The Washington herald., 1918-03-19
ARMY SCHOOLS.
FIGHT PRESSED
BY SECRETARY
IIliteracy at Camp and Farm
Deplored in Lanes Plea
to Senator.

With between 5000 and 1000 Hitter
ates already in the army through the
first draft, and the probability of 200, 900
more being taken within the next year
or two, Franklin K. Lane, Secretary
of the Interior, yesterday sent to Sem
ator Hoko Smith, of Georgia, a strong
letter urging early consideration OK
and acton on House bill 6490, which
provides for an appropriation for the
Bureau of Education to conduct a
vigorous and systematic campaign for
the eradication of adult illiteracy.
Letter Made OmciaL
Senator Smith. who received the let
ter as chairman of the Committee on
Education and Labor, last night had
the letter printed In the Congressional
Record and will today request on the
floor that 1t be read by all Senators
in order that they may be familiar
with the circumstances of illiteracy
now existing and be disposed to act
favorably on the bill in question which
he will report from his committee in
few days.
Secretary Lane points out in his let
ter that there are now 5.5l6.1s3 Hitter
ate persons in the United States, one
half of whom are between 20 and As
years of age.
It has been estimated, he points out.
by one of those concerned with this
problem, that IL these five million and
a half illiterate persons were stretched
in a double line OF march at intervals
Of three feet and were to march past
the White House at the rate Of z;
miles a day, it would require many
months for them to pass. More than
IS per cent are white persons, and OF
these 100000 are native born white
Proving how these illiterates are him
dering the progress Of the war. the
Secretary continues:
1.-THE Federal government and the
States spend millions Of dollars in try
ing to give information to the people
in rural districts about farming and
home making. yet $4,000. or 10 pei
cent, OF our country folk cannot read
or write a word.
"They cannot read a bulletin on ag'
riculture. a farm paper, a food pledge
card, a Liberty Bond appeal, a news
| paper, the Constitution OF the United
States or their Bibles, nor can they
keep personal or business accounts
Included in the letter is quoted g
personal incident which occurred t.
DR.. John II. Finley. president of the
University of the State Of New
York, which proves that even 4
larger problem than this one chal
lenges attention and that is thu
teaching of the English tongue t
millions of our population
DR.. Finley recalls a picture pre-
sented to him while inspecting on,
OF the large cantopments when h,
saw four Italians and two Slavit
conscripts who knew hardly a wore
OF English being taught to sa!
who Goes There" and Advance
and Give the Countersign."
Argument why the illiteratei
should be given immediate atten
ton is found in the following as
sertion of Secretary Lane.
Automatic Disadyantage.
TT would seem to be almos
automatic that an illiterate maj
cannot make a good soldier fl
modern warfare. Until last April
the regular army would not enlis
illiterates, yet in the first draf
between 10000 and 10000 illiterate
were brought into the army, an,
approximately as many near illit
| crates.
They cannot sign their names.
"They cannot read their order
posted daily on bulletin boards il
camp.
| They cannot read their manua
| of arms.
They cannot read their letter
| or write home.
They cannot understand tn,
signals or follow the Signal Corp
| in time of battle"