Milford chronicle., 1958-06-27
ANY TWIGS TO BEND?

ANY TAVIGS TO BEND?
It should be a source of deep pride and
satisfaction to small-town and rural America
that Jolitta Schlehuber, 14-year-old farm girl
Of Mcpherson, Kansas, who won the 1853
National Spelling Bee, has gained her edu-
cation thus far in two-room schoolhouse-
WITHOUT the "frills" of progressive teach
ing.
But, by the same token, Jolitta's victory
may be causing parents of youngsters who
attend schools that are more pretentious but
less respectful of the three Rs (and spelling)
that put globalism above nationalism and
socialism above self-reliance-to do little
soul searching.
While most of us favor fine facilities for
our public schools, we must not forget that
it is not the temple itself but what goes on
within its walls which is Of the utmost inn
portance.
For those VINO are disturbed over the
preparation for the responsibilities of life
and citizenship that their children are re-
ceiving, there is book by Elgustin G. Rudd
called Bending the Twig" that is must read
ing.
E. Merrill Root, the distinguished pro-
fessor of English at Earlham College, de-
scribes it as "a sane, WISE strong book,
scholarly and temperate and yet devastating,
which reviews, sums up and criticizes the
ed education in modern times. 1t should a.
waken parents-and speed the day when sani-
ty and freedom may return to education.
And from the Editors Corner of the
American Legion Magazine: "Fhe American
Legion has a special interest in this story and
COL Augustin G. Rudd, the man who tells
it, because the Legion and the Colonel joined
forces back in the 1905 to fight the collec-
tinst infiltration of our schools :. If you
want to be brought up to date on this sub
ject and learn what you can do about it, get
copy of Bend the Twig"
Col. Rudd is a dedicated American. He
entered the us. Army as a calvary shavetail
ii 1911, wsS retired as major in 1929, went
back to fight his second war in 1941 At the
end of World Var II, wearing a colonel's
eagles and the Legion of Merit, he again re-
tired from military life to take up once more
the crusade for sound education, which he
had begun in 1883. He was assigned all rights
and royalties III Bending the Twig to the
New York Chapter of the Sons of the Amer
ican Revolution for the furtherance of this
vitally important work
COL Rudd recalls in his book that Earl
Browder said, as General Secretary of the
Communist Party: ''Who wins youth wins
the future America. Perhaps we'd better
find out who is winning, and join the fight
before the battle is lost.
&~@N&
THE EMPLOYMENT FIGURES
The latest government figures on employ
ment show an Improvement in the employ
ment situation in May. There was substan-
tial rise among those employed and decline
in the number of idle workers.
Of course, all this was expected, and only
the figures were awaited. A joint report by
the Commerce and Labor Department shows
that May employment was up 1854, 900 from
April, and unemployment declined by 216,000.
The job increase was attributed to seasonal
expansion in the agricultural and service en-
ployment fields, plus big gain in contruc-
tion.
These are seasonal factors, and it should
be remembered that in June--when students
are added to the unemployment totals-an
increase can be expected. In brief, the May
figures are indicative of a trend as yet.
1t is interesting to note, however, that in
Europe the announcement on May figures
caused widespread relief. Such staid obServ-
ers as the London Times assumed that the
economy of the United States was on the up
turn, at last.
On the other hand, in Washington, Con-
gress Is not so sure. Nor are many economic
experts and business executives. A staff
study of the Senate-House Economic Com
nittee said just few days ago that the re-
covery from the recession is likely to be
slower than anticipated earlier in the year.
In general, however, one must wait and
see what develops before oeing confident of
the economic picture at the moment. 1t is
confused one, and thelas is no general a.
greement on the trend, aud while we hope
that the upturn has begun. there is so much
of the political involved in this election year,
it is difficult for the average reader or edi-
bor, or anyone else, for that matter, to know
exactly where the economy is at this very
moment.