The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-05-24

0tNAN0ANS5t1
members of the Richmond high school
graduating class. marched to<the plat
form, Friday evening at the Coliseum
to receive their diplomas. They were
lead by Walter Stegman, president of
the class and Mary Louise Bates. The
class marched in twos. The scene
was pretty one with the boys in
their dark suits and the girls in their
white frocks with beautiful corsages.
The platform of the stage was deco
rated with spring blossom and the
Coliseum was hung with japanese Ian
terms shaded with Japanese parasols.
Miss Mary Luring played the march
for the class
The Rev. F. A. Dressed, pastor OF
First English Lutheran church.. pro-
nounced the invocation
The entire program for the com
mencement exercises was given by
members from the 1919 class. B. w.
Kelly. principal Of the high school. In
presenting Richard Taylor, the first
speaker, said 1t was not deemed adj
visable to import a professional speak
er when there was SO much material
in the class. This idea was first con-
ceived and carried out in the class OF
1917.
Richard Taylor had as his subject,
"Americanization," and presented 1t
In pleasing and logical manner.
Discusses characterization.
There Is still some doubt as to the
outcome of the peace conference" said
the speaker, "and Bolshevism is
! threatening us, but the most vital
problem of the day is making good
I'D nff o,1% -
element. The foreigners in our coun-
try are totally unfamiliar with our
| customs. They crowd themselves into
slums and tenement districts and there
they exist and become plant tools of
powers Of every sort.
1T Is astonishing to know how many
foreigners there are in our country.
| There are 100000 foreign born in
the United States and out Of that
number there are 5000, 900 who know
nothing of our language.
| In New York and Chicago the MN.
Der of foreigners is appalling. Tbev
are filled with Jews, Germans and Ro.
m IN New York there are more
Germans than there are in any civ
II Germany except Berlin. Before the
war zoo newspapers in German were
1
The magnitude and Importance nj
the Americanization problem is press
ing itself upon us. 1t is partly ou1
4 fault that such conditions exist. When
they come to this country we have ex
pected them to shift for themselves
and become American citizens auto
matically.
The time has come when we must
educate them. The duties of citizen
ship demand it. We must imnroye
their living conditions in order t.
raise their standards of living. This
must include parents as well as chill
dren. The night schools throughou
the country have been and are be
coming more of an educational factor
All foreigners should either be com
PEELED to become American citizens
or sent back to their own country
The immigrant mother and workin,
girl are especially difficult to reacl
and special efforts should be mad,
, for them.
Must Be christianized
The foreigners must be gotten GU
OF the clums, out Of the Little Italys
Little Bohemias' and Little Chinas
The crowded conditions must be re
; lieved. These conditions are a detr!
ment to our national welfare. TIL
! foreigners must know that after the
are naturalized they cannot sell thei
: vote to the crooked politician.
We must discard our idea of tn
foreigners inferiority. We must nc
: insult them and make large propol
: ton Of our population feel inferior.
. I've must not neglect to Christian
ize them. When we have Christian
! lied them and educated them int
:. harmony with our institutions so tha
: in the course Of time they will be