Lincoln will
be remembered as long as Aristotle I
believe that the name Of Thomas Edi-
son will 60 down as the individual who
has contributed most to human welfare,
and believe Henry Ford will BE- historic
as an industrialist. There were the
great gladiators of Rome-well believe
that Jack Dempsey is perhaps as great
gladiator as any Of those Romans;
then there was the Greek marathon
that was run by the champion in 3
1T in hours and q little more than 20
minutes. And that record has been
| lowered sincei"
Mr. Thomas said the Federation of
World Education Associations will I'M
dertake to effect an interchange of the
culture among the nations of the world
through personal contact of delegates in
in conventions. At the convention in