Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1951-09-14
EXCHANGE STUDENTS
German Youths to Learn About
US. By Living in American Homes

Although this program of the
state department and the national
grange is one of exchange, it repre-
sents for the most part an oppor-
tunity for foreigners to see not only
our agricultural methods but also
to study our national philosophy and
the manner in which we live. It is
hoped that after year in this coun-
try, the students will inject into
their native Germany upon their re-
turn, good deal of what they have
absorbed. Other aims of the pro-
gram include youth leadership,
training, and agricultural progress.
This group of "a represents only
small part of the entire program.
There will be $50 German teen
ayers sent to study here this year,
but the total from Germany during
the year, including all age groups,
will be almost 5000. This, in turn,
is still only part of the Cam
paign of Truth program inaugu-
rated by President Truman last
year which brought 10000 persons
from SIS countries to the United
States to live. work, and study.
JUST ABOVE THE teen-age level,
t h ere are Young Farmers
Groups, young men and women in
thelr tWenties, from Germany, Nor
way, Denmark. and Sweden, who do
much more travelling than the
younger &tudcnts. They shift from
home to home and learn all types
of farming. whereas the teen ayers
become "mcmbers' of one family
for year while they go to school.
Since only about one in ten of the
group of "a which arrived recently
can speak English, it might be as
sumed that language would be a
great barrier to their American
education. However, there was a
girl in a similar group last year
who, within month, had learned
English well enough to compete
with her fellow pupils on their own
terms. Officials of the state depart
ment and the grange praised the
teachers in our schools to whom fell
the task of educating these STU
dents. The extra time spent with
them and the understanding given
them did much to aid the rapid
adjustment of the youngsters.
Upon their arrival in New York,
this latest and first such group of
German teen-agers were whisked
down to Washington where they, in
group, spent part of their second
day in this country writing home to
their families to let them know Of
their safe arrival and to tell of their
first impressions.
While in Washington, they met
Herschel Newson, master of the
national grange, who welcomed
them to this country and added that
he hoped the Americans with whom
they came in contact would learn
as much about Germany as the
students did about America - that
in order to be successful, the pro-
gram had to be reciprocal.
The group also met Harold How
land, of the exchange of persons
division of the state department,
who summed up the whole purpose
OF the program with his quotation
from Charles Lamb "How I hate
that person." Lamb is reported to
have said. why, do you know
him?" someone asked. "Of course
not, replied Lamb, "if I knew him
wouldn't hate him."
II, through the immediate sphere
OF the study of agriculture, and the
greater and broader one of human
relations, this program can con-
tinue to aid in the cause of interna-
tional understanding, it will be a
great boon not only to this country,
but to the entire world. If knowl-
edge and understanding are pres
ent, there is less chance of hatred.