The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-12-05
CLASSES FORMED FOR
FOREIGN BORN MEN
Arc Taught the Language and Shown
thu Beauties of Uncle SANS
Government

NV tfNohtfNS w ' IN * s7''t'
Government
An Interesting practical experiment.
in Americanization has recently been
carried out in The engineers training
camp at Camp HUMPHREYS. Virginia
The man who conceived the idea be-
mind the experiment. was private
soldier OF Italian birth salvatore
t'udia by name. ON his own initiative
Private Cudia built up a system Of
education among the thousands OF
Italians at camp Humphreys which
has been in operation since early sum
n1er,
Several years Of experience i'm The
newspaper and theatrical world had
brought Private Cudia into close con-
tact with many individuals and he
knew especially the psychology of the
foreign born. Realizing that the best
way 10 attract his men was through
giving entertainment. he began by
assembling and training a small or
4 chestra. the cost Of which was de-
frayed out OF his own earnings -
regimental tailor. The first musical
program which he offered to the men
was calculated 10 attract them and
the Italian horn soldiers at Camp
Humphreys gathered in full force.
After the musical program Private
t.ldtd bt1tIFtt 10 ASSIST any Oflt; vi Iltt
audience in solving the every day
problems which beset privates in the
army. knowing the sort of stories
he was TO hear, Cudia had primed
himself with answers, One private al
once arose and complained OF the way
in which he believed the governmeJf
was treating him He had wife and
children in Italy: for months they
had received no money from tn"
American government: for some rca-
son the slloiments had not been re-
ceivod The poor soldier. whose un-
derstanding of the situation WAS any,
thing but clear, thought he was he
. ing cheated out Of his pay. He even
confessed that he felt no particular
loyalty toward country not his own.
"A country which he intended to leave
as soon as he could a country in
1 whose army he was serving really
against his Will.
The frank statement of this fellow 3
case aroused the keenest interes,
among the Italian born soldiers pres
eni and Cudia was called upon to
square the matter. Having investiga-
ted "A similar case in the past, tudia
was ready with an answer He imme-
diately sprang To his feet and asked
the meu whether they knew English.
Many of them admitted that they did
not,
He then told them that many OF
the draft boards and camp officials
simply could not learn their names
and that because many European
born people who had come 10 Ameri-
ca to earn livelihood had not been
willing to learn the English language
they had involved themselves Ia Il
great deal of trouble
I The government was not so much
at fault, he-told them, as they them-
selves He would he glad, of course.
to help them straiehten out their tenn
porary difficulties, hut as u step to-
ward doing away with such difficult
ties in the future, he proposed that
: they should all join classes in Eng
fish which he would start for them.
These classes were started and per-
mission was obtained from hcadauar-
tiers allowing the italians To hold
daily meetings for the purpose of
reading and speaking Eng s. h.
Throughout the summer and up To the
present time Private Cunia and his
assistants have continued these classes.
Through learning English the men
have put themselves in better posi-
ton to understand what this coun-
try has been lighting for
But Cudia's idea did not stop At
the teaching of English 10 Italian
porn SoiditFEt II was "a ituIii ir'i Nti
thing than that His aim was to
bring his people into closer relations
with America, the land of b If adup-
ton He found that many of them
had very hazy ideas on the subject of
naturalization: ,zlthe primary thoagh'
y with n larEst Buuiber ot them was 10
return to italy as soon as the war was
ever. Cudia was much too wise 10
attempt direct persuasion with these
S.n tna rod I.,. f,vIta
them into close touch with the
American soldier 5S1d present. ster
by step. the advantages OF American
citizenship. To this end he organ
ICED dramatic clubs. reading circles
and vaudeviiles and even published
at his own expense. booklet of in
formation so that when he made an
appeal the men should be in recep
tive mood
When he felt that the proper time
had come. CudSa arranged large
mass meeting at which The PROPOSE
tion of becoming American citizens
was presented TO 1.-THE men. At this
first mass meeting over 100 Italians
pledged themselves To become citizens
of the United States, Up to date
over 200 such pledges have been st /.
cured
/ Private Cudia feels that his expert
ment has achieved a large measure OF
success. One of the most battling
problems y the country has been the
. reconciliation of the various dissatis-
fed elements among the foreign born
and foreign speaking soldiers in cur
great draft army. Cudia is of the
opinion that the crest way to de-
veiop love and gratitude for America
and American institutions is for the
limited states Ia see that It's foreign
In IL,