El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1917-07-07
TALKSON
OUR NEIGHB0RS
Addresses Southwestern
Engineers on "0ur Span
ish Speaking Neighbors."

r. D. Slater Vas the principal
. speaker at the luncheon OF the South
western Society OF Engineers. held
Saturday noon in the University club
rooms IN the Martin building J. n
[ GladdinE, secretary OF the society.
/ presided.
Those present at the luncheon were
Z. F. Click. C. Z. Barglehaush. Flint
1IcGregor. p z. Hines. j. r. Wood
yard, Hugh Braunton. p. c.. White.
W r. Winch, ". c. Stewart. +. H
Cunningham, C. p Folk. Thomas
. Dransfield. IT,. Milton C. Shedd. j..
Arvid Peterson. J.. X Piggott Paul
NcCo0mbs. Donald B. Gilies. W f.
Robertson. H. j. Slater and j. ~.
Gladdiug-
Our ReIntitns With Mexico.
since your chairman has not as
signed a topic for me. have chosen
TO speak about the relations OF the
American people with their Spanish
speaking ueighbors," said Mr. Slater.
This seems to a field peculiarly
suitable to the University club. for
above all IL depends on the constant
and intelligent work OF educated and
cultured people 10 bring about the
/ right relations and maintain them un-
. impaired.
we have here IN FL Paso about
5000 Spanish speaking people, and
there are 5000 more in the near
vicinity In west Texas there are
many, and in New Mexico more than
200 600. while Arizona has tens OF
thousands who know no other Ian
guage.
Our Local Problem
This is our Immediate. local prob
lern-at least 100000 persons directly
connected with US, whose language is
strange TO US.
But BY natural extension, our
problem extends TO all Mexico. with
its 5000. 600 people: Central America.
with $500. 900: South America. with
10000 600, or 50. 100000 not counting
Brazil where Portuguese is spoken
II I were speaking 10 a CONNER
cial body, I should lay the greater
stress on the commercial side OF the
problem Of Latin American relations.
But before this club. it seems proper
TO insist more on the social. educa-
tional and cultural side. Neverthe-
less. commercial relations are pro-
NOTED by good social relations, and
the basis or sound commercial rela-
lions is an understanding Of the peO-
pie with whom We are dealing.
The Language barrier.
The language barrier is the great
est barrier. 1t is characteristic OF
Americans TO look down on peoples
whose language they do not under
stand. The average American has n
nickname for every foreigner. and
has contempt for anyone who cannot
speak English. II is narrow
provincial attitude or mind. not
worthy OF any intelligent person.
The University club can do great
deal 20 help break down this language
barrier. Here In Fl Paso the study
and practice Of Spanish. French and
Portuguese should be promoted in
every possible way. The club might
get behind a movement to have these
languages made more OF in all our
schools, so that every boy and girl
even the youngest. would have some
knowledge OF the foreign tongues
which will be OF most use. Americans
are notably deficient in this regard.
while all educated foreigners speak
several tongues as a matter Of course.
FL PasO's Opportunity.
7 have a broad conception OF Fl
Paso's opportunity as an international
center Of education, culture and COM
merce. Please take this specially 20
heart, the fact that there is no other
recognized center on this hemisphere. l
The western hemisphere has no Paris,
no Geneva, no Vienna. no Oxford, no
Edinburgh, where the peoples Of all