Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1919-03-06

Americanizatien, the great problem of
the period of reconstruction following
the recent war. was explained to an
audience of over 200 at the Town hall
on Wednesday. evening by DR.. II. H.
Wheaton of Hartford. state director
OF the Americanization movement in
the state of Connecticut, AMI DR..
Benjamin I. Marshall of the Connect
cut College for Women. DIR. Wheaton
outlined the working plans for the
great task while DIR. Marshall viewed
the subject from a different angle and
explained the spirit aIN1 motive OF The
movement.
The meeting opened with the sing
ing OF America by the audience led by
c. D. Geer, followed by the singing
of La Marseillaise. C. D. Geer then
rendered the Polish National Hymn
Mayor ]. J. Desmond, chairman of the
meeting in a brief way explained the
purpose of the meeting and intro
duced Dr. Wheaton.
DR.. Wheaton said in part: The
foremost problem of the period of re-
construction is the Americanization
plan, the great plan to make this land
one composed of Americans. Before
the War we had come to believe that
everyone was an American and a 10y
al citizen. We were deceived and as
soon as this country became involved
in the struggle we became aware that
there were those in our midst who
put patriotism for the country from
which they came ahead of that for
America. There were three million
men, male aliens, who claimed the
right of exemption on the grounds
that they We're not American citizens.
Our native born boys went out to
fight for them while they stayed at
paying occupations. However not
all the aliens claimed exemption but
some 100000 waived exemption and
were sent to camps. Here it was
found that they were unable to under
stand the English language and Sc
unable to take orders. The military
training had to stop and the men be
taught to speak and understand Eng
lish. This brought home to the nation
the need Of Americanization
In the United States today there
are five million non English speaking
people, two million of these are I'M
able to read or write in any language
whatever. Seven million are unable
to read or write the English language.
There are three million males of mill
| tary age, from Is to A.. who are not
raturalized citizens and therefore
cannot be drafted.
| In Connecticut there are $4,000
! foreign born and $4,000 Of foreign
| birth and parentage combined. OF
! these 200, 900 are employed in gainfJl
| occupation over ten years. There are
| So to 80 thousand who are unable to
| speak English. sixty thousand who
are unable to read or write in any
| language, and eighty-tiv thousand
who are of military age.
! There has been a great influx OF
aliens in the past gew years, espec-
ially in the industrial center5 and
even then they do not live III sections
of their own but are widely scattered
and hard to reach, especially IN the
rural districts. Connecticut has &
large problem before her to reach
| these people but it is not so large but
tkat it can he done. We must put
ourselves to the wheel. push aud NC
can accomplish it. 1t cannot be done
/ by leaving it to the othar fellow V
must have intelligent and concerted
action. We must have certain lines
! of procedure. We must build from
| the bottom. The organizations, COM
| mitteeS and the communities must ge
together under a head and work. Tbs
| state committee will furnish help il
the way of field secretaries to explain
matters, information will be given ou
| through news rVeases and othel
| forms of publicity will be made by
the central committee.
In this movement the native Amer,
leans must be the leaders and set th'
example We must teach then
the traditions and the ideals of thu
government and we must protect then
against explorations of foreign bank
ers and even those who take advan
tage of them in this country.