El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1917-10-17

TE OUGHT to foster the English language in FL Paso
M by teaching 1t the Spanish speaking population
not only 20 the children as is done in the day
schools, but also to the adults by Of night classes
IN fact to al those Who because Of age occupation
unable to attend the public schools In their day sessions
Teaching English to the Mecans who live here and expect
always to live here is the most important thing FL Paso
can do to Amecanize these people and they ought
Amedcanized If they remain in this country
For that reason, the suggestion Of the Mexican Y NJ
C. that free night classes for aliens be provided By the
city school board and the boards decision to establish
these classes is deserving the hearest endorsement It
has been approved by H. A Anthony United States natura-
zation examiner for this district by president E
Whitaker Of the school board and whether or not it costs
little money as II doubtless WILL 1t ought to be given the
approval Of all citizens.
Instruction Of aliens in this city would mean chiefly the
instruction Of MeCan for thew form almost the entire
alien population would benefit them greatly Tbev are
principally handicapped in material advancement BY lack
Of knowledge Of our language Many OF them would be
they could speak English Conversely more than one ez
can has lost work because Of mistakes made through ig
norano Of instructions given in English The servant who
Cn TAX EngLsh IS al premium She IS twice salts
factory who neither talk it understand in
strucons in It. The Mexican store clerk who talks both
languages and is desirable otherwise never lacks for work
The shelter employee who understands both Languages has
the best chance Of becoming Of his gang and OF going
as much higher his ability warrants What applies in
these three instances applies all the way through the wage
earning OF business life Of the Mexicans Of FL Paso
They need to know English in English speaking coun-
ny and many Of them realize 1t but unable to learn
II because OF lack OF opportunity They can't attend the
public schools and have money pay for instruction
at night If they get It at all 1t must be provided at night
and free Of charge And must be provided BY teachers
who know how to teach English harder language than
spanish II IS one Of the hardest IN the world to learn and
although some Mecans to this country and pick ND
working knowledge Of language in couple Of years
me majority able to pick up fair smaterinq
OF English than most able to acquire uuaided
the same amount Of Spanish Untaught they viii live for
years N this country bound down by the same handicap
that an American Immediately experiences Mexico If IN
able TO speak Spanish.
reaching English to the Mecaus would be advantageous
70 US because much If not the manual labor in this
city IS performed By Mexcans and their work oul5 he
improved by knowledge Of our language It also would make
1or better and closer relations between the two natioual
mes through understanding and would remove the haudicsp
WHICH al feel II having large permanent and verv alien
population n the city. It would do great deal toward
solving the problem Of Chihuahua because bv esri7
English the residents Of that section would also absorb more
OF our ideas as to standards Of living and being fitted for
petter and more profitable work than they have could earn
money enough to enable them TO live more nearly in accord
with those standards
Establishing free night classes for alien adults woull
oe an experiment Until the experiment were tried none
could ten Just how It would work out That is to sav
mere Is no knowing how many Mezicans would attend
classes OF how much how many teachers yyon1s be
required There are upward Of $1,000 Mexcans in FL Pso
OF whom probably half do not know as many as so English
words It IS safe guess that half OF that so percent or