El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1919-03-01

TIE Of the education measures Of Gov O. A. Lara
1olo Of New Mexico has been passed by the house and
VII doubtless be passed BY the also. It provides
ssht increase in the tax rate for the purpose Of supplying
school text books free Of charge to INDECENT children Of the
state It VIII do great deal toward helping along educa-
ton IN the state the cost Of school books item
Of some importance with most families and It is very much
more important in families where children numerous
and money very It often children to be
taken Of school long before they finish the grades To
make the standard Of American mental attainment any
thing Ike should BE- complete grade schooling for
every child should be made essential It is not hard to
make II mandatory Most states have school laws which
require the attendance Of children at school until they
- years old theresbout but the free text book pro-
vision VII make 1t easier TO enforce that requirement
So murh for free text books What the fate Of the
governors bingua education proposal VII be,
1oEee accurately Il IS before the legislature IN the form
= BILL, but the indications that bitter fight viii be
nde On IT, By some II IS regarded as an attempt BY the
governor increase the Spanish influence the state by
propaganda In the schools Others take the view which
GoT LarazOo himself has expressed that he merely seeks
is insisting On very thorough instruction in English IN all
the schools he calls it definite characterization
msut
whatever nay be the flaws in this particular bill
they M doubtless be set forth plainly enough in the leg
iszTe debates-the governor has voiced excellent theory
no harm would be done If study of Spanish made
compulsory il all public schools IN the southwest that
every pup learned it. Plenty Of there in this boz
der country who have been here quarter century
3
able write any Spanish at all, TO speak than
fsE phrases to read any but the simplest Spanish We
used Spanish II business and social relations but have
never learned Il and we have to rely on imperfect trans
lators faulty interpreters thus frequently spelling
plans have been at pains to formulate. If
had had learn Spanish in school would been
better off
That is about what Gov. LarraEolo meant In putting
forward the bHg1al proposal knowledge Of Spanish in
this part OF the country is than intellectual
attainment II Is business asset, any FL Paso mer
chant who sells goods in Mexico deals with Spanish
izes al the he himself has knowledge Of the
language.
DISABILITY Of English speaking people learning Span
h is secondary however, TO the necessity Of Spanish
Epeaking American citizens learning English.
That necessity must be stressed increasingly. That any
considerable number Of American citizens be born and
i've and die speaking reading and writing nothing but
alien language becoming ntolerabe Regardless Of their
1rh IN this country people can't be thorough Americans
u thought manners and ideas-they can't get the full
Anercsn point Of view-unt they speak the English Ian
mage L is the greatest Amercauiza ton factor have
{ must be used 70 the utmost.
The English language has become the medium Of
Internationally This has made the English speak
1g peoples the dominant force in the world strongest in
he military and II finance and trade This does not
domination BY Eugshmen and the descendants Of
English ancestors, for Americans congomeration OF
he worlds Americans don't look, act talk ike
5ngshsu- It Is told that When American troops moved
ITO Aae after the signing Of the armistoe the nhzb
ants ignorant Of the identity Of their visitors eyed them
ri0usly These soldiers evidently were not English
french Italians Poles, Portuguese any Of the African