North Carolina Newspapers

■ '^-iVn-T I im't' t 1l^^ ^ The Library, Chapel Hill. The news in this publica tion is released for the press on receipt. THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA NEWS LETTER Published weekly by the University of North Carolina for its Bureau of Extension. MARCH 27, 1918 CHAPEL HILL, N. C. VOL. IV, NO. 18 Editorial Board i B. C, Branson, J. G. deli. Hamilton, L. R. Wilson, R. H. Thornton, G. M. McKie. Entered as second-class matter November 14,1914, .it the Postofflce at Chapel Hill, N, C., under the act of August 24,1912. TEAGLE’S CHIEF CONCERN IS'ow, above all times, it should be re- niembered that selfish insistence on the part even of a few in increasing their wealth hy enormous war profits will do more harm to the nation and to demo cratic institutions than can ever be coun teracted e\ en if later on they give their entire fortunes for the benefit of the country, because such conduct engenders ■clas.s prejudice. The business men of the ■country are face to face to-day with a national duty and also the great econom ic necessity of giving material aid to the .government in every way. It also de volves upon them to do everything in their power to prevent unrest and dis- .satisfaction, sucli as has been spread among us by Socialists and the 1. W. W. It is a time when we must prove by our unselfish methods and our willing ness to do public service that we should 1)6 permitted to handle the responsibili- ities in I ncsiness that have been entrusted to us. The business men of the country must mobilize their resources to help win the W'ar. —Walter 0. Teagle, President .Standard Oil Co. you that, you have the best weapon must obtain fire superiority. There is, then, an exhausting but un- shirkablc duty laid upon those who be lieve that ' our country must fight for freedom the world over and until the world ends. They must say their belief, and re-say it, and say it so that it can not be gainsaid. “America for all and forever!” No use trying to padlock our Bolsheviki; they must be talked to a standstill. Napoleon would have to begin all over. In modern w arfare God is on the side of the lieaviest propaganda. —.lohn M. Booker, N. C. University Paculty. NEW UNIVERSITY CATALOG The 1917-18 catalog of the University of North Carolina is ready for the mails. Drop us a card if you want it. The students this year registered in the regular courses have been 1062, or 124 fewer than last year. Harvard’s de- ■crease wa.s 40 per cent and Yale’s 50 per ■cent' Our decrease was only 10 per cent —mainly in the upper classes, the grad uate and professional schools. The University now offers 40 corres- )iondonee courses, three of them under Mrs, T. W. Lingle for Women’s Clubs: l) The Nineteenth Century Novel, (2) Bohert Browning, and (3) Latin Amer ica. The new catalog describes in full for nclie first time the War Information Ser vice of the University—the War I.eaflets, the I'lKtension Centers of War Studies, •the Group Lectures, the Lafayette Asso ciations, and so on. The Univetsity staff now now numbers '51 professors and associate professors, 16 .'instructors, and 43 fellows and assist- .»,UtH VULGAR SHOUTING For men and nations fighting is a mat ter of con cen-tra-tion. That’s what it takes b) land the weight of a blow or the weif'.lit of a jieople. Without national unity of thought, there can be no hard, avdft, and continuous hitting. Look at Russia. She has ceased to be a nation because she has ceased to think a;i a nation. Her opponent is fighting victorio'isly l)ecause she is still thinking nationally; and until her national pur pose is breached her armies will remain ,iUii broken, dll Germany the national will is main tained intact by a crude but effective ]iroccfis. As fast as obnoxious ideas «ining up among the people they are fO'ited out by spies, secret police, and •c.eita n s. The ground thus cleared is then il)l:(utol with shoots from the Govern- aw'ut hot-hou.se.s. On the Eastern Front the War has been largely a struggle of 'Ceu-iors. Will the censor decide the issue in tlie ' If the issue lie in his hand, Ger- . penally will whip the Allies as she has ■Vl'ii,!'j>ed Russia. It is not only that she li),i the perfect system and a more disci- people; in the censor game democ- , rao. .‘-.i are handicapped by nature. You icaii hludgoon a democratic press into sileiiqe, but not into submission; it will siever luiowingly become the agent of a '■^^'JiGovormnent with which it is not in sym- . Jipa.th.y. You cannot hold a democratic ^jll^elcctorate in line on predigested ideas from (.overument offices. A democracy JHU,St think for itself, and it must talk; it regulates its affairs by shouting--shout- iui*' on street corners and in newspapers. And the truth unaided will not prevail; S *' fit iiui.st be iiromulgated—steadily and fsu.SiSleiU.ly promulgated. It is not enough ."ir.-scj VITAL HISTORY TEACHING There is a proper ground where history and patriotism meet, for no citizenship can exercise its rightful influence upon its neighbors if it lacks a historical con ception of itself as a continuing commu nity, and fails to regard its neighbors in a similar light. The United States will play a large part in determining the fate of Alsace-Lorraine and of the Balkans. It will have a hand in deciding what shall become of Italia Irredenda, of Pol and, and of those who groan under the Turkish yoke. It can not render here the service which it owes humanity if it works in the dark, and in any democ racy the judgment of the people, its sense of right and wrong, its knowledge of the facts in the case, must rule the decisions of its accredited representatives. Here is the history teacher’s notable opportunity, his chance to render his community a service of incomparable worth. America has passed the day when an indifferent provincialism is either service able or sate. If Americans are to take an intelligent part in the struggle to safeguard the liberty of mankind, they must know something of that struggle in the past, must have an inkling of how and why the great Powers have risen and w'aned, not merely for forty years, but for as many centuries. They must know of past imperialisms and past democra cies, of what the fight in IMesopotamia may mean, what that along the Vardar and the Piave, must have some under standing of what men fight for along the Dvina and the Yser, and along the upper Rhine. They owe it themselves to know these things. The history teacher whom such a chance does not inspire is worse than useless. He must not neglect this un precedented opportunity to mold, sanely and honestly, the thoughts of those whose votes will soon con trol the nation. —Cleveland Plain Dealer. THE BRAVEST BATTLE Joaquin Miller The that ever was bravest battle fouglit. Shall 1 tell you wliere and when? On the maps of the world yon will find it not; ’Twas fought by the mothers of men. Nay, not with cannon, or battle-shot, With sword, or nobler pen; Nay, not with eloquent word or thought, From mouths of wonderful men. But a walled-up -woman’s deep in heart- Of woman that would not yield. But bravely, silently bore her part— Lo! there is that battlefield! No marshaling troops, no bivouac song; No banners to gleam and wave! But oh! these battles they last so long— From babyhood to the grave. Yet faithful still as a bridge of stars, ' She fights in her ■walled-up town— Fights on, and on, in the endless wars, Then silent, unseen, goes down! Oh: ye with banneis and battle-shot, And soldier to shout and praise, I tell you the kinghest victories fought Are fought in these silent ways! as, and Harding of Ohio. I In the Annalist of December lOtli, ; Senator Harding enforces the necessity for Federal Aid in this matter and gives to the public the details of the Sheppard Bill to promote home ownership, with the reasons that lie behind it. We wish it were possible to publish his article in full. But lacking space we quote from it as follows: “Out of the war situation is growing an appreciation of the fact that the land problem is the most vital issue of the na tion and one that must be solved. There is a feeling of unrest among the people that is sure to demand action. The peo ple themselves may not know what are the mainsprings back of that unrest, but students of the situation are coming to appreciate the fact that it is the home hunger of the human being that causes him to become an unnatural and dan gerous thing if he is without a home. I believe that America is called to meet the situation by making homes on the land available to her citizens. is that he should own his land outright. Other\i ise, the New Zealand idea ap proaches that which may come to be fol lowed over here. BETTER GOVERNMENT I wonder if it woukl be an opportune time, says Mr. A. .1. M’Kinuon in the Wilmington Star, to call to the attention of the representatives of each county of the State the importance of giving their respective counties this or some other im proved plan of government at the next sitting of the Legislature. It makes little difference what the sys tem is called, but the important feature is to have a head to each county govern ment with authority to construct, out of the employees of the county, a working organization that will jiroduce economical business results. I notice some of the counties are em ploying the chairman of the board of commissioners for his full time. That would be an improvement, provided he had the ability to organize tlie employees of the county and is given sufficient power to reipiire those employed by the county to use modern business metliods in their respective departments. If, however, any members of this law making body are interested in improving the service in their county, I would sug gest that they get a copy of the Dayton, Ohio, plan of government and modify the plan to suit their county needs. There is no doubt but what this system would meet with some opposition, but the representative that would put it into ef fect, if he were favored with a long Iqaae on life, would live to see liis people praise him am.1 future generations would con tinue tlie praise after he had gone to his reward. Our present system of county govern ment was doubtless the best system pos sible a century or more ago, but the peo ple have grown more progressive, they are demanding more from the county than in former years and a more modern and progressive business system is neces sary, and it will be put into effect in the course of time. It strikes me that the sooner such a system of county government is inaugu rated the better the people will be satis fied with tl\eir government.—The I\'il- mmgton Star. THE MODEL CITIZEN A model citizen is well informed—edu cated in the principles of government; he is a good neighbor-ever considerate of the health, comfort and safety of those with whom he is associated; he is intelli gently industrious—skilled and active in some useful employment. He bears part of the expenses of gov ernment. He consults his neighbors concerning the public welfare, promotes their frequent assembling to consider matters of common concern, and is well posted in regard to the conduct of offi cers who administer law and govern ment. He does not seek an office for which he is not fitted; but he does not shirk pub lic duty when his country needs his ser vice, in peace or in war. In this service he is faithful and brave. As judge or ju ror, he is not controlled by “fear, favor of affection, reward' or the hope of re ward. ’ ’ He does not accept employment which is inconsistent with his duties as a citizen. He is the friend of the poor, of widows and orphans—the champion of the op pressed. He is the visitor of captives— swift to inquire into the causes of tiieir imprisonment, watchful of the condition of the places where they are confined, ?ind of the character and conduct of those who have them in custody. He is law-abiding—keeps the law him self and is ready to assist in its enforce ment. A taxpayer and voter, the sup port and constitutional master of all public servants, he assumes his share of responsibility for the administration of government.—Peel’s Civil tiovernment. HOME OWNING FARMERS Not many of our prominent public men have been keen enough to see that home and farm ownership is indispensa ble to a sane and safe civilization. They have been very few, strange to say. Among these few have been Governor Bickett, Theodore Roosevelt, and Sena tors Curtis of Kansas, Sheppard of Tex- Home Hunger is Primal “Home-hunger is a primal thing, the common heritage of mankind. Home ownership is the very foundation of per manency and stability in government. It is the desire to own homes that h'ls brought to our shores those millions from Europe who had the ambition to venture into a strange country. Yet out of the 20,000,000 million families in the United States less than one-half live in homes of their own, and less than one- third in homes free from eucumberance. “The moment a man becomes a home owner he ceases to be a disturber. He is a stabilized citizen. No argument of this point is necessary. No matter how small the first payment on the land may be, when a deed is delivered, the effect is immediate and the holder of the deed is thereafter in favor of law and order. When the radical element, composed of viorkmendn Russia and representing on ly 15 per cent of the population, turned to the great mass of peasants who by dint of saving and deprivation had secured small holdings, they met a great immov able check. This body of holders of small tracts of land is the salvation of Russia and will eventually create a stable government. The Menace of Homelessness “An alarming condition we face in this country is farm tenancy due to the absence of adequate opportunity to buy land. The cost of living is so high today that many of our own people are actually going hungry. Because there is not com plete famine it is not proved that famine is not among us. Many of our working people for the last two years have been insufficiently fed, and the situation is be coming daily more serious. It is not due neccessarily to lack of opportunity to earn, or to rate of wage, but rather to impractical plans of living. People are congregating more and more in the cities all the time, because farm life is often unattractive, but not because it need be. The right sort of colony organization will make it so attractive that the tendency will be in the other direction. Other Countries Are Alert “Long strides have been made in this direction in many lands. In England, for instance, every county council is em powered to provide land for persons wlio will cultivi te it themselves. The Coun cil may acquire the land by agreement or by compulsion. No person may obtain more than 50 acres in this way, and no one may be compelled to sell less than 50 acres. In case of compulsion the price is fixed by arbitration. Scotland author izes loans by various governmental sub divisions to the people for the acquisition of land and homes. In Ireland the Land Commission is authorized to make loans to tenants for the purchase of land. The entire amount of the purchase money may be advanced and the tenant may have fifty years to repay it. Money is of ficially . loaned for the construction or improvement of cottages. “In New Zealand the government is authorized to spend $5,000,000 a year for the purchase of land from large estates to be sold in small lots to the people.- In this way a certain amount of it conies every year into the hands of small far mers. The New Zealand farmer has a long-term lease, while the American idea SUMMER MILITARY CAMP In the belief that there is immediate need for military training for young men under the draft age, and that the pro vision for such training under competent direction, and with wholesome, attractive surroundings will be serviceable in many ways, the University of North Carolina announces the opening of a Military Training Camp on Bingham Heights, Asheville, North Carolina, for six weeks in the summer of 1918, June 14th to July 26th. Intensive military and physical train ing will be the primary object of the Camp. Ample time will be given for rec reation and amusements of a healthful nature. The entire Bingham Military School Plant, accommodating 150 men, has Ijeen offered to the University of North Caro lina for the Camp through the generosity and patriotism of Colonel Robert Bing ham. The barracks, mess hall, drill grounds, indoor rifle range, club house, tennis courts, bath house, and swimming pool will be open to all those attending the Camp. The Camp will be conducted by Cap tain J. Stuart Allen, Director of Military Tactics, University of North Carolina, and Professor T. F. Hickerson of the Civil Engineering department of the Univer sity, assisted by Messrs. Robert Bingham McKee and William A. Blount, officers in the University Battalion. High school or college students of phy sical fitness and others whose ages range from 16 to 20 years, will be admitted 'to the Camp. Accommodations are limited to 150 men. The course of training will consist of setting up exercise, close and open order drill, lectures, route marches, inu.sketry, bayonet and bombing practice, and mili tary engineering. The necessary Camp expenses includ ing board, lodging, tuition, and medical fee amount to |50 for the term of six weeks. Each student is required to provide for himself such articles as uniform, blankets and towels. All applications and letters of inquiry should be addressed to T. F. Hickerson, Chapel Hill, N. C., U. N. C. Owing to the limited number that can be accom modated it is important that applications be made early. A WAR COMMENCEMENT ‘ ‘Make county school commencements war commencements and give War Sav ings stamps instead of money prizes and ordinary medals” is the request that Dr. J. Y. Joyner is making of the superinten dents and teachers of the state. ‘ ‘Make county commencements and all other school commencements occasions for advancing the War Savings campaign and other national movements for win ning the war,” writes Dr. Joyner, who believes that first things should be first, and that the first duty of today is win ning the war. Counting on the Teachers In approving the plan of making school commencements the occasions for bring ing to the people the tasks that are be fore them and that are necessary to win the war, Col. Fries says: “We are count ing on the school teachers as a solid front. It is a matter of educating the people of the state to save and lend their money to the government for the purpose of financ ing the war. AFhether we win or lose de pends largely upon our teachers. They have it in their hands to instill habits of thrift, and to direct the spending as well as the savings of the masses of the people. No greater work for the future could they do.” As to the suggestion of giving AVar Savings stamps instead of money prizes and the ordinary medals that are handed out on commencement occasions, Colonel Fries believes that substituting AA"ar Savings stamps instead will have a double good efl'ect. It will bring the stamp and the cause that ic represents forcibly to the people’s minds. AVhile medals at best are idle money, the stamps would steadily in crease in value and teach at the same time the value of thrift.