Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-05-07

~ ECENT census reports encourage the
X national Bureau of Education to be-
leve that "the coming generation, of
Americans will be practically free from il
literacy, in nearly every part of the country"
Within the three decades between 1890 and
1920, it is noted, 'illiterates have decreased
in Delaware, from fourteen and three
tenths per cent to five and nine-ten.hs; in
the District of Columbia, from thirteen and
tYo-tenths to two and eight-tenths; in Ar
Kansas from twenty-six and six-tenths to nine
and four-telths; and in Alabama from forty
one to sixteen and one-tenth per cent"
aCheering indeed are these figures and
they are richly reinforced by the record of
Georgia. where, under the leadership of DR..
Britain and with the support of host of
loyal workers, most heartening progress has
been made against illiteracy among adults
as we'll among children and youths. The en-
aetment of the compulsory school attend
ance law some years ago, after long resist
anco by the prejudiced and uniformed,
proved to be of substantial value from the
outset; and now that local school tax has
been made obligatory in every county, there
will be much more adequate means for the
execution of that good measure and a cor
responding sain in it's results. Few States
have had so peculiarly difficult problem in
this field as Georgia, and none has better
reason to take courage and go forward with
the work so we'll begun.
But while rejoicing over the progress
made both in this region and elsewhere, we
shall do we'll to bear in mind certain con-
trary facts The army draft boards found
that approximately twenty-five per cent OF
the men called to the colors were illiterates,
that record being for the country as whole.
This high proportion is attributable largely
to multitudes of Ioreign-born residents who
are unable to read or write English-a class
most numerous in the large industrial and
commercial centers of the North and West.
The idea that illiteracy is peculiarly or chief
~ a Southern problem must be abandoned.
IT is national problem. AS Congressman
Tess, of OLiO. recently pointed out, while
Georgia has some three hundred and eighty
thousand illiterates, New York has tour
hundred and six thousand; while Alabama
has three hundred and fifty-two thousand,
PENNSYLVANIA has three hundred and fifty
four thousand. Illinois has one hundred ana
ssixty-eight thousand illiterates, Ohio one
hundred and twenty-four thousand, New Jer-
. -sey one hundred and thirteen thousand, and
Massachusetts herself-"there she STANDS
1z1one hundred and forty-one thousand. Nor
=is illiteracy a race question; there are up
wards of million more white llllterateS
Than illiterate negroes in the United states.
When it is observed that there are IN the
snnTeichborhood of four million native born IL
.ifterates in this country. the need OF VIDE
reaching and vigorous educatlonal eHoTt
Should need no further urging. Hon. FRANK
lin Lane calculated. when he was secretary
of the Interior, that the nations economic
.s1ess through iIliteracy amounts to eight huH-
dred and TWENTY-FIVE million dollars yedl
what Of t, civic the social, the moral loss !!
lind what of thu, individual lives thus hand1-
canned. the minds and spirits thus lmprls-
Oned?