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Show Immigrants Must Learn English Within Five Years ITT ASUINGTON. Deportation of immigrants after five years' residence in W the United States unless they learn to speak and read English is to w considered by the senate labor committee, Chairman Kenyon announces. Sena- tors on the investigating committee declare de-clare Americanization of foreign-born persons must be undertaken at once if grave industrial trouble is to be averted. "To neglect this duty means very troublesome times and very serious industrial troubles, as well as rapid growth of socialism," Senator Walsh declared. He proposed to the labor committee that a bill be drafted providing pro-viding for deportation of foreigners who have not learned English at the end of five years. Compulsory education and a shorter working day must accompany this, Walsh declared. Senator Kenyon's concern upon discovering that more than 8,500,000 esidents of this country are unable to read or write the American language iught to be shared by every thorough American. The senator thinks a moderate proficiency in our language, written and spoken, ought to be required of each newcomer. This is a modest regulation. Surely we cannot be called exacting if we ask our new-found citizens to acquire the fundamentals of daily communication. Heal progress in American citizenship ought at least to imply the capacity for understanding the general principles of social intercourse. It is doubtful if we can make real progress otherwise. When they speak their native languages they are coining their native thoughts resistance to oppression and the demand for freedom. Our task is to encourage them to think American thoughts and coin them In American currency. As soon as the newcomer can think "home" and coin it in American speech he begins to have some conception of all that citizenship here connotes. |