The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-05-31
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
INFORM A TON
BURE AU
FREDERIC ]. IASKIN, Director.
Washington, D. c.
MAKING AMERICANS.
Washington, D. c.
I. The Problem.


and industrial plants, city and state
governments, patriotic and CONNER
cial associations are being formed
into one great organization for the
teaching of American ideals and the
English language to foreign-born IN
habitants of the United States, under
a plan which has been formulated by
the Bureau of Education, and en-
dorsed by the Council of National De-
tense.
This work is the constructive COM
plement of the police work which is
being done under the espionage act:
it is an organized effort of national
scope to solve the problem of dis
loyalty by doing away with the con-
ditions that have bred disloyalty. 1t
is. therefore. an important part OF
the great process of social and indus
trial unification which the war has
set on foot in America.
In this article the problem pre-
sented by our unassimilated alien
population will be described. as in
vestigators for the Bureau of Educa-
ton have found it: and in a second
article the plan for solving the prob
lem, which is now fairly in operation,
will be set forth.
The problem of Americanizing the
alien is not primarily a war problem,
but the war hes at once made it more
pressing and afforded a greater op-
fury, immigrants have been pouring
into the United States, forming COM
munities in great cities and in the
West which have been like little
pieces of the European nations from
which the immigrants came. 1t was
but natural that these people should
cling to their customs and languages;
plainly 1t was the duty of this gov
eminent to offer them instructions in
American ideals and English. This
duty was neglected. while at the same
| time one.foreign lower made vigorous
| efforts to check any tendency toward
AmericanizatIoc among it's emigrants
by an insidiCus process of peaceful
| penetration
When an Investigation reported to
the bureau of education showed that
in many western communities German
was practically the only language
spoken, that elementary subjects were
taught in German in the parochial
| schools, German patriotic songs sung
by the pupils, the country was shock
ed. Yet these German schools, of
which there were recently 800 in one
state, and which had practically dis
placed the American public schools in
some sections, might be accounted
among the more innocent of alien
enemy activities in this country. Prop
| uganda among adults designed to
make American citizens enemies of
America was the more sinister phase,
and the result was an epidemic of fires
and explosions that destroyed millions
of dollars worth of property. Fires
in grain elevators alone have increased
800 per cent since the beginning of
the war.
The public is now thoroly aroused
over all of these conditions The
teaching of German is diseountenanc-
ed in elementary schools and is I'M
fortunately being abolished from high
schools and colleges in some places.
Rigid espionage laws have been pass
ed, and there have been many arrests.
But in thus combating the immediate
evil, the conditions out of which it
grew must not be overlooked. If we
/ had not allowed solid communities of
aliens to form in this country, If we
allegiance to other governments, and
had offered the Immigrant an oppor-
tunity to learn our own language and
point of view, there would never have
been such a serious alien-enemy prob
Hem. And the alien-enemy problem Is
now. There are millions of men and
women from allied countries in the
United States who are as ignorant of
it's language and institutions as any
German. There are thousands of men
who have volunteered to fight for the
United States, but can not understand
the orders of their officers. At one of
the training camps recently squad
was seen drilling of which each man
had a red handkerchief tied to his
left arm. This was done to indicate
to him that he was to step with his
left foot first. None of the men in
the squad could understand English.
I'm another case the officer of the
day at recently organized canton
ment read an important order to a
battalion. The captain of one COM
pany came forward with the request
that the order be translated into sew
era1 foreign languages. as none of the
men in his detachment knew English.
There are three environments in which
lover a thousand of the men under
stand no English. and one in which
over two thousand understand none.
I'm a word, the United States Is
4 going into this war with a polyglot
population and polyglot army
Alien enemies menace our industries
and spy upon all our activities. and
alien friends are unable to render us
the help they might because they dc
not speak our language or understand
our methods. Our map Is patched
with un-American settlements, some
friendly. some hostile, much as 1t was
once patched with Indian tribes.
The war presents rare oppor-
tun1ty TO correct THIS cOnQltlOn. 1t
the first place, the depredations OF
alien enemies have awakened the
American public to the alien question
in general All over the country vari.
Gus agencies have been trying in vari-
Gus ways to remedy the situation, and
where It encountered apathy fou1
years ago. the Americanization pro-
gram of the bureau Of education Is
now receiving enthusiastic support
In the second place, the war has
checked immigration; we have g
chance to digest the valuable contri-
buttons made by the peoples of many
countries to this nation before taking
in any more
The magnitude of this alien prob
lem is realized by few who have not
studied the question People of one
hundred races and nationalities live IL
the United States and thirty-thret
| million of the population are of for.
| al