Show OUR UR ITS ARMY TRAINING I IA I A word about our army It is the largest army in the tile world It numbers more than of whom nearly 16 are arc daily on the firing line commanded by more than half a million devoted officers guarding th tlc the stand standards of knowledge For Fr our army is an n army of children in the public private or parochial schools getting ready to be sovereign citizens And although we do not spend upon it as much as most nations spend upon machines for mur murder still it costs much much much-in in the public schools about 5 5 a year apiece for every inhabitant for every school pupil in daily attendance half a billion dollars in all We are proud of this army and rightfully d but by hy a few changes we could much increase our out reasons lessons for pride and satis satis- faction The inspector general of this grand armY Uncle Sams Sam's commissioner commissioner com com- missioner of education has recently pointed out how easily we could improve it 1 By reshaping its tactics so as to have six years years of elementary elementary ele ele- elementary and six six years df high schooling we could do better for forthe forthe forthe the 75 5 per cent who now cannot afford to go into high school at all aU They could thus get two years of high school instruction and anda a a. taste for more Better Bettel organization here would save saye some time now wasted t 2 Instead of having teachers staying year after year in one grade always dealing with new children by moving the teachers teach teach- ers up with the children we could get closer sympathy r and better understanding of each childs needs 3 By fitting the work of country schools to country life so o that pupils in them might learn more of plant and animal life farm nl methods and machinery the business side of farming the wide circle of knowledge which bounds the wondrous operations of nature in in the production of food we could make them not only more interesting than they now are but also very much more helpful 4 By keeping the young folks indoors at study not more than three hours each school day and having them do useful work outdoors under good guidance four lour or five hours hours in in gardens say or at some form of hand labor we could increase their health their happiness and their practical knowledge Add to this as the they grow grov older shop or farm work of a higher skill for which the they r would receive receive pay and many could then afford to stay in school throughout the high school years and even throughout col col- col- col lege In the mere matter of school gardening alone Commissioner Claxton figures that if third one-third of the city school children who are now idle and uneasy in summer were put to guided work thc they could produce from the soil oil food worth a year to say nothing of what they would learn And doing it would be play not drudgery True to develop these ideas might mean more and better teach teachers rs and a larger school plant But shouldn't we be proud enough of our army to want it to become as efficient as possible at any cost What That do we live for if not for our children In addition to td the regulars in our army there arc are about stragglers or deserters boys boys' boys and girls gills of school age who dont don't or cant can't go to school If its it's their fault there is need of discipline But if its it's ours which is more probable then the greater greater- i r. r need zed ed of making these improvements so that every ery child may have ha its chance Remember upon the fitness of our army depends the future of the nation l Its It's the place to make our patriotism tell It is democracy's I best safeguard |