The Washington herald., 1918-12-13

1
the task of adequately caring for her
returning soldiers, but is face to face
with an astonishing condition of adult
illiteracy. as revealed by the draft, &C
| cording to Secretary Franklin X.
Lane. of the Department Of the In
] terror.
In his annual report TO President
Wilson, just made public. Secretary
Lane outlines. in general, bhe country's
plans for providing work and homes
| for the discharged soldiers. In addi-
| ton, he says the present educational
problem is a matter OF the deepest ma
| tic nal concern.
He states that the draft disclosed an
alarming percentage Of adults in the
United States who were unable to
speak the English language or to read
| or write any language or the first
100000 men drafted there were 10000
| individuals who could not read their
orders or understand them when deliv
| cred or read the letters sent them from
home
What should be said Of a world
i leading democracy wherein ten per
cent Of the adult population cannot
read the laws which they are pre-
eumed to know" asks the Secre-
tary.
He further asks what should be
| said OF a democracy which calls
upon its citizens to consider the wis
dom of forming a league OF nations
and to pass judgment on the codes
to govern the Romanian or JUgo-
Slavs when eighteen per cent OF the
coming citizens Of the democracy do
not go to school.
Taught in Foreign Tongue.
The report states that tens Of
thousands of native-born children
are taught American history in a
foreign lsngUage-the Declaration
| of Independent and Lincoln's Get
| tysburg speech being read to them
in German and other European
| tongues.
Secretary Lane declares the ma
| tion spends in a year, twice as much
for chewing gum as il does for
| school books. more for automobiles
than for all primary and secondary
education, and pays the average
school teacher less than il pays the
average day Iaborer. Again he
asks:
What should be said OF a demOc-
racy which is challenged by the
vori6 TO prova the superiority OF its
| s,steTn OF government over those dis
carGed. and Vet is compelled TO reach
many millions Of its people through
! papers printed in some foreign Ian
guage?"
| Secretary Lane makes an earnest
and eloquent plea that the public
schools OF the country be made more
| completely 10 serve America as a
nation. He does not recommend Fed
eraI control OF the educational sys-
TEN, but strongly urges Federal CO
operation with the States along def
mite lines.
The task will be made easier. he
says, as soon as the people realize
that education is not solely a State
matter, but q subject Of national con-
cern. He points out that a large
part Of FngIand's : major plan OF re-
construction is the founding and con-
Quoting Of a great national schools
| system.
Advocates Learning a Trade.
As to methods OF dealing with the
problem. the Secretary says Of FIRST
Importance rs the development Of the
day school. then the night school. and
if not that. the shop school The
heads Of the large industries stand
ready to give every foreiEn-born man
and woman in their employ an oppor-
tunity for an elementary education.
He concludes this branch OF his re-
port with the following:
I should like to see the day when
every child learned a trade while al
school. trained his mind and his hand
together. lifted labor into art by ap-
plication OF thought"
Concerning the provisions for the
homecoming soldier. the Secretary
says the important considerations are
getting a job for the man himself.
protecting the labor market from a
Surplus OF labor. and staying the
movement toward cities and thus ar
fixing to our soil many Of the best
proved Americans.
Canada with less than 200. 600 peo-
pie is offering 10 each returning sol
dier $50 acres OF land and $500 with
which to improve il. Secretary Lane
without making any specific recon-
mendations. adds that the United
States. which spent so largely for wal
) purposes and esca ped with so slight a
comparative loss OF life cannot. and
will not do less.
100000, 900 Acres Ready.
, He is prepared to submit to Congress
whenever desired a comprehensive re,
port as to the extent and nature OF
the lands in the United States avail
I able for this purpose There are fully
200, 10000 acres which may be con.