The North Otago Times TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 1917. EDUCATION AND THE FATE OF EMPIRES.

North Otago Times, Volume CVI, Issue 13975, 11 September 1917, Page 4

The North Otago Times TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 1917. EDUCATION AND THE FATE OF EMPIRES.

V I'cw days ago Lord Robert Jccil,_ Minister of the Blockade, ixplained that the resolutions' massed at the Paris Economic Con ■ Ivc! "

.;rence were purely defensive and timed'at the necessary restoration If 'the Allies' economic life after lie war and protecting themselves I BWt,/,W PTOpiye,militarist ind commercial policy tlm'enemy nay pursue after the war. The Minister acknowledged that Germany's schemes for forcing her lilies into a commercial league mo,wed the real danger there was if such policy to the Entente." We consider the economic considerations as vital as military measures," Lord Robert declared. 'During the war we must foster economic strength as much as the strength of the Army and tlv; strength of the Navy. We must rigidly attack the enemy's economic strength with every legitimate ; weapon."' Fundamentally, the principles laid down by this scholarly member of the British Government are sound and just, but if the British nation is to " foster its economic strength as much as the strength of the Army and the strength of the Navy,'.' the building up of high tariff walls will not suffice to' equip the British, nation for tho stern and unrelenting trade battle which will come with the cessation of military operations. Aristotle sounded the true note when he said that the fate of 'empires depends upon the education of youth. Hence the need for a quickening of interest in educational progress throughout the British Empire as a condition of economic progress after the war. Already there are encouraging signs of • a ■ national awakening born of a realisation that "Great [Britain is being outdistanced by I her commercial and manufacfur-

ing rivals,, mainly, on account of the inferiority of her educational arrangements." It is interesting to note the isuse < of a -weighty memorandum by the Child Study Society, of •London, dealing with the educational principles upon which all (future social reform should be. j based. • Those who had given at- | teiition to this matter before the [war were>ware that Great BriI tain was losing her industrial sut premacy. It has been shown conclusively by the authors of"Eclipse or Empire?" that a large percentage of the new ideas and inventions which have been.given to the world during the last forty years'have, issued from nations other than Great, Britain; and reliable writers have shown abundantly that "the value and utility 'of these ideas and;inventions have been more quickly appreciated, appropriated, and applied, in foreign lands." Sometimes even Britislidi-s----coveries, such as those in ; connection with the coal tar colour industry, and- the thermos flasks •were neglected by the.British manufacturers,: and left .to be appropriated and applied in other countries. The neglect'of science in connection with industry is .sjiown by a statement given of the proportidnate, number of chemists, in [various European countries, after the respective population are reduced to the same scale • •Switzer-

Germany, 250;' France, 7; England, 6. The result hds been that in all industries where the, chemist is predominant Great Britain has been left far behind by Germany. But British conservatism for the, timo 'triumphed. The war, however, glaringly disclosed Great Britain's military, unprcparcdncss. and industrial'■'iiir efficiency. Germany's better organisation, unity of effort, full use of science, mid employment of mechanical contrivances of every .kind were soon apparent. The British Prime ■' Minister; unlike some of the lesser: political potentates is not so blinded with-h is own. abilities to ignore the ad vice.of exports. Thanks to his greatheartcdness, startling changes are evolving in the Homeland, under the guiding hand of Dr Fisher, an educational expert ancl csjieri-/ enced teacher.. The British Minister of Kducatio 1 ". demands that an .additional suinjof £3,420,000 be'devoted to eieniciitary education. a.? the first step towards re-organis-ing Great Britain's .educational system—and this in spite of an enormous war expenditure. Regardless of the stern fact that we must give our young people adequate training for the coming commercial war, our New Zealand legislators seem satisfied to adopt the penny-wisc-pound-fool-ish policy of restricting educational facilities and postponing urgent reforms merely to save expense during the currency of the war.