Arizona republican., 1920-01-22
USE WRONG WAY. ID AME ER|CANRE. MEX|CANS, SAYS.
Federal Official Thinks Mexicans Are Encour- aged to Remain Mexican Should Be Made to Adopt American Lan- guage and Customs

Charging Phoenicians with encourage ing the Mexican to remain in his pres ent status by use or the Mexican or Spanish language instead of subStitut- ing English. 4. F.. Eldredge. naturali- zatton examiner yesterday declared himself opposed to the policy he found in vogue here.
 Mir. Eldredse. who arrived yesterday from the coast to take part in the characterization program in this state. directed his statements against the business man who employ Spanish speaking clerks. The government man stated that while it might interfere with business for a time the use of English in the shops would result in fewer Mexicans. for those who lived in America would be American.
 Tt Is up to the people living in the Mexicau's locality to make him see that 10 progress or be employed here, he must do the same as the European foreigner-learn our language" said Eldredge.
 Mir. Eldredge. who is to speak on Americanization this evening at the west precinct justice court, arrived q day ahead Of schedule. He visited the school of citizenship established on his recent visit here during the afternoon and also passed several hours in the office of the. clerk of the U. =. district court going over the records Of decIa- ration of intention filed during his absence.
 In discussing the Americanization problem here MT. Eldredge said:
 Few Mexieans Become NsturaIized
 With reference to the question of aliens in the state of Arizona. many or the workers in Americanization, as well as the citizens of Arizona, seem to think that the only alien within the bounds Of this state is the MeXi- can. Thinking in this way, and knowing the Mexican as they do by constant association. they easily be- come discouraged at the progress made toward his Standardization.
 The records Of the petitions for naturalization filed in the courts of Arizona since statehood. Of which there are thousands. and which are increas- ing monthly rather than decreasing, show that not one per cent of those seeking citizenship in this state are citizens Of Mexico. and in the majority of cases where the Mexican has ap- piled for naturalization, it will be found that he is a homesteader.
 Do the people ever stop to realize now little encoura cement the MeXi- can Is given to become citizen of the United States. and likewise do you realize how much more encourage nent he ought to be given than any other foreigner for the reason that even at the extreme boundary line of the state Of Arizona in any direction. le can be back on his native soil in
 
 Should an American go to Mexico and endeavor to conduct official busi- ness in the language of this country, W hat would be his eXperle nce2 He would soon learn that to progress very capidly there. he would have to speak he language of that country. Is it so lere with the adult Mexican? Is is not fact that in most every business establishment one enters he will find Spanish speaking clerks who carry on
 
 people in their own tongue. Do you lind these same business people, or public officials. having clerks or as- istants who speak the Italian. Greek, swedish. German. or any of the lang uageS Of the European foreigner?
 One Solution
 There you have one solution-the European foreigner has to learn our language. customs and habits to pro- Gress in this country. while the Mexi- l can can live in just the same contented way without learning as he does in his own land. Mexico. just across the border to the south-the other foreign CT from across the seas. The first step in handling the Mexican adult as re- .ards his AmericaniZation is strictly ! up to the community wherein that | Mexican resides. II is up to the peo- pie living in his locality to make him ! see that to progress or be employed | here. he mus do the same way as the l
 
 guage. The argument may be ad- | Vanced that this would interfere with | business. Yes, it would for a while, | but the result would be that eventually | there would be fewer of the Mexican \ or those who wanted to | live here would take an interest in us. T Without any announcement from | ourselves. and with dtscouragement by | the Mexican consul that his people | Mexican, which is only natural, the citizens Of our sister republic are hard to AmeriVanize.
 Your state law controls the educa- ton of the minor-what are you go- ing to do with the adult? Education is a absolutely the process of elimination in SO far as the discomfort of the for eIgner is concerned, because 1t is ignorance of our laws. etc, that he is not contented. You have no law regulating the adult foreigner. The larger percentage Of your for eign population is Mexican. Cease ent him to remain in his pres ent status by discouraging the use of the Mexican or Spanish language and substitute in lieu thereof the language of our own country.
 TO my mind the best example of A was exemplified in our army cantonments. on board our naval vessels, and everywhere men were gathered together during our recent var One flag, one language. one country-America-"