Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1944-11-12
Henry Finds Soldiers
Better Prepared Now
| Than in Last Conflict

i Inc AmerlC&n SOlQler on the
battlefields Of the world today Is
an embodiment Of the results In
educational progress, Thomas r.
Henry. Star war correspondent, told
several hundred District teachers as
they, concluded q two-day confer
ence as part Of the observance OF
American Education Week.
This Is the first generation" Mr.
Henry said, which has had the adj
vantage Of anything like systematic
application In the schools-and to
some extent in the home-of the
revolutionary, although still some
what confused. findings Of child
psychology and educational psy-
chology. The object Of his teachers
/ has been to develop rather than to
stuff his mind"
AS q result, Mr.. Henry declared,
the American soldier today is a
better soldier than his father was
in World War !.
Might Have Been Different.
IF the American soldier, in all
ranks from ordinary private to
major general, had not been a better
man than his father mentally and
physically, the story OF the past
two years might well have been
very different" he said.
For the enemy also is far better
mental and physical specimen than
the German soldier of Is years
ago"
The correspondent pointed out
the modern soldier is not the AUTO
man" his superiors tried to make
him in World War I.
To-day the soldier, from private
to general, is far more on his own
than ever before in the history of
warfare" he said.
The lowliest infantryman must
master, in very short time, very
skilled trade indeed. He must be
able, for example, to read maps
faster and more accurately than the
commanding officer often could read
them in the last war. He must be
the master of a dozen or more
complicated tools. I'm every regi-
! ment there must be founder
more often created with no back
ground or previous experience
about every type of skilled trades
man, for this war covers every
phase OF human living"
Won't Speculate on Postwar.
Mr.. Henry said he could not spec
ulate on the nature OF the postwar
world which the returning service
man will find.
II fear it will be none too good
world" he said, none too big a
world, for men who have demon
strated, so far as it ever need be
demonstrated to me, that there
are no limits to the physical, mental
and spiritual capacities of men.
I'VE can only hope that it will be
world in some way not too un-
worthy of the fire-blasted battle
fields where, as seldom before in
human history. He is sitting out
the souls OF men before His judg-
ment seat"
Earlier in the day. Chester w.
Williams, chief of the education
division of UNRRA, outlined the
goal toward which he said the edu-
cational system of this country
must strive. Broader educational
opportunities. he said, must include
not only schools but the things
which make children capable of
learning-decent food, clothing and
housing.
Higher Education.
Higher education should be made
available without charge to all who
want it, he said.
! Because of its national income,
Mr.. Williams said, the United States
has the greatest share OF power and
therefore the greatest responsibility
in the world
THE question is whether we are
goinf to exercise that responsibility
intelligently," he explained.
He said that wider opportunities