The Washington times., 1921-11-06
MOTHER TON CUE
UNDEF|LED
7 DAYS
All Classes to Devote Activities
To Correct Use of Language.
"Ain't" Chief Offender.
by ED DUFFY.

IN every State tomorrow the observ
ance Of the third annual Bette
Speech" Week will begin.
More than sixty thousand Distric
sf Columbia boys and girls will
once more be requested to watcl
their language closely, and to dis
courag slang and imperfect use o
the mother tongue.
Many classes have been choosing
slogans during the past week-to be
put into poster form and prominent
ly displayed in the next few days.
The need OF better speech has been
impressed firmly on the minds of all
public school students, and this an.
nual custom of setting aside a week
Tor particular observance of per
feet" use Of words has proven help
ful.
All classes, particularly English,
history, civics and economics classes,
have been studying the Literary Di-
gest and have gained much from it's
articles on Good Speech"
10 PRODUCE PLAYS.
In the past the high schools have
had students write and produce
short plays, or sketches, on Better
Speech" 1t is expected this will be
repeated this week. Mention Of the
setting aside Of the days from No
vember to IL will be made In as
semblies in the five high schools
Wednesday and Thursday.
A Guide to Better American
Speech Week" has been printed for
distribution III schools all over the
country. This guide" states: Bet
ter speech week, as 1t Is now OBJ
served, serves one Of two purposes.
1t may be an intensive campaign for
calling the attention Of the commun-
1ty to the need Of speech improve
ment, or 1t may be a definite place
In a years program for developing
power In speaking" In any case 1t
becomes a time for self-examination
in speech and for pledges similar to
the following, written by Grace VIII
hanson Willet, Of the Chicago Wom-
ems Club:
II love the United States of Amer
1ca. love my country's flag. I love
my country's language. / promise:
Il. That l will not dishonor my
country's speech by leaving off the
last syllables of words;
"2. That l will say good Ameri-
can yes and no. instead Of an In
dian grunt, 'umhum' and 'nup um,
or a foreign va or 'yeh' and nope;
"3. That will improve American
speech by enunciating distinctly and
by speaking pleasantly and sim
cerely;
"a. That 1 will try to make my
country's language beautiful for the
many boys and girls of foreign ma
tions who come here to live;
"5. That I will learn to articulate
correctly one word a day for one
year"
AIDS CULTURE.
1t is very proper that the observ-
ance of Armistice Day, on Friday,
November H. should come in Bet
ter Speech Week." 1t has been said
that Americas veterans could be
honored in no better way than in the
preservation of the English Ian
guage.
Good Speech" said one of the
school teachers the other day, lis
conducive to culture. I wish every
Washington student could appreci'
ate the finer points Of his or her Ian.
guage, and realize the beauty Of it.
] am sure the result would be \
great improvement in the school
training. A Better Speech" cam
paign, in this week, can accomplish
much toward the uplifting or the
ideals of students"
The campaign to improve national
speech Is directed by the National
Council Of Teachers of English and
the General Federation of Women's
Clubs. The American Academy OF
Arts and Literature and the Society
- oh In
movement.
School papers are expected to
print editorials on Better Speech"
and several student cartoonists are
10 draw snappy cartoons to convey
the importance Of the movement to
pupils.
Bulletin boards have carried
placards reminding boys and girls to
watch their pronunciation closely.
The dropping Of tg's" and the usage
Of "aint's" is banned absolutely.
The value of the week" as an in
fluence on the city, may be meas
ured largely by the success Of the
movement in the schools. The
school influence is getting to be felt
more and more in business concerns
and the home.
Stre6SlnR the ROOu WHICH, may Dc
accomplished in the way Of
"better speech" the Literary
Digest says:
"a great army OF disappointed
men and women can testify that
inability to talk clearly and force
fully has been to them a severe
social and business handicap. ii.
Addington Bruce, the well-knowh
author, observes that there are
men today in inferior positions
who long ago would have COM
manded good salaries II they hal
only taken the trouble to over
come remediable speech defects.
Strange how careful people ar,
about dress-how sure that dignity
and good taste in dress help IL
make ones success i'm getting on in
the world-and at the same time
how careless these same people are
about speech, which is the dress Of
the mind
Attention to speech Is worthy
Of our respect not merely because
Il Is an index of ability. 1t is a
means Of growth. Bishop Trench
said: Language is on the one
side the limit of restraints OF
thought as on the other side that
which feeds and unfolds thought