THE ILLITERATE LEGION.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3455, 8 April 1920, Page 3

THE ILLITERATE LEGION.

ONE—TENTH A MER.Ic,\.N. A RMY

For 50 years (writeo Dr». Nowell Dwight Hillis in M‘Clure’s Magazine) we have boasted that our free schools have made scholars of all our citizens. Then suddenly war prieked The bubble, destroyed the illusion, and peeled our people of these lies. " It was’ :1 matter of national chagrin to have England "and. France realise that of-our 2,000,000 young solcliers who landed in France 200,000 could neitllel*"l'ezLd nor write. In August, 1918, I "watched 3000 American soldiers pass from the steamer to the dock in la-i\'E*l-pool. ‘These young .»\n'lel'icans line,<l‘np preparatory to the long‘ mzm':h~:‘to :1 nest camp in the suburbs. At t‘lmt."znolnent -a group of Y.M.C.A. men hurried zilong the" column, distributing" pm-t';11 cords, and shouting: “Better wi-ite :1 note home telling the folké j'o11‘l1:1\*e lmnled in safety.” v

At that: moment :1 younfig ofll‘c.er said to me: “Evcl'y fenf]l'nl:‘mV hero cannot read or write. Lot .nle:sllm‘\‘A‘yoll how I pick out the il'li"’fél’afc-.s’f"’~":Standing before a squzxd 01:‘ f\‘\gellf};"solElicl's, he

said: “NOW, lioyas, )"ou liilvci only :L few minutes. Those (if §'d_li’\\‘ll() \\'ri|.'e slowly and uiith (lifiiculty stop over here and I will assist you.”‘Asham-=<.l and unwilling to ‘have l'l"1o truth known, about one nmnlin ‘E6II left flle ranks, anrl while one boy '-s:‘li<l, “I have hurt my l1:m(l,” z111<JtIl1(*1‘ "§:li<.l: "I have been .~:<‘a.<sir:l<,” uml hll, deeply liumiliatocl, told one white lie after anotlier to oxplmizi the iimbility To send home even :1. V‘,-':ostc.-arcl. This pemonlzago uf illilx.-1-zilfeqw in rlis? army means tllirll we llzl\*o 10,000,000 American mm: ‘\\.’ll.(_?' cam 'ln(jitll<*l' read 1101‘ Write; but including the (‘:(ll(7lll'E‘t.1I uml red races. and those of fnl’(n-i}:i;'n' l»i_"’rl1. our Nzitionj al Supel'inton<_lcnf of Ptililjo lEd1w:1lion believes that we hzlve 20,000.000 illitorates. '