Daily Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1882-1893, 1888-07-26
PRICE FIVE CENTS.
LNeuAL ACHIEVEMENTS IN TRADE.
knowledge Of Foreign Languages Needed
I'm Conmerce-The (.erman Merchant

knowledge of Foreign Languages Needed
In Commsrce-The German Merchant.
Every large town in the midland re-
gion Of America-in truth, every large
town throughout the entire country-has
greater or less percentage OF German
citizens, varying from 10 TO 40 per cent,
and in many cities the school commits
sioners have made a concession TO the
German element by including the Ger
man language among the branches taught
in the public schools. By this course the
fact has been established that not only
the children Of German parents have de-
rived benefit, but that the studious boys
and girls of other nationalities have
profted by this opportunity for acquiring
German. Experience has shown that this
twofold acquisition Of language, by prac-
teal use, is Of very decided utility 10 the
children who embrace it, and the latter
make much more rapid progress than
such as are taught by means Of one Ian
guage exclusively. In many countries
they would esteem themselves peculiarly
fortunate in possessing such an advantage
that is to say, a majority Of the pupils
bringing with them into the school at
least superficial. knowledge Of two Ian
guages. Such an opportunity would he
sedulously cultivated, just as the French
has been cultivated in the French and
WALTON provinces for fully 200 years.
Not so, however, in our own country.
Here, the German tongue b; s had TO con-
tend constantly against prejl lice or di-
rect hostility. If one takes into consider
arion the fact that consider lie proper
ton of the boys instructed the two
tongues later in life enter commercial
vacations, this aversion 10 Germln viii be
regarded rs unwise and suicidal The Ger
man language is the second most Widely
spoken on the face Of the globe, and a man
who understands it well. together with the
, English, can today engage in business
as a commercial traveller in any country
that is not European. The trade. for ex-
ample, of Mexico and Central America is
in the hands Of German firms. whose
members were educated from their boy
hood for their future profession, by being
compelled to acquire Spanish, at the same
tirue with their mother tongue, and often
English and French besides. II an Amer
lean commercial traveller should enter
into conversation with such merchant,
in Guatemala or San Salvador, in his
mother tongue, bond of fellowship is at
once established, which is very likely to
bear fruits.
A nation that in our day wishes to
| enjoy consideration in the markets of the
world must possess polyglot acquire
ments. For this reason Germans sue
ceed in all parts Of the world, whilst
Englishmen or Frenchmen are complain
ing of stagnation in business. The Ger
man imperial government encourages
| these efforts in all directions, and last
winter the permanent establishment of
an oriental department in the Berlin
university was decided upon, not less as
measure for The promotion of COM
merce than as n facility for learned in
vestigation. Tie German trades organ.
Export. thus expresses itself upon this
subject: To-day it is no longer sufficient
10 understand English and French; the
| period in which the German merchant
supposed he had acquired knowledge
SultNNlt VI lbitiEil lAilN uaESa, III lltt,ocHr-
ing these two, is long past. At present
n large and active commerce throughout
the whole globe has been established.
The long locked up countries of Africa
have been thrown open TO the world
Asia is everywhere accessible. Now, for
the first time, our minds fully realize how
numerous is mankind-how multiform
are nations and how many tongued like
wise. Even in India whose sovereignty
resides in the hands of Great Britain,
there is only very small minority that
can speak more than a word or two of
English.
The merchant of modern times must, TO
be successful, understand foreign tongues
the more the better, and the school
authorities, instead Of acting as the dog
IN the manger, should afford to the rising
generation every opportunity TO acquire
them, especially where this can be done
at the expenditure Of so little time and
cost as is attached to the acquisition Of
German In most of our cities, by the
system indicated.-Translated for Public
Opinion from the Baltimore Couespon-
dent