The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1920-11-29

MANY posts of the American Legion
have devoted themselves TO seeing that
the alien has a chance to get the educa-
lion he needs to make II easier for him
To fit into our life. While IT Is recog-
nized that great many aliens nave
proved themselves splendid Americans
without a knowledge Of English or
without knowing much about our inst-
tutions. yet 1t is clear also That every
one living in this country Will nave an
easier time and better chance to sue
c.cd if he can speak our language. ana
il he knows something about our man
ner Of life and of governing ourselves.
In great many places 1t has been
found that there exist excellent facili-
ties for helping the allen In all these
ways. but in other communities the
means have been found inadequate ana
members of the Legion have been aoIe'
through cooperation with other mem
hers Of the community. 10 improve
things.
If we can make immigrants feel that
thew are welcome here, that we want
them, that we are going to treat them
fairly as ncighbors, that We are READY
TO make friends OF them. there will not
be much difficulty about all the Ques-
lions Of assimilation.
There was no trouble about the way
the alien soldier fought in our army IN
Europe. BY the thousand he did not
speak English; by the tens of thousands
he never heard Of our Declaration OF
INDEPENDENCE or our Constitution--yet
he fought side by side with his Ameri-
can born brother who had spoken the
language Of this country from infancy.
The foreign born soldier felt the t:iend-
shin OF this native born comraGr: ne
saw the nativc-born in khaki risk his
life without a moments cons,deration 70
save that Of the foreign born in Khaki
He felt that the country was good
enough for such comrade was good
enough for him.
The PRINCIPLES nnimating the 10000
posts OF the Le~ioA in working for bet
ter citizenship arc simple.
When a Missouri post took leading
part in establishing much needed high
school in its town II was working Tor
better citizenship. When hundreds or
posts in all parts Of the country helped.
some only in modest wy. others TAX
ing the lead. tn establish community
groups. community c"ntcr$ a~- the like
in their neirhborhoods they were ex-
pressing in action the principle which
guides the Legion.
During the first few months after the
army and navy were dcmCbiliZed men
were still full Of the ftght'nG snirit and
were looking for chances to express
their loyalty to their c"u"' = in the
same wav they had be-: / to ex-
pressing it on tho battlcf" l.: This had
a tendency 10 obscure n hi :" chances
for loyal work in less dr. - - ways
But as the needs OF city. .; md ma
ton have grown more appn,' II has
become more and more c"'"''.''i for
posts to pick up the work Of ' stay
ing. pcacc-lovinG citizens. an 3 num-
berlesS instances all over tn" country
they arc doing the work with ~" s"mc
PERSISTENCE that they did Tn" more
striking work abroad.
Generally throughout the ""''n'ry
there has been great interest in the
crucial question OF public education
The posts did not need any central Hu-
thority 10 make II clear to them that
our public education had not measured
up to the test. and that II needed quick
and vigorous attention II II was 10 give