Show astonishing illiteracy EIGHT AND a halt million persons in iii the united states over 10 years ot of age cannot read a bill lioard car card sign booklet or letter in the american language five and a halt half mil millions liolis of them hem cannot read anything in any language these astounding facts demand the immediate cor consideration of the hatin the wa has demonstrated demont rated bome some of the dang s ti ciori orn large num assers ot of foreign born persons who hav ecot been assimilated or americanized cani Ciani canizer zed it has also brought to light thousands upon thousands or native bora americans who ho can not read or write rite these Wite illiterates rates and aliens outnumber all the people in ili nevada wyoming delaware arizona idaho mississippi vermont rhode island dakota south dakota oregon maine florida connecticut and washington combined they exceed the total population 0 of the dominion af it aanada As voters their ballots ballo ts arill outweigh the influence of greater dr new york philadelphia and chicago in national affairs such people must be educated at least sufficiently to read the constitution ot of the united states stales and american newspapers and to know something of what it means to be an american this problem is national the south leads in illiterates the north leads in non english speaking seventeen Bov enteen and one fourth per cent ot t pe the people of the east south central states are illiterate but per cents of the people in passaic new jersey can not read speak or write english sixteen per ler cent of the people of the south atlantic states are illiterate and so BO are per cent of the people of lawrence and fall river massachusetts these civic and economic seconds are beyond all help from print ed Nainiu gs or advice in the english ilish language their ignorance and i inaccessibility to essential public in 1 formation are constant drags upon progress senator hoke smith has just introduced in the tha senate and honorable I 1 william B bankhead in the house the Smith Bankhead americanization bill senate bill house bill this bill di directs erects the secretary of the interior through the bureau ot of education to operate cooperate co with the several states in the education of the abovementioned above mentioned peoples and in the preparation of teachers tor for the work the appropriations begin at once and end in 1926 |