St Ignatius College - Ignatian Yearbook (San Francisco, CA)

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PALACE OF EDUCATION 11 so long as they leave out the moral factor, grope in the dark and strike wildly at puppets. This, I think, is suflicient to give us a general idea of the value and worth of the Educational Building at the Expo- sition. There were many exhibits of keen interest, many of wholesome instruction. Some laid bare the dark depths of the nether side of life, others held high a bright and shining light of promise of better times to come. And if in certain departments truth was obscured, or even torn and rent asunder and strewn about in a general wreckage of thought, still the splendid work shown and the steady advance demon- strated in other quarters fully compensated for this unde- sirable and lamentable feature. The Palace of Education and Social Economy was a grand storehouse of instruction, and a great and world-wide collection of the methods and ideas f r h m i . 0 modem u an ty Eugcne Conway. Mbna Nature Speaks While wandering 'mid country scenes I spied a garden fair, I caught a gleam of Nature's sheen And stopped to linger there. Soft lilies white 'mid roses fair, Each decked with sparkling jewel Poured incense sweet on summer air To own a Master's rule. In languid grace all trailing sway Euchsias 'mid bowers green, And soft the play of silvery spray Mellowed by golden beam. I gazed at purple-tinted cloud And knew an Artist hand: Fair Earth cried loud 'neath Nature's shroud: I-Ie made this Fairylandlu Joseph Mclnevfncy. 5

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10 IGNATIAN island of Cuba set up an exhibit that treated of nothing else but of their up-to-date methods of exterminating disease- carrying insects and animals, together with models of their modern hospitals and sanatoriums. Japan gave us an excel- lent idea of its hygienic systems. But since mankind is prac- tically the same all over the world, so disease is common not only to these people, but to all peoples in more or less the same forms, and as all modern countries keep right in touch with every advance in science, we can see that these different exhibits owed their interest and attractiveness not so much to the different diseases drawn attention to, nor yet to their prevention or cure, but to the light in which the display was regarded. A Japanese looking over scenes famil- iar to him would enjoy that exhibit of japan much more than he would enjoy the work done by the United States on the same subject. So without dwelling longer on this par- ticular phase we shall consider those States of our country which gave us a comprehensive view of all their sociological activities. Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania and Maryland laid out their systems in full. They explained their methods of handling the convicts, treating the insane, and caring for the sick. Massachusetts seemed to be very strong in every department. Pennsylvania excelled in its treatment of the tuberculosis and smallpox problems. New York was first rate in all, but particularly in its exposition of its methods in the prisons, and its mode 'of handling the insane. Mary- land dwelt on all in a vague and general manner. Touching this subject is the question brought up by the Child Labor Bureau, the Social Hygiene booth, and the Race Betterment exhibit. The Child Labor Bureau and the Race Betterment exhibit work for a stronger race physicallyg the Social Hy- giene booth is for physical improvement certainly, but it maintains that this can primarily be procured 'by a better training of the child morally. And it was this third depart? ment which touched the soul of the question. The others,

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Ellyn mar aah the Expnnitinn 16 -we H4 All 636 Francisco, with 'fi -' fx s W E1 if f F GURTEEN months ago the Panama Canal was completed. Universally recognized as man's most audacious correction of nature's work, it was only fitting and proper that this achievement should receive a tribute worthy of its greatness. The people of San characteristic initiative, asked that they be allowed to assume this responsibility and Congress granted their request to the satisfaction of the whole nation. And now, thanks to San Francisco's progressiveness and courage, we have one of the most beautiful, one of the most popular, and one of the most successful expositions that will ever go clown in the pages of history. But despite the fact that we know from official state- ments and figures that our Exposition has attained a record before which all precedents pale and wither, there are some people who are of the opinion that the original purport and plans of the Exposition have been materially impaired as a result of the far-reaching effects of the present war. But from the viewpoint of those who have investigated the ques- tion, this opinion has absolutely no justification, and further- more, those who look into the facts find that the European war, cruel and destructive as it might be, has proved rather a benefit than a detriment to the Exposition in every partic- ular necessary to its completion and its ultimate success. In the first place let us consider the great numbers of people who leave here annually to spend the summer in Europe. It has always been so. The wealthier classes of the Eastern cities have always looked to Europe for their source of culture and amusement, and a trip to the Old VVorld is the very soul and stimulant of their ambition. In consequence of this tendency a season rarely passes which fails to draw thousands of our American people to the num- berless attractions of Europe. VVould the year 1915 prove