The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1919-03-02
EIGHT AND A HALF MILLION
PEOPLE IN AMERICA CAN'T
READ THE ENGLISH TONGUE

quired the instruction OF illiterate
and notwithstanding minors
more than 10 years of age, in the
American language, for at least 200
hours per year.
Federal money shall be used only
for salaries or training teachers and
no federal money shall be used for
buildings or equipment or for sup
port of religious or private schools.
Each state receives money in pro-
portion to the number Of her illit-
crates and persons unable TO speak
English as compared to the total
number OF such persons in the Unit
ed States.
The other provisions of the act
roncern details OF administration.
These S,500,000 when taught to
read will be an immense new mar
ket for every form OF merchandise.
They will mean S,500,0C0 new read.
ers Of newspapers, periodicals, farm
journals, books in general and ad-
vertisements of manufactured prod
ucts AT present they can't make
use OF any product of the printers
labor. They can't even read mov-
ing picture title or a Victory loan
poster.
The elimination OF illiteracy
means the elimination OF falsihed
merchandise, and the reduction OF
cheating by manufacturers and re-
tailers who rely upon illiterate
groups for their support.
Lane on llliteracy.
Secretary Lane has said:
at takes brave and very ambi-
tious man to lift himself out OF such
an environment. Easily he be-
comes a victim of the shrcwd, pred
atory padronc or boss. He falls into
debt and becomes mortgaged TO ig-
norance and squalor for years. His
ideal of America has suffered a
change. And this is freedom?' he
says to himself as with tired back
he bends to his work, without hope
that the burden will be lighter to-
morrow. He can not read the signs
which warn him of danger. He
can not read OF the opportunities
which city and country offer. In his
own land perhaps he had no chance
to learn in his own tongue. In this
new land he is too tired, too hest
tant TO learn this strange, difficult
tongue. Is it any wonder il to this
dissatisfied stranger the voice OF one
who speaks to him in the language
Of home has authority and carries
far? And ii this voice breaches dis
content and violent discomfort, as
the one sure path to better days,
is it strange that he should listen ?
Who are the men who master this
new world? Plainly the ones he
knows, from whom he has suffered.
Do these same men control every
thing; are there no sweet places OF
refuge? He can find no one to
make him see the greater America.
The whole OF this continent is to
him the cramped apartment, the
dirty street, and the sweatshop Or
the factory. To the sweep OF the
great land and its many beckon-
ings his eyes are closed. And in
this isolation and ignorance and dis
appointment there is fruitful nest
ing place for all the hurtful mi
crobes that attack society,"
From every humanitarian and bus
mess viewpoint, it is OF the utmost
Importance to all with messages, ed
ucational or commercial, that these
eight and half millions be taught
at least sufficiently to read a pos
ter or a newspaper. Every user OF
the printed word, writer, manufac.
turer, merchant and advertising man
should Immediately express his opin-
ion OF the Importance and imme-
diacy OF this legislation, to congress