If we realized that children are the future, that immortality is the present child, that no education which educates can possibly be too costly, then we know that the menace of Kaiserism which called for the expenditure of more than 332 thousand millions of dollars was not a whit more pressing than the menace of ignorance, and that no nation tomorrow will call itself civilized which does not give every single human being college and vocational training free and under the best teaching force procurable for love or money.

This world has never taken the education of children seriously.  Misled by selfish dreamings of personal life forever, we have neglected the true and practical immortality through the endless life of children’s children.  Seeking counsels of our own souls’ perfection, we have despised and rejected the possible increasing perfection of unending generations.  Or if we are thrown back in pessimistic despair from making living folk decent, we leap to idle speculations of a thousand years hereafter instead of working steadily and persistently for the next generation.

All our problems center in the child.  All our hopes, our dreams are for our children.  Has our own life failed?  Let its lesson save the children’s lives from similar failure.  Is democracy a failure?  Train up citizens that will make it succeed.  Is wealth too crude, too foolish in form, and too easily stolen?  Train up workers with honor and consciences and brains.  Have we degraded service with menials?  Abolish the mean spirit and implant sacrifice.  Do we despise women?  Train them as workers and thinkers and not as playthings, lest future generations ape our worst mistake.  Do we despise darker races?  Teach the children its fatal cost in spiritual degradation and murder, teach them that to hate “niggers” or “chinks” is to crucify souls like their own.  Is there anything we would accomplish with human beings?  Do it with the immortal child, with a stretch of endless time for doing it and with infinite possibilities to work on.

Is this our attitude toward education?  It is not—­neither in England nor America—­in France nor Germany—­with black nor white nor yellow folk.  Education to the modern world is a burden which we are driven to carry.  We shirk and complain.  We do just as little as possible and only threat or catastrophe induces us to do more than a minimum.  If the ignorant mass, panting to know, revolts, we dole them gingerly enough knowledge to pacify them temporarily.  If, as in the Great War, we discover soldiers too ignorant to use our machines of murder and destruction, we train them—­to use machines of murder and destruction.  If mounting wealth calls for intelligent workmen, we rush tumultuously to train workers—­in order to increase our wealth.  But of great, broad plans to train all men for all things—­to make a universe intelligent, busy, good, creative and beautiful—­where in this wide world is such an educational program?  To announce it is to invite gasps or Brobdingnagian laughter.  It cannot be done.  It will cost too much.