The Washington herald., 1920-04-19
TEACH ALIENS
TOKNOW US.
D. "A. R. Workers Visit
Homes and Educate
ForeignBom.
WORK WITH MOTHERS
Train Girls to Carry on Edu-
cational Campaign for
Americanism.
WORK WITH MOTHERS

To carry the flaming torch OF
liberty into dingy tenements where
foreign mothers rear the Ameri-
cans of the future is the policy
OF the national Americanization
committee of the ID. A. r.. mem
bers of which will present an am
bitious program for the year at
the annual Congress here this week
True Americans are the product
of good school houses and clean
homes. according to Mrs. Harold
r. Howell. Of Des Moines. Iowa,
chairman of the committee. De-
scendants OF the country's first set
tiers. true to the instincts Of their
pioneer ancestors, have taken up
Americanization work with an en-
thusiasm exceeded by no other or
ganization, she says.
Girls I'm Training for Work.
The committee now has sixty
young women in training for this
work. Special courses have been
arranged at the International Y.
NJ. c. A. College at Springfield.
Mass, and the Schauffler Training
Institute at Cleveland When they
graduate the young women will
enter social service work in the
slutn OF kTedl
cities. form mothers clubs. inves-
tigste home conditions, and teach
i the foreign-speaking women Eng
lish, elementary civics and hy-
giene.
Other planks in the d. A II.
Americanization platform are to
place the American creed OF the
der in the schools under the direc-
tion of teachers, 10 cooperate with
all local work among the foreign
population, and 10 encourage nEiur-
alization. Members OF the commit
tee claim that a good start has been
made along all thes lines and that
the coming year will see the worS
a rrfed much further.
The present committee. directed
by Mrs. Howell. comprises Mrs
Charles s. whitman. wife Of the war
governor OF New York: Miss Louise
II. Coburn, Skowhegan. Me; Mrs.
G. Wallace Hanger, Washington:
Mrs. Martha J. b. Tucker. Louisville.
KY: Mrs. John p. Hume, Milwau-
lkee: Mrs. James Lowry Smith.
Amarillo. Tex: Mrs. Isaac L. Patter-
son. Salem. Ore. Mrs. Whitman. as
vice chairman. has had charge ~
the important development OF the
work in New York.
Plan TO Teach ForeIgn-Born Mothers
The impending probability OF ma
1 tionsl woman suffrage will spur
the committee to increased efforts
this year. The members realize the
foreign-born woman will become a
voter at the same time they them
selves first enter the polls and they
are anxious she shall mark her bal
lot with an intelligent understand
I Hw-~ - .
/ stirring UP an interest in civic af-
fairs among the women of foreign
speaking colonies the committee
hope also that the mothers, the
4 bulwark of the home" will influ-
ence their husbands
The District OF Columbia chapters
already are financing a teacher Of
Americanization in the foreign
homes in Washington. The Colo
rado chapters are doing special
work among the Russian women
and children in the beet fields OF
that State. caring for the little ones
while the mothers are at work. and
teaching the women English. sew
ing and cooking. One OF the West
Virginia chapters has established
dental clinics for the families OF
miners.
Mrs. >Iartha J. r. Tucker. OF
Louisville. Ky. director oS the
Southern division, has hclpel To
FIJI out more thar 200 naturaliza-
tion papers for Russians. Italians.
Syrians and Roumanians and has
taught these men 10 pass their 60
aminations. The Los Angeles chap
tiers succeeded by their example in
persuading the California legisla-
lture to appropriate money for home
women
Ask Father. 10 Become Americans
The State work. in which Cali
fornia is the pioneer. is a continual
tion of that started by the chapters.
Western Reserve Chapter of Cleve-
land has pledged al the members
Of the Cleveland Boys Club TO per-
susde their fathers to become
American citizens.
The Chicago chapters have united
to establish an all-Americsn shop
where the hsnd-work of foreign
speaking women is sold. Through
this shop the members have found
an opening into the foreign homes.
Mrs. Howell said:
The past has brought TO this ma
ton through its mistakes a condi-
tion that only years of hard work
and changed policy can correct
AMI it will be many years before
( this changed policy can make into
loyal citizens the men and women
who have come 20 US from almost
every country in the world. without
the ideals of our Republic or. in
fact without desire to become its
citizens We must be patient IN un-
dertaking anything that will bring
consequences so far reaching and
vital.
Worker Must he Well Satisfied.
The woman going into this work
must have special qualifications.
She must be able to teach English.
elementary civics (as the foreign
born woman will become a voter as
soon as we ourselves wild. home
nursing and domestic science. She
must be able to speak the language
Of the home she seeks to enter and
have in her life enough of the back
ground Of such a home that through
sympathy she may gain admit
| tance."
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