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THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



craving for a knowledge of aeroplanes 

 with the story of Aladdin's lamp. We 

 wondered where those paper-bound pam- 

 phlets of fables and myths would fit in. 



We reached joyfully for the histories 

 and found them built about the tales of 

 the Crusades. One world map, — that 

 was a glorious find — one world map upon 

 which to build our empire ! 



To be sure, as time went on we found 

 use even for Aladdin's lamp and sent for 

 more discarded Fourth Readers. But 

 that was when we ourselves discovered 

 the connection between that lamp and 

 aeroplanes. At the start we set about the 

 manufacturing of our own "books." 



Charts were not new to us. Standard- 

 ized Peter Roberts charts and leaflets, 

 dealing with military terms, camp eti- 

 quette, the care of the clothing, could be 

 had ready made and were excellent. 

 Lessons based on the vocabulary of the 

 General Orders, — some day perhaps a 

 tragedy will be written on the non-Eng- 

 lish-speaking soldier and his General 

 Orders — these, too, had their place. But 

 they were not enough. 



FIRST STEP — CONVERSATION 



All beginning lessons of immigrant edu- 

 cation must center about conversation. 

 Much as he longs for the book and easily 

 as he learns to read, the foreigner, 

 whether in military camp or factory, 

 needs, first of all, to understand and to 

 be understood. 



There is nothing more difficult than to 

 make a foreign pupil talk, for the cour- 

 age which is his when his hands grasp a 

 book and his eyes are glued to its page 

 forsakes him when hands and eyes lose 

 their support. And between straight 

 reading and straight speaking comes the 

 picture chart. 



The subject - matter for beginners' 

 charts centered about such words as 

 "gun," "shoot," "soldier," "officer," 

 "march," "drill," "tent," "eat," "run," 

 "hear," "see," and we thought that they 

 would be easy to make until we tried to 

 find appropriate pictures for our illus- 

 trations. The "intermediate" charts were 

 easier, and they were determined by a 

 few brief questions in class. 



We take so easily for granted the sol- 

 dier's — any soldier's — knowledge of the 



tools of warfare. We somehow believe 

 that even though he has neither news- 

 papers nor magazines, neither lectures 

 nor casual war conversation, he still, by 

 virtue of his months in a military camp, 

 acquires military information through the 

 pores of the skin, as it were. Which is 

 true perhaps of the care of his gun and 

 the hours for mess. 



They ivACK primary conceptions 



What is a tank ? What is a submarine ? 

 What is a howitzer? Out of what are 

 aeroplanes made? What is a transport? 

 What is a destroyer? What is Red 

 Cross? It is not that many of these for- 

 eign soldiers lack the English words to 

 tell us. There is no concept of the things 

 themselves. 



We gathered photographs and more 

 photographs from the magazines in the 

 camp library store-room. We procured 

 huge sheets of wrapping paper. With 

 these and with a stamping press, and 

 scissors, and inkpads, and glue we made 

 our charts — the tank and the aeroplane 

 and the ships in the process of construc- 

 tion, at rest, in action, with appropriate 

 words and legends printed under the pho- 

 tographs. All these were, primarily, for 

 the less advanced classes, though we who 

 made them gathered much new knowl- 

 edge as we worked. 



"HOW DO WE GO TO FRANCE?" 



The geographic charts came later. It 

 was Corporal Pickett who raised the 

 question. Corporal Pickett — he is Pri- 

 vate Pickett now, for he learned that only 

 privates were wanted for the last con- 

 tingent which went across — taught a class 

 in the 160th which met in the evenings 

 stupid with weariness. Truly, this class 

 needed a bright and stirring lesson. The 

 magic word "France" was in the air, and 

 Corporal Pickett asked a question, think- 

 ing of a lesson in transportation : 



"How do we go to France?" 



The class, to a man, looked him over 

 indifferently and said no word. 



"Aw, come on now, fellows ; how do 

 we go to France ?" A very baffled teacher 

 he was, face sunblistered, hair upstand- 

 ing, despair in his eyes. "Jose Cano, 

 don't you know how we go to France?" 



