Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1918-01-05
Why Learn Spanish?
By j. ]. Niemann

liz = SANObAAOOoI RAVoPSl4NS1 C@AAN NNAN'
mercial progress of our Latin-Ameri
can neighbors are already being felt.
Enterprisipg Americans have already
begun to reap the fruits Of the ad-
vantages offered in commerce and
industry from the commercial inter-
course with these rising nations. The
best preparation for the proper be-
ginning in such commercial relations,
however, is the ability to speak and
write the Spanish language. 1t is
no secret that the Germans have been
successful in capturing South Ameri-
can commerce simply because they
have been able to speak the language
of the people. This is their best
possible introduction to the Latins of
America. The railroads of Venezuela
are controlled by Germans, and they
do not hesitate to say that their best
way to develop their commercial re-
lations with these peoples is the
ability to speak and understand their
language. In the same manner the
Germans have captured the COM
merce of Bolivia. Up to the outbreak
of the present European war, fifty
per cent of all Bolivian imports came
from Germany. These are merely
few isolated facts to show that the
openings which Latin-America pre-
sents in a commercial way for North
Americans cannot be overestimated.
Indeed, the present opportunity is a
gold mine for all American industries.
Commercial bodies and companies are
now devising ways and means for
the capturing of the commerce that
before the war was the possession of
the European markets. The first
task is to learn the Spanish language.
The commercial agent who goes to
Latin-America with fairly good
knowledge of the Spanish language
has already won the first victory,
the confidence of the people. In
commercial as we'll as other relations,
one cannot make any successful pro-
gress in foreign country without
good knowledge of the language of
the people. In commerce, threfore,
the great and important foreign Ian
guage for the Americans to learn is
Spanish. This they must do if they
wish to compete successfully with
Europeans in securing Latin-Ameri-
can business, and to command
salary of $4,000 and $4,000 a year.
These positions are not limited to men
only, they are also open to women. l
understand Bohemian, German, Polish,
Slavish and Moravian, but very little
Spanish. 1 would gladly forget all
if l could speak Spanish, for l know
what it would mean for me. The
Spanish language is not difficult. 1t
is the most sonorous and at the same
time the most logical of the Romance
languages. 1t is also the most i'm
portant. Sixty-five million people
speak Spanish, forty of which are
our neighbors in South America.
Only fifty million speak French, the
next most important Romance Ian
guage. The commercial Importance
of Spanish for the North American
is very evident. The increasing mar
kets of America must provide for
the millions of people that are dest
ined to be our commercial compet-
itors and neighbors. The two Ameri-
cas- will be united by commercial
bonds that progress and the increase
in population and the comforts of
life will strengthen from year to
year.
To the question, Why learn Spanish :?
the American student should answer:
l wish to learn to speak and read and
write Spanish in order to travel in
the prosperous and rising nations of
Latin-America and study their life,
manners, and above all, their COM
merce. l wish to learn Spanish in
order to be able to use the language
in commercial way, and increase
my earning power by being able to
deal in Spanish American business. l
wish to learn Spanish to help in the
development of trade relations with
Latin-America. I wish to learn
Spanish because l wish to know the
language of our nearest neighbors,
with whom we are now beginning to
have important and ever inceasing
business dealings.
Young men and women who are
learning the Spanish language with
the sole purpose of going to South
America with the intention of devel-
oping our trade relations will be
creating better feeling between the
two Americas, and at the same time
they will be helping to make our own
country richer, stronger, and employ