Bohumil Šimek

“ It is not easy for a mature person to learn a new language, especially when no facilities are offered for instruction in it. Imagine even the average college graduate who had acquired some knowledge of French or German or Spanish in the later years of his life, trying to follow an elaborate argument or making an effort to feel enthusiasm through the medium of one of these languages. And that is what some Americans expect of the immigrant. ”

“ Our unfortunate war experience with certain of our immigrants and their descendants, particularly those of German origin, has developed a distrust and even hatred of all foreigners. That this feeling works an injustice in many cases will not be questioned by anyone familiar with our foreign-born people. It seems to be very hard for some Americans to comprehend that no other government but that of Germany and the German-Magyar government of Austria-Hungary ever attempted, or dared, to develop a destructive propaganda in our country ”

“ There are those who criticize these older people (the children of course all speak English) for not acquiring a thorough knowledge of English; but have they considered that we have done practically nothing to help them? How would a mature man or woman who had come to us from a foreign land go about it to learn English? They are past school age and would not be received in our public schools, even if they were able to overcome the natural aversion to being classed with children. Moreover, most of them work for a living during the day and could not attend day schools. ”

“ These results can be secured by kindly, intelligent interest in the people who have come to us from foreign lands. Secretary Lane stated this very clearly in his recent address at the Hotel Astor in New York, when he said that “there is no way by which we can make anyone feel that it is a blessed and splendid thing to be an American, unless we are ourselves aglow with the sacred fire, unless we interpret Americanism by our kindness, our courage, our generosity, our fairness.” ”

“ Every honest, intelligent effort in this direction must be welcomed by all right-minded citizens. No one will deny that it is desirable that every citizen should be able to use the language of this country: that he should have sufficient intellectual training to enable him to inform himself on the duties of citizenship and that above all he should have an abiding love and appreciation of our country. ”

“ On the contrary, by bringing to his knowledge the record of the struggles of his own forefathers for the very blessings which we enjoy in our country, it made him appreciate better and understand more fully the intense idealism which is, or should be, the heart and soul of real Americanism. ”

“ We must understand that America offers something better than the mere opportunity to gain wealth and high position. Both of these have been freely secured by some men under the worst governments which the world has known. ”

“ You cannot make worthwhile Americans with a club.
Among the means to be employed in Americanization compulsory teaching of English in all schools, public and private, is emphasized as the most efficacious; it is al so insisted that instruction be given which will develop a real American spirit based on the knowledge of the fundamental principles of our government. ”

“ With the exception of a few large cities practically no community has made provision for evening schools for such people. Their employer seldom takes trouble to teach them—he is more intent on getting increased production out of them. One brilliant newspaper correspondent suggested that since foreigners as a rule learn to swear fluently in English they might as well learn the rest of the language. ”

“ It is a mistake to bar the learning of other languages on intellectual grounds, as well as on the ground of usefulness to our own country. We shall be in contact with the world in business and in other common interests, and we need men an women who can use other languages than our own. ”

“ They found that restrictions placed upon the use of foreign languages interfered seriously with much of the patriotic work done by the Czechs of this country during the war. There are still many of the older people who have difficulty in following an argument in English, and it was possible to reach them much more effectively through the medium of their own tongue. ”

“ They object to being made the victims of designing politicians who are seeking to appease the German vote. There is no question that this has played a large part in the agitation of this subject in both Iowa and Nebraska. ”