Jasper County Democrat, Volume 22, Number 104, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 March 1920 — COUNTY EDUCATIONAL NOTES [ARTICLE]

COUNTY EDUCATIONAL NOTES

(By Co. Supt. Sterrett) State Superintendent L. N. Hines and Governor Goodrich have jointly issued an appeal to all county superintendents to solicit every school child to make a contribution of from 1 cent to a dime to do for France today what French children did for America in 1879. It was then that the schools of France contributed towards the fund that paid for the Statute of Liberty that was placed at the entrance to New York harbor. Now American school Chilean reciprocate this expression ot gratitude by contributing to a fund to be used in erecting a shaft on the battlefield of the Marne where 50,000 soldiers were buried in a heroic struggle to prevent the Germans from, entering Paris. This marks the nearest approach the Germans made during the great world war to Paris. This will appeal to French children in France as the “Statute of Liberty” appeals to American children in America. Each school child will be asked to make a contribution ranging from 1 cent to a dime which will be collected by each teacher and forwarded to the .county superintendent who will then forward the aggregate from Jasper county to Indianapolis. A circular letter of similar content has been mailed to every teacher in Jasper county from the county superintendent. This is a grand piece of unfinished work in Jasper county that should awaken a genuine admiration for those heroic French people and at the same time stimulate a feeling of fellowship for the nation that has always given us a helping hand at a time when*such was most needed. The teachers of Jasper county are privileged to give from a quarter to a half-day upon the proper presentation of this fine lesson of reciprocated Franco-American admiration in some sort of school program. It is not important as to what sort of device the teachers may use to get the results. But it is very necessary that after whatever is done the American boys and, girls should have a finer and more exalted notion of our long-time friend and recent ally on the other side of the Atlantic.