The Waterbury Democrat., 1936-05-25

F. EDWARDS stiii with ,,s. for our happiness or our misery :. there is one obligation no true American can shirk-the duty to our flag. There are today in our country undercurrents of anti social activities, cults and dog mas. The way to face danger is not to run away from 1t, but to face It."
 A prominent educator has said: "EYen college education which IS supposed to create highest stand ards of general learning, frequent- ly does not bear any beneficial influence upon the social conduct of the alumni. The theoretical fundation of their training is only a formal acquisition of knowledge. But just in the same way as dex- terity of the hands may pc poS- gesscd by pickpocket or 6 sharp CT, 50, equally dexterity of the mind, is capable of being utilized for vicious purposes and anti- social ends."
 The alma mater in our day is no longer a reservoir of moral or patriotic ideals and social virtues. In other countries as in ours, the average college undertakes to pre- pare a youth for his profession in as short a time as possible. Ac- cordingly, the academic systems resolve themselves into: quick work; nasty teaching: parrot-like learning by heart the fragments of digested science, with no tradi- tional background or idea, other than picking up some practical in- formation promptly convertible into dollars and cents. The same might be said of patriotic instruc- ton through history, in a country like ours with such @ glorious background of sacrific for national ideals. The spirit of 1776 is missed in many such institutions Of learning.
 A Social Calamity
 On the other hand there IS much incredulity and scoffing at religion, not because of their al- leegd wisdom, but rather despite their incurable banality. Coupled with this we perceive an appall- ing ignorance of genuine art and q complete indifference to the noble principle of beauty which is truth. No wonder, then, that many college graduates enter the ranks of society, although with some amount of mental equip- ment, but with no sound principles of patriotic, or firm moral conVic- tons to guide them through tho labyrinth of the social traffic and political unrest For some Amer ican colleges to be hot beds of sedition has been declared by pa- triotic citizens, to be a social ca- lanity.
 Hats on to the Flag!
 This IS the month of patriotic memories, of flowers strewn on the graves of our soldier dead. not a Decoration Day, as miscalled; but a MEMORIAL DAY for those who fought and died for their country.
 For all the signs and symbols since the world began, there is none as full of meaning as the flag of this country. That piece of red, white and blue bunting means five thousand years of struggle upward. It is the cen- tury plant of human hope in blooml"
 Month of Topples , The month when the little red peoples made by broken soldiers in hospital wards are seen on the streets to remind the old and new generations of the sacrifice they made for our glorious Republic.
 In the words of one who has passed on to the eternal camp ing ground: Your flag stands for humanity; for an equal oppor- tunity to all the sons of men. Other flags mean a glorious past. Our flag a glorious future. It Is not so much the flag of our fath- CTS, as 1t Is the flag of our chil. dren's children. The flag of to- morrow.
 It is the emblem of the good time coming. It is not the lag --of a dictator-sJf a tyrant, or Q king. It is the flag of yourself. your neighbors and all that you and they stand forl Ay. don't