Evening star., 1919-05-13
ASK WOMEN'SA|D
IN AMER|CAN|Z|NG
Utilization of Army of War
Workers Is Advocated at
Conference.
MISS DOW PRESENTS PLAN

Utilization of the vast army OF
z2tion work was advocated by MISS
Harriet P. Dow of New York city at
today's session of the AmericaniZa-
ton conference, meeting here TINS
week in the auditorium of the new
Interior Department.
Speaking of the United States as
the greatest laboratory in the world
Tor the assimilation of nationalities,
MISS Dow declared that those who are
working in the interest of the for
eiSn-born peoples in this country
must take advantage of the great
body OF war workers. both in the Ma :
tlonal Capital and throughout the
United States
war workers possess the requisite
brains and enthusiasm. displayed dur
ing the period of stress when the
United States was at war, to be
leaders III the work being done by the
ton division of the bureau
of education, under whose auspices
the 200 workers are attending the
conference, according to Miss Dow.
Calls on Women's Clubs.
We must make this work so vital
the speaker declared that these
people will work with us She ad-
vocated the recruiting of workers
with the foreign born through the
woman's clubs of the country and
through the patriotic societies.
Amer1canization work must be made
to appeal to war workers through
methods employed to popularize the
war work itself, Miss Dow pointed
cut. war work was made stylish"
the speaker said, and at the same
time heart appeal was put into it,
The same thing must be done in the
big program of activity which the
Interior Department has called the
200 workers here to consider, she
said.
Some woman workers. thoughu
need to nave instruction for their
heads. Miss Dow asserted. recalling
an instance last summer when
group of immigration workers had
and Lithuanians" who had been
made citizens of the United States
Less of this sort of thing. Miss Dow
observed, would be great help
while more study could and should
be devoted to getting at the real
methods for injecting true American
ism into the foreign born.
Greek Priests Work.
Use of foreign churches. foreign
stores and foreign lodges are import
ant factors in the work. Miss Dow
said. She inStanced a Greek priest
in small industrial town. who first
got the men of his congregation to
sign a pledge to take only four beers
a day. and then to reduce the amount
to three beers a day.
THAT was practical prohibition
and practical Americanization work"
Miss Dow declared.
Putting Americanism Into Ameri-
nj M
days session of the conference. which
is scheduled to close Thursday. This
note was struck by John j. Mahoney
of Lowell, Mass, who spoke on the
great need of normal schools of the
nation to train teachers for Ameri-
work.
Immigrants should be taught the
ideals of America, her political. So
cial and Industrial democracy. Broad
y defining 1'democracy," Mr.. Mahoney
human relationships which doesn't
exist in the world today-it is only
The speaker said that
the United States can stand consider
able more social democracy than
there is in actual practice. and that
vorld had shown that "unrestrained
capitalism had been answered by un-
restrained bolshevisn.'
EHLuuSidSu 1
Enthusiasm for Americanism is
needed. Mr.. Mahoney continued. and
teachers must be well grounded in
the history of Their country, but the
teaching of history merely as a record
of past events is wrong.
Those teaching history to the for
should begin with 1919, not
with 1892 or 1776," Mr.. Mahoney said
They must interpret the history Of
the United States in the light of to-
day"
The real teacher of the people who
have come and will come to the United
States to better their conditions will
reach the pupils through the heart
as we'll as the head, Mr.. Mahoney said
This mornings session was opened
by w. G.. Smith of Albany, " Y. who
gave a general discussion of the sub
ject of training teachers for the
problem. Mr.. Smith
scored the "snowstorm" Of documents
which has come out of Washington
recently.
c. c. De Witt of Detroit. Mich.
of the Ford English schools.
declared that the world has seen the
day for volunteer services in this
work, and that what is worth doing
is worth being paid for.
Peter A. Speek, in charge of the
Slavic section of the Library of Con-
gress, in an address this afternoon,
declared that education for the adult
settler in the rural sec
tionS of the country can be done
home teachers. Other speak
ers scheduled for this afternoon were
W. NJ. Roberts of Chicago. H. S. E.
Weber of Scranton, Pa; Fred II.
Rindge, jr, of New York city and f. L.
Bach of Philadelphia.
Committees were appointed TODAY
for devising plans for carrying on the
future work of AmericaniZation These
are on AmericaniZation in
communities and state re-
lations, and on the best methods, Of
teaching English and training teach
erS.