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Behold, how illusory are all international restrictions when the
education of a nation is quite excluded from any control! When the
Nitzschean education of Germany teaches the German youth to despise all
neighbours, all nations and races as inferior ones, how could you expect
the Germans to respect the laws and regulations about Belgium, and
submarines--and Zeppelin-warfare, and use of the dum-dum bullets and of
poisonous gases?

If there is anything to be learned from this war it is doubtless this:
The education of youth in all the countries of the world must become an
international affair of the very first importance.

THE RUSSIAN TSAR, MR. CARNEGIE AND NOBEL.

The Russian Tsar suggested the Peace Conference of The Hague. Mr.
Carnegie built a wonderful Hall of Peace there, formed several
commissions for the investigation of war cruelties during the Balkan
Wars, and founded many public libraries for the instruction of the poor.
The noble Nobel left his big fortune for the support of the best works
of literature or science having as their aim the general good of
mankind. If I were either the Russian Tsar or Mr. Carnegie or Professor
Nobel I would do neither of the three mentioned things, but I would give
suggestions and material support to an International Board of Education.

That is the point to start with in the consolidation of the World. I am
sorry to say that no one of these three great friends of mankind listens
to the prophetic words of Christ: Let children come unto me! and that no
one thought that no great social reform and no real philanthropic
foundation of mankind is possible to realise--yea, even to
start--otherwise than through the children. The Peace Conference, being
rather a law court than anything else, is beaten by the uncontrolled
warlike education of the German nation. Carnegie's books have been read
by grown-up people who had already got a direction in life, and
Carnegie's Hall of Peace in The Hague is still an office without
business. Nobel's prize was given also to some German professors who are
responsible for the new pedagogy in Germany.


MOTHERS, PATRIOTS, AND PRIESTS.

These three can be the best possible supporters or the worst enemies of
your educational scheme. Mothers by nature adore their children and
excite their individualism. Patriots try to engage the whole heart and
imagination of a child for its own country. Priests are asking the whole
sympathy of a child for their creed and their church. To be
individualistic, to be a patriot and a believer are the quite natural
gifts of a healthy person. But maternal love exaggerates very often the
individualism of a child and makes it egotistic and selfish; exclusively
cultivated patriotism degenerates into chauvinism; and exclusive church
education makes a bigot. These three kinds of people (alas! the
majority), egotists, chauvinists and bigots, will be against an
international scheme of education. But you must say to the sensible
mothers: The international education of your child will not kill its
individuality, but, on the contrary, will use it to the best advantage
for mankind and for itself. You are an enemy of your son if you educate
him to be an egotist and egoist. In egotism and egoism one has the worst
company in this life, the company which leads to pessimism and disgust
of life.

You must say to the sensible patriots: International education approves
of patriotic as of a natural inclination; only the new education intends
to make a window in every fatherland so that the child may see its
neighbours and stretch its hand to greet them.

And you must say to the sensible priests: The international board of
education will let every child go to its own church and learn the
catechism from its own parish priest; but it will be brought in touch
with the children of different creeds, and it will pray with them upon
the general ground of all the creeds.

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