The Chemawa American, June 01, 1915, Page 13, Image 15

THE CHEMAWA AMERICAN
13
locker. In it he finds uniform, knapsack, equipment of every kind,
even to the emergency ration and a package of first aid appliances in
one of the pockets. Completely clad and armed, he wraps his citizen's
clothing in a paper provided for that purpose, and steps into his place
in the ranks ready. That's what German efficiency means absolute
readiness.
It means, too, the ability to construct a plan to formulate a purpose
and then to concentrate every faculty, every resource, upon the achieve
ment of that end. It means a higher degree of organization than the
world has ever known.
Efficiency is no new thing. We have heard a great deal of it during
the last decade. Germany has no monopoly of efficiency. England,
France, Italy, are perhaps, only less efficient. Germany has developed
to the Nth power. And if the advantage of Germany's foes in numbers
and in wealth were not so great, I have no doubt that German efficiency
would be victorious. Even with the odds so overwhelmingly against
her, it is by no means incredible that Germany may win. But win or
lose, the efficiency of Germany her military efficiency will raise the
standard of all subsequent human undertakings.
Having seen the wonderful demonstration of human efficiency, how
can we do less than to desire to imitate it? All of the business of the
world will be keyed to a higher pitch will demand greater knowledge,
greater foresight, greater attention to detail, greater power to plan and
execute, greater concentration, greater organization.
The lesson is obvious. I shall not stop to point the moral. You can
not but see it. That's one of the watchwords of education today
efficiency. That, I take it, is one thing Chemawa has taught you
efficiency the ability to do something well. It doesn't so much matter
what that something is. Ir may be farming or carpentering, or horse
shoeing, or keeping house if you can do it well, the world has need of
you. You want to be successful, don't you? You will be, in so far as
you are efficient. That is the call in every factory, every office, every
business house. Give us efficient men. The world pays, and pays well,
for efficiency. For the highest efficiency the kind typified by Germany
there is hardly any price it will not pay.
The other great issue that I have to present, I approach almost with
diffidence not that I am uncertain of my ground but because it is pos
sible there may be those among you who may not see things as I do.
If I speak critically of Germany, it is without bitterness or rancor. In
my heart I can find no inclination to condemn the German people, but
rather to sorrow with them, because they are, as I believe, mistaken.
I would use no stronger word. It is not easy, in this colossal conflict,
to keep one's mind free and dispassionate, to achieve that fine imparti-