Evening Star Newspaper, September 28, 1924, Page 29

3 EDITORIAL PAGE NATIONAL PROBLEMS SPECIAL ARTICLES h - EDITORIAL SECTION ¢ Swundiny Sta? Part 2—18 Pages WASHINGTON, D. C, SUNDAY MORNING, SEPTEMBER 28, 1924. . WORLD HOPE OF PEACE IN LEAGUE OF NATIONS German Membership Essential to Pro- gram, and Membership Essential to Germany. BY FRANK H. SIMONDS. XAMINING the evidence of the Drogress already made at this, the fifth session of the League of Nations, it is impossible to escape the conclusion that the league has at last established itself as a European institution and that hence- forth not only is its permanence as- sured, but its importance is almost certain to increase. 1If one chose to assume, as the cynical may still, that it-would remain powerless to prevent Wwar in the face of any such deter- mination as dominated Austrian Statesmanship in 1914 and made the ‘World War inevitable, if one chose to regard with more or less reserve the claborate machinery and formula for preventing war, there would remain the solid fact that it has become the most potent factor in Europe for the organizing of peace. When the statesmen of Europe ‘were liquidating the Napoleonic Wars and making the treaties of Vienna it was Lord Céstlereagh, I think, who remarked that the settlements which were being framed could not be ex- pected to last more than seven year: Yet these territorial settlements, in fact, lasted almost half a century and finally succumbed to forces un- forseen at Vienna, namely the strug- gle of the Italian people for liberty of the German for unity and finally of the Balkan peoples both for liberty and for unity. Map Becoming Stabilized. More than five years after the ter- ritorial settlements of Paris were completed it is becoming increasingly clear that all the agitation for revi- sions, large and small, is dying out. The economic settlements, the repar. tions provisions of the treaty of Ver- sallles have been completely r-wsed, but aside from the readjustmento due to the Greco-Turkish War, which after all affected only slight areas in Europe, the map of 1924 is well Tnigh identical with that of 1919. If, as seems inevitable now many should, with brief delay, enter the league, accepting naturally commitments which are thus required, becoming, in fact, a participating as well s a nominal member of the Gen- eva organization, there is at least sound reason for believing that this very circumstance might be as signi- ficant as the return of France to the European system which followed the Congress of Aix-la-Chapelle in 1818, only three years after the Battle of Waterloo. A hundred years ago the system ‘which represented European solidar- ity was. in reality, the Holy Alliance, the combination of the sovereigns of three great states which had over- thrown Napoleon. namely, Russia, Prussia and Austria, with which was associated Great Britain. In 1818 France was received into this sys- tem and oddly enough the return of France to European importance marked a profound change in the gen- eral direction of European history. It marked the end of the revolutionary period, it discloséd the acceptance by France of the territorial decisions of Vienna. Today's Outx ng Problem. Today the outstanding problem in Furope is precisely whether Germany will accept the territorial decisions of Paris, whether the German nation will consent to become a member of a European organization designed to Treserve peace, based, of course, on the status quo, or whether Europe is 1o see develop again a system of al- liances centering about France and Germany, the former the champion of peace based upon the map of Europe as it stands and the latter the pro- tagonist of a revision which can only come about through a new war, which like the last, would be general. Peace in Europe, not merely the mosence of immediate conflict, but an atmospher of tranquility in which there can be progressive disarma- ment and the elimination of war and post-war fears, rivalries and com- Detitions in military establishments, furns wholly on the question of Whether Europe is to divide between the satisfied and the dissatisfied na- tions or is to work out some general wystem. And if it does the latter it is hard to see now how it can escape Adoption of the League of Nations as the center of the new system. Acceptance by Great Powers. The League of Nations has profited enormously in recent days by the presence of the premiers of Eritain and France. This has constituted in some measure a recognition by the Great Powers, which was hitherto Jacking. but it is well to remember that the league has already been ac- cepted by the smaller powers with an enthusiasm which is in itself signi- ficant and that whatever the real sen- timents of the British and French prople, the mass of the people not alone of the smaller states which cmerged from the war either reborn or vastly increased, but of the neutral states of the war itself have accepted the league as the best promise of their own future security. Moreover the fact, too little noted on this side of the Atlantic, the out- standing fact in the new Europe, Is that the importance as well as the number of the small states has been enormously increased. Ten years ago, at the moment when the World War broke, the continent was dominated by two combinations of great powers Russia, France and Britain on one side, Germany, Austria and Italy on the other and the smaller states were either minor satellites or quite with- out importance. But in the Europe of 1924 there are at the most only three great powers, Britain, France and Italy. Moreover, Italy, for a variety of reasons, is without much influence or any follow- ing. while Britain, by reason of its in- sular position and desire to avoid en- tanglements generally finds itself iso- Jated in any discussion of the major problems, such as security and arm- @ments. Austria has disappeared as a -power, Russia is in temporary eclipse, which may continue for a Yong perfod of years, while Germany, yotentially a great power always,, is Tor the present without any of the re- sources of a first-class natiom, in something of the situation of France after Waterloo. France in Dominant Position. Tn this state of facts France has risen to a position of European im- portance which she lost with the fall of Napoleon. Her supremacy rests upon two essential facts, first that she' has the most powerful army in existence and second that she is the natural champion of the existing con- 4 dition of the European map and thus the inevitable ally.of all those states which were either emancipated or ex- panded by the World War and the following treaties. More than 'this, she is- the certain opponent of the only state, which at the moment might challenge the status quo. Ger- A system of alliances has, therefore, sketched itself in the past five years, which has bound to France, Belgium, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Jugoslavia and Rumania, representing upward of 125.000,000 people and controlling more than two-thirds of the armed strength of the continent. All of these countries are united in a common de- termination and necessity to defend, o far as they are concerned, the map of Europe as it stands and they are all menaced by any attempt coming from the enemy states of 1914, that is from Germany, Hungary or Bulgaria, to achieve a forcible revision of the present frontiers, while Poland and Rumania_have a common interest to defend their frontlers against a re- surgent Russia. Outside of this combination, but sharing its main desire, namely, that there shall be peace, are another great group of smaller states, none of which has any national ambitions which foment a desire to upset exist- ing territorial conditions. These countries are Holland, Denmark, Swe- den, Switzerland, Portugal, Spain and Norway, containing 50,000,000 of peo- ple. In a conflict between France and Germany these states might have varying sympathies, but such a strug- gle would once more, as in 1914-18, carry great hardship and even deadly peril to themselves. They are then satisfied with the status quo and committed to a constant effort to pre- serve peace. Peace Essential to Britain. This group, not without a measure of influence itself, is enormously | strengthened by the fact that” the same underlying policy and even ne- cesssity dominates Great Britain. A quarrel between Poland and_Ger- many over Upper Silesia or Pome- rania leaves the British cold. They have not the smallest inclination to defend the frontiers of any of the new or newly expanded states. But on the other hand. since a struggle between Poland and Germany would involve France, Czechoslovakia, Bel- gium and would doubtless set all of Central and Eastern Europe aflame and a general war would be ruinous to British economic life, all British efforts must be directed to prevent this catastrophe. The distinction between British pol- France, fearing the consequences of the restoration of a strong military Germany, which would first regain lost provinces from Poland and then expand by reclaiming Germans in Czechoslovakia and Austria, is com- mitted alike tq a policy of peace and to a policy of preservation, by war if necessary, of the territorial decisions of Paris. Britain. like France, desires peace, but would be ready to pla- or other lands. Made Uneasy By Alliances. The British, moreover, view with apprehension a_ system 'of alliances such as France has evolved, as calcu- lated to bring about the gradual erec- tion of a counterbalancing system and thus to lead to rivalries and in the end to war. And this British view is, on the whole, shared by the gtoup of neutrals of the war, just as the French view is shared by the Bel- gians, Poles and the three central European states of the Little Entente. Moreover, there are several other states, namely, Finland, Esthonia and Latvia, which were liberated by the war, have no ambition contrary to peace, but feel themselves menaced by a return to Russian aggression, but unaffected by German policy. Thus they would tend to unite with Poland in a common policy of de- fense toward Russia, while Greece would share the apprehensions of the Serbs and Rumanians on the side of Bulgaria. Hitherto British policy has failed completely on the Continent because it omitted to take into account the dual concern of all the states border- ing upon Germany, Russia, Hungary and Bulgaria, states which feel them- selves menaced by the still unmis- takable determination of these four nations to recover lost provinces. In all discussions of peace, disarmament and the like, France has, in the final test, found these states supporting rer and insisting that the basis of any peace system must be the guar- antee of the existing order, must be security. Outslde the Two Groups. Outside the two groups of nations, the one of which desires both secur- ity and peace, and the other which, having nothing to fear on the side of security, seeks peace pure and simple, are five nations: Russia, Germany, Italy, Hungaria and Bulgaria. As to Russia, no one can at the moment make any calculation. It constitutes an obvious peril to European order and to all the border states from Fin- land to Rumania, but for the present it must be excluded from all calcula- tions. As to Italy, here position is pecu- liar. Having obtained as a result of the World War the best strategic trontiers of the Continent and having at the same time seen the extinction of the Hapsburg Empire, Italy has security. She is, moreover, commit- ted to the defense of the existing trontiers, in so far as her gains are concerned. So far she stands with France and the French group. But Italy is not satiated or satisfied. She desires to, extend her frontiers in Europe at the expense of the Jugo- slavs, the Albanians and the Greeks. She has also ambitious in the Med- iterranean, which can only be realized at the expense of the French, the British and the Turks. Italy is then, as all her conduct has shown, both at Corfu last year and at Geneva this year, opposed to any League of Nations which might be- come the champion of existing fron- tiers. On the other hand, the union of Austria with Germany, the restora- tion of anything like the Mittel Eu- rope of German conceptions, would be a deadly peril to her, therefore there are plain limits to her associa- tion with Germany or to her desire to see Germany restored. Since France is a natural rival in the Mediterra- nean and also a partner of the little entente and of Jugoslavia. . Italy's potential rival on the Adriatic, Italy would be glad to see French influence balanced by German, but her mani- fest game is to play in both camps. Italy of Mussolini, however, is not in any sense desirous of peace in the same sense as either France and her assoclates or Britain and the neu- trals. Not Reconclled to Loases. There remains Germany and the two states which followed her in the war, Bulgaria and Hungary. All three have lost large areas, none of them yet accepts the loss as perma- nent or considers renunciation. (Continued on Third Page.) icy and French lies in the fact that | BY PAUL R. LEACH. HERE can be no reaction to the right that is not the right reaction.” There, in a few words, is contained a large part of the philosophy of Charles Gates Dawes, Republican nominee for the vice presidency. The epigram that is destined to become famous in this campaign was Gen. Dawes' response to a newspaper correspondent’s ques- tion as to reactions following that part of the candidate’s speech at Augusta, Me., condemning the Ku Klux Klan. Right! That in one word is the Dawes creed. Right is right, in his estimation, and he will take plenty of time to prove to you, should you care to enter into an argument about it, that might Is not right, never was and never can be. He is a man of considerable wealth, residing in one of Evanston's man- sions. Of colonial American stock, he had ancestors of renown, and his wife is a descendant of Gen. Israel Putnam. He is chairman of the | board of directors of the Central Trust Company of Illinois and di- rector and large stockholder in many corporations. Yet Gen. Dawes is dis- tinetly a man of simple tastes. And he is perhaps the most talked-of man in the world because of his work on the so-called Dawes plan to bring about the economic peace of Europe. {Even that, however, does not con- { stitute his sole claim to wide recog- nition for eminent services performed. The governmental business of the United States is now conducted for the first time in its history upon a |budxet plan. Charles Dawes passed |a year in Washington doing that Then there is the big [ | piece of work. task so ably performed by him of keeping the American Army in France in supplies of all sorts. ! * ¥ ¥ X | Charles Gates Dawes was born August 27, 1865—so now he is 59 vears old—at Marietta, Ohio. He ilooks much nearer 40 than 60, es- i pecially when telling a story, and he is a cracking good story teller. i He is extremely active, mentally and physically. Whatever he is doing, that thing is uppermost in his mind. He was educated in the common schools of Marietta and at Marietta | College, where he was graduated at jthe age of 19. Working as a civil | engineer, he earned money to put himself through the Cincinnati Law School | But he has more education now BY BEN McKELWAY. RIVATE industry in the United States has unanimously given the Bureau of the Budget and 1 the Bureau of Efficiency a rising vote of thanks, accom- | panied by three rousing cheers and appropriate floral offerings, for a task taken up between them some time ago, which is progressing sat- isfactorially at present and which is expected ultimately to bear fruit in a reduction of the tremendous volume of reports and statistics in every shape, form and variety, demanded annually by the Government depart- ments in Washington. There's a story to the effect that not long ago some bettle-domed statistician with a wild light in his eye, a Government publication in one hand and an adding machine in the other, sat himself down and figured for a spell on what tHe people of this country pay in additional prices for clothing, food and other necessities in order to satisfy the Government's insatiable appetite for facts and fig: ures concerning everything and any thing. The same story relates that the statistician satisfied himself that a fairly healthy part of the cost of living is made up of what it costs industry as a whole to satisfy the Government's curfosity: Not Exactly Verified. Any story loses its strength as an illustration when it lacks verifica- tidn, and it is true that the story of the wild-eyed statistician was told in a moment of heat by the repre- sentative here of a great industry shortly after he had finished reading his morning’s mail—mall which con- tained, he said, Kkicks from his clients about the reports they had to furnish thye Government. One may pass over his story, however, and look into the facts himself. Seven- teen pages of a Government report are required to list in small type the statistical 'activities of the Govern- ment, from the bureaus which count the number of accidents in certain industries to those which figure the number, tonnage and motive power of vachts. The vast majority of information required by Government agencies is obtained from private industry. Tt requires time, and time means money. And while the industries themselves kindly comply with what the Govern- ment asks, they charge it up to ex- pense, which means added cost in the articles they sell. Favorite Washington Pastime. But returning to the crusade of the Bureau of the Budget and the Bureau of Efficlency. Shortly after the war and before the mushroom growth of bureaus incident to the war had been diminished, investigation of every- thing under the sun was about' the most popular pastime in Washington. The bureau or division chief without some sort of inquiry to direct felt lonely and out of place. If there was nothing else to do, he could always send out a questionnaire and find out from the shoe manufacturers, for in- stance, whether black or tan shoes were most popular; it so, why?—and maybe as an afterthought ask the shoe manufacturer whether he was married or single and whether his | assistant was a Methodist or Presby- terian. Naturally, there was a howl, and Congress in 1919 gsked the Bu- reau of Efficiency. to investigate du- plication of statistical work in the Government, together with the scope and character of statistics needed by the Government and the methods used Butlin gathering and compiling them. Thea Bureau of Efficiency went te awes, the Dynamic HIS FAVORITE NOVEL. ‘This is the fourth of a series of close-up interviews with the lead- ing presidential and vice presidential candidates, written exclusively for The Star and the North American Newspaper Alliance. An interview with Charlex W. Bryan will appear Tuesday, and one with Burton K. ‘Wheeler on Thursday. than either of possibly give. For instance, he taught himself music, never those schools could piano. having had | trated He has composed numerous several of which were orches- in Chicago a few years ago. airs, lessons from a teacher, learning first |One piece he composed was taken up to play a flute, then a piccolo, which by Fritz Kreisler as a popular part of instrument he played in the Marietta | his concert repertoire and renamed Band as a youngster; then came the 'DELUGE OF STATISTICS cate Germany by giving her Polish | ’ A BURDEN TO BUSINESS 'Relief Promised as Result of “Cleaning - Up” by Budget and Efficiency Bureaus. work and found out. " One of the re- sults of its investigation was an index of 35,000 cards, arranged alpha- betically, giving the key to every single Government activity under the sun. The Bureau of the Budget then is- sued one of its sweeping orders, re- quiring that when any department or establishment proposed a new activ- ity, research or investigation, certain information should be transmitted to the Budget Bureau. The Bureau of Buttermilk and Butterflies, for in- stance, proposes to sound out an in- quiry on the question of whether butterflies are more easily caught be- fore or after drinking buttermilk. ‘The bureau so informs the Bureau of the Budget, which transmits the data to the Bureau of Efficiency, asking whether or not any other bureau is engaged in this activity. The Bureau of Efficiency goes to its card index and finds that the Bureau of Flying Insects not long ago conducted the same inquiry, and that the data com- piled therefrom is available. The Bu- reau of the Budget then transmits this to the Bureau of Butterflies and Buttermilk, which calls off its inves- tigation until it can think of some- thing new. Duplication at a Minimum. In this way duplication in the sta- tistical work of the Government is becoming extinct, and likewise the volume is diminished. Duplications today in statistical work can be counted on the fingers of one hand, according to the Bureau of Efficiency, and there are hopes that the Govern- ment agencies which continue to du- plicate will realize the error of their ways in time. Alleged and actual duplication in statistical work, how- ever, are two different things. For instance, the Congressman who is on the scent for something to orate about may declare with truth that there are 8 different Government agencies obtaining figures and sta- tistics on manufactures, 10 getting reports on consumption and stocks, 10 investigating commodity prices, 5 looking into the domestic commerce of the country, 11 securing figures on occupations, wages and hours of la- bor, and 12 getting the latest infor- mation on accidents in the various classes of industry. But while these by Krelisler “Melody in A" Mr. Dawes Is extremely shy of the artistic side of his nature and resents the publica- tion of stories about him as a com- poser, but he is pleased at honest ap- preciation of any of his compositions. * kX ¥ ¥ After graduation from law school young Dawes went to Liscoln, Nebr., to practice law. . “Why did you choose Lincoln?” he was asked. “Had an uncle there, just been elected governor of the State,” Dawes replied. “Thought that would be a good place for me " Was it?" “Well, it was profitable friends I made.” There was a restaurant operated by a man named Don Cameron, where pretty fair food could be had at 25 cents a meal. Dawes ate there. At the same time a young Army officer named John J. Pershing, recently as- signed from West Point to teach mili- tary tactics to the Nebraska State University undergraduates, often ate at the same place. That was the be- ginning of the friendship of Dawes and Pershing, which brought Dawes to the post of purchasing agent for the entire , American expeditionary forces during the World War. * ¥ x % William Jennings Bryan and his brother Charles were also patrons of Cameron's. Dawes and they became good friends. A few days ago some one made a disparaging remark con- in the cerning Charles Bryan. Dawes was quick to resent it. “Charlie’ all right” Dawes snapped. “I've known him long enough to be certain that though his meth- ods of campaigning may be different from mine, he’s honest.” At Lincoln the farmers were being discriminated against by the rail- roads. They engaged Lawyer Dawes —because they had little money and Dawes' fees were not high. They wanted Government regulation of railroad rates, and the fuss that Dawes kicked up ultimately resulted in the formation of the Interstate Commerce Commission. ! About that time Dawes rcturned to Marietta and married Miss Caro D. Blymer. get along on $80 a month,” says the general. “But it took pretty close to §100. Mrs. Dawes was a mighty good manager, though, or we'd never have squeaked through.” Public utilities began to loom to far-seeing men at that time as among the great industries of the future. (Continued on Sixteenth Page.) WHAT THE FARMER ASKS AND WHAT HE MAY GET Apparently Slight C Legislation as hance for Any Such the McNary- Haugen Bill. BY WILL P, KENNEDY. HAT do the farmers want? What are the farmers likely to get? These are partic- ularly pertinent questions just now when rival can- didates for the presidency and other high office recognize the great farm- ing regions of the Northwest as the principal battleground of the present campaign, and are sending their emis- saries to the farm leaders. Boiled down, the answer to those two questions, as the situation now stands is: (1) The farm interests will try again to put through Con- gress the McNary-Haugen agricul- tural export bill, or the substance of it. and (2) the chances are decidedly slim for this or any similar so-called farm-relief measure in the next ses- sion of Congress. Entirely aside from the merits of the case, this is the situation as shown by political sleuths who have been out among the farm leaders. For the most part the demand for agricultural legislation comes from organized groups like the Farm Bu- reau and the National Grange. They hold their annual meetings in Decem- ber, between the election and the con- vening of Congress. They never ar- rive at a definite legislative program till that meeting is held. So that to find out what the farmer wants in ad- vance of those meetings is difficult. Courting the Farm Vote. The candidates, meaning particu- larly Mr. Coolidge and Mr. Davis, and their spokesmen, have been very so- licitous of the farm leaders. They seem to be pretty well agreed that agriculture is a big question in the coming election, and that the real battle is to be fought out in the Northwest. Now let's look broadly at the whole subject of agricultural legislation. At every session of Congress we have this~ great clamor for legislation. Most of it does not amount to any- thing. Usually it is associated with times of emergency. When we find the farmer in bad shape there comes a host of legislation, nominally to give him relief, but in reality to curry his favor. In the first session of the present Sixty-eighth Congress, up to February 15 last, there were introduced some appear to be, they are not actual du-} 600 agricultural bills, most of them plicatins, as each Government bu- reau is interested in a different phase of the matter. For instance, the Bu- reau of the Census, the Bureau of Navigation, the Steamboat Inspection Service; the Bureau of Lahor Statis- tics, the Bureau of Mines, e Recla- mation Service, the United States Coast Guard, the Interstate Commerce Commission, Federal Board for Voca- tional Education and the Panama Canal all gather figures on accidents. But the Bureau of Navigation, for instance, does not care about the ac- cidents on railways, nor does the In- terstate Commerce Commission care for accidents which interest the Bu- reau of Navigation. So it goes, and while the Census Bureau makes use of all figures on accidents it goes about getting them independently. Task for Chief Co-ordinator. This brings up a task for the chief co-ordinator of the Bureau of the Budget, who, with the help of the Bureau of Efficiency, hopes to bring about a system whereby one Govern- ment bureau which gets a set of figures in the course of its investiga- tion which it does not need will pass them on for the use of the bureau which does need them. There's & story to the effect that the (Continued on Third Page.) ? pointing an emergency and seeking large appropriations. Take seven of these—the Norbeck- Burtness bill, the McNary-Haugen bill, the Norris-Sinclair bill, the Christopherson stabilization commis- sion bill, the Gooding wheat Stabili- zation bill, the Sinclair cotton and wool price bill and the Swank ware- house building bill—and you will find proposals totaling '$2,275,000,000, either in capitalization or direct appropriations from the Treasury. This shows in the main that there is really no logical reason why the bulk of these bills should be intro- duced at all. In the last session of Congress the McNary-Haugen bill was defeated, although it had solid support from the Northwest and solid opposition from the industrial North- east and the South. The Norbeck- Burtness bill, which proposed loans to diversify production, was defeated by people who thought that if this bill passed f¢ would hurt the chances for getting the McNary-Haugen agri- cultural export corporation bill through. 5 Mostly Die in Committee. These two measures, with the Nor- ris-Sinclair Government marketing corporation proposal, were the only ones to receive serious consideration and most of them never were taken up_in committee, Now it appears as if the first thing farmers will ask for when Congress gets back on the job is relief in the matter of freight rates. dent of the American Farm Bureau Federation State Fair led the way for a moye- ment to revise the tariff rates on agricultural products. It is very evi- dent, however, that the McNary- Haugen bill. or the substance of i will be revived. farmer off the world market, because his products goes on the world mar- ket the price he receives is fixed abroad and he has to compete with of living is not as high as United States. If he is forced to sell because he will be forced to sell for bring, but when he is taken off the will operate. Claim Tariff is Unfair. There farm leaders that will oppose the pro- tective tariff on the assumption that it is unfair to him in that it protects the goods the farmer buys, but not the world market The McNary-Haugen bill there is something wrong in the pres- buy, lease, storage facilities. Its defeat at the last session not- withstanding, there is a determined effort to bring the McNary-Haugen bill or its substance up again in the coming session. There .was recently formed in Chi- cago the American Council of Agri- culture, organized to secure and maint; “equality for agriculture.” line Plow Company, who happens to be the man who originated the idea back of the McNary-Haugen bill and the prime mover in its behalf, who was in Washington and appeared be- fore the congressional committee. Other officers are: Vice president, Carl Gunderson, lieutenant governor of North Dakota; treasurer, John R. Mitchell of St. Paul, chairman of the Ninth District Federal Reserve Bank; secretary, Robert A. Cowles, director of finance, Illinois Agriculture Asso- clation, and the executive committee contains such men as O. E. Bradfute, president of the American Farm Bu- reau; John G. Brown, president of the National Live Stock Producers’ Asso- ciation, and L J. Taber, master of the National Grange. With these presi- dents of three of the largest farm organizations ara 10 other prominent representatives of other farm organi- zations. In reality these men are, in the main, the prime movers behind the McNary Haugen bill, and there is every reason to feel that this new ‘“council” was formed, perhaps not wholly, but prin- cipally with the idea of pushing the same old bill, or at least the substance of it, when Congress gets back. They have prepared a map which shows in red the solid area, which is the battleground of the present cam- paign, where the McNary-Haugen bill had its stpport. ¥ I'd been told that a fellow could | The_presi- | in a speech at the lowa| The argument for this is to get the as long as any exportable surplus of foreign countries where the standard in the on the world market the tariff cannot [become wholly effective, they argue, the same prices as the foreign crops world market the protective tariff is an element among the the products of his farm, and that the protective tariff cannot become wholly effective until the farmer is taken off was framed to use the existing marketing system, while the Norris-Sinclair bill | goes a step further and, assuming ent marketing system, provides for a finance corporation with authority to build and even operate couragement in BY JOHN J. TIGERT, U. S. Commissioner of Education. HEN, 10 years ago, a shot fired by an obscure per- sonage killed the heir ap- parent to the throne of Austria, in one of the smallest and least known countries of Europe, even prophets and zons of prophets could have no real concep- tion of the extent to which it would prove another “shot heard round the world.” Reviewing changes in educational conditions in the decade since 1914, the last year in which pre-war con- ditions prevailed, we realize that the far-reaching effects of the World War are not confined to changes in {forms of governments, natiosad bound- |aries and like matters of political and economic moment Among the | unlooked-for changes are those in education in the United States, which | are far greater and more fundamen- tal than are normally expected with the passing of a 10-year period. Our whole educational program has bheen significantly stimulated in expend- iture, enroliment, attendance and the [ like, ‘as well as strikingly redirccted { in curriculum content, methods of in- struction, in a multitude of factors and in innumerable ways, by the changes in our own and world-wide conditions and outlook, for which the World War, directly or indirectly, is responsible. War Revealed Ineficiency. The American people have always believed in education and in the prin- ciple of mobilization of all of our re- sources for the education of all of our children, yet laxity in living up to these ideals has been as character- istic as our belief in them. The war was a revelation to us of educational inefficiencies of w! h we had no realization. Perhaps it is fair to say that our post-war progress in educa- | tion is due not so much to changes in lor new ideals as to a stimulated ef- | fort ta realize old ones. | School expenditures are, of course, only one indication of the importance with which we regard education as a | factor in our national life, vet it can- not be regarded as insignificant that our total expenditures for education have increased in the period from {1914 to 1924 from $555,077,000 to $1,651,000,000 (figures for both vears in round numbers), an increase of 197.4 iper cent. Measured in terms of per !capita contribution for education of our population, the amount has in- |creased from $5.62 in 1914 to $14.13 in 1924, or 162 per cent. We have in- creased the amount spent on each |pupil in average daily attendance {from $39 in 1914 to $87 in 1924, an increase of 123.4 per cent. The great- jest increases in revenue receipts are | those from local taxes and appropri- jations, contributions from these sources rising approximately $425 450,000 in 1914 to approximately 1$1.275.000,000 in 1924, or slightly over 1200 per cent. Revenues from State | permanent funds, State taxes and ap- i propriations and other sources have | increased materially, but relatively {less, the total revenue receipts repre- ! senting ah increase of 187.6 per cent, ior a total amount rising from approx- limtely $561,750,000 in 1314 to $1,61 1000,000 in 1924. Teachers Better Paid. It i=, of course, not to be overlook- ed that expenditures in 1924 are not {directly ~comparable to _those for 1914, whether schools or other ex- i penditures be upder consideration. The diminishing value of the dollar the inflated costs of all materials, particularly building materials and | real property; the apparent disregard { for the old-fashioned virtue of thrift | which characterizes modern life, must all be taken into consideration, but even after due allowance is made for I changed ideals and standards of liv- { In& the enormous increases indicated are certainly not without vital and far-reaching significance. __Among the items of special moment jin analyzing the cost of education is i that of increased cost of instruction. The past decade has seen unprece- dented progress toward putting our schools on a professional basis in | 2dministration, supervision and teach- ing. Higher standards of professional preparation mean higher salaries, im- proved administrative practice and teaching methods and are secured only by the payment of salaries more nearly commensurate with the re- sponsibilities assumed and ability exacted from administrative and supervisory officers and teachers. The aggregate cost of instruction in sal- aries has increased during the decade approximately 189 per cent, aggre- gate salaries in 1924 being represent- ed by an expenditure of $936,000,000, an increase over that paid in 1914 for this purpose of $612,000,000 (round numbers). Increased Plant investmen Among those elements of expense to which the greatest increases have been allotted are buildings and equip- ment. We invested in 1924 in school sites, building, furniture and general equipment a total of $325,000,000, a flat increase over that spent for the same purpose in 1914 of $233,394,000, or 254.8 per cent. At first blush this seems like an enormous outlay and might be considered. by the unin- formed as disproportionate to our needs. It must, however, be judged in the light of unusual needs due to almost complete stagnation in build- ing during the war years and of the The president of this association is| nflated cost of material, workman- George N. Peek, president of the Mo- ship and every factor involved in building immediately following. It is also concerned with our changing conception of the relationship hygienic and sanitary provisions to the health of children, to new ideals and increased knowledge of the fit- ness with which bulldings should be adapted to the new kind of instruc- tion and the enriched curriculums being introduced in our schools as well as to our knowledge of school architecture and its place and in- fluence in our educational program. Ideals and practice in these respects have undergone an evolution in the past decade. Of greater significance, however, than data concerning expenditures are those showing enrollment and at- tendance at schools of elementary and secondary grade and higher in- stitutions. The increases may be ac- counted for on the basis of a better realization of our shortcomings in providing educational facilities on a universal scale, to our increased ap- preciation of the value of education in promoting the general welfare and productiveness of the Nation and to better legislation for the manage- ment of schools, particularly in euch matters as concern administrative systems, compulsory attendance, and the like. The facts laid bare by war statistics as to actual and relative illiteracy among our population were , startling. We have a better realiza- of | PROGRESS IN EDUCATION DURING 10-YEAR PERIOD Commissioner Tigert Finds Much En- Betterment in Public School System. tion now that literacy means more than mere ability to read and write. Literacy in the United States means rather such a minimum of elementary education as will enable one to read and interpret intelligently news- papers, magazines and cotemporary literature; to familiarize onesself with problems of moment which con- cern us as citizens, and to avail one's self of the results of general and scientific progress which present-day civilization places at the disposal of intelligent citizens. The war has also hastened our appreciation of the re- lation between education and National wealth and efficiency. To this latter cause may be ascribed in large part the unprecedented increases in enroll- ment in secondary schools and higher institutions of icarning. Increase in Enrollment. During the decade just ended our total population has increased 1 per cent The number of children from 5 to 18 years of age, that is, ac- tual school age, has increased 13 per cent. The number of pupils enrolled, outstrip g the above, shows an in- crease of 24.6 per cent; the average daily attendance an increase of per cent; the total number of days attended an increase of 38.4 per cent: while the number of pupils enrolled in public high schools shows the un- precedented increase of 136.5 per cent This percentage represents a flat in- crease in expenditure on public high schools of approximately $1,700.000 in 1924 as compared with that of 1914. Other significant increases concerned with the matter of school attendance Average number of days school session increased from 159 to 165; average number of days attended by each pupil enrolled, from 118 to average annual salary of teach- |ers, from $325 to $1,166; representing an increase of 122 per cent. | War conditions may be credited also | with turning the National spotlight upon the economic importance of agricultural production. Our new conception of the farmer's social and economic status has, however, been translated into terms of improved educational facilities for farm chil- dren only in small part. The school rural communities has tomghe same extent as situation in not improved in cities. vet a new impetus has been given to improved methods of sup- port and administration, particulari toward the end of supplying a larger percentage of support from large units of administration as the State and county; to professional supervi- sion: increased facilities for prepar- ing teachers for rural schools in nor- mal schools; to better methods of pro- moting and extending school centrali zation: more equitable systems of support; improved standards for teachers; increased number and ef- | ficiency 'of high scheols; promotion & in agriculture, the schooi | of vocational trai and better adaption of curriculum to the needs of the farm population. Progress in Legislation. Promotion of better school facilitics in farm communities is dependent in large part on wholescme, intelligent legislation affecting education. Prog- ress in this field has closely paral- leled material growth®in schools. It has been during the last ten years that the most effective legislation has been passed concerning vocational training, junior high schools, physical education, teachers' salary and quali- fication standards and retirement sys tems. There has been a tendency to concentrate in State departments of education increased responsibility for the efficient administration of the schools of the State and to make more effective the administrative ma- chinery of smaller units, especially the county, through revised laws; to improve the arrangement and form of the school law; to increase the length of the school term: to improve the laws for compulsory school at tendance, both as to lengthening the period covered and the manner of en- forcement, and to improve legisla- tion relating to school consolidation Practice in physical education has undergone a marked development in the past ten rs. Prior to this decade the development of physical training had proceeded in large cities, but had not become a matter of state-wide interest and organizatios. Only four States had laws concerning the promotion of physical education in the public schools. By 1924 the number had reached 33. In 12 of these a special State director of physical education has been installed and in most of them provision is made for the special training of teachers in this subject. The very important work of medical inspec- tion, which is the basis of school health work, had a good start prior to 1914 in some of the larger cities Since then steady advancement has been made in cities and in rural re- gions. Adapted to Life Needs. We have a new conception of the purpose of education in fitting chil- dren for all the various needs of modern life. These ned ideals have forced upon us a greatly enriched curriculum, the addition of vocational subjects, of masic, the fine and in- dustrial arts and increased attention to the social studies. This enrich- ment allows freer selection from a larger group of curriculums and subjects, and demands teachers with specialized preparation, revised sub- ject programs and daily schedules, uch as will make possible more efficient training for the everyday needs of life in a new and different world. Especially marked has been the imretus given to vocational | education including vocational agri- culture, the trades, home economics part - time schools. The Federal Board for Vocational Education, established in 1917 with large sub- sidies_provided for this work from the Federal Treasury, has aided materially in this promotion. It is not possible to conceirs of changes on so fundamental a scuse as those indicated above without accompanying changes in school or- ganization and methods of instruc- Yion. Most significant of the types of reorganization which have grown conspicuously during the decade is that of the junior high school. Its inclusion in ‘the school organization contemplates a change from the old -4 plan to a 6-3-3 basis of organiza tion. The 12 years of elementary and secondary work are now divided into six years of the elementary school (with a growing tendency to subdivide within these into the kin- dergarten-primary group, including children of pre-school age and those of the first three grades of the elementary school, and the inter- mediate _elementary group or the fourth, fifth and sixth grades), fol- lowed by three years of junior high school and three years of senlor Bigh school work, -