THE CORDOVA DAILY TIMES
Entered at the Postoffice at Cordova,
Alaska, as second-class matter.
H. G. STEEL
EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR
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ILLITERACY IN THE UNITED
STATES i
A salient and significant feature of
the current reports of official federal
and state organizations charged with
the compilation of vital statistics, pre
sented at a time when it is proposed
to rearrange social and industrial re
lationships on a new basis having for
its purpose the amelioration of many
defects of the old, is the amazing per
centage of illiterates in this country.
Eight and one-half million persons
in the United States over 10 years of
age can not read a newspaper, sign,
or letter. Five and one-half millions
of them can not read anything in any
language. These facts are brought to
public notice in the report of the de
partment of the interior, which has
been compiled from several sources,
including data on illiteracy in the
drafted army, supplied by the surgeon
general’s office. Further comparisons
show that the illiterates and aliens
of the country outnumber all the peo
ple in fifteen states combined, and, as
voters, would outweight the influence
of Greater New York, Philadelphia and
Chicago in national affairs.
This condition presents a problem
which is national in scope. The South
leads in illiterates, the North in non
English-speaking population. Alto
gether 10 per cent of the adult popu
lation of the United States can not
read the constitution under which they
live or the laws which they are pre
sumed to know.
No particular study is necessary to
create an appreciation of the economic
waste involved in this deplorable con
dition, aside from other reasons for
the correction of such an evil. Dis
regarding the cultural and social ad
vantages of education, how can a man
perform other than plain manual labor j
or become but a poor substitute for
machinery efficiently designed and op
erated if he is unable to read or write?
Efficiency is becoming more and
more essential in commercial competi
tion. This country has witnessed the
enactment of much radical legislation
and governmental interference with in
dividual preferences and habits of citi
zens, admitted to be necessary for ob
taining efficiency, which is regarded
as one of the most important national
attributes. Certainly no other single
factor can have as much influence on
the final degree of national efficiency
as the percentage of illiterates in the
population.
The subject deserves the thoughtful
attention of the leaders of every indus
try, and our law-making bodies should
be brought to a realization of the im
portance of remedying the conditions
responsible for the existing large per
centage of illiterates in our popula
tion.
THE MEXICAN QUEStlON
The American public has shown a
fine spirit in standing off and allow
ing the authorities at Washington to
handle the Mexican problem as they
saw fit. Despite occasional outbursts
of feeling, and the impatience shown,
there has been commendable co-oper
ation, and the hope that in time Mex
ico might radically improve the ex
isting conditions has been perennial.
Of late a decided change is evident,
and a feeling that something must be
done to eliminate border disturbances
and insure the safety of Americans in
Mexico.
At no time has there been any jus
tification for the absence of a firm
governmental policy for the protec
tion of Americans and their property
rights. On the border the Villa men
ace has been temporarily dispersed by
the energetic drive of the United
States army. From the Mexican au
thorities comes the promise to save
Americans from bandit attacks. On
the prompt fulfillment of this agree
ment will depend subsequent events.
In congress recently full investiga
Sergt. Alvin C. York, Pall Mall,
Fentress county, Tenn., Three Hun
dred and Twenty-eighth infantry,
Eighty-second division (All-America),
has been proclaimed as “the soldier
who has distinguished himself above
all men in the war in the achievement
of the greatest individual deed in his
tory.” This deed is really a little bat
tle in itself, but told as briefly as pos
sible it is this:
York, then corporal, October 8,
1918, killed 20 Germans with his rifle
and pistol; captured 132 prisoners, in
cluding a major and three lieutenants;
put 35 machine guns out of business,
and thereby broke up an entire bat
talion which was about to counter-at
tack against the Americans on Hill 223
in the Argonne sector, near Chatel
Chehery.
Pall Mall is a mountain cross
roads with possibly 20 houses scattered
about. York was born there December
yZ(vm%m?/i ffia&wijlffiBBat a Western Newspaper Union
ao, a«»«, one or aa enimren. He is a tarmer ana blacksmith. He provides
for his mother, one brother and three little sisters. He is 6 feet and weighs
205 pounds. He is red headed. He is sure death with both ride and pistol.
As a fighter, he is the rare kind that gets cooler as the danger grows.
He used to drink a little, gamble a little and swear. He quit in 1915
and joined the Church of Christ and Christian Union, of which he is second
elder and singing leader. He was a conscientious objector. His captain con
vinced him in camp that it was his duty to act as the peacemaker in Europe.
His “girl,” Grace Williams, says: “It wasn’t Alvin: it was the hand of
God.”
tion of all relations between the Unit
ed States and the republic of Mexico
has been demanded by a resolution in
troduced in the house. On June 23
another resolution, directing the secre
tary of war to send United States
troops into Mexico to protect Ameri
can lives and property there, was in
troduced.
The Mining and Metallurgical So
ciety of America has submitted to its
members for formal adoption or re
jection the following resolutions:
“Whereas, Their professional duties
frequently call American mining engi
neers to Mexico; and
“Whereas, The modern mining in
dustry of Mexico has been mainly de
veloped by American engineers; and
“Whereas, Many American mining en
gineers have suffered indignities, the
loss of their property, and even of
their lives, while traveling or sojourn
ing in Mexico in the peaceful pursuit
of their business; and
“Whereas, Such conditions have cul
minated in the murder at Teziutlan
on April 10, 1919, of Edward L. Du
fourcq, an able and highly-esteemed
mining engineer and a member of the
Mining and Metallurgical Society of
America; therefore be it
“Resolved, That the Mining and
Metallurgical Society of America
hereby protests to the department of
state in Washington against further
disregard by the American govern
ment of conditions in Mexico that
make it unsafe for American engi
neers to go there in the practice of
their profession and for the care of
business interests intrusted to them;
and be it further
“Resolved, That the Mining and
Metallurgical Society of America urges
the American government to take
prompt and effective steps toward the
establishment of such law and order
in Mexico as will safeguard the per
sons and property of our citizens and
PYtpnrl its nrntpptifin to all Ampriptma
in any part of the world to which they
may be called in the pursuit of their
legitimate affairs.”
Mining engineers, metallurgists and
mine operators are greatly interested
in the Mexican situation, for many of
them have suffered material injury by
reason of conditions in Mexico. The
action of the society is another exam
ple of the service that it has rendered
to the mining industry.
Organized action is necessary, and
particularly so in the present situa
tion, as the signing of the armistice
and the acceptance of the peace treaty
by Germany have removed all excuse
for further vacillation and delay on the
part of the federal government.
It is undoubtedly true that Nenana
needs a good wagon road if commu
nication is to be kept up with the
coast at all seasons of the year. It
will be practically impossible to keep
trains running via the Broad Pass
route through the interior and the up
keep of the railway will be prohibi
tive, due to washouts, snowslides and
forest fires. Had the government
taken the money the railroad will cost
and put it into roads and trails Alaska
would soon be the best settled terri
tory under the flag of the U. S. A.
Roads are badly needed. There is
scarcely a part of the Territory that
has roads in proportion to its popula
tion. And building a road in Alaska
is a man-size job, and one that re
quires unlimited money. The railroad
can never pay one-tenth the cost of
operation, because its maintenace will
be too expensive. With good roads
reaching to all the camps, the trans
portation question would be solved.—
Valdez Miner.
I
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SHOE REPAIRING
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Men’s Shoes half-soled and
heels sewed and nailed.52.76
Rubber heels and soles. 2.76
Ladies’ Shoes half-soled. 2.00
Heels, rubber and leather..76
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Our methods of conducting a
funeral have given us an oppor
tunity to serve you in a manner
that will command respect. We
are equipped to serve you satis
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K. E. HOLDEN PARLOR
Second Street, between
A and B Avenues
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