Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1918-05-16
MRS, YOUMAN
REORGANIZATION
ADDRESS
Prominent Wisconsin Club Woman
Talks To Representative Audi
ence of Wood County Women

"War," said Mrs. Youman's in her
speech at the Council of Defence mass
meeting Saturday afternoon at the
Methodist church, "is the test of all
nations Through it the life, soul, MOI
ale and weak spots of a nation are
provided"
While paying due tribute to those
foreigners who have so splendidly ris-
en- to the occasion, to prove themselves
in every sense Americans. Mrs. You
mans revealed the weak spot in A
merica's ar1nor through astonishing
statistics which show that because of
neglect our foreign citizens, whether
naturalized or otherwise are a serious
menace and hindrance to democracy.
It is doubtful whether many of us
realize that small third Of our popu-
lation are foreign BORN; that 100000
men of draft age can neither read or
write English; that Wisconsin con-
tains $1,000 people in this class; and
that many foreigners who have re-
ceived their first papers and are priv
eledged to vote are not subject to the
draft, making possible votes against
our war when men are giving their
lives for liberty in France. At present
in some states it is not necessary that
the teachers of American children be
citizens.
That much of this is America s
fault is evident. Mrs. Youmans at
tributes it to the lack of a definite
plan whereby nation may be evolved
from heterogeneous mass Of people
to all schools which have been teach
ing foreign languages exclusely, to
the foreign press and foreign press and
church influence and to the American
German alliance. "Workers for Amer
icanization," said Mrs. Youmans.
should stand first, last, and all the
time, for the speaking of English"
ga campaign for Americanization
is necessary now because of decades
of neglect in the past. The work will
take a long time but it is a work
which has to be done. Red Cross, Food
Conservation, Child Welfare, ETC.. are
not more important in the end than
Americanization. Americans have tax
en- citizenship too lightly. We are
finding that democracy is such a su-
premely great and fine thing that half
the world is fighting for it."
Mrs. Youmans' speech was literally
devoured by an audience composed of
women from the entire county, enthu-
siastic, and eager for information.
Many of them were county chairmen of
the Woman's Committee of the Coun-
Gil Of Defense and attended also an
informal and instructive meeting in
the morning at the Library. The
in the afternoon was opened
with the singing Of patriotic songs
lead by Mr.. Jackson. Mr. Taylor gave
a short talk on the Red Cross drive
and read parts of most interesting
confession given by the Germania
Herald of Milwaukee Mr.. M. II. Jack
son then gave a talk illustrating the
influence of custom upon the work of
men and women.
Mrs. Witter, Chairman Of the Wood |
County Woman's Committee Of the |
Council of Defence gave an interesting |
to Mrs Youmans and took |
.harge Of the meeting 1t may be of |
interest to know that Mrs. Youmans
vas the third president of the Wis
onsin Federation Of Womens Clubs,
nd that she is at present the presi-
ent of the Wisconsin Equal Suffrage |