The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1914-06-29
Foreign LabOrers Soon Trans
formed Into Good Newspaper
Reading Americans
SCHOOL FOR ADULTS
Is WORKING, WONDERS
WOrkmen Taught to Read and
Write English by Instructors
in Short Time
RYpuD-MeEEELEY

the Ford plant you will be puzzled by
a babel OF voices as OF a school recit.
ing lessons.
II is school--a school OF grown,
up men--and they are reciting les,
sons.
Foreign laborers ranuot become
American cluzens, learn to spend
more money for living and efficiently
enjoy freedom and citizenship unless
they can speak read and write Eng
fish. This was the conclusion reach
ed by Henry Ford, and accordingly he
has established schools for adult for
eign workmen.
The school is located in the new
addition of the Ford shop, 1000 feet
long, six stories high, and as white
inside as a battleship and as clean.
Ford took Judge Neil the mother
pension man, with whom he has been
in conference, and myself TO see the
school
When we visited the school in the
new factory building the following
nationalities were represented IN the
IL classes which are at work:
Polish, Russian, Roumanlan, Ser
Wan. Armenian, Hungarian, Syrian,
Turkish, Austrian, Greek and Slay,
There are about 10 other tongues in
the factory and they are to be drawn
into the melting pot school as rapidly
as the organization can be enlarged
There is no other school like this.
It's magnitude is the Ford magnitude,
Ford pays all the teachers. The sys-
tenn of teaching is unique, These
men are taught by animated object
lessons.
kettle" says the teacher, with 20
pairs of eager eyes upon him. he
holds up the common tea kettle OF
the kitchen.
II put water in the kettle" he con
tinues.
Il put the kettle on the stove
Each sentence is repeated in cho-
rus. over and over again. Then the
teacher takes them through the va.
rious uses OF the personal pronouns,
s'he put the kettle" "you put the ket-
tle." I'VE put the kettle" This brings
M the mystery of singular and plural
words. He can't get it into their
heads
He grabs a man who is known 10
be unmarried. Single the teacher
says. shaking the man. Not mar
ried"
They understand NOW. says the
teacher. zone kettle" holding up one
finger, SIS what?" The answer comes
at once. Single"
"Now what is two kettles holding
up two fingers and the kettle.
Married" shouts bright laborer,
beaming at his own show of knowl-
edge All he gets Is a laugh. The
class has learned enough to see the
Joke, and the teacher laughs, too
The school runs like machine.
With baton like a music teacher
with many joke the teacher pro
ceeds. The class reciting In chorus
with only an occasional pupil called
upon to repeat the sentence alone.
HE eats my breakfast shouts the
teacher. "He eats my breakfast re-
peats the class The teacher takes
on Mortified look.
What's that you say? He eats my
breakfast
Then the instructor grabs a pupil
six feet tall, and says, "If he eats my
breakfast. will fight" and he
threatens the big man with his fist
!, They grab the meaning of the error
at once and will not make that mis-
take themselves.
"Are these men cattle asked
Judge Neil OF Mr. Ford, and the teach
ers flashed their resentment at once.
Almost everywhere 90 big EN-
ployes and charity workers refer TO
such men as cattle, guineas, and
wops," continued the Judge.
"They are wrong" declared the
teacher, and Ford nodded These
men of IL tongues are just like the
rest OF US. Most OF them are more
eager to learn and more ambitious"
Great. useful and patriotic citizens
are to come out of this school" was
Ford's declaration.
In one month 100 men of II
tongues have learned TO read the
printed English word. First Is the
oral lesson, then the reading and
then the writing.
The first classes now have been
promoted and within six months
many OF these adult pupils will be
come buyers OF the daily newspapers
and the magazines and will be in a
position 10 keep up with the trend Of
Affairs in their city. state and country