?
Sounder Education Needed
To Maintain Free World
Economics and Geography Among Studies
Required to Ground Students in the
Problems at Home and Abroad.
By BAUKHAGE
News Analyst and Commentator.
WNU Service, 1616 Eye Street, N.W.,
Washington, D. C.
(This Is the flrst of two articles on
the subject of the "new reconver
sion.")
In the last two months the public
has learned a lot about the impor
tance of industrial reconversion. For
many more months, business men,
with the help of the best technical
advice they could obtain, have been
preparing to shift from wartime to
peacetime production. Government
has shared the knowledge of its ex
perts and proffered its co-operation.
Labor has contributed its sugges
tions. All three snow what they
want Together they hope to obtain
a successful synthesis.
But what many people do not real
ize is that the nation, the whole
world, for that matter, is facing an
other reconversion problem, equally
as difficult to solve, equally as im
portant to achieve. It is the recon
version of our whole educational sys
tem, and upon its success depends
the political future of democracy
?w* ?/?/\nnwi 1 n itnra wrnll oa
embodied in the theory and out- i
working of free enterprise.
It ie no exaggeration to say that 1
our current educational system, I
which along with our wartime in
dustrial system made Allied victory
possible, is no more adapted to meet
the new and startling problems of ;
the postwar world than the Japanese ,
defense could meet the atomic
bomb. i
Enlightened educators everywhere
realize this. In a short time experts ,
win meet in London to work out a
program outlined in San Francisco
by the men and women who planned
the educational and cultural coun
cil of the United Nations. Here at
home and in other democratic coun
tries, domestic educational policies
are being reshaped to meet the new
conditions.
Education for world freedom is an
important objective; education for
freedom in the land of the free is
equally important, for it is the foun
dation stone of world democracy.
We have the task of reconverting
our own antiquated machinery co
that it will be geared to produce
and maintain freedom. The United
Nations' task is to build new ma
chinery which will evolve a prod
uct which must disnlace the Nazi
Fascist teachings which still have
their hold on a large segment of the
population. Our own product must
be both a weapon of offense and of
defense.
We have a powerful example in
the need for this in the demonstrat
ed strength of the Nazi ideology and
the weakness of what we have so fax
produced to combat it.
Nazi Propaganda
Ramauu Strong
A report made public only a week
or two ago reveals how "Naziism at
its blackest," as the report describes
it, is being kept alive in a series of
"resistance clubs" in Germany scat
tered from the North sea to the Ba
varian mountains. Allied investiga
tors have pieced together an appal
ling picture at a widespread activity
based upon race hatred, and other
Nazi principles with which the Ger
man youth has been so thoroughly
indoctrinated in a manner pointed
out in these columns some time ago
and erhlch I then said must be dealt
with eventually.
The offense is powerful, and the
weakness of our defense Is Illustrat
ed In recent dispatches telling us
bow Nazi propaganda is affecting the
viewpoint of the American army of
occupation. A major is reported as
doubting the truth of the atrocity
stories in the concentration camp of
Dachau located only a few miles
from where he was stationed. Amer
ican soldiers are heard parroting the
familiar Goebbels' fabrication that
Germany eras forced into the erar;
that Hitler had his faults but was
really great in many respects, or if
Hitler's glory is found to be too
Strang ? goat ha i? used as a acapa
goat to excuse German war guilt.
I have Just coma from a long talk
with one of America's great educa
tors, John Studebaker, United States
Commissioner of Education. It was
ha who Introduced me to the phrase,
"the new reconversion."
"Our democratic system is threat
ened from within and without," he
said to ma earnestly. "The Amer
ican school gave our polyglot nation|
the solidarity to carry on the war
successfully. But," he added, "we
nave severe tests ahead. We must
educate for freedom, and educate for
existence in a newly integrated i
world of which we are an Integral
part. We must understand our own
problem and the problems of oth
ers."
I couldn't help applying this the
ory to the stories from Germany.
A thorough understanding of democ
racy is proof against Nazi propagan
da. An understanding of other peo
ples and events beyond our borders
which affect us?as the rise of Hitler I
and Mussolini affected us?would I
make us deaf to German prevarica- 1
tions and excuses. I
In order to meet the threats ?
against democracy from within and
from without, Mr. Studebaker be
lieves, with most of his colleagues,
that our present educational system
aril! have to be thoroughly renovat- j
ad. "Both the plant and the product I
must be remodeled," he says.
He chose two subjects? g<><<grapny
and economic!?as examples of bow
the product must be uttered.
Knowledge of
Condition* Vital
Geography is important because it
Is a study of the world in which we
live. It is a study of the peoples who
live in the world?of our very near,
thanks to Jet propulsioh and atomic
energy, if not always very dear
neighbors. Geography Is also the
study of the pursuits, the indus
tries of the people of the world. Its
grasp is essential if we are to bring
intelligent thought to judgment of
events and the conditions at home
and abroad and their effect upon
tach other and upon us.
"And yet, geography was never
taught to our people," Mr. Studebak
er says. "We stop teaching it at the
eighth grade. The younger children,
from three to eight, are taught by
teachers who themselves never had
more than eighth grade Instruction
in the subject."
And his second example of one
of our educational products which
must be strengthened, economics,
"belongs still less to the people."
Only 5 per cent of the high school
pupils ever studied ertmomics, he in
formed me, end only S per cent of
these ever learned anything about
tridc.
"How can we possibly meet the
problems arising now if we do not
understand this subject? How can
we possibly maintain free enterprise
if we cannot pass a considered judg
ment on the questions that the pa
pers are full of every day? How can
a person say whether a wage in
crease is fair if be has never studied
the simpleat theories of supply and
demand, or the more complicated
relations of wages, coats, profits?"
And in the international field, he
continued, how could a person who
had never learned the fundamentals
of International trade know whether
a tariff was justified, whether a car
tel was dangerous, whether certain
foreign business activities benefitted
the people as a whole, whether free
competition or government subsidy
was a better policy? How could
they advise their congressman to
vote on the Bretton Woods agree
ment, or the policy of foreign loans?
Just as geography suffers because
its teaching ends before maturity is
reached (maturity in this sense is
the lUfl year group, roughly high
achool age), economics ia begun too
late. It ia offered aa a one-year,
high achool course and boiled down
into auch a concentrated potion that
not only are vital elements omitted
(such as international trade) but it
becomes a dry and highly abstruse
subject. Furthermore, since it ia
often an elective (a subject I'll touch
on in a later article), It may be omit
ted entirely because it la "hard."
These two subjects are only two
examples of those which Should, in
Mr. Studebaker's opinion, make up
a solid "core" of education avail
able to alL
"This core," he says, "is essential
If we are to build solidarity in a
democratic society. A certain group
of vital, basic subjects which will
help us understand the problems
that threaten democracy, the down
to-earth facta necessary to give us
the basis for a sound faith ia our
way of life."
L_ BARBS ... by Baukhmg* | |
They'*# hut made a film about
teacher*?for the children's saka
let's hope they doc't get a film about
ygrfls. It might result in more
atilrings than a bad report card.
A new proces# of canning in alu
inum tor highly sensitive ma
ilnea and parts saves warehousing
and we hope it wil] make more
rw JobsJhan *rtn be lost by dis
There won't bo enough oysters this
year to supply the demand. Prob
ably the war took too many (hells.
An eye-bank is being established,
the purpose of which is to make
available healthy corneal tissue to
restore sight to those who are blind
through an affliction of the cornea
: The system is similar to the biood
| banks and no leaa valuable. I wish
| they would establish a hair-bank.
\li Bfe-fTtiMliiTi i' ifirVTi 11'""' i' ~' r i l'r ntl r
Hollywood Adds 'Atomic' Touch to Nation's Strikes
A* til production! from Hollywood Host no longer be considered colossal bat "atomic," the strikers at
the motion picture plants hare led the way in proving to the world that they can pat on an "atomic" strike.
Shown above were sit-down strikers who blocked the main entrance to Warner Bros., Bnrbank, daring the
height of their strike. Deputy sheriffs who did not approve of the blockade are shown removing some of the
?trikers from the entrance.
Honolulu Now Has Largest Airport in the World
^ ________
One of the first photos of the John Rotors airport In Hoooluln to bo released since before the war. The
largest in the world, Rio airport Is truly the crossroads of the Pacific, and it Is here that Hawailans will greet
many of the delegates to the Halted Nations organisation if their proposal to the Preparations committee,
meeting in London, to make Hawaii permanent UNO headquarters is accepted.
They're Here Today... Gone Tomorrow
If you arc mentally agile, perhape yen earn keep up with the Argen
tine situation. Here is Vice Ate. Hector Meraeugo Lima, who became
minister of the aary la the eeap which ousted Vice Pres. Juan Peres for
a short time. When Perea returned to ellee the admiral was arrested.
Women's U. S. Softball Champions
The Ju maids of Now Orleans, who taw to the O. S. Mftball eham
>l?nohly to otaho It the third rear la the last tsar that they hare won.
They wea la IMS aad IMS. the beoy of beauties hammered eat a wis
over the Toronto etah, aloe winning the tttls el world's rhsmplsas. Nia<
Korean at the Sax allowed hot two hits hy the Tomato lassies.
Led Kachin Rangers
Capt. Charles Coussoule, who waa
a leader of the famed Kachin Rang
ers who snaked through swamp;
Burma Jungles to beat the Japs at
their own game. He has returned to
his home at Indiana, Pa.
From Beat to Opera
Ian (moid, Manhattan patrol
' man, who made his operatic deM
as Tarldda ia "Cavaileria Rastf
i eaaa," with the New York Ctty Op
> era company. He has heen aa On
loree seren pears.
News/lb.
Behinm|
TilEfNEW?
By PAULMALLoTTy^
R?lca?-4 by WMlarn HnwRr Union.
WASHINGTON. ? People do not
seem to understand the meaning of
"inflation." which is being raised as
a spectre behind the daily news of
strikes, wage debates and govern
ment economio> planning.
No one in this country has seen an
inflation walking, or I should say,
running. Adults with memories
may recall it as something which
happened in Germany after the last
war, when a bushel basket of money
was necessary to buy a meal. But in
general the news debate treats it
as an infinite kind of prospect with
out dimensions, a sort of economic
hell they know can happen, yet they
cannot picture it.
The kind of inflation talked
about now, should be easy to un
derstand thoroughly. We have
gone far enough toward H to
make the landmarks visible. It
Is unlike any wtueb bas (One be
fore in history, because pri
marily it is a price Inflation.
In Germany, the wreckage of the
money system and the bankruptcy
of the,country, brought the condi
tion" in which a glass of beer cost
100 marks or so. In other countries,
such as China, a depleted treasury
already has brought comparative in
flation.
We are not bankrupt and our
treasury took in 45 billion dol
lars last year. Ours is an inflation
of prices directly. We have a short
age of goods, all goods, due to war
wastes, increased consumption and
free distribution of our supplies
around the world. The cost of many
things already has doubled since be
fore the war.
WILL REFUSE TO BUT
Now the unions want a 30 per
cent wage increase in this time of a
goods shortage. However much they
get of their demand, prices will be
increased at least that much and
probably more. My experience as a
consumer in this brave new eco
nomic world has convinced me
that all that is needed to increase
prices is an excuse.
If a man can sell his goods for an
ever increasing price, be will do it.
If he controls a sellers' market
such as we have now where people
pay anything asked, he would be
superhuman if he did not resist both
the loose government regulations
and conscience, if any.
But the course of upward
wage jumps and upward price
jumps will run, as soon as the
snoruge 01 gooas u over, mio
buyer resentment. The wage
priee inflationary spiral in
evitably must encounter the day
when people will not buy.
Indeed there necessarily must
be a day when they cannot pay
the price if they would, because
the wages of no other class have
increased as have the wages of
union labor. We are getting to
the point where we can see the
people will close their pocket
books and strike or will have to
strike in the economic sense,
purchasing only that which is
necessary.
Then the house will fall down. The
spiral will collapse with a thud. De
clining demand will cause declining
production unemployment ? depres
sion.
From then on the depression can
go many ways. The government
cannot collect even 35 billion dol
lars or a fraction of it from a coun
try in the throes of depression. De
] dining business brings declining tax
i receipts. The government can hard
| ly borrow on top of a 300 billion
. dollar war debt for deficit fi
nancing to promote another gigantic
spending program to save the situ
ation.
It would probably start the print
ing presses and bring to its final
logical conclusion the bankruptcy of
the nation, because this is the only
thing it could do. .
In this process everyone who
has anything of value from a
nana account to a oona woua
lose It or suffer a terrific depre
ciation of anything be waa able
to hold throcffc the erisU. Bat
those who hare no thine of value
would suffer more severely, for
it la reaaonable to expect the
starvation here that every other
nation in similar circumstances
has encountered.
Then would come dictatorial so
cialism. It would have to be a dic
tatorship because the world knowi
no other way to handle people who
will not behave of their own ac
cord. It would have to be socialism
because this is the common political
method today of handling nations is
bankruptcy.
The Truman administration hai
been working behind its doors the
last week trying to get a wage poll
cy upon which to base solutions, bul
has found it hard to do. Labor Sec.
retary Sehwe lien bach thought w<
had one in the oil settlement, but
after the bricks started falling upor
his head for that one, he crawlec
out of the pile with an aching head
aware, he had made a mistake.
I After all, if you give the men i
' 15 per cent increase and then gran
' them the right to negotiate or arbi
i trate tor another IS per cent, yoi
have not solved much.
?
Airplanes Over Counter
One of Chicago's largest depart
ment stores has agreed to opes aa
"airplane department" and will ?d
f?r a populpr, two-place moid few
tale from a conventional 4rapt(p
room.
Add Indigesttai
*
NEXT TIME IN BALTQiCn
HOTEL MTT BOTH
PERFECT HOTEL 8EKVKE
? Hom?lik? Atmospkan
Rates begin at $2.00 fa lay
Ton Cam Alto Eajor
MUSIC? DANCING
Ml AME1ICAI CUM
HEAR RAILROAD 8TATOM
?T. ROYAL A VIM UK AT I M? ML
m666?
COLD PREPAtATKHtS
U00I&* TABUTS, SALVE, NOSKMH
use ?nuta3 dtxictcr
Nmtd Christmas Mommy? Amoka'aaat
widely read ouagasine ? The BhM
Digest?offer* a pleasant. riignifind war
to turn your spare time into caAjaara
un for Christmas. Act as ourCoMHa
ity Representative?earn liberal yMflb
Ijy accepGng subscriptions troai y?r
friends and neighbors. REDUCB
HOLIDAY RATES assure H nfO
orders. And you can offer HALF-PRICK
subscriptioss for service nun mmi Jhr
EX-SERVICE MEN whs are bodt kmmf
So experience needed to Make aaqr
welcome dollars before Christmas. Mai
penny postcard now for full deMta Ml
free package of selling aids,
SCOTT, Dept. WXU -4 The R mhfl
Digest. Pleasantvilie, N. T.
When tour"InnortT
are Crying the hms
WMM CONSTIPATION nuka pan M
funk as the dickens, brings on alomaA
UMt amir taste, cassv dis coin fart,
take Dr. CaldwelPa famous lanfiilM
to eckJdr poll the trigger on lazy "in
nards", and help yon feel bright ?A
u ft? woodnhd aon
m laxative contained in food add Sjnf
Papain to mako it no eaay to tafco.
MANY DOCTORS me papain I i|in
tionain pretcriptlonato inoko III. !?*
tained in Syrop Pepsin.
INSIST ON DR. CAUWnit Qifc.
Torits of miHiona for SO peon, and M
that wholeeome relief from I idfra
tion. Even finicky children love R.
CAUTION: Cm only n directed.
DR. CALDWELL'S
SENNA LAXATIVE
.????? SYRUP PEPHI
Iawv
RUBBER I
I
Over 300 patents deoftng with rob
ber dnwuhy artowoog tbe 45,000
United StotOS pflttwtl |fin^ foes
aliens loud notion oil of occupied
cwwfriw wWd? or* new uwiflublo
for licensing to Americon citizens*
to? 1 pwfc prtfoitlw loloo.
It p*y tefce oigbt yon for
?nnofoctor srs to ?t the d?
?seed for NW oHobobihs.
In In yeses fo needier of i|dnfc
robber poceenger to tires in (Ms
country boo rioon frmn^a four lb an
?end tiros In oboet 34,000,000
f? cembnt tbe duck free ?
?ontoit with icy ootsn, B. f.
Ooodricb bes produced a now
oyetbotic lobbsr ee^thojipo^*
I m telt for tors.
i fpGoodrichl