New-York tribune., 1919-04-20
Language and National
Unity
To the Editor Of the Tribune.

To the Editor Of the Tribune
Sir: We note your editorial Language
and National Unity" in to-days issue of
Inc Tribune, and your comment that the
publication Of statements OF American
ideas, ideals, etc. in the American foreign
language newspapers rs but half best"
and that the best is to bring a man or
woman into knowledge OF the general
Speech
But how shall your best be achicvedg
Can you hope that all of our people will
at an early date acquire facility in the
English language ii you do not know some
way to induce in them desire to learn it
And Will not this desire follow once YOU
establish to the satisfaction of our non
English speaking people that there actually
ave American institutions, IDEALS and
thought with which they can become ac-
quamted to their ,and, Incidentally, greatly
to our OWN advantage Manifestly the
more they realize THIS the more eagerly
they Will seek To acquire familiarity with
the English language
Rnt aside from lhis The nteq-faoial
Council Is not merely as your editorial ,n.
plies, seeking To proaont American ideals
Rnd thought in the language al the foreign
holm CA tho contrary. ooo ol tia dehnite
and primary tunoNoNs ia ,o helm and servo
our nom .Gurlth tpeaking ump,hyoa by
teaching the Nnelah Augungo in indus.
tMce employing toteiEn language lnbor
liut though tho councn hcnoycs that our
foreign born people viii Nnd IT. advan.
taGcons to learn English. II definitely re-
loclA the theory that amy one can induce
a hiking for English by supprcasing or I'M
pedng the flow Of thought through the ma.
tive and natural medium, to wit, tho Ian
guage of The immigrant and of his anccs.
tors. It recognizes both the injustice and
the futility of any such theory. 1t is only
by giving them our best thought and ac-
quirng theirs in turn that we can hope
for that cooperation between all of our
people which is an essential TO genera.
progress.
Moreover, if we arc to object to our for
clgn language people acquiring news and
general information through the medium
of their native tongues, should we not also
insist that our English speaking people read
only English translations Of the great an
cient and modern foreign masters of litera-
turc, thought and action? Can we consist
emily bar modern Greek and allow the read
ing of ancient Greek? Or can we bar for
eign language papers published here and
still leave the mails open to bring US (to
our foreign born and native born alike) the
publications of Europe?
Objection to the continuance of the for
cign language press and to the CONVEYANCE
of current thought in foreign languages
entirely overloohs the fact that the Younger
generations are. almost without exception,
learning English and arc reading English
language newspapers. Many of the foreign
language papers run English pages or col
umns. Suppression of the foreign language
papers practically dcprves the Younger
generation of an opportunity to discuss
current affairs with their elders since if the
latter are not to be informed except in
English they WILL in most cases, not be in
formed at all Family discussion prevails
among our foreign born to much rreater
extent than among our native born-in-
deed, among the lattcr it is almost extinct |
and such discussion furnishes one Of the
most valuable mediums for the dissemjna |
tion OF American thought and ideals among
the foreign born.
THE INTER RACIAL COUNCIL.
Frances A. kellor, Secretary to Executive
Committee.
New York, April II, 1919.