The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1923-11-22
MILLER GIRL Wins
IN ESSAY CONTEST
Lillian Schmidt Awarded First Place
In State In American Legion
Essay Contest


the Miller High School the hon
or OF winning first state prize in the
American Legion Essay Contest, on
the subject, why America Should
Prohibit immigration For Five Years"
Elsie Allen of Bison, was awarded
second prize and Lodema Schmidt or
Lake Preston, took third place In the
state contest. Honorable mention
was given to Anna J. Van Stone of
Ashton, and Mabel Burlingame OF
Arlington.
In the state contest the first prize
is a silver medal; second a bronze
medal, and third, a certificate of
merit, issued by the National head
quarters Of the American Legion.
The essay winning the first pleace
In each state is sen to the Legion
AmericanizatiOn director at Indiana
polls, where national judges will Sc
lect the winners in the national con-
test. In the national contest a prize
OF $3.50 will go to the winner of frs,
place, $500 to second and $3.50 to third
The judges i'm the state contest were
Mr. Leora V. Policy, Rev. Elmer b.
Whitcomb and Otto B. Linstad Of
Pierre, S. ID. In making the
awards the judges i'm the contest in
South Dakota said that all essays were
exceptionally good considering the age
OF the contestants and that it was
very difficult to determine the win
ners. Argument, logic, literary style
were given particular consideration.
Spelling, penmanship and neatness
were not given consideration, though
stated in the rules as points for mark
Ing or the reason that all were ex,
ceptionally well produced. There was
NJ faulty spelling and the penmanship
in every case was fine.
The essays passed upon were the
cuttings from many hundreds written
by school children of the state, which
were picked out by county Commit
tees and forwarded to the state com
mittee.
The winning essay follows:
Restriction of immigration has be-
come a very important factor, when
the future welfare of America is con
sidered. We are I'm the midst of an
industrial depression, withunemploy-
ment as its consequence. At the same
time the number of Europeans migrat-
ing W Iuts CbuilTy 10 llCE cdSiH6.
Surely Il can be of no advantage to
this country or to the immigrant IL
he is permitted to enter this land.
where such a large section of the peo-
pie Is without work.
The native American w~age-earner
and his working companions Of for
mer wears. the people of Northwestern
Europe, who have become skilled in
the industries, are being replaced by
dangerously radical and wholly ILL
terate individuals from Southern and
Eastern Europe. The Southeastern
FMroueaJ who has so extensively
found employment in mines and
factories, because of his tractibility,
destitute condition and low stand
ards. has been inclined to consent to
the demands on the part of the m
ployer, of low wages, extra wark, and
long hours. The living conditions Of
these recent immigrants ave made IL
extremely difficult for the experienced
employees TO compete with them.
TIL immigrants who now come to
this country in the largest numers,
are not being assimilated, but are
being packed together in foreign quar-
tiers at the great industrial centers.
They have no permanent interest in
the community in which they live Oh
in the, industry in which they are EN-.
ployed. Their greatest purpose is to
live as cheaply as they can and save
az much money as possible. Conse-
~quently, this massing OF many alien
incomers greatly increases difficulties
of housing, of health and sanitation
,~d ~ urban cppial prnhlpmS All
these problems are SO complicated,
because our American industrial ci-
ties are not American cities, but
groups of alien peoples.
Those who believe that we can as
simulate all the aliens say, that, al
though we may not succeed with the
parents, we can do so with the child
rem, by the aid of the public schools.
Undoubtedly many immigrant child
rem show high mental ability and pros
poets of becoming good citizens
Nevertheless. schooling Is but a small
factor OF the influence to which the
children are subject. The tendency OF
immigrants to crowd together in cities
or form colonies means that the child
rem will come In direct contact with
none but their own race, therefore,
will not become accustomed to Ameri-
can methods OF living or learn and
adopt American ideals.
There is n step that Is an abso-
lutely essential part Of the Americana
zation campaign. The problem is a
yery dihicult one, and cannot possibly
be thoroughly accomplished unless
the number Of alien immigrants is
restricted. II is entirely impossible
to educate, assimilate, Americanize
and n~aturalize our foreign population,
IL millions are forever pouring into
the country. II immigration was pro.
hibited for a period Of five years. these
aliens could be Americanized. During
that time, this country could be bull,
up, and prepared to properly take
care of the influx Of new immigrants
when our gates are again opened to
aliens"