The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-10-13
Secretary Lane Tells Of Purposes Of
AUGMENTATION Bill Now Before
Congress ---Plan Is Cooperative
Action Between Federal and State
Governments
Process of Americanization Not One of Science,
But Of Humanity Want to Interpret Amer
lea in Boys and Girls, Men and Women Who
Can Read and Write
ny FRANKLIN X. LANE,
Secretary of the Interior and Chair
man of the Industrial Conference.

ny FRANKLIN X. LANE,
Secretary of the Interior and Chair
man of the Industrial Conference.
Washington. Oct 12--The. primary.
purpose of the Americanization bill
which is now before congress, is to
abolish iiliteracy in the United State7
and the plan proposed is cooperate
action between the federal and state
governments whereby the states
would be asked to pass legislation in
which they should meet on fifty
ifty basis the federal appropriations.
This is one OF the largest problems
In the United ates-larger than
any particular material problem We
must deliver from bondage millions
Of children and men and women--lib-
crate them from the binders of ig
norance, that all the wealth Of iitera-
tUre and the knowledge that comes
from the printed word may be re-
vealed 20 them. We must help them
TO an understanding OF our ideals. our
traditions. our opportunities, this is
the very first step in weaving them
into our aag--the very Arst step in
our process OF Ameriesniyation.
II has never seemed 10 me that 1t
was difficult TO define Americanixa-
tion or Aniericantswn II appreciate
something. ! admire something, I love
something.
! want my neighhors to appreciate
and love that thing. too. That some
thing liz America
The process ts not one of science:
the process In one of humanity. There
Is no way by which we can make
any one feel that 1t is a splendid
thing 10 be American uAlesa- MA
are ourselves nterpre ters OF
Americanism By our Madness. our
-,
ness We want III interpret America
In boys and"girls and men and wo-
ryfNn that can read and write, We
want to interpret America In better
housing conditions and dec n {
wages ,-.4a... 81. -..ss,. h.
This is ADMINISTRATION In the con-
erete-reduce6 70 practical terms
This !s the spirit of the declaration
OF independence put into terms that
are social and economic
From the hrst this.spirit has heen
generous II has extended the open
hand across the seas This was n
mans land--a place Of test. The
art that was most needed was the
art of getting on II literature and
science and experiment were TO
come, they upst DC founded upon
the saEif rocs 81 sett- sustained, an
pa.reniEed people -" ="
4 u
man doing his bit as the making OF
the. land II this was not q worth
while Job. then there was no place for
the strangers We had mines 10 dig,
wells to drill buildings to erect. rail-
roads to construct. and every one
must do hts share And the test OF
our democracy is in our ability to
absorb that man and incorporate him
into the body OF our life as an
American.
Cannot Interpret to Blind.
This man is our charge-our op-
portunity. Give him a glimpse into
the philosophy which underlies our
struggle and he will turn a cheerful
worker in the making of America as
have all the rest who preceded him.
But we cannot interpret America
to those whose eyes are blind and
whose ears are closed because they DO
not read. or write or speak our Ian
guage.
Nearly two years ago sent a
communication 20 the senate giving
the figures OF illitcracy in the United
States showing condition where
practically In the rough, one person
out Of every ten that you meet IN
the street could not read or write our
language
At that time we were sending out
an immense lot OF literature to the
farmers urging them to produce
wheat. to produce pork and other
commodities In our interest and IN
the interest OF the allies. so that we
could feed the United States and feed
our armies and feed Europe We
found that practically three million
Of those farmers to whom that
literature was sent could not read II.
We were sending out liberty bond
appeals and one-tenth OF the litera-
ture sent out was wasted
Then / called an Americanixation
conference and surprising things
were revealed. We found that hum
dreds Of schools In some OF our
states were teaching Lncoin.s Get
tysburg address. II they wore teach
The boys and girls were being raised
by Thousands, who came out Of their
schools without knowledge OF the
tongue Of this country. Therefore.
the Americanixation bill which In
now before the senate committee
on education ana labor. was drafted
10 meet that situation.
After that when the armistice
came we had q further revelation az
70 the situation and ! doubt Y any
such picture ever was presented TO
the American mind. before as that
presented by the figures OF the war
department, showing that out of one
million six hundred thousand men
drawn into our camps. "a per cent
either could not understand our
language or could not sign the pay
rolls. or could not read the war do
partbr s~f's ordee
1u1h00s Spent 20 Educate.
I'VE +nad to undertake to educate
b thosA nd&0 In thu Gamma and wn
\ spent millions az doliafa 81 oducat-