Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1911-12-06

schools. Seemingly the historic facts
are Of themselves enough to render
discussion superauous, but there is
more than ancient history to urge
such teaching, as Scandinavian and
German are today living languages
Of ever-increasing force, they make
their own appeal: It is claimed that
one-half the white population Of the
United States have more or less Ger
man blood in their veins. The distinc-
tive German element is estimated at
10000, 900; the Scandinavian at
100000.
PRECEDENTS OF GERMAN KAIs-
Err AND TURKISH SULTAN.
In America as in Europe less time
than formerly is given, in the COM
mon schools, to the dead languages,
Latin and Greek, and more to mod
ern ones-English, German and
Scandinavian. When the German
Kaiser recommended the study of
English in the schools, for CONNER
cial purposes, the stores could not
supply the textbooks fast enough to
meet the demand. John Stuart Mill
in his day urged the youth Of Great
Britain to cross the 20 miles Of wat
.er and learn German and French on
the continent. Recently the Sultan
Of Turkey introduced-not merely
permitted, but actually introduced
the study of German in the schools
Of his empire; not in the high schools
| alone, but in the $4,000 elementary
and graded schools. This he accom-
| plished without firing a gun or draw
ing a sword. Is it not strange, per-
haps prophetic, that the Sultan, "the
sick man Of Constantinople," should
set such an example to the rulers Of
the world? He is not always wrong.
This means that there will be at least
one language spoken from the
North Sea to the Persian Gulf. Thus
are modern tongues obtaining prom
inence in the Old World. It is not
! the part of wisdom to kill living
! New World language by trying to re-
surreet dead old-World tongue.
RANK OF. GERMAN AND SCAN
DINAVIAN LANGUAGES IN
UNITED STATES.
In the United States, English will
Of course always and everywhere re-
tain first place, while in certain sec
tons one foreign language may hold
second place and others third and
fourth according to the occupying
nationalities. The advocates Of Eng
lish alone have no reason whatever
to fear that any other tongue will
supersede it as national language
In some sections, German will take
lsecond place, but in others, as in the
! Northwest, Scandinavian will rank
next to English: No one language
can be second in all parts Of the
country, which very fact makes Eng,
lish the more secure as the leadins
tongue. It is this fear of English
losing prestige which has led som,
Americans to oppose the teaching o:
any other modern language in tn
public schools, sentiment that mus
be, and is being, removed.
l STUDY OF A NATIONS HISTORY
AWAKENS INTEREST IN IT'S
LANGUAGE.
The textbooks on general histor,
: in use today in our public school
/, have in recent years been greatly i'm
e proved in accuracy, scope Of text an,
$ particularly in the matter of map
!, and illustrations. The Scandinav
n ians or German youth following til
: development Of his people according
y to ext-books on modern history b
a West, Myers and other authors, no,
n used in the public schools, natural
r ~ has pride in the record Of hi
d forefathers and an added inclina
f ton to master their language and
n Tread for himself their literature