The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-06-30

The increasing Importance 90 an UNDER
standing OF the Spanish lanCVaEe IS f.,,-
coming mora and more apparent 10 those
whose interests on <hs Pacific coast bring
taem In touch with the business at Mex
ico and 81 Central and South America.
Good positions are 20 Ne had hy tbs young
American ~ho understands and SPEAKS
spanish we'll enough 20 act A. X salesman
or ~ shipping agent. 10 sag nothing og
he possibility of a government m3sSjon.
The many advantages Of a thorough
knowledge of the Spanish language IS
shown by he toIlawlns letter from United
States Consul General Thomas r Crit
ienden. read Monday before the con-
Ncution 81 the Washington State Fhllo-
logical Society
Mexico. May is. 1857
Prof Charles =. barry Wa~hington
Agricultural ColIege. Department *
Modern Languages. Pullman, Wash.
lear str. nave yours or the lAtb.
stating the Washington State Pathological
society viii discuss at its session in Seal
Tie, juno y the benefits ~ instruction ~
IN" spanish language AZ our hlGb >GhOols
and colieGeS, in which Soa ask an auto
graph communication from HE enCouTs4a-
taE the instruction In spanish for cgu0-
nerciaI purposes and otherwise.
n have had "a four years residence "a
this city as au official az our soktrumont.
barring the time given mt on leaves x
abseuce. coming here With 40 kncvltaea
q the Spanish language. and IN fact. Bat
little OF the country. IL - astounding
What a JACK q Information oar people -
a mass have OF Mexico. when we consider
that y i our neNt-,toor southern nelgU-
boT. bHNe been greatly embarrassed
since my arrival here. a. the commercial
representative OF oar government. IN not
understanding even the elemrutar! pfiDti-
pies 81 tui@ language. lt haas urvn the
source of official As well as social embar-
raSsmenr 60 me ever since, and must be
equally So to nly successor. II MOI better
qualified in that respect than I was when
landing here The loss does not end here
as the more accomplished representa-
tive IS IN The language of t.o country. AS
hc = sent. the more efficient ne Is In The
ltuc OF his business. IL would he hut Ill
tie less wise 10 the board 4 oae 81 eur
colleges la choosing is president and pro-
tcsSoFs 70 select 8nlcarued men Tor those
high places. than for the president of tho
niJed States 40 appoint from a contend
tng isa@. Of political supporters az repre-
Seut.tftSes 10 foreign courts and countries
Oi the various interests az our govern
ment and people England. France and
Germany train Well for such Official posi-
lions by long residence abroad. and ~
taking them when younS for that purpose.
Their representatives are required 10
learn the languages and business Methods
OF such countries which gives them tu-
calculable advantages over The newcomer
and stranger AZ the gate. / VIII soon 6e
relieved OF this charge ami VIII certainly
rounding my successor as ne enters upon
his ncV life, unless he has been more Of =
student and scholar than a politician.
wrote several years ago 10 the president
of one Of our colleges OF Missouri! that |
would cbeerfully give $50 II then could
speak the spanish Language. ! again en-
phaSize that remark in saying NJ the close
OF my term that J would give N.'1, even
at my aga. being a longtime voter II
could speak this language IN All its per-
tty. beauty and cuphony. III an educator
- ! fa..ff ia Erh oil
States | would not favor the displacement
of Latin for any study. but would displace
Greek and Hebrew for such modern lam
g1IagtS a German. French ana spanish.
especially where the student had not the
necessary money and time 10 become
learned in the lore II all the language.
and again, when that student expected 20
become engaged in commercial affairs.
The Latin being the foundation and root
OF SO many Of the Engitsh anu DINER
words t. essential az ali times Those
having some knowledge OF Latin can
learn to speak and write this language IN
less time and with greater periectness
than the stranger 10 tt.
The United States is great CONNER
ciat na+.On. its conquests are along raeinc
lines: its triur-phs have neen wonderful IN
ths past. ana promise more SO IN the to-
Yankee energy ana Yankee inventions.
There Is no speech or language where tnelr
voice IL not heard. meeting and contend
Ing with peoples and governments hohfs
with age with all TIE alarTtfy and con
fdence OF a strong man ia run a race. A.
great Is this success has been. would i nor
have beeu greater had the agents OF The
rnantf acturers and representative OF oar
government been learned In the langnaEe
and customs of the different countries
few years ago an article appeared m ore
of the New York dailies from one II the
prominent statesmen OF our country g,
great force, ia which y was stated thtt
the people Of the United states. IN many
respects So remarkably energetic ar- tx
tremeiv Indifferent lu the matter - az
auriug proficiency iu other Language th3h
fEeir native English This Is siTlkinEiF
observed here fn fact some hat 10 our
Almost All foreigners here.
Is eecially the French and Germans. Speak
two or three other languages oleer fhan
their home tongue whilst tne pushing.
driving Americans aF@ apparently salts
ned in speaking only that ~ tGeIF own
country In the~e Lars days 81 uti1tarian-
lam colleges srnug3 aT1rB the touuE lrls
ana girls every possible facilitg for ieafh-
ing one or more foreign language lh"f.
especially ~ 9pa ii1sh- NJ ra8V's '.'7't =
procure lucrative positions 4n 'H@
great demand an present for fairly f1afff-
"a NoHn& men Who can converse and cor
AS travelling ssteTmeu iu spanish 80 7k}nZ
countries A. xfeaf ~ t6e demand is nov.
n R.st t.@ rorre@pondtrElY sTe3ter as 80
more vigorously extend our CONNIE rec 20
tna -rsat-H--p. king countries.
- wil} close ny quoting from 4 writer -
rnura fore uuau th3e r8i3ecF. H. says:
The Iwo Americas airs almost as -harpiy
fl4fsi-f lanEHlefIcalF as E1frtllT.
IN %1rth America EuEliea is t8e uuiVtrs Il
io4 Mexico anl fae West indies spanish.
th. mother tongue OF tue old couaueTpre.
re}uetHS voc language of thf people IL .
q Esrt thft sac SPANISH pea king races =
Z ae southern n#ff ~ tf.e fwu continents are
showing . growing tpe nation 20 acquire
a kn0SIs *. ~ Fns}iaa. and Sc 8. de alrafae.
Z fnf aHly tre tIrpo~* III cotnihs re mat
tha EHzisa-sIfs kius people = 1ae nortn-
arm .s4f sho4Ef rFca prorsiif learn 90 rfst e