Evening star., 1915-01-10
WHAT THE GOVERNMENT Is DOING

With the increase Of immigration
which is expected by government ex-
perts to como to this
| Education Of country at the close
Tmm;oron4. Of the European war.
41sfants. American communi-
ties will be confronted by the problem
| OF educating the newcomers to this
country-both children and adults
and assisting them to improve their
| condition and to prepare themselves to
! become naturalized citizens OF the
| United States. The Importance Of work.
| Ing to Increase progress in the edu-
cation of immigrants in this country
Is shown by H. H. Wheaton in a report
which has been prepared for the United
States bureau of education.
In emphasizing the importance Of
| educating immigrants, Mr.. Wheaton
quotes census figures to show that in
New York there are more than 100000
immigrant persons ten years of age or
over who can neither read nor write,
and that the states Of Pennsylvania.
Massachusetts and Illinois follow close
behind, each with more than 100000
immigrants who are in the same con-
investigator calls attention to the fact
| that in the foreign-born white popula-
ton of the United States more than IL
per cent cannot read or write in any
with only per cent of the native
white population which is In the same
condition.
The most important work in the edu-
cation of immigrants, according to Mr..
Wheaton, Is the teaching Of English,
the inability to speak which is natural
ly the principal barrier to friendly in
tercourse between Americans and for
eigners. Lack of ability to speak Eng
lfsh affects to large extent the en-
retards their assimilation, because no
immigrant can become a citizen of the
United States until he speaks the Eng
lish language.
In Mr.. Wheaton's report education for
the foreign-born child is shown to be
of minor significance because the COM
pulsory attendance laws in most of
the states take care of this The Inn
portant thing is to improve the condf-
tion of the adult. 1t is with the adult
immigrant, however, in which the ap-
titude and desire for instruction are
less decided, and ability to acquire the
English language is sometimes largely
lost. 1t Is in the education of this
sented, and, according to Mr.. Wheaton.
the city, state and nation should work
to help these people after they have
settled in this country. In many cities
and states, he points out, work OF this
kind is now going on. Perhaps the
most important is in New York city,
where the evening schools pay particu-
lar attention to the instruction of
immigrants. Other states. including
Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, New Jer-
sey, Connecticut, California and others,
are making similar efforts to help the
immigrant in bettering his condition.
Mr.. Wheaton gives particular atten-
tion in his report to the work done by
employers who are beginning to see
the necessity of teaching the foreign
born employees the English language,
and also something of the rules of
safety. Experience has shown, he says,
that large proportion of the indus
trial accidents are due to foreigners
not understanding the orders of the
boss or foreman. He also outlines the
work of the various patriotic educa-
tional and religious organizations, in
cluding the Sons of the American Rev.
olution, the Young Mems Christian AS
sociation, settlement houses and va
rious civic lagues which are working
through school courses and the dis
trihution of information on American
institutions and customs to help the for
eigner to help himself and assist in
the development Of his community.