The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-03-23
DR.. Elkourie and DR.. Aber-
crombie Discuss One of
Nations Big Problems
DR.. PARKE PRESIDENT
FOR THE COMING YEAR
Charities and Corrections Conference
Last Night Was Devoted to Dis
cussion of Needs Engendered
by Increasing Immigration.


fore the Alabama Conference of Chart
ties and Corrections yesterday morning,
delivered an interesting address on the
| Assimilation of the Immigrant"
This great problem was also discussed
In detail by President John w. Aber-
crombie of the University of Alabama.
who first pictured the tremendous obi-
cation imposed upon the United States
citizenship by the immigrant, and out
| lined his solution OF the problem. Their
ideas are given below.
| James Bowron insisted that the edu-
cation of the immigrant should begin
before he leaves his home and DR.. Alex
ander johnson emphasized the Importance
of cultivating the immigrants talent.
Mrs. w. D. Smith presented her re
| port on the Free Kindergarten and the
Work Among the Immigrants
| The election of officers for the ensuing
year was then taken up with the follow
| ing result:
| President, DR.. Thomas D. Parke of Bir-
mingham.
| First vice president. Mrs. John B. Wa
| terman of Mobile
Second vice president. Judge N. B.
Feagin.
Third vice president. DR.. C. C. Thach.
Treasurer, E. j. Buck.
| Corresponding secretary, l.. HI. Put
nam.
| The following are the chairmen of the
various completes: Child service, Mrs.
c. E. Spencer; organized charities. Mrs.
| W. l.. Murdoch; legislation, M. R. Stoutz;
delinquent girls, Rabbi Morris Newfield;
detectives, DR.. Dressler
DIR. EIkOurie Speaks
| DIR. Elkourie said: 1.-The assimilation of
| the immigrant is question of tremendous
| import and is essentially vital. not only to
the American public but to the immi-
grant as well. who is for the most part
the future American. From all parts of
the world immigrants are coming here in
greater numbers. This increase has SO
alarmed Opportunities affectatious and
narrow minded bigots to an extent that In
revealing their selfish natures they have
| gone so far as to make Determinations,
| lines of demarkation and distinct and
partial determinations between national
tiles, between different countries and even
| between branches of one and the same
race, without regarding their moral stand
| ing or capabilities, but merely because
they happen to come from portion of
the globe where our cousins do not hap
pen to reside.
"The term undesirable is sometimes
used to include a whole country, without
even being so charitable as to admit the
invariable exception of finding 'desirables'
in any class or race. My allusion to
these things Is for the purpose of show
ing that these sentiments are serious i'm
pediments in the ways of the philanthop-
| ist and to an irreparable injury to the
| Immigrant himself. particularly to those
who do not happen to be closely related
to us either by blood or custom. In a
word, this question results in the creation
and harborlng of hostile feelings and re-
suits in no little friction between the
immigrant and the American public, not
withstanding the fact TINT the great ma
jority of immigrants come here with a
sincere purpose of becoming what the
great Americans desire him to become.
Thus, this original appreciation of the
true principles of this government is
marred and the immigrants impression
of America and the Americans after mis-
residence here is not as pleasing as his
first impression.
Need of Assimilation
1T Is obviously plain that the foreigner
who is by custom and social habits
closely related to us does not need so
much assimilation so far as we are con-
concerned at least. Those, however. who
are not by custom nor by habits closely
related to us and whose ideals and tradi-
tions are unlike ours are the ones that de-
mand our attention and the ones that
need assimilation.
Il did not come to attend the well,
for the well needs no physician, but 1
come to heal the sick So said the
Greatest Physician and the Prince of
Philanthropists. We do nothing, COM
paratively speaking, to aid in the proper
assimilation of the Immigrant and yet we
charge him with the faults that arise
from unassimilation. Moreover it has
occurred to me that we as a people I'M
derstand and in practice prove that our
conception of assimilation is that of abb
solute and complete conversion. unless
we desire to excuse ourselves by defining
assimilation to be complete surrender
of every custom, tradition and precept,
however sacredly and lovingly cherished
| by the immigrant. to be exchanged for
our habits and customs. 1t is neither
impudent nor disrespectful to make the
| following interrogations: Are our customs
and ideals faultless? Are we sure that
our social and religious standards are the
very best Is it not possible for us to
| find one. only one, trait in the so-styled
undesirables that ie superior to ours and
from which we could extract a valuable
and a moralizing lesson2 1t Is an unde-
niable fact sustained with unimpeachable
evidence that in the matter of reverence
and respect to our parents and to the
aged we are far from being a criterion.
rather than having the immigrants to
bo thoroughly Americanized in the sense
| tho term is usually used. 1t is far bet
ter TO encourage them in holding tena-
| c,ouslv to their own good ideals and i'm
nor+ 70 them those traits they need to
,r,.nrove theirs and thus in this manner
IN the assimilation through the channels
~ perfect combination of principles we
approach standard that is nearly per-
| feet.
That of Loving Father
"our position in relation to the immi-
grant should be that of wise and low
| ine father to his son. We should Undue
him with the thought that Americanism
stands pre-eminently for equality, justice