The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-08-11
Study of German in France

In response TO an inquiry from the
United States Department Of State as
TO whether the German language is
still taught In French schools and to
what degree its instruction has been
modified by the state Of war. the
French Inspector-General OF Education
answered az follows:
"In the beginning OF the war feeling
or hostility against instruction in Ger
man manifested itself In France. Dis
cussions were opened in the newspapers
and the attendance at the German
classes of the first cycle became poor.
The university. which perceived the dan
ger. did not fail 10 make It known. In
the month of September. 1915. an inter-
ministerial commission met at the Min
istry of War to study the notifications
to be made in the examinations for ad-
mission TO the important military schools
Is regards foreign, languages. In the
course OF one Of its meetings the said
commission was incidentally informed
by the inspectors general Of secondary
education. who were present of the
danger which German instruction in
France ran. The inter-rninisterial COM
mission made @ series OF propositions
TO which the Ministry OF War was good
enough to give its approval. In letter
which It addressed on November 26 to
the Minister Of Public Instruction, it
communicated TO him the notifications
made in the competitive examinations
for admission to the polytechnical school
and the School of saintCyr. The essen
tfal provision Of the ministerial order
vas as follows:
From the FIRST the commission has
allowed candidates to choose as an
obligatory language either German,
- D,,aa int NAr
added. The university must counterfeit
In so far as It lies within Its power. the
tendency to which the inspectors gem
eral, members OF the commission. have
called attention. which manifests itself
among the pupils to abandon the study
Of German On his side the Minister
Of Public Instruction invited the heads
OF institutions to exert their influence
with the families TO have their children
inscribed for the German course.
Public opinion. once enlightened. be-
came normal again. In the course Of
sny waits Of inspection In the years
1915 and 1917 ! noticed that the at
tendance at the German classes Of the
sixth and fifth had markedly increased {:
the number OF pupils studying German
varies from one-quarter to a third OF
tho total number of scholars. 1t Is in
the public schools that the abandonment
Of German is most marked doubtless
because the pupils of these establish
ments are recruited from the small
towns or rural districts. where the
higher needs Of the country are not
perceived with the same clearness as In
the important Intellectual centres.
"In the universities the German Ian
guage and German literature are still
studied. AS regards the commercial
schools. NJ. Jouanny, member. secretary
OF the Chamber OF Commerce OF Paris,
mzSis the following statement; We have
maintained the instruction OF German In
our Ave schools
"One may therefore reply with all as-
rurance that the courses and classes of
German In the schools OF France will
still be attended. But the studies, from
the fact OF the war. have undergone pro-
found changes which the programmes
did not need to subscribe. because they &C.
CURED, so to speak. sponta neously. AL
ready the ministerial instruct ions OF
1902 specified that apart from the Ian
gusge Itself, the foreign country and the
people who live In 1t should furnish
MORE particularly material for instruc-
tioa'
To-day less than ever should there be