New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1919-03-01
1LLlTERACY IN THE UNITED
STATES.

Eight and half million persons
In the United States over ten wears
OF age can not read a newspaper
billboard, car card, sign. booklet
or letter in the American laL.
guage. Five and half million:
OF them can not read anything il
any language.
These astounding facts demand
the lmmedis.e consideration OF
the Nation. The war has demon
strated some If the dangers from
large numbers of foreign-bOrr
persons who have not been assimi
lated or Americanized. 1t ha,
also brought to light thousands
of native-born Americans who car
not read or write.
These illiterates and aliens out.
number all the people in Nevada
Wyoming, Delaware, Arizona
Idaho, Mississippi, Vermont
Rhode Island. North Dakota
South Dakota, Oregon, Maine
Florida, Connecticut and Wash
lngton combined. They exceed
the total population of the Do
minion of Canada. AS voters,
their ballots will outweigh the
influence of greater New York,
Philadelphia and Chicago in ma
tional affairs.
5 Such people must be r9ucated
at least sufficiently to read the
Constitution of the United States
and American newspapers and to
know something of what it means
to be an American.
This probleM is national. The
South leads in illiterates. The
North leads in non-English speak
ing. Seventeen and one-fourth
percent Of the people of the east
ycNth central States are illiterate,
but 1873 per cent. of the people in
Passaic. New Jersey. can not read.
speak Or write English. Sixteen
percent of the people of the south
Atlantic States are illiterate and
so are 1872 per cent. Of the people
of Lawrence and Fall River, Mass
These civic and economic "sec-
onds" are beyond all help from
printed warnings or advice in the
English language. Their ig-
norance and inaccessibility to es-
sential public information are con-
slant drags upon progress.
The Secretary of the Interior
has graphically painted the situa-
ton by the nationally accusatory
questions he has asked in his re-
cent letter to the President:
"What should be said of al
democracy wherein
10 per cent of theNdult popula
ton can not read the laws which
they are presumed to know?
"What should be said of az de |
mocracy which sends an army to
preach democracy wherein there
was drafted out of the first 2,OOO,-
300 men a total Of 100000 men
who could not read their orders
,r understand them when deliv-
red. or read the letters sent !
hem from homeY
"What should be said of de-
which calls upon it's cit
zens to consider the wisdom of
forming a league Of nations. of
passing judgment upon a code
which will insure the freedom of
he seas. or Of sacrificing the daily /
tint of wheat or meat for the
benefit of the Roumanians or the
(uga-Slavs when Is rnr cent Of
he coming citizens of that de-
nocracy do not 60 to SCHOOL,
"What should be said Of a de-
nocracy which permits tens OF
Of its native-born chill
lren to be taught American his
ory in a foreign language-the
Declaration Of independence and
.incoln's Gettysburg speech IN
German and other tonguesY
"What should be said Of a de-
nocracy which permits men and
to work in masses where
hey seldom or never hear a word
e English spokenY"
Senator Hoke Smith has just
Introduced in the Senate and
honorable William B. Bankhead
n he House, the Smith-Bankhead
1mericanization Bill; Senate Bill
464, House Bill 15402.
This bill directs the Secretary
{ tic Interior through the Ru-
eau of Education to cooperate :
nth the several States in the ed
cation Of the aforementioned
copies and in the preparation Of
pachers for the work.
The appropriations begin atls
nes aud end in 1926