The Winslow mail., 1923-06-29
GROWTH OF ILLITFRACY MAY
MEAN DOWNFALL Of NATION

The United States of America has
thriyed under democratic govern
ment for almost a century and a half
but if there is not an organized
movement soon to blot out illiteracy
there is no assurance that this form
of government will keep the nation
out Of the chaos Of a revolution and
it's resultant disintegration, was the
warning issued by Dean F. C. Lock
wood in his address on illiteracy, at
the high school auditorium at Bis
bee, says the Bisbee Review With
the superstition that exists among
uneducated people to prey upon, the
l. w. w, anarchists and other trai-
torous organizations can plunge the
country into a dreadful calamity, if
the number of illiterates is permit
ted to grow, he said
The figures on illiteracy in the
United Stated as given out by the
war department after the world war
were startling and almost unbeliev-
able. The seaker declared adding
that it was found that "a out of
every 100 soldiers enlisted could not
read or write any language. This
was in comparison to the armies of
France, with ratio of three out of
100; England, with one out of every
100; Germany with one out of every
5000. The national census gives the
number of persons in the country
who cannot read or write any Ian
guage of 100000 OF this number
100000 were drafted in the army in
1917 and 1918.
Arizona has it's share too, Dean
Lockwood said, giving the number
as $4,000. Of this number 1900 are
Mexicans, 1900 Indians and the re-
mainder of the white races.
1T was only about 10 years ago
that the country began to realize the
danger of illiteracy," the speaker
said. ga movement to blot out the
curse was started in several of the
states where uneducated men and
women predominated Several states
adopted slogans such as "Secede
from Illiteracy" and while on my
way to Bisbee tonight, l thought
Arizona might adopt as it's war cry
"Swat Illiteracy in Arizona"
"The time has come for us to take
a definite step toward Kidding this
state of its illiteracy, or at least
minimize it. 1t is also the duty Of
the lawyer, the doctor the laborer
and the business man.
"The main trouble with this coun-
try is that we are too satisfied
We believe we are the best educated
nation in the world; but the truth is
we are just the opposite. American
people do not appreciate the danger
of illiteracy. 1t has been said that
placing the ballot in the hands of an
uneducated person is as dangerous
as tieing valuable diamond around
the neck of five-year old girl and
sending her out on the Bowery in
New York.
Dean Lockwood said that the
chamber of commerce, Sunshine club
other civic organizations could in
crease business in their city by TAX
ing up arms against illiteracy. Ig-
norant people cannot read the adver-
tisements in the newspapers or on
bill boards; they do not purchase
any luXuries or furnish their homes
properly; they are inefficient in
their work; do not have bank ac-
counts or take part in any move
ment for the betterment of the COM
munity he said
The speaker attributed crime to
illiteracy, declaring that records
prove conclusively that 80 per cent
Of the criminals are uneducated.
In conclusion Dean Lockwood said
that a definite program should be
formulated in the fight against illit-
eracy in Arizona. First, he said,