Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-07-18
GERMAN LANGUAGE
ESSENTIAL To SUCCESS
Only Way Americans Can Gain
Hun Trade Secrets is by
Understanding it.

Somewhere in n London paper the other
day ! read that there had been decided
slump during the war i'm both the teach
ing and the study of the German language.
This is a mistake, and a grievmls one.
It Is. IN my judgment the essence NJ
short-eightedn II IS. moreover. con
ferring boon on the enemy II We ever
intend. or If We ever had the power. "a
wipe the German race off the map there
would be some reason in RELOCATING the
atrociOus German language To the philo-
logical scrap heap for eternity But
even if be accused Of being a rank pcs
simist for saving If do not contemplate
the annihilation Of the German race as
a result OF this war II will live on poly
gamv In Prussia or no polygamy. and the
rest of us will have TO live with II We
shall do so 10 our greater intellectual. poll
teal and economic profit hv learning "a
read and speak German. and even To think
IN German
am going 10 exp ain why that Is so.
In my first year orftwo in Berlin rs a
newspaper correspcltdent my German
was the last word IN crudencss II was
months and months before | could even
demonstrate intelligbly with the waters
who hahitually gave me short change IN
sign language nv early DAYS IN Ger
many would have been difficult to the
point OF despair
There was however. one saving lac
tor Every well-educated German Ger
tainly almost every German with whom
a foreign newspaper correspondent had
TO come in contact-spokc English 4
large number of them spoke II well Nearly
all commanded II with greater fiuency
than was able for some time to command
their language Thus. choosing the line
Of least resistance. Welded. till | could
make nv way through the battling maze
of verbs, genders, articles, and endless
sentences which comprise the German Ian
glIage, to the unwise and lazy habit OF
talking English 1t was the easiest way
How is it," | once asked an eminent
German publisher, who talked our tongue
as well as do, that so MANY OF YOU
Germans speak English perfectly -
explained that this made 1t extremely
difficult for Engllsh-speaking citizens of
the world ever to learn German properly.
That's what we want to do, ne re-
piled with dlsconcerting frankness y on
see" he went on, when You learn a
country's language YOU acquire key
to the country We don I want too many
KEYS to Germany IN circulation. The
less German you English and Americans
speak the less you'll know about Ger
many We specialize IN learning English
and French because we realize the value
of language keys.
Thereon | rest the case for the CON
tinued and continuous teaching of Ger
man in British schools The reason all of
us know so little about the real Germany
Is that a knowledge of Its language is the
exception, not the rule, among us. | am
sure that the tens of thousands of Ger
man prisoners of war In British captivity
neglect no opportunity TO improve their
English. Though the "Hy1nn of Hate
is said to have been sung in certain Ger
man schools. it was followed by the usual
classes Of instruction in English In the
higher forms Of PrtIssian GymnasIa, The
Times has been used for English instruc-
ton, despite the war and the Ihunderer'
dnpopularity in Germany In the Ger
man papers ] still encounter advertise
ments Of language teachers ANXIOUS to
give English lessons.
We are going TO have trade war
worthy OF the name with the Germans
in the years ahead Of rs, whether IT be
formally declared or not Before the war
Germans were beating US III many of
the worlds markets IN the Far East
and elsewhere because Of their prof
cheney in languages particularly English.
Are we going To continue to lei them
hold all the keys London Mail