Imperial Valley press., 1922-01-24

last night at the Masonic Temple be.
fore the assembled Masonic lodges OF
Ell Centre, Imperial, Brawley, Calex-
ico and Holtville. james R. Ford
Master Of the Ell Centro lodge, No
3S4, presided.
Mr., Blight continued: Human his
tory becomes more and more a race
between education and catastrophe >
With these significant words H. G
Wells concludes his monumental and
epoch-making work, THE Outline OF
History"
All students of contemporary social
conditions agree with Wells. The only
! hope for the race is education. The
prodigious claims Of democracy rest
upon the postulate of an intelligent
and conscientious electorate. An illit-
crate citizenship is a menace to every
republican institution.
In the light of these self-evident
propositions the extent of illiteracy
in the United States cannot be other
than alarming. With respect to the
population in general, II is stated that
ten per cent of the adult inhabitants
of this country are technically glitter
ate; that is, are unable to read a
word in any language. In literaey the
United States occupies the ninth place
among the nations with most Of the
civilized world ahead Of US
Let NE quote a few paragraphs from
a Congressional report prepared by
the Committee on Education, submit
ted to Congress January i, 1921:
"Our alarming condition was graph
ically disclosed by the examination OF
the draft registrants during the late
war. The Surgeon Generals report
showed that of the men called TO the
service between the ages Of = ard 81
nearly % per cent were practically
illiterate The Nations defense IS
thus doubly impaired. First, because
one-fourth of the sons of America
called to serve are incapacitated for
efficient service by being 50 ignorant
and illiterate that they cannot even
understand the orders given to them;
and second, because in free country
its safety is jeopardized when its vot-
ers cannot read the ballots they cast
and only know how TO vote as they
are told.
The economic loss is tremendous.
Secretary Lane estimated the annual
loss TO the nation because Of litter
acy alone at S825, 5,00O,0OO. The Di-
rector of the Bureau of Mines states
that of 100000 men engaged in the
mining of the United States $4,000
are foreigners, and that 100000 Of
them cannot speak English. He states
that the removal of illiteracy among
the miners would save annually l 900
lives and 100000 injuries. Investiga-
ton has shown that one-half the in
dustrial accidents are the result Of ig-
norance, because the workers cannot
read the danger warnings or under
stand the orders given.
at has been said that illiteracy Is
Southern problem. The facts do not
warrant that conclusion. Georgia has
389 900 iliiterates but New York has
406,O 900 Alabama has $4,000, while
Pennsylvania has $4,000
at is thought by many that litter
acy is race question. But it is much
more than that. There are over j.
900, 900 more white illiterates in the
United States than illitcrate negroes.
To meet this serious situation there
has been introduced into the present
Congress a measure known as the
Towner- Sterling Federal education
bill. It provides for the establishment
Of Department Of Education, with a
Secretary who shall be a member OF
the Presidents cabinet. 1t shall be
the duty Of the department to under
take investigation regarding Hit
eracy, education Of immigrants, pub
lie school education, especially rural
education, physical education, prepar-
alton Of teachers for the public
schools, and such other matters as, in
the judgment Of the Secretary may
require attention and study
Adequate funds are TO be appropri-
ated TO enable the Department Of Edu-
cation to carry on its work effectively
and il is provided in the bill that Is
per cent Of such appropriations shall
be devoted TO the training of teach
crs, 20 per cent for physical cduca-
tiou, health and sanitation, 7 IL pen
cent for the Americanization Of for
eigners, an equal amount for the re
lmoval Of illiteracy and 80 per cent fol
,