The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-06-24
Only En- glish Should He Taught in
the Public Schools.

the Public Schools.
At the hearing given on Monday by the
Committee on Studies of the Board Of
Education, concerning the newly adopted
plan for teaching German in the public
schools former Sheriff HANSEN threw
out threat Of political vengeance unless
the plan was reconsidered. Interpreting
the new arrangement of the curriculum
as a step toward the abolition Of instruc-
ton in German, he undertook to bulldoze
the committee by warning them that
the people will not refrain from giving
you distinct answer Of their sovereign
viii at the proper time.
But Mr.. TAMsRN does not represent
the sentiment Of the intelligent Germans
Of New York. That sentiment has been
expressed very clearly and very decid-
edly in letters from them which have
been printed in THE Sun, and 1t 10 in
agreement with the opinions uttered BY
Mr.. GUSTAV Fl. SOHwAB, distinguished
representative Of the German COM
munity Of New York, in letter to the
chairman OF the committee. to this
effect:
I hold that It Is the primary object Of the pub
lie school teach the Children Of this city
the Of the English language and the rudinentary
branches q education, In order that shey may be-
come useful American citizens The now course.
II seems 70 me. will give better results and greater
satisfaction in . more thorough instruction than
under the former plan.
Intelligent Germans know very we'll
that their language cannot be taught
effectively In the elementary schools
during the small part Of the curriculum
of study which it is possible to give to it.
Even if the threatening Mr.. HANSEN was
right in his suspicion that the modih-
cation of the course adopted means the
eventual elimination Of German instruo-
ton altogether, the Board Of Education
would only deserve commendatiou, and
it would be commended by the great mass
of foreign-born people Of New York who
come from countries not speaking our
language. But there is no such disguise.
The new arrangement is simply new
treatment OF department of study hero
tofore unsatisfact orily arranged.
All the same, no language except Eng
fish should be taught in the elementary
schools supported by heavy taxation,
and in New York of all communities. In
a community where at least one-third
Of the inhabitants are of races speaking
other languages and where the chief
additions to its population are now COM
ing from an immigration OF such races
unprecedented in its magnitude, the first
duty, the imperative policy in order to
preserve our American institutions ia
speedily to assimilate the children OF
these foreigners by teaching them the
English language in the public schools.
In order to bring about this assimilation
it is necessary that they should be weaned
from alien traditions, so closely bound
upwith their native speech, We have here
a tremendous social and political prob
lem to solve because of the mixture on
Manhattan Island, more especially, Of
the greatest variety of races ever brought
together in the history Of mankind. and
the chief agent in the solution must be
the free public school system.
At the time of the census OF 1900 the
HSiuluHS luCIuuliH t!ic bcIIILhn.pOiH
and the native Of German parentage,
were the most numerous of any national
ity, with the Irish close behind; but now
Italians and Jews are coming in at rate
which promises to put those two races
ahead of those others in 1910 If it was
the proper function of the public schools
to teach any alien language all would
have to be taught-not German alone or
French and German, but Italian, Yid-
dish, or Hebrew, Bohemian and the rest
Discrimination in favor of any one is I'M
just. If we have one in the schools at
the request of parents or race societies,
IN consistency we must pay like heed to
the wishes of parents Of every tongue
The only way to do impartial Justice
to all is TO follow the course of obviously
sound policy and give in the elementary
schools instruction in orr own Language
only. So far from the threat of political
vengeance executed by the foreigners
having any terrors, every one who knows