om of action, self-reliance, initiative, and imagination in children.
He looked upon children as if they were somebody's property or tools, not
human beings with individual destinies.

How important the parochial schools are considered to be by certain
immigrant nationalistic leaders and high clergy is shown by the speeches
delivered at the southeastern Wisconsin district conference of the
Evangelical Lutheran Joint Synod of Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, and
other states, held in the summer of 1918. Prof. A. Piper stated that,

we must concentrate all our powers upon keeping our hands on our
schools. To hold our schools we must compete with the public
schools, must hold classes five days a week, and must work with all
the strength that is in us. The most important part of all of our
missionary work is the work in our schools.

The importance of concentrating effort on the parochial schools was
further emphasized by W. Grabner, Milwaukee, who asked:

What has made Chicago the greatest Lutheran city in the world? [and
replied] I say it was the Lutheran parochial school. It has served
as a nucleus for all Lutheran families to settle about. Round it
all life and activity centered. Our Lutheran forefathers nourished
the little Lutheran schools with all the powers they possessed.

The situation in the rural districts of various states in regard to the
private and especially the parochial schools in connection with the
Americanization of the children of immigrants born here and abroad is
shown by the following field notes and material collected by the writer.

NEBRASKA

The Nebraska State Council of Defense made a report on the
foreign-language schools in Nebraska, dated January 14, 1917. The data
were secured through the personal investigation of Miss Sarka Hrbkova,
chairman of the Woman's Committee, aided by Miss Alice Florer of the
State Superintendent's office, and through the efforts of the county
chairmen of educational propaganda of the Woman's Committee. Professors
Link and Weller and other representatives of the German Evangelical
Lutheran Church of the Missouri Synod co-operated with Miss Hrbkova. The
following facts indicate the extent of parochial schools in Nebraska.[26]

Foreign-language schools are located in 59 counties of Nebraska.
There is a total of 262 schools in which it is estimated that
10,000 children receive instruction in fore