Show illiteracy of nations A correspondent at montpelier idaho asks for information its as to tho percentage of illiteracy in in i the united states L england german germany y france italy spain japan and china according to official figures which however can an bo only approximately correct cor act the abo proportion of illiteracy in this country is 12 per cent it in eagland Ep Eli gland 55 asper 8 per cent Germany I 1 per cent in france 55 per cent in italy 39 per cent an and in spain 58 68 per cent these figures are given in the report of commissioner W T harris larris Ir the chief of the bureau of education for 1898 what the illiteracy of japan and china is not given lapan japan lias has it a good school chool sy system stein and about 92 per cent of her school population attends tile alie schools while it in china the illiteracy must be almost general except among the learned classes it is a curious fact that the countries with a large a rge school attendance have of late years proved their superiority over those with a large percentage of illiteracy russia basa has 4 or only about 25 per cent of hor her school population going to school while japan has bas at school 92 per cent of her school population russia spends eight cents and japan thirty four cents per capita for her whole population for primary education russian kussian military pences expenses ex bear a proportion of eight to one and japans four to one to her educational outlay and add yet when the test came japan proved superior it pays bette to spend money on schools school s than on barracks when the fight is between men on the one side trained body and I 1 spirit and sav ageon the other trai trained tied in body alone the savage always comes out second best it was the germans that in 1870 71 beat the french the americans vanquished spanish ignorance ba in 1898 so it will be in every contest |