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Show CITIZENSHIP AND THE SCHOOLS By Dr. E. G. Gowans, State Superlv tendent of Public Instruction Thero is one characteristic of tho school In which it differs greatly from such organizations as business, finance, Industry, transportation, nnd that Is the way In which It looks nt least a generation Into the future. The, school Is concerned 'with tho wo'fnro of tho child today because that child Is to be the citizen nnd parent of the next generation. And teachers recognlro that tho chief Justification Jus-tification for the exlstcnco of tho pub. lie school nt all is that It is tho in-(trumcntallty in-(trumcntallty through which good citizens and satisfactory parents nro mado. That vision is truest which sees farthest. Every citizen, overy parent, every tenchcr swells with pride, notwithstanding notwith-standing tho cost of public education when ho contrasts tho Ideals of our American democracy with those finding find-ing expression on the other side of the Atlantic. If there Is any person within the sound of my volco who is not sincerely grateful that Columbus discovered America, I would llko to sco him. There never has been n , tlmo slnco tho beginning of our na-tlonnl na-tlonnl history when It was such a , proud thing to be an American as It is today. Everywhere tho hearts of Americans bleod with pity for their fellows of tho European peoples, and at tho same tlmo are full of gratltudo that tho peace ideal has such -a firm hold upou tho people of these United Unit-ed States. It may bo true, no doubt, that tho thousands of graduates of American colleges who have gone to Europo for graduate work and have returned with tho "mado hi Germnny Ph. D." stamp of approval upon their' scholarship, having studied for some years under tho direction of philosophers philoso-phers and scientists who wore subjects, sub-jects, not citizens, of .a nntlon potentially po-tentially at war for the last forty years, are exercising In some respects an unfortunate Influence on American education add American Ideals. It muay bo no doubt equally truo that In several ways wo havo given too much encouragement to tho hyphenated hyphen-ated Americans who havo cither gone by tens of thousands as conscripts in answer to tho military call of othor nations or boasting of their American Ameri-can citizenship havo remained- hpro, but kept themselves nnswnrablo keenly keen-ly to orders from tho governmont3 thoy nro supposed to havo renounced. Yet it is cover thcless truo that deep In tho consciousness of tho thinking peoplo of tho nation as n whole thero Is an abiding loyalty to tho ideals of peace. Washington felt It nnd bodied it in thoso words: "My first wish Is to seo this plnguo of mankind banished banish-ed from tho earth." So also did tho Immortal Lincoln when ho prayed that this "mighty scourge of war might speedily pass away." So also John Hay, when ho said: "If tho press of tho world adopt and persist In tho high resolve that war should bo no nioro, the clnngor of arms would ceaso from tho rising of tho sun until its going down, and wo would fancy that at last our cars no I longer stunned by tho din of armies might hear tho morning stars singing together nnd all the sons of God 9houtlng for joy." And President El-lot El-lot when ho says: "Americans think that tho peaco of tho world can be best promoted by solemn public compacts com-pacts between peoples not princes j or cabinets compacts mado to bol I kept, strengthened by mutual services serv-ices and good offices, nnd wntchod I over by a permanent International ' Judicial tribunal authorized to call on' the amilated nations for whatever' force may bo necessary to induce I obedience to Its decrees;" and when ho further asks, "Will not tho civl'lz-cd civl'lz-cd world learn from this horrlblo European Eu-ropean war tho legltlmr.to results of tho policies of nismnrck and his associates as-sociates and disciples that theso democratic Ideals constitute tho rational ra-tional substitute for tho Imperialistic Ideal of fighting force as tho foundation founda-tion of national greatness." Theso Ideals, expressed In tho first plnco by our groat leaders, statesmen and thinkers, having found their way into tho schools and thenco into the Hfo of our nation, constitute In many respects the most precious heritage of tho American people. Dut slnco wo nro teachers nnd administration of tho public schools, and since wo nro thinking of tho welfare or tho next generation, wo havo a right to ask: What of tho future? Wo speak of peace and too ofteu wo think of national peaco Instead of tho peace of tho world. We talk of citizenship and our conception Is of Ideals bound down and circumscribed circum-scribed by n narrow nationalism as unworthy of true Americans aB tho present nationalism of Germany is unworthy of such broadmlnded unl-versadllsm unl-versadllsm as waB exemplified by Go-etho, Go-etho, Schiller, and .others of ' their time a tlmo when It was an honor to get Idenis from Germany. Our loyalty must always be loyal-, ty to all human kind. Our nationalism must becomo Internationalism. In-ternationalism. Our citizenship must ho world citizenship. uur loyalty must always bo loyalty loyal-ty to all humanity, wo must not, of course, forget that wo nro Americans first, last, and all tho time, Amerl-enns, Amerl-enns, with American ideals. On this thero must bo no equivocation, no reservation, re-servation, no faltering, no hesitation. Loyalty to our own country Is a fundamental fun-damental condition upon which our loyalty to mankind is predicated. In this sreat Republic whero tho rights of tho individual are sacred thero must nlways oxist as a voluntary contribution con-tribution of tho Individual to tho com-mon com-mon good a willingness to bo guided by the opinions nnd tho volco of the majority, especially when that majority ma-jority Is a preponderating ono. If our American ideals wero favorable to tho development either of a vicious vici-ous form of Individualism which has no regard for tho wolfaro of all or of n narrow provincial typo of nationalism na-tionalism which hides beneath its apparent ap-parent love of country a hatred of other nations, then there would bo no doubt of tho vnluelcssness of loy-alty loy-alty to our own country. But since, ' I as is necessary In a democracy . In our exaltation of mankind our respect for the Individual Is limited by a sano conception of his social responsibility respon-sibility we are justified in demanding demand-ing such unswerving loyalty that dual citizenship, hyphenated fealty and conditional acceptance of protection will simply be unthinkable. If in our eagerness to extend tho liberty nnd equality of democracy to tho down trodden of the earth, wo have failed to exact this kind of loya'ty of thoso whom wo have welcomed among us, let us be sure thnt in tho period of reconstruction which must necessarily necessari-ly follow tho great war proper safeguards safe-guards shall bo thrown about tho privileges of citizenship by such reconstruction re-construction and amendment of our Immigration and naturalization laws that thoso who seek theso privileges shall bo made to understand they are to bo had only by a renunciation of all other allegiance It Is not difficult to sense tho truth of tho statement that loyalty to Am-erican Am-erican Ideals means loyalty to mankind man-kind when wo realizo that In tho present world conflict wo are tho only great nntlon holding aloof from the terrible thing. And why aro wo holding aloof? Not becausp thero aro not many who, If they consulted their own inward feelings, would plungo Into tho conflict in tho hope of ending end-ing it. Not thnt wo are lacking In sympathy for thoso who aro honestly battllpg for their ideals. Not becauso wo aro divided in our allegiance. Not becauso our nationalism is the typo that for our own sake prevents us from entering tho wnr. Not because it is easy to place ourselves and many of our natural and powerful emotions under repression. Not for any nor for all these reasons do wo hold aloof, but because tho majority (Continued on page seven) I ; I Citizenship and I the Schools i a H ' I (Continued from pago two) w" I "f our peoplo boiiovo that to bo patl- H tint and neutral In splto or nil these "" Inducements will put us In a position later to stand as tho bulwark of freo. Hdom, tho guardian of liberty, tho do- fender of equality, tho conBervntor ' lot democracy, and tho friend of hum- ilT Blin,ty Tn,a Js wl,y ,n oxempllfica- lion of the highest attitude ever taken by tho peoplo of any republic wo are " holding ourselves In leash, and thus do wo demonstrate that tho highest loyallty to our own country Is tho highest loyallty to mankind. ' I Our citizenship must bo world clti- Izcnshlp. It Is a matter of common knowledge and comment' that that citizen Is most valuable to his town who can see tho town's needs In re- Hlutlon to thoso of his county; that bo Is of most value to his county who H"ccs that county as a constituent part Hf the state and consents to nothing wor his county that would hurt tho tato; that a state's most valuablo our nnd sc,vlceablo citizen is tho man bat Bhho has tho power In his thinking, can Reasoning, an,i acting to rlso abovo tier- sectionalism and act as a citizen of liffl- !h nat,on Tll,a ,8 tl10 teBt t0 which lng B0Ur citizenship must submit tho dps standard up to wlllch it must mea-vut- sure. What Is tho foundation of this m test? That one's valuo Is dctermln-Ice. dctermln-Ice. ed by tl10 lenBth of the radius of his IbU concern for others. A citizen ia and truest to hlmBelf when truest to bis '"' community ; truest to his community mid when most patriotic to his stato and tha most patriotic to his state when our moat patriotic to the nation. Do tho jrr test and standard ceaso to bold good 0gh wben we Pass the geographical tded foundries of our nation? Don't bollovo tor SJM That citizen of tllo United States J W' the most patriotic to his country aan lwho ,s m08t "red by patriotic devo-mr. devo-mr. lon to the welfare of humanity. Slnco 1 h W. ,B notumE In national patriotism list fchlch limits stato patriotism, nothing aer- Ba devtIon to tho good of n communl-Ions communl-Ions W? 'which retracts from a man's valuo ould Ho his family and to hlmsolf, so thoro hlch K nothlnB ,n llls devotion to tho wot-asea wot-asea 're ot bumanlty which detracts from onlr valu of his national patriotism, per- Is In this senso that our national-"any national-"any Bm muat h0 Internationalism. It Is i anil l)ila senso th(t our nationalism HUH bo Internationalism and our clt. cnhp WQrld ciUzenBh,Pi The honors and privileges of this kind of citizenship must never bo easily bought and tho preparation for tho oxcrciso of its duties must always bo a largo part of tho work of tho public schools. Here as elsewhere, tho big things are the simple, ncar-at hand affairs. Every-day, ordinary llfo makos Its demands upon tho citizen. Tho schools must prepare for such llfo as they must preparo for and untlclpato tho great crises and emergencies emer-gencies of national existence . Tho ordlnnry citizen must know that good citizenship demands ot him a Justifiable Justifi-able prldo In his homo, his own town his stato, his nation; that ho be loyal loy-al to God and to his country; that he perform his slmplo ordinary civic duties du-ties as faithfully as bis Industrial and parental duties; that ho stand for Mich freedom and development of tho individual as Is consistent with social wclfaro and prosperity; that as an Individual In democracy ho mako every necessary sacrlflco for thu common good; thnt whllo endeavoring endeav-oring to convince otbcrB of tho righteousness right-eousness of his own position ho show 'Intelligent willingness to conform to the will of tho people; that when nsked to servo his city, stato, or country coun-try when In need he will patriotically refuse to count tho cost nnd in addition ad-dition to all theso things, that ho will have an ndequato conception of tho valuo of human llfo, that ho wl'l honor truo manhood nnd womanhood wherever found that ho will recognize tho absoluto necessity of holding himself him-self always In readiness to answer the call of country. Wo speak of preparedness and immediately im-mediately thero flashes into tho mind military preparedness, a largo body of citizens trained in tho urts of war, n largo standing army. How slowly do wo change from tho medieval medi-eval imperialistic ideal of fighting forco as tho foundation of national greatness. National greatness In America will never rest upon such a foundation, but rather upon tho quality qual-ity of citizenship. That thoro exists a typo of Individual calling himself a citizen willing to accept of tho benefits, rights, privileges, liberty, prosperity and protection inherent In citizenship, at tho Bamo time ovad-lng ovad-lng all dutlos and responsibilities is only to bo doplorcd. Tho persons who mako up this nil together too largo a group nro among Hiobo who are naturally Incendiary, they Hko to sco tho flro, but from n nafo dlstanco. Thoy mako unending demands for military training even in the schools fancying that such training means preparedness. They know secretly thnt most wars nro thrco fourths In dustrial and commercial nnd but one fourth patriotic, yet they are willing to see human llfo sacrificed for material ma-terial gain for themselves. They aro they who nro not truo citizens ln-nny uonso of tho word. They havo not thb loyalty upon which the nation can depend In time of need. Thoy havo no just appreciation of tho genius gen-ius of our Institutions. They nro nover fired with a patriotic devotion to tho welfare ot ony but themselves. Thoy represent Ideals as much out of placo in a republic as European education Institutions would bo If transplanted bodily In America, as somo would Uko to see. And what does military prepared-noss prepared-noss mean? Does it mean tho following follow-ing of a courso such as Europo has followed for tho lost half century? During all this tlmo of Europe's pre-parcdnc8s pre-parcdnc8s ttho world was assured repeatedly re-peatedly and persistently that It was all being dono In tho Interest rf world peace. Does it mean that our nation shall begin on such a program but stop short of tho end that Europe has reached? If so, who wl'l tell us whero to stop? Thoro aro certain poaco and liberty Ideals for which America has been striving slnco thu beginning. Aro thoso Ideals nil to be swept asldo, and aro wo to lapso Into the barbarism of tho Mlddlo Ages at tho first scent of danger. No. Wo must not provo so recreant to tho hopo of humanity. When peace pacts aro mado, not by princes nnd to bo violated ns more scraps of paper, pa-per, but by and between peoples nnd mado to bo kopt, when tho children of tho race aro trained away from I ntred and fear and Jealousy", and "hen tho citizen's of all nations rlso nliovo tho unpatriotic habit of permitting per-mitting tholr hatred of other nations to nourish under tho gulso of national nation-al loyalty; then wilt wo realize tho hopo of tho ages, and In this we in America must lead tho way. It Is for tho schools, slnco they forecast tho national llfo, to recog-nizo recog-nizo that fighting forco constitutes a crumbling foundation for national greatness; that preparedness nnd national na-tional security depend more upon tho loyalty nnd devotion of a nation's citizenry than upon skill In tho arts of war or tho continued existence of a great fighting machine; that what wo noQd is a great body of trained men and women, citizens who, actuated actu-ated by high Ideals of loyalty an do-votion do-votion to country, will hold them-solves them-solves ready always to live or to dlo for those Ideals. Schools should rec-ognlzo rec-ognlzo that tho greatest menace to tho wclfaro of democracy l not In vaslon by a foreign foe, but nn ideal of citizenship which permits a man to say for self Interest tho lnw ho damned," It Is for tho schools to In-hor In-hor assiduously for tho wiping out of such an ideal, nnd for the firm establishment estab-lishment of that truo American ideal of' absoluto loyalty to country and Immunity and of rovcrenco of nn obedlenco to law which must over constltuto tho foundation of our na tlonal grentness. Let tho public schools recognize these things and lay tho foundation of obedlenco nnd loyalty, training tho young to respond to tho highest thoro Is In humanity; let them in elementnry school and high school maintain tho young In perfect physical physi-cal health nnd trnln them to tho point of highest physieni and mentnl efficiency. effici-ency. Then wo shall havo a citizen r.v that will bo wholly dependable In tlmo of national danger of nil kinds, whether from within or without It must not bo thought that In our opinion opin-ion there should bo no specific preparation pre-paration for defence tho nation must bo prepared to defend Itself tho citizenry must be rendy nt any moment to defend their homes. Thero should bo a lnrgo body of clll-dent clll-dent men of suitable ngo with military mili-tary training from which to secure officers for a citizen army, but tho training of thoso men Is the work of tho National Guard In tho several states, of tho colleges and universities, universi-ties, and not tho work of tho elementary elemen-tary and high schools. Tho public schools have for their work tho laying lay-ing of a foundation of citizenship In loyalty, obedlonce, honor, patriotism and devotion to tho country. Actual military training Is for adults not for children Let teachers retain their tanlty and not permit themselves to bo swept off their feet by tho present pres-ent agitation Let tho public schools devoto themsolves to tho realization of their legitimate ideals and theso other matters entering into preparedness prepared-ness will tako caro of themselves If It bo training in tho summer military mili-tary camps for college and university univers-ity men and others of tho samo maturity; ma-turity; If it bo a year or moro of service in a great lndustriul army with five years subject to call; If it bo tho Industrialization ot our present pres-ent army rendering It largely self-supporting self-supporting no matter what tho proposals pro-posals as regards thoso minor matters, mat-ters, we may rest assured that Am orlcan resourcefulness will meet tho emergency, provided only thero exltt that loyalty nnd devotion without which nil tho military skin posslblo to develop will bring but tcuipurar) nntlonal security. The editor of Educational I'numla tlon says: "This Is education for pence To cultivate loyalty to thec pure Ideals that nre based m fundamental funda-mental Justlco and righteousness, To hold to peace ns such nn Ideal, sanctified sanc-tified by tho longing of tho .igiH, nnd still possible of attainment ; To so order the process of tho nitml that tho glamor of tho unrenlhi'd iden' may not mnko bur eyes holdcn to tho exigencies of thu hour; To honor our heroes fittingly but to conceal noih lng and to deny nothing of the folly, wasto, nnd brutality of wnr; To Interpret In-terpret history in tho perspective of u'tlmntc peace; To celebrnto tho achievements nnd the advantages nf pence an abovo the victories of iwirj I To tench the higher patriotism nnd to fashion character after the pat I urn of tho Prince pf 1'enco; To dis mirage mir-age wanton assaults upon tho pence of our land by rearing a jrormred citizenry nblo to propound our principles prin-ciples and to defend our possessions without carrying old world burdens of extravagant establishments." Thank God for our Ideals. Wo do not admire, wo do not worship brute forco. Might does not mako right for us. Wo udmlro the great Washington Wash-ington for bis heroism. Wo lovo tho Immortal Lincoln for his humanity. If wo should bo compelled nnd may God forbid It, to resort to tho brutality bru-tality of war In defenco of our homes an loved ones, let It bo known that It Is becauso In tho world's pro.ient recrudcBcenco of bnrbnrlsm thoro Is left no other weapon of defence. Our Idcnls are tho Ideals of peace, "sanctified "sanc-tified by tho longing of tho nges, Ht 111 possible of attainment based on fundamental fun-damental Justlco nnd righteousness," tho ideals of tho Master, who Is culled cull-ed tho Prlnco of Pcaco. |