WHY?

New Zealand Tablet, 17 June 1920, Page 33

WHY?

On the first page of the present issue of The Church Progress readers will find an account covering the results in St. Louis of the nation-wide essay contest held by the Federal (U.S.A.) Government among the primary and high* school pupils of the country (comments that journal of recent date). Only one secular paper in the city has given space to the information. Why ? Was it because the responsible source for the distribution of the important' information failed to send it to the others? Or in the absence of this surmise, was it because the others failed to appreciate the news importance of the matter and discarded it ? Discrimination in the distribution doesn’t seem like a fair conclusion. Inappreciation of news value is of the same character. And ’'nothing more substantial than suspicion supports the inference that the striking victory of the Catholic schools over the schools of the State prompted the exclusion. However, failure of the fact to get the important publicity due it that five of the sixand the first five —prizes offered by the St. Louis Chamber of Commeice were won by pupils of Catholic schools is not so important as the fact itself. Except in this: that it deprived the thinking public of information which would necessarily start a series of Whys. For instance : Why this surprising result ? Why this evident excelling of the Catholic pupil * Why this undeniable superior efficiency .of the Catholic school ? Remembering the essay subject—" The Benefits of Enlistment in the Army”—why the constantly recurring falsehood that these schools are proficient only in the teaching of religion? Why the multiplying attempts to destroy them by Federal control of education, by fanatical State enactments, and by kindred schemes of inimical intent?

Are they not doing more—and doing it better—for God and Country than the schools of the State, m spite of the extravagant sums lavished on these latter? What a compliment they are, then, to Christianity! What a support to the nation! What a solace to the sacrificing Catholic people who sustain them ! Read the first page story about the local essay contest. Take counsel of yourself concerning it. Draw the unavoidable conclusions.