TOO MUCH MILITARISM.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 510, 18 May 1909, Page 5

TOO MUCH MILITARISM.

PROTEST ACAINST SCHOOL JOURNAL. "FLUNKEYISM , ' AND "PRIGGISHNESS." Articles in the "Soliool joiirnal" for.May, which., is made a strongly Imperial number with' reference to; Empire-, Day, -and , 'the Dreadnought * offer,' have drawn a ■vigorous protest. Strom Mr. D.'Jl'Laren, i 1 1 ,., in . a letter.,to ,the Minister for Education (tlio Hon G. Fowlds) .' Mr. M'Laren'. heads his letter "State.Education,,Free, Sccnlar, Compulsory, and,Non 7 poiitical;" . \ , ''.'' . •'" ■,'■""1 write,";ho. states; "for tho,purpose.of entering : my 'most 'emphatic'; protest' against the practice which I find to. oe, now, instituted of using the .schools of .our .country for tho inculcation of certain.political ideals and sentiments into.tlio minds of the rising generation. On- 'perusing , the ■ recentlyrissued School, Journals,-.'l observe that a form of Imperialism is. being taught in our'schools which is' calculated to bo to the detriment of the''democracy of Now Zealand if such teaching is continued. Generally the lessons boing taught, and, the impression being stamped upon tho'minds of our-young people, is that tho upbuilding'pf'the British nation and Empire'has been' duo to the work of .Royalty, ''aristocracy)'- and the military class. 1 Tile soldier is throughput being plqced before and aboyo. tho civilian, The young are being , inspired to lovo the figure of a' marquis, -r dukcj' earl,'; or lord by . carefully selecting tho; views' of titled persons and presenting theso: as being of.;'special'value, inasmuch' as- 'tho good,' or 'great . Lord So-and-Soliae saidit. iAs one who would grieve to see tho _free spirit',of our, colonial ljfo and' institutions destroyed, "I am. jealously, indignant at.any.attonijjt mndo.to inoculate our poop|o with the'viiuc-.of fluhkeyism or nriggishnessj and, as. a f, l.'-er- and. citizen, I partipularly. rosent such at. ion -as teaching our children sentiments i'anc(l ideas v.'liicb. are likely, to'-turn them' out'.'gbbtl nothing elso. When, in : these journals r"elerrcd .to/ statesmen ■ arc -montioned : in laudatory-terms for'their work'as Empire builders, the men invariably chosen arc'those whose political philosophy leant on tho side of.'war,' and .these; are' duly •presented ,as bxnmples for 'our, young -peoplo '-to: copy-r; whilst such men'as John Bright' Gladstone, Cobden, J.' S. Mill, and the leaders of radical, ;social, and economic'refonns: are Kept well 'in, the background. You, sir, I' know, agree with .me .'that it is well t<i have; the matter of tlieologic disputation, kept out of our .'public schools; and I trust that'you will, also, agree with me in this—(hat' it. ia undesirable'to have political sentiments, forced upon the children, which their parents may not agree with, ; and would probably resent having forced upon.' : ' I respectfully urge upon you, in ypiir high office as Ministor for Education,;toiuso.all -the powers- you possess to prevent, the; teaching-of nny political, BentimentsJ'ori'ideaß, , in our State- schools,''whatever'- party' the;ideas, l or sentiments, belong : to,. Jje' it Conservative,Liboralj Radical,,•'Labour,' Socialist, , or;any other, r as. I! believe,- that:■ the .-political ele-> nient may become as-great'a disrupting force; in our educational system as' tlieclogy, : would be if it were introduced.' , .' - ~■■'■,•': " '..''' . . ' '-, -■;". .'•'■■•• ■ J v; ; ; -The Other Side. ::::;; /' J Mr. Fowlds,.: in .an interview, suhmitted that -the. criticisms of' slr. . M'Laren ;wero. based upon a single spivjial issud of." tho Journal, and no sucji charges could bo suggested against tlie' publication-in general. In the historical • articles which had to , bo given from:timo to time naval and military events andporsons necessarily roccived prominence, but it was : not a fact; that the soldier was habitually made to appear superior to the civilian. ,. Ho quite agreed that the industrial-and sociaLsidcs of the national life and history should receive , a duo attention.-, Tho. suggestion of ",'flynkeyism" might possibly'have' been inspired .by tho •'■ faesimile of Lord'Meath's signature at the foot' of "An Empire Day's Message,"- but Lord Mcath was an important advocate of an Imperiar celebration .of Empire. Day. i' ; .'flib' Minister was not afraid that the' contents-. of the Journal would have any of tho bad effects which Mr.;M'Laren featpd., . V