The New York herald., 1920-01-11
BY BREWSTER S. BEACH

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A plan which is said to have been more
Or less unique in industrial Americaniza-
ton work was tried out recently IN
y. Y. attracting consider
able attention and not little interest on
the part Of a number of prominent indus
trial managers.
The General Electric Company. which
employs 200 workers in that city
launched 4 new Arnericanization campaign
designed to teach every non-En glish
speaking 'employe the English language
and familiarity with American stand
ards OF thought and life in their broadest
sense.
The campaign was inaugurated by n
rather pronounced experiment. Word was
passed around one dag that all men un-
able TO speak English were invited to a
supper in the works restaurant which
among other things was TO be enlivened
by a patriotic musical programme More
than five hundred workers assembled at
the close of the days work. Keen an
ticipatiou was manifest on every side.
According to the management fifty per
cent OF them were Italian, forty per cent
Polish and the remainder OF other ma
tionaiities. None could speak English.
After supper and a programme OF patri-
otic music by the companys band had
been finished G. L. Emmons, vice presi-
dent and general manager. opened the
meeting by reading q brief address in Eng
lish. His statement had previously been
translated into both Polish and Italian, and
was Immediately afterward read in the
native tongues OF the audience by Polish
priest of the city and 4 prominent Italian
minister. Mr.. Emmons' statemen. TO the
workers, in which he summed up the OBJ
jects OF the plan, is interesting as indica-
tive OF the attitude OF large employers of
labor toward their foreign employees and
the broad viewpoint taken in setting forth
the mutual advantages accruing TO both
the company and its men from successful
AmericaniZation plan.
I'VE have invited you here tonight" he
said, ito tell you about new American
ization plan. We represent many nation
allties and races. Tonight ] welcome you
as Americans, and hope that all or you
who have not made this country the land
of your adoption are thinking OF doing SO.
lrhe company is glad to have you as its
guest at this Americanzation supper, ana
homes that many OF you will be interested
in the work to be undertaken. which will
not only teacn you something OF our IAN
r,ra-c but also teach you our American
standards of thought and life. we nave
,nuch TO learn from the nations you rep
resent You are we'll able to teach Us
rrauv things. We wish, however, 10 teact
Won the language in which all our shor
work is done. Several reasons make Il
important that you should tax EnEnsh
yo,, will be safer In your work and less
liab,e TO accident IL you understand al
sasatv insrructions You will progress
Easter IN your development II you under
stand better all that is said from day te
day. You will enjoy more Of the shop lt'
| ~ vo,, can share what the other men arr
talking about.
For the Good of All.
i "If this country Is now your nome an'
1.-The home OF your children you snou'o Know
lits language. should possess its Citizenship
sbonId obey its laws and follow the splrl
lof its institutions.
81 want you 10 feel that the company TO
which vo1 work and the executive OFFICER!
Iare interested in helping you to oecom'
! Americans OF the best hind, not forsettlh'
lthe lands in which you were born and thel
languages. but remembering that Amerlc;
H. nov your home and the homo OF you
children. Your sons fought III the Amevi
Ican armies. Many OF them died for thei
lcountry We honor them for their sacr'
lfice. You may honor them also by sharlni
1.-THE citizenship they fought and died for.
II greet you as Americans of the future
liz not of the present. and appreciate you
Interest in the meeting
The plan through which the compan,
hopes to reach the foreign elements In IL
employ and which was announced durin
the evening consists in forming Depart
mental English classes graded accordinl
a.. -~-Nr aw.At a
struction being carried on where neces
sary. The Americanlzation plan also Wi
seek to exert a powerful influence on tn
workers. looking toward their taking on
citizenship papers at the earliest opportu
nifty and thus becoming a real part OF n
lcountrv which they are adopting as thei
own. This will be emphasized in the class
room work.
But the mon are not going 20 be aske'
20 come to school. The school and tn
teachers win go 20 the men. They vii
} meet them on their own ground IN IN
workshops during "a stated period OF tn
day No coercion OF any kind VIII be EN-
pioyed. Attendance in the new classc
will be voluntary in every sense.
An Americanization secretary has bee
appointed, with a centrally located office
who will devote all of his time TO tn
work. lie will be prepared to assist an
OF the workers in taking out citzenshi
lpapers and to supply them with informa
! tion or any subject from personal hygien
to sending money orders through the pos
office.
, The success which obviously attende
every feature Of the opening OF the activ
ity will probably lead TO enlisting th
} support of we'll known English speakin
foreigners OF the city TO deliver frequen
addresses on Americanization in the nativ
!, languages or the workers. as this ha
proven an effective way OF reaching an
stirring the inen.
4 In fact, any observer could not hav
failed to notice tho interest with whic
these foreigners followed every word
the speeches made by their countrymer
How their eyes lighted up at every men
ltion OF America, and how the crowd brok
Into loud cheers when the Italian spokes
man. in an impassionod speech, pointe'
TO tho American flag At his backl How
lanyious they seemed 70 try 10 UNDERSTAND
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