Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-10-30
To AMER|CANlE
ALIENS BEFORE
THEY CO TO CAMP
Classes for Foreign Parentage
Draftees to be Organized
Friday Evening,
THERE ARE 600 IN THIS CITY

Teaching men Of Delaware in the draft,
who cannot speak English we'll Ameri
anIzing them will be put into practical
operation IN this city on Friday night,
when Polish and Italian. Russian and Greek
and representatives of other alien natlonalI-
ties will assemble III the court room Of tho
Federal building, for preliminary organl-
zation
The men arc drawn from Glass ! and
Glass ), in the draft and there are up
wards Of 600 Of them While there is a
scattering OF nations. the vast maIonty
arc Of Polish and Italian parentagc
This work undertaken by the Ameri-
canization committee Of the State Councn
Of Defense. has the authorization Of the
Provost Marshal Generals office al
Washington, and his representative here,
John Sattcrthwait, head of the Board Of
Instruction ot the selectlve urait system
for this state.
The program OF instruction that has
been selected is one that has been adopted
for draft men by the Provost Marshal
Generals office. and IS SO simple and 50
little complicated, that il IS believed there
wiil be the least amount Of difficulty in
the foreign speaking draftee understand
ing
tho draftee VINO cannot speak English
we'll the State Council Of Defense com
mittee. obtained from the Draft Boards
lists al all those who are aliens. and who
are in Glass ] and those who arc IN de-
ferrcd classification because OF their alien
ship. To all OF these the following letter
war sent informing them Of the meeting
FRIDAY night
M lear SIR.
The provost Marshall General at
" ashlngton, has requested that men
who do moi speak f glish we'll and
who are dsftcd or likely to be drafted
into our national army. shall learn
English before they 90 TO camp.
The Delaware State Council Of De
fense and the Board OF instruction,
therefore requests YOU 70 attend meet
ing ut the Federal Court room. second
floor, post office building, on Friday
evening. November J, al S o'clock.
This meeting Is for the purpose OF organ
izing men who do not speak English
into CLASSES for instruction in military
English, before going TO camp. You
are urged 10 be present, III order that
YOU may be assigned to class.
DRAFT BOARDS APPRolE.
This letter was signed BY both the
Director OF the State Council of De
fense and Chairman OF the Board OF
Instruction
Supplementing this letter. the chair-
men Of the four draft boards OF VIII
mington. have indorsed the American
ization movement. and the draftees
are today receiving = second letter,
urging them 10 attend this meeting
II Is proposed to arrange the men
into classes and establish schools as
convenient to their homes as possible
The public schools of the city will be
utilized and also the >. Employment
headquarters. at Sixth and King streets.
Male teachers will be employed and
the Polish and Italian leaders OF the
CITY. are cooperating with the state
Defense Council in obtaining suitable
instructors.
The aid Of skilled instructors in the
foreign languages named, have been
promised from the military cantonments
adjacent Camp Dix, will send some,
and SO will Camp pton, New ork, when
the classes have been organized
Officials OF the cantonments and the
Provost Marshal Generals Office are
very DESTROYS Of furtherlng the work as
speedily as possible. because it means a
quicker Induction into units going over
seas Tor the foreign born, if they under
stand l-nglisH
No one IN the state y more interested
in the Americanlzation work than Cover
nor Townsend and nc is giving i his
heartIesf COODcratlOn