The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-10-29
SOUTH'S FICTION |LL|TERACy MUST STILL BE VIGOROUS Good Gain Was. Made in Last Decade But More
 Desired NEGROES CONTINUE
 TO SWELL TOTAL Illiteracy Among Native Whites Now 9.3 Per Cent and That Among
 the Negroes Is 17.3
 Per Cent
By c. E. STEWART

By c. E. STEWART
 Washington. October 2s.-tSpecial )-The general decline of illiteracy marks the Improvement of educational opportunities throughout the country, and this improve ment Is most distinctly measured in com pairing the children who have just passed through the schools. Generally speaking, each successive generation in the United States shows a smaller proportion of per sons unable to read and write, and this proportion is always least for the children 10 to IA years of age. 1lliteracy is, there fore, considerably less for children than for the aggregate population.
 In 1910 the whole number of children of the ages from 10 to IA years who were unable to read and write was S7o,12o, of whom 14659 were white and 2ls,s55 ne- groes. leaving 71o6 among Indians Chi nese and Japanese. Illiteracy among the native white children has fallen to 1.7 per cent, and among those or foreign or mixed percentage who for the most part live in cities the proportion is as low as 0.s per cent. On the other hand, as many as 1S.9 per cent of negro children are illit- crate
 In all classes of the population a marked improvement is noted in compari- son with the census of 1900 Illiteracy among white children has fallen from 3.5 to Is per cent, and among negroes from 9O.1 to 1s.s per cent.
 These figures show that illteracy in the United States is being gradually elim- mated, and that when the present gen eration of children grows up to manhood and womanhood illiteracy In the United States, especially among the white popu- lation, will be no greater than in the most advanced countries of Europe.
 This striking dimunition in illiteracy among children in the last ten years is found in all parts of the United States, and in the northern part of the country such illiteracy has almost entirely disap- peared, as in this section of the country the proportion is considerably less than 1 per cent of the whole number of chill dren.
 Alabama Situation
 While Alabama has been making very rapid strides in the work of education and in wiping out illiteracy, she does not yet occupy a very enviable position in the list of sister states in this respect. The total number of illiterates 10 years or over in the state of Alabama in 1910 was 352, no, out of a total population of 2.13S, 09S. The population, of course, in- cludes all ages. while the illiterate arc only counted as such from the ages of 10 years up.
 Alabama's percentage of illiterate of all races taking the population above the age of 10 years in 1910 was 22.s per cent. For 1900, 1t was 34. per cent and in the a In of no oart yoe, made, which though a good record still leaves much yet to be desired.
 The percentage of illiteracy among the native whites in 1900 in Alabama was 14S per cent. and in 1910 was 9.3 per cent, a net gain of 5.5 per cent. Among the ne- groes in 1900. the percentage of illiteracy represented more than half of the negro population above the age of 10 years, be- ing 57.4 per cent. In 1910 this figure was reduced to 40.1 per cent, showing a gain for the negroes of 17.3 per cent in the 10 years.
 The foreign born in Alabama represent the only class that shows a loss in the 10 years in the matter of illiteracy. In 1900. only 9.3 per cent of the foreign born in Alabama above the age of 10 years could not read and write, but in 1910 there was 11.3 per cent of that population that came under the head of illiterates. This IS dCCOunttQ TUT DN lnt census DuTedu by the increase in the foreign born popu- lation> of Alabama, for labor purposes in the various mines, steel plants and other manufacturing concerns of the state.
 Decline in Whole Country
 In the entire population of the United States 1literacy has declined from 107 per cent in 1900 to IT per cent in 1910. But among the children 10 to IA years of age he in, cent to Al per cent. This fact warrants the statement that if this percentage of decrease Is maintained among the chill dren in a few years illteracy will be re- duced to the minimum.
 The south Atlantic, east south cen tral and west south central states. how ever. show up the worst in the compari- son. even in this regard when the chii- drcn from 10 to 14 arc only taken into than any other section Of the country. This is not due either to the fact that these states have a very large negro population. for after the ne-. groes are eliminated the figures are still a gainst them. For instance, In the south Atlantic states in 1910. the percentage of among natfve white children only, of 10 to IA years. was per cent, in. the east south central, 5s per cent. and ir the west south central, Al per cent. As compared with the figures of 1900 they were 995 107 and 9.1 per cent respective ly showing great reductions for them all. but in New England in 1910 the per centage of illiteracy among children of this age wa only 02 per cent. and the only section in which the native whites came above 1 per cent, except those of the southern states above mentioned was in the mountain states. where the percen- tage of lliferacy among children of this age was IT per cent.
 These figures undoubtedly will provide food for thought among those of the south who have been and are still the friends of education, and should arouse every pa- triotic citizen to sense of duty and ob- ligation which he owes 10 his state and to