HE Citizen's Creed Contest, for THE which the City of Baltimore so patriotically provided the prize of $1,000, closed on September 14th, the anniversary of the writing of the "Star Spangled Banner." The whole-hearted and patriotic assistance of many publications has been given to this earnest effort to produce something that will benefit all Americans. Thousands of earnest and able men and women have been roused to a new and concentrated study of the rights and duties of citizenship. The product of their able efforts will soon be ready to go before the judges. The great care necessary to give to every effort that close inspection, that thoro search for the priceless gem of thought that may be hidden in any line or paragraph of the Creeds received, requires time and hard work. Therefore, a considerable period must elapse before there is a chance of announcing the decision. Two thousand one hundred and seven creeds have now been received and each has been allotted a number, endorsed upon the Creed and upon the No. 2 accompanying evelope containing author's name and address so that the private mark impressed by the author is supplemented by these numbers, as a duplicate check to insure proper identification of the authorship of each composition. The committee has watched the daily growth of this group of documents with a hope that in one or more of them there will be ound words, perhaps inspired, that shall go ringing down the years in America. Who knows but a Creed may be found that will serve as the Creed of democracy thruout the world since that democracy seems to be close at hand. It is certain, that had the Russian people possessed an equivalent of such a Creed, so that a clear understanding of what a citizen should do dwelt in the hearts of every one of her newly freed people, no such things as we are now witnessing could have occurred. Should it prove that the dreams of DANIEL, interpreted to him by the Angel, describing the day when autocratic rule shall cease and the peoples of the World shall rule the World, referred to this great war, then is there hope that the duration of the conflict which he outlines may prove to be the duration of this great struggle. 1290 days of conflict, 1335 days altogether to a more blessed condition, and 2000 days to the disappearance of the rule of Kings seems within the possibilities. God This would mean the end of the fighting in February, a peace late in March, and world-wide rule of the people by November, 1920. grant that it may be no longer. Then will all the peoples of the earth need a Creed for their guidance that they may act as one for the good of all to the end that democracy thruout the earth may be beneficent. Is it possible that this Creed will fulfill that great purpose? Time alone will tell. H. S. Chapin THE MEASURE OF A MAGAZINE This is the way a certain magazine was recently exploited on the editorial page of a newspaper published "Somewhere in America, a paper with a penchant for pointed paragraphs, lurid if not always illuminating: If you put all the Magazines for one year into a pile and sat on top of the pile you would be so high in the air that you would freeze to death and be unable to breath. You would be ninety-four miles above the tempests, the clouds and the windsabout ninety-five miles higher than any man ever went in his aeroplane. You would be sitting on a column of literature one hundred miles high. Marvellous! We are likewise informed that the Magazine con sumes in twelve months 16,610,688 pounds of paper, or a total of more than 8,300 tons. Let no hasty conclusions be drawn to the effect that we omit the name of the magazine thru a delicate sense of modesty. To avoid all possibility of misunderstanding we do positively and without reservation declare that the newspaper man's editorial did not refer to Educational Foundations. True, a man might be imagined sitting atop a one year's pile of our popular publication frozen stark stiff-meterological conditions permitting. Or in fair weather he might from such a pinnacle be able to see over the heads of the crowd and get a good view of the Home Guards marching down Fifth Avenue. We are not altogether lacking in altitudinal potentialities. The fact is that the editor does not know the columnar proportions of Educational Foundations, nor how long a chain could be made with the year's output placed end to end-nor how many battleships could be floated in the ink consumed-nor how many Germans could be killed by the bullets made from the lead that has been cast into type for these pages. O, there are so many things we do not know! But, if there is a man or woman anywhere in the world who has been lifted to higher altitude of usefulness, whose mental horizon has been broadened, whose task has been made more joysome, whose passion for truth and humanity has been inflamed thru the influence of this magazine then our efforts have not been in vain. And the number of lives so affected, is the real measure of our success. Let those who can and will, measure theirs in miles and gallons and tons. TALKS WITH TEACHERS DR. MARY CARROLL CRAIG As the State of Colorado is honored in having a woman of forceful personality at the head of its school system As the National Education Association has honored itself in honoring the same woman by electing her to the presidency of the organization So Educational Foundations has the honor of adding the name of MRS. MARY C. C. BRADFORD to our list of Editorial Counsellors and Contributors. Our readers will appreciate this announcement and will share in the benefits of the arrangement. MRS. BRADFORD was born in New York. Her education was received at the Packer Collegiate Institute and under private tutelage of members of the faculty of Columbia College and of the University of Paris. She married LIEUTENANT EDWARD TAYLOR BRADFORD U. S. N. The mother of four children she is familiar with the responsibilities as More than half her life has been spent well as the joys of domestic life. in Colorado. She has had six years experience as a county superintendent of schools and has been state superintendent since 1913. The University of Denver conferred upon her the degree of Litt. D. in 1914. Her activities in women's club and suffrage work together with many literary interests have given her a national reputation as a woman gifted with rare endowments as an educator and leader. TALKS WITH TEACHERS I The Joy that Should Be the Teacher's If an Agassiz finds pleasure in digging among fossils in order that he may interpret the great story of prehistoric life; if a THOREAU by Walden pond is delighted with his studies of bugs and beetles; if a JOHN BURROUGHS on his little patch of ground in the valley of the Mohawk, glories in his life among the birds and bees; if a LUTHER BURBANK is enraptured with his work of transforming a worthless desert cactus into an edible fruit, or in producing a sweeter rose or a fairer lily; if these and other workers whose names are legion, revel in the love of their work-then by what term shall we designate the joy that should be the teacher's, who works not with mere fossils, nor with bugs or beetles, nor with birds, bees or flowers, but with the child who is at once the most complex, the most plastic, the most beautiful, the most wonderful of all God's creations. Yes, it's a great thing to teach school, it's a wonderful thing to be a teacher. FRANK W. SIMMONDS. A GREAT CAMPAIGN FOR SCHOOL ATTENDANCE Communications from the Bureau of Education showing the need of strenuous efforts to safeguard the schools ABOR unions, parent-teacher as LA sociations, women's clubs, churches and other religious bodies, and many other organizations directly concerned with education have been enlisted by the United States Bureau of Education in a campaign for the maintenance of school efficiency as a special patriotic duty this year. In his appeal Dr. Claxton, Commissioner of Education, points out the existing fear lest public schools shall suffer because of conditions growing out of the entrance of the United States into the war. He emphasizes the fact that as a measure of present defence and for the future welfare of the country, as well as for the individual benefit of the children, it is of the greatest importance that the schools be maintained in the highest standards of efficiency. Especially important, in the view of the Commissioner, is prompt and regular attendance at school and proper employment during out-ofschool hours. These, the Commissioner believes, will be the children's surest protection against temptations to juvenile delinquencies. Labor unions are especially appealed to to urge the children now in high school to, complete their work. Superintendents of schools have been asked to cooperate with the representatives of labor unions in their communities in the efforts to keep children in school. LABOR UNIONS TO HELP IN CAMPAIGN FOR SCHOOL ATTENDANCE Organized labor thruout the country has been urged to lend its aid in the campaign undertaken by the United States Commissioner of Education to secure the greatest possible school attendance this year. In a letter addressed to State and city labor bodies thruout the United States Commissioner Claxton says: "For the protection of our boys and girls against unusual temptations to fall into delinquencies of many kinds, and that they may be prepared more fully for the work of life and the duties and responsibilities of citizenship, it is of the utmost importance that our schools shall be maintained in full efficiency, both as to attendance and standards of work, during the continuance of the war, and everything possible should be done to increase their efficiency in both respects. "The various labor organizations and their members thruout the country can render most valuable help in this respect. I am therefore appealing to all these organizations to use their influence and to urge their individual members to do all they can to the end A GREAT CAMPAIGN FOR SCHOOL ATTENDANCE that the standards of the schools in the several States and cities shall not be lowered in any way, and that no children of school age shall remain out of school except because of absolute necessity. "For the sake of this great cause, in which I feel sure you are no less interested than I am, I am taking the liberty of requesting you to bring this matter to the attention of all the labor organizations of your city. May I also suggest that since schools in many cities open very soon after Labor Day, it might be very helpful if special attention should be given to this matter on that day." RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS ASKED TO AID Ministers are urged to preach on the importance of school attendance as a patriotic duty this year, and Sunday School superintendents and leaders of young peoples' societies in the various churches are asked to make school attendance a special topic, in a letter addressed by the Commissioner of Education to churches and religious papers thruout the United States. In urging the churches to help in the campaign for greater school attendance, DR. CLAXTON says: "It is of the greatest importance that the schools of the United States of all kinds and grades-public, private, and parochial-be maintained during the war without any lowering of their standards or falling off in their attendance. "This is necessary both for the protection of our boys and girls against many unusual temptations to delinquencies of various kinds, and that they may have full opportunity for preparation for the work of life and for the duties and responsibilities of citizenship; all of which will require a higher degree of preparation because of the war. "For many reasons there will be need in this country for higher standards in average of ability, knowledge, and virtue when the boys and girls now in our schools have reached manhood and womanhood, than we or any other people have yet attained to. "In the making of public opinion and popular sentiment necessary for the maintenance of standards of efficiency, to keep children in the schools, and to prevent their exploitation in the mills and shops, the churches may do much. I am, therefore, appealing to all ministers to urge this from their pulpits, and to all superintendents of Sunday schools and all leaders of young peoples' societies to have this matter discussed in their meetings. "To do this is a patriotic duty which should be performed gladly, both for the present defence and for the future welfare of the country." ASKS CLUB WOMEN TO AID IN SCHOOL-ATTENDANCE CAM PAIGN A special appeal to club women in the United States has been issued by the United States Commissioner of Education, DR. P. P. CLAXTON, urging that the influence of the organiztions they represent be given to the maintenance of the schools of the nation in their full efficiency during the present crisis. DR. CLAXTON says: "Everywhere there seems to be fear lest our schools of all kinds and |