Newport Daily Independent

School Teachers For Help

One of the greatest compliments ever paid by the people of a nation to any of its institutions has been paid by America to her public schools. She has turned to them to remedy every deficiency or home, church and community as it reveals itself in childhood and youth. Are the children hopelessly dirty? Shower baths are installed and the teacher supervises the cleansing process; or if taxes are high and the school committee not advanced enough for baths, teachers must see that the child is reasonably clean as to hands and face, at least. If he is underfed or poorly nourished, the teacher must report it: if he is served a school lunch the teacher must supervise that; if he is ill, Teacher sees that the attention of a nurse or a doctor is called to it, or if there be no school nurse or doctor, she must call the attention of a careless home to it. If the child does not come to school, Teacher must know why. Teacher does all sorts of wonderful things and recently in the midst of the world chaos, a whole nation turns to Teacher asking that she teach patriotism and ideal Americanism. And the miracle is that the public school has answered every demand with "We will attempt it!" Indeed, the public school has answered the demands of the nation in the spirit of the men, who having cut the continent in two, came back from Panama, saying:

"Got any rivers they say are uncrossable?

Got any mountains you can't tunnel through?

We specialize in the wholly Impossible---

Doing what nobody ever could do!"

It is because of the knowledge that each new call will be answered in that spirit, that in the name of the "SECOND LINE OF DEFENSE."

the children and youth of today who will be our men and women of tomorrow

now, our great nation sends out a call to the TEACHERS of America. Establishing and conducting the MODERN HEALTH CRUSADE in all our schools in Newport and in Jackson County will take quite a bit of time and effort on the part of the teachers and in SEEING that the children OBSERVE the Health Chores, the PARENTS can be invaluable to the teachers. Our Red Cross Executive Committee and School Board realize that the thing we need first and foremost in life is GOOD HEALTH and without it there is little we can attain; hence, they have spent their money for the CRUSADE SUPPLIES with the hope, that they may be USED and the results gained therefrom may be greater than they have dared to dream or plan for.

I wonder if you have heard that from the recent epidemic there were SIX MILLION deaths throughout the world? These appalling statistics could not have been had if everyone had observed from childhood the health regulations in accordance with the Modern Crusade. This is proved by the fact that in schools where the Crusade was already in progress the number of influenza victims was so small as to be negligible, in comparison with the toll from nearby schools where the children were NOT Health Crusaders. I am sure the TEACHERS will recognize this tremendous opportunity of service not only to the children but to your whole community and County, and we ask you to use every means to make this Health Campaign a success, as never before was there a greater need for a definite Health Crusade, following as it does on the trail of the most awful epidemic the schools have ever known.

To train good citizens we must first train healthy children and should the Public School fail to make citizens fit for Democracy this great nation would cease to hope.

DOVE ERWIN,

Chairman Jackson County Junior Red Cross.