The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1909-11-17
Study Of Foreign Languages Increase
Trade.

Thomas Il. Norten, consul to Chemnitz
Germany, Is responsible for the statement
that the systematic study in foreign Ian
suages on the part of the youth Of Ger
many in capturing the..foreign markets OF
the world.
The plan Is being adopted throughout
the empire and the business people are en-
thusiastic over it.
Provision for teaching English and
French is made In those public shcools that
correspond to the grammar schools here
in this country. The number OF students
taking these languages is growing rapid
ly.
The effect of the knowledge Of foreign
languages, it is stated, in gaining and
holding the trade is Of incalculable value
The consul states further that in Chem
nitz it is required Of any young man be
ginning q business career that he be mas
ter Of at least one other language besides
his mother tongue.
One reason why the United States has
so little influence over the trade OF her own
possessions and over adjoining Spanish
territory is in the fact that there are no
traders among Americans, Oh rather that
there are so few traders among Americans.
No one a give any logical reason why
the bulk of Cuba's trade should not come
to the United States, and yet it is plain to
the traveller that Spain still holds
the bulk Of trade. Ask any Of our people
who have visited the pearl Of the Antilles
where she trades and they will tell you
that she trades with Spain.
We have such resources at home that we
have not found it necessary to lift our eyes
beyond the horison. But this cannot last
always. II the South would be the richest
people it must look after her trade with
the neighboring territory.
Cuba alone, is a rich isle and If the south
had trades to do the work she might reap
q rich harvest from this source alone.
The people Of the South, though, have
heard Of the name "Dago". That word is
a synonym for all that is worthless, and in
consequence every man that speaks Span
ish and has an olive tinted skin is produc-
tive Of no good.
With us Spanish is not a polite language
and because we do not know how to bar
ter In that language we lose a world Of
rich trade,
The South, especially, should teach the
Spanish in her schools. With contiguous
territory speaking the language, we might
learn the lesson that Germany teaches us
and, even at this late day, try to wrest the
trade from Spain held by her for centuries.
and turn it In the direction Of the United
States.
The Spanish language is just as beauti-
full as the French language, it is easier to
master. easier to pronounce, so why not
study Spanish? We study Latin and
Greek In our schools and it is well. These
should be studied before the modern Ian
guages provided that the pupil will not
stop at the Latin and Greek. II either the
Greek or Spanish Is to be sacrificed would
1t not be better to sacrifice the Greek?
II the student can take both, then all is
well but II he must be left out Of the
curriculum which should it be?
People should be constantly on the alert
lest they fall into "The Path of the Calf.
The lad packs his trunk and starts to COL
lege because 1t is the fashion. He buys
him a "dinky" cap because it is the fashion
He breaks his head trying for the foot
ball team because it is the fashion. He
studies just what Is set before him be-
cause tits the fashion.
There are more crimes committed in
the name Of education today than have
been committed at any time since history
was lin the making. Boys study that
which will never help them, when they
might study something else that would
serve the double purpose OF mind training
and increasing capacity for bread making
But we all wait fop some one to take the
initiative. Should school begin-Some
school with p~restige-then we would begin
too, but we'll We are in the Path Of the
Calf.