Coaching Capitals

"Beginning with the very opening of the fall terms in schools of every kind we may expect to see greater numbers than ever applying for instruction in technical and commercial subjects. Night, continuation and commercial schools should lead. The reason for this is that the unemployed fall into three great classes: the young high school and college graduates, who find themselves unequipped by an ordinary academic education to find suitable work; those who have been employed but are not now because they lacked modern business and technical education; and that older group who have been employed for years, but whose ideas and methods have become obsolete. . . . They realize that education must be continuous throughout life."

Thus last week spoke President Guy E. Marchand of the National University Society. President Marchand also announced that his society would be prepared to help alleviate the unemployment situation by establishing "coaching capitals" at strategic points throughout the U. S. to provide "by means of motion pictures, stage plays and charts ... an intensive review of modern business ideas and methods." Locations of capitals: New York, Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, Detroit, Los Angeles, Cleveland, St. Louis, Minneapolis, St. Paul, Seattle, San Francisco, Washington.

This is by no means the first time that Mr. Marchand has come forward with his notion of "adult re-education." The Marchand idea is that 10,000,000 people are "out of date," that until they are inculcated with brighter business ideas unemployment is inevitable. Since 1919 he has brought this belief before 250,000 clients of the National University Society.

Method: Mr. Marchand hires a big hall, plasters his posters around town, delivers lectures on the newest developments in U. S. business. Sometimes he uses industrial cinemas donated by prominent manufacturing concerns. Sometimes he has his corps of assistants perform a little drama on the stage intended to show the right and wrong way to do business. Classic Marchand example of commercial wrongheadedness is the case of Wrigley's chewing-gum when first introduced into England. Britons would not chew until the word gum--which signified nothing but raw rubber--was changed to "sweet."

Unlike most success-speech-makers, President Marchand has made over $1,-000,000 for himself. A friend of famed onetime (1901-09) Mayor Tom Johnson of Cleveland, he got a job as secretary to onetime (1909-11 & 1911-13) Governor Judson Harmon of Ohio. A few years later he was making if1 and 2^ envelopes and newspaper wrappers for the government on a four-year contract. He also prospered in Oklahoma oil. Then he retired and began his National University Society, persuading Senator Simeon D. Fess of Ohio, now national chairman of the G. O. P., to be board chairman. At first the 17-day sessions were addressed by economics professors. One day President Marchand had to fill a lecturer's place because of illness. He and others directly acquainted with business have been doing the lecturing ever since.

Evidence of how gravely President Marchand believes the country needs him this year is that there will be twelve "capitals" this season instead of the usual six. Tuition for new members is $20; old-timers can re-enter for a session at $5. Average age of N. U. S. entrants is 35; 75% of them are men. Each member must sign a pledge that if he or she is not completely satisfied at the end of the lectures, tuition money will be demanded back. Last year only 17 members wanted their $20 refunded.

Back to Camelot

The attention of literary ethnologists was directed last week to the northwest coast of Cornwall, England. The First International Arthurian Congress, composed of scholars interested in the genesis of Arthurian legends, went to visit Tintagel, the supposed scene of the chivalric monarch's activities, known to every Tennyson-read schoolboy as Camelot.*

Meeting from early morning to late at night at nearby Truro, each pedagog presented his or her version of the authenticity of various tales which surround Arthur, of whom the sole established fact yet known is that he was a 5th Century military leader of South Britain. Prominent among those present were Professor Mary Williams of University College (Swansea); Professor Maurice Wilmotte of Liege University; Professor A. G. Van-hamel of Utrecht University; Professor Roger Loomis of Columbia University, U. S. expert on the archeological history of legends; Rev. Henry Richard Jenner. Cornish historian, Grand Bard of the Cornish Gorswedd (bard congress).

Pedagogs enjoyed the experience of being on the ground where tradition says Arthur trod, but little constructive scholarship was accomplished at the meeting. Dr. Jenner, however, announced findings annoying to Tintagel tradesmen.

"The castle [at Tintagel] as we see it now," said he, "is not of any period approximating King Arthur's. The original story which Geoffrey [of Monmouth] retold and faked to make it read well intended two neighboring fortresses as the centres of incident and did not mean Tintagel to be one of them at all. The present ruin was probably built in the 13th Century."

"The Tristran cycle did not pretend to any high-toned morality--to the contrary --and so Tintagel, after what Geoffrey told about it, became a fit setting for so entirely unmoral a story as Tristran. Even there it is an imposture, for the earliest form of these romances seems to put the King's dwelling elsewhere. To call it [Tin-tagel] King Arthur's castle is quite as much an imposture, but it is so profitable to the hotel and lodging-house keepers that there is very little chance of getting rid of it."

*Growing in popularity is a new game-- simpler than chess, more complicated than checkers, a cross between the two--called Camelot. Played with 26 "knights" and "men" on a squared board, the object of the game is to get any two pieces through the opponent's forces and into two starred squares in his back line. Created by George S. Parker of Salem, Mass., inventor and longtime manufacturer of more than 200 games, Camelot is played and recommended by Bridge Experts Milton C. Work, Sidney S. Lenz, E. V. Shepard: Tennis Players Marjorie Morrill, Francis T. Hunter: Lyricist Howard Deitz: Socialites Anne Morgan, Mrs. Prescott Warren.

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