Newark post., 1919-07-02
.Americanization In Delaware

AllClhpto W ploNluS IAuSllSu CuucdIoh Iva
foreign speaking residents in the city Of Will
mington, go back great many years. Night
classes have been conducted at various times
under number Of private agencies and COM
mittees. The response of the foreign born them
selves was always reward for the effort put
forth. 1t was this, perhaps more than anything
else, that kept alive among fairly large num-
Der Of individuals, active desire to have
the State as well as the city Of Wilmington,
adopt a Statewide and permanent policy
Americanzation.
The war with its demands on foreign speaking
of draft age, made Americanization prac-
tical national issue, for the first time. People Of
experience in the work were very few, and the
question had reached such overwhelming pro-
portions that the creation of adequate national
machinery was difficult and was not accomplish
ed during the war. The states were asked
through their Councils Of Defense, in coopera-
ton with Amercanizaton agencies already in
the field, to work out locally their salvation.
O The Woman s Committee of the State Council
Of Defense, through it's Amercanizaton section,
had taken up Immediately after America entered
the war, the campa gn for State and city support
Of this movement, which had temporarily been
dropped in Encouragement by those who had
devoted much time to the work. The revived
movement met with what practically amounted
to demand from the foreign born themselves.
After proposing night schools and industrial
classes, the Woman's Committee combined its
department with department Of the State
Council Of Defense, after it's creation in 1918
G The State Council Of Defense saw the neces
sity Of State policy, and secured the services
Of Miss Esther b. Lape, whose contribution to
the movement had already been significant in
other communities and in the country at large.
Miss Lape's first inquiry was whether American
izaton was to be worked out as State policy.
With the assurance that the Executive Com
mittee Of the State Council Of Defense had this
purpose in mind, Miss Lape set to work on
specific program based on a rapid survey and
study of local conditions. Miss Lapes printed
report has probably been the most popular State
publication Delaware has issued. 1t has. been
reviewed in many Of the prominent magazines
and newspapers of the country. Requests from
outside the State for copies of this pamphlet, are
still daily occurrence.
Following this program and under Miss Lape's
plants, employing foreigners was made, features
of an industrial policy and program suggested,
and training school for teachers under expert
supervision and teaching, over period Of six
weeks, was carried through by the State Defense
Council.
At this point, the armistce was signed, and the
State Defense Council, as temporary organiza-
tion wished to assure the permanence of its
industrial conference, and of conducting night
schools as demonstration, was presented to the
Service Citizens of Delaware for their consdera-
ton The Service Citizens adopted this program
and the Industrial Conference was held, under
Miss Lape's direction. Later Miss Hart the
Americanization Secretary Of the State Defense
Council, who had been assisting Miss Lape, was
secured by the Service Citizens to conduct their
excellent demonstration of the methods and the
Importance Of night school work for foreigners
G The continuation of Americanization as
State policy, supported by State appropriation
for night classes, and by private funds and
activity in the broader field outside of the actual
teaching, will put Delaware, without question,
in the first place as State having acted with
initiative and success upon the wartime sug-
gestion that the states develop their own
Americanization programs, each with the idea
Of contributing its experience and ideas for the
benefit Of other states in the Union.