As its chief aim this year, the Shannon Post of the American Legion will devote itself to enlisting as many members of the University as possible in the Americanization work which is now being conducted in Massachusetts. Men, whether Legion members or not, who wish to enroll in this activity are to send their names to the adjutant of the James A. Shannon Post, University Hall, Cambridge.
Americanization work, as officially set forth by the Massachusetts Board of Education, has the following aims:--
"1. To make English a common medium of speech.
"2. To establish better relationships between all Americans.
"3. To preserve the best contributions brought from the Old World and unite them with the best ideals of the New.
"4. To prepare aliens for citizenship.
"5. To make a united people, loyal to America."
333,000 Needing Education
At present there are 333,000 persons in Massachusetts, ten years of age and over, who need instruction in speaking, reading and writing English. Of these 118,000 are unable to write in any language and 215,000 are unable to read and write English. Ninety percent of these people are twenty-one years of age and over. Three hundred thousand men of voting age are unnaturalized.
The field for Americanization is so broad that there is a place for all agencies that can be interested in the task. At present many patriotic societies, chambers of commerce and civic organi- zations, foreign clubs and societies, settlement houses, trade unions, industries, public libraries, women's organizations, sectarian organizations, and public schools are actively engaged in the work.
Suggest Post Aid Work
It has been suggested that the Shannon Post can assist in this work in the following ways: first, appoint a committee on Americanization; second, enter into active cooperation with the local and State school authorities in their campaign to interest immigrants in learning English; third, organize a campaign of instruction in Americanization through which the native-born citizens may be informed, both as to the needs of Americanization, and the best methods to be employed; fourth, organize and train a corps of speakers to address American audiences in the interests of building up a friendly attitude and establishing right relations between native and foreign-born Americans; fifth, act as a recruiting agency for classes in teaching English to immigrants; sixth, cooperate with foreign clubs and societies in the community; seventh, persuade businesses employing foreign labor to cooperate with the school authorities; eighth, arrange patriotic programs for immigrants, wherever they are accustomed to meet and supply speakers, and lantern slides or moving picture reels.
At the informal opening of the new club room of the Shannon Post in the Varsity Club tonight at 8 P. M., Professor G. W. Pierce '99, Director of the Cruft Memorial Laboratory, will speak on "Submarine Detection," and will show various pictures on the subject to illustrate his talk. Professor J. L. Coolidge '95 will preside at this meeting which is only for the members of the Post
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