To secure the benefits of this act each State shall equal its Federal appropriation. No State shall participate until it has required the instruction for at least 200 hours a year of illiterate and non-English-speaking minors of 16 and over.

Federal money shall be used solely for salaries and training of teachers and no Federal money shall be used by the States for the purchase or upkeep of buildings or land or equipment or for the support of religious or privaye schools.

Each State receives money in proportion to the number of its illiterates and of persons unable to speak, read, or write English.

Two hundred and fifty thousand dollars is provided for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1919, and $1,000,000 annually thereafter to administer and enforce the provisions of this act, for cooperative work hereunder, for investigations, studies, and reports, salaries, office and incidental expenses, equipment, and for the stimulation of national unity.

According to the last census report, there are of native illiterates or persons above 10 years of age living in America who do not speak our tongue and can not read or write our language over eight and a half millions. Five and a half millions were born here. The majority of those who do not know English are uneducated in any language. (See tabulation by States, Exhibit A.)

Eight million who can't read the laws of this country. More people who can't read our language or understand it than Canada's whole population. More than the whole population of the South in the Civil War.

This total exceeds the combined populations of Nevada, Wyoming, Delaware, Arizona, Idaho, Mississippi, Vermont, Rhode Island, North Dakota, South Dakota, Oregon, Maine, Florida, Connecticut and Washington. More of these than all the men, women, and children of all the cities in the United States west of the Mississippi except one.

The South leads in illiteracy but the North leads in non-English speaking. Over 17 per cent of the persons in the east-south Central States have never been to school. Approximately 16 per cent of the people of Passaic, N. J., must deal with their fellow workers and employers through interpreters. And 13 per cent of the folk in Lawrence and Fall River, Mass., are utter strangers in a strange land.

The extent to which our greatest industries are dependent upon this labor is perilous to all standards of efficiency. Their ignorance not only retards production and confuses administration, but constantly piles up a junk heap of broken humans and damaged machines which cost the Nation incalculably.

A letter from the Director of the Bureau of Mines indicates the situation in practically every great national enterprise where illiterates and principally non-English speaking aliens are employed. Accompanying this communication is a statement of facts which would justify the enactment of this law for our mining States alone. Among other figures contained in his statement are statistics which show that the non-English speaking races in the anthracite regions are twice as liable to death and injury as the English-speaking workers. This is equally true in the bituminous fields of West Virginia; it is approximately so wherever we use such labor in hazardous enterprises. (See Exhibit B for quotations from this letter.)

It is our duty to interpret America to all potential Americans in terms of humanity, in terms of protection as well as of opportunity; and neither the opportunities of this continent nor that humanity which is the genius of American democracy can be rendered intelligible to these 8,000,000 until they can talk and read and write our language.

Steel and iron manufacturers employ 58 per cent of foreign-born helpers; the slaughtering and meat-packing trades, 61 per cent; bituminous coal mining, 62 per cent; the silk and dye trade, 34 per cent; glass-making enterprises, 38 per cent; woolen mills, 62 per cent; cotton factories, 69 per cent; the clothing business, 72 per cent; boot and shoe manufacturers, 27 per cent; leather tanners, 57 per cent; furniture factories, 59 per cent; glove manufacturers, 33 per cent; cigar and tobacco trades, 33 per cent; oil refiners, 67 per cent, and sugar refiners, 85 per cent.

One-quarter of the above workers are so benighted that they can not even read or write their own language.

Of foreign-born wage earners (in this country five years or more) who were of adult age on arrival, only 31 per cent are naturalized and only 14 per cent have first papers. If we except the northern Italians, hardly 10 per cent of recent immigrants residing in this country from five to nine years have adopted citizenship. Among such Russians only 8 per cent have been naturalized; 5 per cent of Portuguese, and 4 per

cent of Greeks.

In all history no country ever before held so many aliens or permitted such an unallegianced multitude to share equality with and enjoy all the privileges of its own people.

These folk have little or no knowledge of the history or ideals of the Republic. Wel
have suffered them to retain many misconceptions and pernicious theories with which
they came to us. As they exist to-day they are not fit melting pot metal and if they
were ready to be, we, the native-born, have generally forgotten our duty as fire-
tenders.

The making of America can not proceed faster than the making of Americans, else
we sophisticate the quality of the future with perilous elements.

The making of America can not proceed faster than the making of minds trained to
share our visions and of consciences fit for our purposes.

If a hundred million of us must stand together, we must think together, and think
without a foreign accent.

Democracy did not down its last enemy when militarism was ended. A monstrous
evil still persists in the world, a gibbering, blind, unreasoning thing, incapable of
measuring the values of liberty-ignorance.

And with 8,000,000 persons in America practically beyond the reach of inspiration
and conference, unable to read an American document or newspaper, we tempt the
disorganizer, the anarchist, and all the agents of disruption to seduce and exploit
this vast influence which we have neglected to win for intelligence and citizenship.
The Secretary of the Interior has graphically painted the accusatory situation in
his annual report. He reminds us that our illiteracy problem is not confined to
alienism. He shows us an army of illiterates marching past the White House in
double file at the rate of 25 miles a day for more than two months-an army of
which 58 per cent are white and one and a half million are native-born whites.

He begs you to consider the economic loss rising out of this multitude; he estimates
that if the productive labor of an illiterate is less by only 50 cents a day than that
of an educated worker, the country is losing $825,000,000 a year through illiteracy.
But we can safely figure that the labor of an illiterate is worth $5 a week less than
that of a man who can read. And that of 8,000,000 will yield the nation $2,000,000,000
annually in excess of present earnings from this class-which $2,000,000,000 annually
would not only pay the interest on our war debt but will soon amortize it as well.
Secretary Lane reminds us the Federal Government and the States expend millions

every year to help our farmers make better crops and better homes, yet 3,700,000,

or 10 per cent, of our rural folk can't read an agricultural bulletin, a farm journal, a
thrift appeal, a newspaper, the Constitution of the United States, their Bibles,
answer an income-tax questionnaire, or keep business accounts.

He is right when he says "an uninformed democracy is not a democracy, that
people who have no access to the mediums of public opinion, the messages of Presi-
dents, and the acts of Congress" can't be expected to understand why they all must
contribute in due share of energy or property or lealty to the ideals of this country.

Mr. KAUFMAN. I also would like to submit for the record, if it is considered pertinent, letters from such associations as the Associated Advertising Clubs of the World, the great insurance companies, health movements, etc., giving the reasons why they are interested in the bill, and showing

Mr. DONOVAN. I do not believe there will be any objections.

Mr. HILLIARD. Those statements ought to be pertinent, ought to be deemed pertinent.

Mr. KAUFMAN. There are some corrolary facts which I should like to introduce.

Mr. BANKHEAD. Well, now, how about this summary here [indicating], have you incorporated that in the record?

In

Mr. KAUFMAN. That has been incorporated in my statement. a few minutes I will be able to give you a photostat, showing the pro ratas for every state, and exactly how this will work out. I will have one for each member of the committee, statistics, which are all vital statistics. In the bill we have made special provision for the education of the illiterates up to the age of 16. The various States are rapidly approaching a 16-year standard for compulsory education. Mr. BANKHEAD. As the maximum?

Mr. KAUFMAN. As maximum, yes; this bill provides for the compulsory education of illiterate minors of from 16 to 21, does it not, Mr. Bankhead?

Mr. BANKHEAD. Yes.

Mr. KAUFMAN. Now, this is the most dangerous age

Mr. DONOVAN. Excuse me, Mr. Kaufman, it is not from 16 to but it is from 16 up.

Mr. KAUFMAN. Sixteen to twenty-one for compulsory education of illiterate minors.

Mr. DONOVAN. The other is elective.

Mr. KAUFMAN. Elective? The 16 to 21 year age area is the most perilous area of ignorance and misunderstanding. The percentage of venereal infections in this group is excessive. In this group the greatest number of irresponsible marriages are made. There is a greater percentage of bastardy in this group, and it is this group, the 16 to 21 year old group, which contributes heaviest to prostitution.

The purpose of this bill is not only to give these illiterates of from 16 to 21 an education in English, but also to provide opportunities for wholesome, improving contacts, to teach them the fundamental principles of government and citizenship, and the elements of knowledge pertinent to self-support and home making.

In other words, if the State may maintain a contact with illiterate and foreign born from sixteen to twenty-one, at reasonable intervals. we believe that the problems, the main problems, which arise out of illiteracy and inability to read, write, and speak our language, will soon be overcome. Of course, it is our purpose, as far as possible, to stimulate, to reach in every possible way the adult illiterate as well. Mr. DONOVAN: Those are the ones we want to reach.

Mr. KAUFMAN. Those are the ones we want to reach, but what I want to say, sir, it would hardly be constitutional to impose any restrictions upon their liberty of electiom. their liberty of electiom. Am I correct?

Mr. DONOVAN: I believe you are.

Mr. HILLIARD: I believe that ought to be a sound exposition of law. Mr. KAUFMAN: Our main endeavor shall be to arouse the whole country to a realization of this situation.

Of late years, we have been absorbing immigration at a rate far beyond the digestive capacity of the average community and we are liable to become dyspeptic with alienism. The figures which were presented in my statement indicate that more recent types of immigrants have been least assimilated.

Mr. BANKHEAD: Mr. Kaufman, while I have the matter here before me, there is a provision that no State shall be entitled to participate in the benefits of this act until it shall by appropriate legislation require the instruction for not less than 200 hours per annum of all illiterate minors or minors unable to speak, read, or write the English language, more than 16 years of age. Under that provision, no State could accept the benefits of this act to remove illiteracy unless they had, by State regulation, adopted that system. I want to get your view on that question. I want to discuss that question in connection with the apportionment section here, that the sum herein authorized to be appropriated shall be apportioned to the several States annually in the proportion which the total number of resident illiterate persons 10 years of age and over

Mr. KAUFMAN (interposing). That is merely a basis for figuring. We had to take the Federal census figures for a basis.

Mr. BANKHEAD. Well, now, why do you provide that this shall have application to those 16 years of age and over and apportion it on a basis of 10 years of age?

Mr. KAUFMAN. We have no basis of calculation for illiteracy except that of the last census, and the last census is of 10 years of age

and over. and over.

We have no figures at the present time on 16 years

of age

Mr. BANKHEAD. What is the theory of apportioning this on a basis of 10 years of age, and applying the benefit of it to those over 16 years of age?

Mr. KAUFMAN. Because of the progress various States are making with regard to compulsory education.

Mr. DONOVAN. They are rapidly approaching the 16 year age limit.

Mr. KAUFMAN. They are rapidly approaching the 16 year age limit themselves, and will we are quite sure, as interest develops in this situation and the values, the ecconomic as well as the civic values involved in the education, generally provide for compulsoryeducation up to 16 years.

Mr. BANKHEAD. But do not these figures, being based here on the census of 10 years of age and over, show that there are a very vast number of illiterates, according to the census of 1910?

Dr. CLAXTON. There were comparitively few in 1910, only about a half million persons in the United States between the ages of 10 and 20.

Mr. BANKHEAD. My object in asking those questions was to clear up this situation so there would be no confusion about it when we come to consider it later.

Dr. CLAXTON. There are, however, no exact figures of the persons in the United States between 10 and 16 who are illiterate. Now, in the last few years before the war, there were a large number, a very large number, of foreign-born people came in. In addition to that, many States have provided by law for compulsory attendance at school for children under 16. Practically all States provide compulsory attendance for children under 14.

Mr. BANKHEAD. All right. I did not mean to interrupt you.
Mr. DONOVAN. That was a good interruption.

Dr. CLAXTON. Yes, very good.

Mr. DONOVAN. And a good solution of the interruption.

Mr. KAUFMAN. In addition this law is really a law to validate the estate of 8,000,000 Americans and potential Americans in all the facilities, in all the instruments of progress in the United States. When you build a post office, you build a share of it for them; when you build a Congressional Library you build a share of it for them; every forward movement, and every institution to advance democracy and to uplift men, predicate their pro rata use of it; and we have hundreds of millions of dollars invested for them of which they are unaware and to which they can not take title until we certify their title by making them literate and aware of it. If this act will validate and bring to use hundreds of millions of dollars worth of national facilities for each of us, the education of these 8,500,000, will lower the national overhead on every product which they learn to utilize. For example, to-day these people are not potential customers for any of the forms of merchandise which are sold through advertising. They are not customers for any publishers; they are not customers for the magazines, for the newspapers, for any product of the printing trades. They can not even read a moving-picture title.