South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-05-17
BEGINNING or THE GREAT WORK
To ANIERICANIZE AMERICA.

ar orator for the citizens made the
remark in one or more of his speeches
that we need more of the Anglo
Saxon ideals in our American life"
He was Of course addressing an audi
ence that might be inclined TO boast,
to a considerable degree OF it's Anglo
Saxon blood. in consequence Of which
an opposition orator appealing 10 a
TeutOn- Slavish audience, came back
by fguratively cOnsigning the Anglo
Saxons 10 perdition and assuring the
TeutOnic-Slavs that they needed not
succumb to those "Anglo-Saxon ideals"
unless they might want 10. Both ora
tors were wrong In that they were en-
deavoring 20 arraign nationality
against nationality in test for votes.
which is always followed by more or
less race prejudice and a general in
disposition 10 Americanize.
Similar harangues have marked
every campaign in the history of this
cOuntry-and too frequently between
campaigns. Instead of educating the
immigrant i'm Americanism we have
been arraigning him against immi-
grants Of other natiOnalities. and by
so doing. have really done more TO
recement him To the home land from
whence he came, than 10 make OF him
the worthy American, tolerant of all
nationalities. and first of all the Amer
lean. that he really should be. Prest
Wilson's and ex-Prest Taft's address
es at Philadelphia during the past
week. speaking TO several thousand re-
Gently naturalized Americans. marked
the inauguration OF a movement un-
dertaken by the labor division of the
federal department OF immigration.
calculated to educate these new Amer
leans. not in Anglo-Saxonism, nor III
TeutOnism, nor Slavism, japanese or
Chinese. but Americanism. and not
only as Prest Wilson. but as ex-Pres't
Taft said, it is up TO all true Ameri-
cans 20 get behind the movement and
help it along
The immigration bureau has been
hard at work on plans for such an edu-
cational course a course of instruc-
ton in citizenship is being prepared,
and the cooperation of the public
school officials with the federal au-
thorities is to be sought. The object
is ito change that portion of the
alien body which is now in a condi-
iion ranging from helpless dependence
and mere circumference to a state
OF productive capacity" according to
a statement just issued by the depart
ment.
Up 10 the present time, no attempt
has been made TO guide newly natu-
rallied citizens into citizenship. The
public attitude toward the immigrant
alien has not been a welcoming one
he has been freely admitted into the
country, hut nothing has been done to
prepare him for citizenship This has
been partly due to lack of concen-
trated responsibility. 10 inertia, and
possibly TO opposition from certain
quarters which would prefer to see
the alien absorbed into industrial life
without the dangerous power OF the
ballot
The action of the labor department
is based on a belief that citizenship
IS something for which a man or
just as much the duty of the state to
train immature citizens for citizenship
as il is to educate children in the pub
lie schools for useful work in the COM
munity
Comprehensive as is the educational
system in this country for the adj
vancement Of academic. technical and
r---;~,,,r t-v.-,,-ro5oo v-et II Toas NOT
furnish the necessary curriculum for
the education OF the alien and natural
ICED citizens in the subjects of law,
civil polity. and economies. Coming
as they do from countries where edu-
cation among the lower classes has
been sadly neglected and where self
government has never existed. il is
obvious that the fundamental prin-
ciples OF lf-government must be sys-
tematically drilled into the dormant
but healthy minds of these newly en-
franchised peoples. IL is believed by
those who have given the subject close
study that the day viii come when it
will be possible 10 establish a system
that will operate with comparative
uniformity throughout the United
states. a system that Will teach that
the fundamental requirement of good
citizenship is a sense of the moral
obligation resting upon every citizen
10 obey the laws as we'll as "a mental
conception OF what those laws are.
The bureau Of naturalization is OF
the opinion that ii Will not be difficult
10 establish cooperation between he
federal government and the public
school authorities in cities which are
centers OF immigrant alien population.
so that the school system may LAY
before the alien body OF this country
a means whereby IL may be instructed.
and enable h 10 contribute 10 a most
substantial degree towards its indus
trial. social and political advancement.
The president I'm Philadelphia con-
graduated some 1900 wen Of all ma