Evening star., 1927-11-19

Germany and Denmark have only
two-tenths of 1 per cent illiterates.
Switzerland, Netherlands and Finland
have less than 1 per cent; Scotland and
Great Britain less than 2 per cent:
France less than 5 per cent and the
Land of the free and home of the
brave" confesses to per cent, while
proving 25 per cent average for the
whole 48 States.
Touching again on that raw state
ment by the Commissioner of Educa-
ton, DIR. Tigert, that New Workers
are more illiterate than the pore
whites of the Southern Mountains
the only way to test it's accuracy is
to appeal to the War Department now,
just as was done in 1917 in the Army
tests.
1t transpires that in the Army a
new test is being tried experimentally
on all recruits. 1t is not so severe as
was the alpha test" used in the 1917
draft, but it applies equally in all Sec
tions, so it is fair for comparisons.
At least it is not sectional. although
it has been in use too short a time
to be actually accepted as standard.
DR.. Tigert's challenge applies to COM
PARSONS between New York City and
the Southern mountain whites. Let
that comparison be tried by Army re-
suits of the modified test, which has
been in use from October %, 1926, to
the present day. Reports are avail.
able only from October % to Febru-
ary "a.
NEW YORK DISTRICT:
Total applicants for original enlist
Total rejected by surgeons. '9a 694
Total accepted physically. .931
IotaI rejected because of minimum
Total rejected by recruiting officer 90
on verbal vocabulary test Is
:. Percentage rejected because of low men
tahty. 12.3 per cent.
In addition, two applicants who had
had prior service were rejected be.
cause illiterate. The commanding of.
fcer commends as follows:
1t is believed that virtually all, II
not every one. of those rejected on
mental or verbal vocabulary tests
would have been rejected without the
use OF the formal test, the latter as
illiterates.'
TENNESSEE DISTRICT.
Number Of applicants 2O3
HHtdssen test by surgeons. 165-51 r per cent
Aeh'al feJeetlons ...... 10 10 per cent
The commanding officer remarks: ut
is estimated that of the number re.
Jected on mental tests, approximately
40 per cent would have been rejected
under previous regulations
There You are, New Workers., Twelve
ana three.tenths per cent of New
orkers lliiterate; less than s per cent
or the people in the great State Of
Dayton. where they know too much
10 make monkeys of themselves.
Amazing.
On behalf of DR.. Tigert, let us rise
and sing who's Looney Now?"
Ihe defense of New York is that It's
llhterates arc largely aliens bv birth
immigrants-lodged in the METROPOLIS,
ana that if the whole State were
taken, instead of just the city, the
result would be very different.
Ihe serious part of the situation Is
not sectional. but is the national
uiiemma. That the proportion OF
1lliterates is being reduced NAV be
argued, hut the fact remains that
since 1910, when our immigrants
shifted from northern Europe to the
Mediterranean Coast, they stopped
our Improvement. for in place of COM
ing from countries where iliteracy
was almost unknown. they began 10
originate from countries where 80 TO
10 per cent were illiterate. Since 1921.
we have undertaken to limit immisra-
tion by quotas, aimed especially
against illiterates and undesirable
immigration, but the quotas are the
least part of our actual immigrant
increase. which in total runs up TO
over 100000 year, instead of the
nominal 100000. But that's another
story"
We hold Is ,OOO, 900 adults in Amer.
lea who can't read newspaper,
can't understand n speech, can't
write thought, can't express an in.
telliSent opinion on any policy. But
they can vote. Half the Americans
who can read and write neglect TO
vote. There Is no national nor con-
gressional election nor local election
which could not be controlled abso.
lutely by '1gnorants." who would not
have any idea what they were voting
on. And when danger confronts the
Nation. as in 1917, they could not help
to defend the country which tolerates
their illiteracy.
tCopyright. 1927. By Paul v. collins.l