8,000,000 ILLITERATES.

Northern Advocate, 8 January 1920, Page 3

8,000,000 ILLITERATES.

STARTLING AMERICAN FACTS,

In introducing the Americanisatjon bill providing for .stamping out of illiteracy among both American and foreign born citizens, Senator Kenyon, of lowa, paid a high tribute to Herbert Kaufman, the wdl-known writer who has been connected with the Deprtment of Interior on special working having to do with American isatiin legslation, and went on to say:

"If the illiterates and the foreign born who are not able to speak our language should be reviewed from a stand in front of the White House marching 25 milesh a day, it would take two months of solid marching for them to pass the reviewing stand.

Startling facts will be presented to the Senate in due time. The purpose if this bill is to give these illiterates and these aliens a chance to learn the American language and to become good Americans, and after having had that chance if they will not dp it, then the aliens ought to be compelled to leave the country."

"There are more than 8,000,000 people in this country about 10 years of age who can neither read, write, nor speak the English language, and at least 55 per cent, of them are native born. That is certairtly a problem that challenges the attention of the American people."