New-York tribune., 1920-12-31
Books for the Steerage
An Unusual Opportunity to Begin
AmerIcanization Promptly
To the Editor Of The Tribune

10 the Editor of The Tribune.
SIT: | have just landed from a steer
age trip across the Atlantic and am i'm
pressed with the need of q library IN
the third cabin of ocean steamers. At
present only first and second cabin
passengers have it. Nor can one blame
the steamship companies for finch;ne
from the task Of equipping library for
the polyglot mob below decks. On our
boat, in the third cabin, twenty-five LAM
guages were spoken. And yet, lust be-
cause Of the babel and the motlev. a
library is needed there more than anv-
where else. They have not the recre-
atlons offered to the passengers above
decks. For them the voyage is a long
m0notony. Ten days is the average
duration, oittimes made longer, when
they are detained on board in port.
awaiting transshipment to Ellis Island.
Those ten days present a priceless
opportunity to reach to these newcom-
ers the history and literature of Amer
ica, her geography, the mechanism of
e1gners who came here and made good
IN that moment the immigrant is in a
teachable mood. The adventure into a
far country has excited all the nerves
OF his mind. He is awake as he never
was before and as probably he never
Will be again. Pathetic is their eager
ness to learn about this America, theme
OF longtime dreamings. The desire to
INFORM themselves, SO a to pass mus
ter when examined in port for entrance,
would spur even the dullards. Instead
of a dismal, rotting time, the trip
would be transfgured into a floating
university, ship teeming with intel
lectual life and fervent inquiry.
10 provide so many tongued library
and reach it forth to so varied a host
IS Job beyond the competency of the
ships crew 1t would have to be done
by men specially trained. The Car
negie Fund would doubtless provide the
books. But the librarian would have
70 De man of vision and leadership,
such as our library schools and neigh
borhood houses are TURNING out, which
would mean steerage library asso-
cation, supported By gifts from the So
cially minded. That the steamship
companies would cooperate with such
an association need hardly be ques-
toned. To make the ocean trip moro
enjoyable and lift the tone of life on
board for both passengers and crew
would be quite to their advantage.
Some criticize the ships officers for
what seems unneedful harshness in
dealing with steerage folk. DO not see
how that harshness can be avoided. To
get things done by mob that does not
know what you are saying requires
throwback to the primitive; persuasion
beng out of the question, -.aught is
lett but brute compulsion Undeniably,
the treatment the immigrant receives
lS rough and always will be. The poor
fellow, pushed and hauled and shouted
at, gets sore impression of America
at the very threshold, and seeds of an
arohistic bitterness later on are sown
IN the hearts of many Of them. To
counteract that impression a library
steward would be invaluable. He would
be Americas hand Of fellowship
stretched out. AS head worker In in
stitutes of social service in New York.
have known the difficulty Of straight
enng out these newcomers, once tho
warping into gnarled and tangled
knot has taken place. We must make
contact with the immigrant while he is
voyaging hither. For that contact
could anything be more fitting thsn
Looks, helpfully chosen and courteous
ly proffered? The movement Of peo-
Piles into America is a fact In universal
history. ! fear that at present we srf
doing but little to humanize this mH
grafton of the multitude.
C. B. WHITE.
Marlboro on Hudson, N. Y, Dee
&c, 1920.