The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-09-09
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
INFORM ALTON
BURE AU
FREDERIC J. HASKIN, Director.
Washington, D. c.
READING UNCLE SANS MAIL.
Washington, D. c.

Washington, D. c., Sept. 6.-No-
where is the polyglot nature of our
population more clearly shown than
in the wartime correspondence of the
United States government. Letters in
every language of importance from the
widely spoken French to Finnish.
Taglo, and Chinese bring the prob
lens and questions of the alien to
Uncle Sam. In order to read and
answer its ever increasing foreign Ian
guage mail, the government has found
it necessary to install translation d.
visions in a number of its depart
ments, of which the war risk bureau
has probably the most interesting.
Most of the foreigners whe write
to the government in their native
tongue are in difficulty as to the
meaning of federal institutions and
| regulations. Some are in search of
help in private affairs, others offer
| their services to the country, and still
others write only to express their feel
, ing towards America and her part in
] the war.
! A few extracts from the last named
| type of letter received by the war
risk insurance bureau will best illus
trate the universal admiration for
America expressed by. her foreign
| speaking correspondents:
| NBohemian-"I have already given
| the life of one son to help America,
/ and I am ready to give nay other son,
because it is only in the United States
that we have found the true liberty,
a precious thing which other peoples
| do not possess"
| Italian-'America is the nation
| chosen by the Divine Providence to
alleviate the evils of the world
Frequently used in Greek letters
| America, the nourisher of starving
peoples
French-'T assure you that the
! American soldier is the best soldier
in the world. He is not afraid of any,
thing, and is as brave as a lion"
Nearly all the foreign language mail
of the war risk bureau deals with
money. which is to the families OF
soldiers a most important subject
| The American soldier with his $50 a
month is the best paid soldier in the
world. With this amount contrast
the pay Of the European soldier, which
thermore, the American fighter re.
ceives the benefits of an allotment
and allowance system on a scale moi
duplicated in any other fighting coun.
try. To the people living in the wal
zone the generosity of the United
/ States in providing money for the rel
atiYes of her fighting men is a matter
of wonder of which they never tire OF
writing. The most enthusiastic Net
tiers come from Italy. Greece and
Slavic countries. In these war stricken
zones $50 a month is to a family
sum of money to be spoken of IL
awe-struck tones with delighted spec
ulation as to the necessities which
can be bought with the fortune.
The variegated character of tn,
American army is Interestingly brough
: out in the letters from the soldiers
relatives. From Iceland, Tunis.- Per
STA, and Egypt come appeals fer fl
nancial aid on the grounds of a DO,
in the United States forces. Practi
, cally the only civilized localities no
included are those in the hands of tn
central powers. Letters in German
from aliens in this country, Otter
5 reach the government. The striking
: thing about these is the apology ex
, pressed for use of the German tongue
I'VE are. loyal to America" is re
peated again and again in thes
epistles.
r In answer to the appeals of relative
. of our soldiers and sailors to the wa
4 mostly containing checks, go ever
ri month to foreign countries. TIL
0 checks are made ont to persons
RI seventy-eight countries.
r The answering of foreign languag
t letters dealing with governmental al
s ing the services of skilled translator
e or twenty-six or more language
e Each letter received must be trans
r lated by an expert in that languag
n familiar with idioms and able to rea
= and understand even illiterate and III
: grammatical writing. Often there
: difficulty in reading the letters eve
n by foreign language experts. This
e especially true of some of the Italia
letters, fact which the translatin
&c division attributes to the high pc
centage of Italian illiteracy. Even
= the most crudely written message
/ however, the writers manage to NAL
their trust in America understood.
- When the meaning Of the letter
deciphered, an English translation
= it is typed and it is sent to the bures
&c handling the problem involved. A
- answer in Engfis' is returned to ii
II translator who writes it out in the co
~ respondents own language and. IL Pc
= sible, the letter is typed. At preser
:. the war risk bureau has no means
~ typing answers in Russian. Chimes
=. Hebrew and otherAlanguages requi
&c ing special characters, but the bures
=, expects to secure a typewriter
!. which keys bearing the differe
= alphabets can be fitted.
to The war risk translating divisi
has had at times some trouble in S
lg curing translators of the needed qua
10 fications. Applications from perso
&c claiming to be expert translators car
as in by hundreds, but a trial or a fl
~ letters exchanged usually proved tn
Mt the applicant was not the type
lie translator needed. Now. however, t
is bureau has secured fifteen skill
t. translators and Is handling all of
ar correspondence except Chinese a
ir Japanese. which letters are turn
ne over to the state department for |
terpreting.
The chief of the war risk transl
~ ton division, DIR. Aurelius Palmie
= speaks, reads, and writes fifteen Ia
Oh guages and dialects, including the Y
I'm rious Slavic tongues in which 80 ma
ut of the bureaus letters are word,
Doctor Palmieri has written books
~ history and political economy. h.
es the position of secretary to the po
,s- and eataIogued 10000 books in I
ia foreign language division of the &C
gressional library, but he now gf'
his services entirely to the bures