group of professionally trained teachers or principals for evening-school work, by reason of the short terms, limited number of evenings, and short sessions. Evening schools have produced results worth more than their cost, but these results must always be limited. The day school for immigrants can, however, by reason of the varied character of its work, maintain permanently a professionally trained body of workers, and by assigning these teachers part of the time to day classes, can apportion other periods of their time to evening-school service. These teachers cannot carry the whole evening-school teaching burden as our work is at present organized, but they can be assigned to important posts in the evening school and serve as a leaven for the betterment of present conditions.

It may be objected that the day school for immigrants can be maintained only in larger communities. The answer is that large day schools for immigrants may be maintained only in larger communities, and that small day schools for immigrants may be maintained in smaller communities; the cost per unit of instruction need not vary materially from the large to the small community. It must be remembered that effective public agencies for dealing with the improvement of present conditions presuppose two important conditions—namely, more adequate legislation and more adequate funds. Further discussion of methods of surpassing our present admittedly unsatisfactory achievements may well be discontinued unless we are

prepared to face these issues. Whether we may expect the new laws to come from the nation or from the state and the additional funds from the communities, from the states, or from the nation, are matters for discussion elsewhere in this volume.

IMMIGRANT CHILDREN HANDICAPPED

This chapter has discussed the subject of Americanization chiefly as it relates to the adult immigrant, who is beyond the compulsory school age, and usually found either in industry, as is the great mass of the men, or in the homes, as is the case with the women, who form a smaller group. The term "Americanization" is commonly understood to apply to these groups; it is capable, however, of a wider and truer application. We have suggested that the influences and processes implied in Americanization apply to all inhabitants of our country, foreignborn and native alike. We are short-sighted, at least, in our present limitation of effort to adults alone; we should give concern to the children of the immigrant, and perhaps even to those beyond the first American-born generation.

As has been indicated in Chapter I, we now make no distinction, in our methods of education, our courses of study, or in our general procedure, between the children of immigrants and the children of native parents. It is not clear at the present time just how we ought to differentiate our customary procedure in regular

schools for the sake of the children of the immigrant. Particular tact and judgment will be needed to work out a competent plan. A few isolated experiments are being attempted, particularly in Lawrence, Massachusetts, and in Cleveland.1 It is to our credit that in our schools we have never made invidious comparisons with respect to the children of the immigrant; we have received them on a basis of equality and made them feel that there were no distinctions on account of accidents of birth and economic condition.

Any changes that may be made must maintain these undoubtedly sound principles. Still, we cannot ignore the arguments for some sort of special educational provision for immigrant children. The motive is similar to that which has prompted us to make special provision for various kinds of atypical children. We wish in the schools to furnish an equality of educational opportunity; but we can no longer deny the fact of individual variation of powers and abilities, and the schools cannot bestow an equality of benefit through the same ministrations to all children; children equipped with lesser gifts by nature must be given more by nurture.

If typical children are to be prepared for participation in life satisfactory to themselves and advantageous to society they must have very special training in the schools; it is for this reason that our schools have developed many

1 See The School and the Immigrant, Cleveland Education Survey, vol. xiii.

differentiations of procedure, have set up varied special classes for atypical pupils of all kinds. We assume that the majority of immigrant children, while normal with respect to range of mental capacities, do differ in social and economic condition from the children of families settled here for generations. The immigrant child often has distinct handicaps in conditions which it is the purpose of Americanization to affect helpfully; he frequently suffers from the handicap of a foreign language in the household, and often from the inexperience of his parents in the American environment. The same philosophy which justifies variation of treatment for the mentally atypical would justify variation in the case of the socially atypical child. It would seem in general that we ought to do more for him than for others not so handicapped, but our reason at the present time for not proceeding according to the logic of the situation is simply that we do not know what things we should or could do for him. In the chapter following will be given an account of one suggestive plan now being successfully applied in a city largely foreign in population.

THE ARGUMENT FOR PUBLIC PROVISION

We may conclude this chapter by further emphasizing the principle that the program for Americanization is a public matter, to be carried out primarily by public agencies; when undertaken by any other it should be under the

supervision of public agencies. Americanization means uniting in a national life and government originally conceived as worthy, and in advance of others under which the mass of mankind were living. Once looked upon as a great experiment in human government, our democracy has justified the faith of its founders. To-day the American experiment has become the worldfact. Men no longer doubt; everywhere they imitate. But a democracy is always in danger; it is the one form of government that does not run itself. We have neglected our democracy by our indifference about the Americanization of the immigrant; the evidence of this has been substantial and convincing. Those immigrants who have come to us and live among us without knowing what Americanism is must be instructed, and instructed by teachers responsible to the public; and others when they come must be taught without delay the principles of American democracy, that they may strengthen our fellowship rather than become a peril to our institutions. Let us assume this duty from a sense of justice and not from motives of fear. The just nation need not fear; but "conscience makes cowards of us all."

The former vague notion that most of our immigrants were of inferior stock has been dissipated. Where are now the inferior races, after the revelations of the World War? The "superior race" delusion has been smitten again by the sword of fate "he hath brought down the mighty from their seat and hath exalted