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■i . r SESSIONAL RECORD— APPENDIX World Literacy • EXTENSION OP REMARKS OF HON. A. S. MIKE MONRONEY OF OKLAHOMA IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Tuesday, D ecem ber 21, 1943 Mr. MONRONEY. Mr. Speaker, un der leave to extend my remarks in the R ecord, I would like to call the attention of the House to the wonderful work for world literacy that is now going forward, largely through the use of comparatively new phonetic alphabets. So outstanding has been the progress in this field and so important is world literacy to the cause of International peace and understand ing, that I want to insert in the R ecord a letter just received from the Honorable Robert L. Owen. Mr. Owen, in addition to having served with great distinction in the United States Senate as one of Oklahoma’s first two Senators, has been a leader in this great new movement for world education. He has developed and perfected tire ’global alphabet, which adopts a standard uniform phonetic al phabet in which all languages o f the civilized w ofld and even primitive tribes can be written. In the accom panying letter Senator Owen explains the progress o f the work in literacy that has been accomplished in Russia which, through phonetic al phabets has taught its people with over 200 different languages and dialects how to read and write. He also outiines the work of Dr. Prank C. Laubach who has been so successful in teaching even prim itive tribes of A frica and elsewhere h o w to read and write: W ash in gton , D. 0., December 18, 1943. I i ! | i i i Hon. A. S. M ik e M on ron ey , House of Representatives. v My D ear Mu. Congressm an : By use of phonetic alphabets, the Soviet Republics of Rus sia have abolished Illiteracy in Russia and enabled the people of Russia with Incredible speed to write, read, and print over 200 lan guages and dialects In Russia. These ajphabets differ from each other but being phonetic and comprising only about 30 letters, the alphabets can be learned within 1 day. Within 2 decades, Russia not only abolished Illiteracy, but by intensive training In mod em arts and sciences, In modern technology, ar.d modern engineering the Russian people have Increased their production over 400 per cent in spite of the greatest difficulties. Their achievements In mass production of the mu nitions of war and the patriotism and morale built up by this system is demonstrating its efficiency on the present battlefields of in vaded western Russia. Russia is not alone in this conquest of illiteracy and poverty, but 80 other nationali ties speaking 80 other languages are In process and have gone a long way in the last 10 years' of abolishing illiteracy in China, India, Philippines, Malaya, southwestern Asia, In Africa, in the Caribbean and in South America. Tho movement on tho Western Hemisphere Is* comparatively recent end is moving success fully forward under the leadership of Dr. Frank C- Laubach, Ph. D„ and the Commit tee on World Literacy and Christian Litera ture, 150 Fifth Avenue, New York. This committee was organized by the rep resentatives of over 120 foreign missionary societies now engaged, and for years have been engaged, in teaching the doctrine of funda D ecem ber 21 mental righteousness and human brother hood throughout the world. They fully deserve the support of the Government, and I appeal to you to call attention again to their Invaluable services In the development of a new world of abundance, peace, and justl.ee. On'Thursday, July 8, 1943, you put In the C ongressional R ecord my review of Dr. Laubach’s book, “The Silent Billion Speak," Your remarks on that occasion were reprinted and the National Committee on Literacy ordered, oyer 20,000 copies, which they sent through out the world. May I not now call your attention to a brief quotation from Dr. Laubach’s conclude 'ing chapter of that book as follows: "The experiences described in the preced ing chapters have made me ah optimist in the face of our present tragedy. I have seen how easy it is to win the friendship of people—people anywhere—if only we ap proach them in a spirit of unselfish sharing. The world is divided into an infinity of small groups, each expecting hostility from the • other and therefore on the defensive. There is suspicion between white and colored races, between religions, between nationals and for eigners, between rich and poor, capital and labor, between educated and illiterate, be tween those speaking different languages, be tween families and often within families. When we seek to serve groups outside our own, we must prove our friendship and pa tiently wait for this initial suspicion to dis appear, and this requires self-control, for one’s instinct is to give like for like, snub for snub, dislike for dislike. “But self-restraint and tact can replace this defense mechanism with mutual good will. It has been thrilling to discover how quickly such ventures as literacy campaigns, disease control, and agricultural missions melt away these dislikes and suspicions. The glad good news I want to shout from the housetops is that America can work a world miracle, if we care enough and serve selflessly enough—that it is far, far easier than we ever could have dreamed. “It is not only easy but i f is enormously important. For we now seem to be emerging into a new age, when, instead of many little antagonistic worlds, we hope to have world . brotherhood and a world government. It is a glorious hope, but it will come only as people of different cultures and back grounds learn kindly toleration and glory in United diversity. While' statesmen feel their . way to political world union, we must find great enterprises like the common struggle against illiteracy to bring about confidence and the will to cooperate without which po litical union will be impossible. “Everything that is happening today is pushing America more irrevocably, whether she will or not, out into every corner of , the world. When the smoke of this war clears away, we will not again draw back in our shell like a snail; not this time. Our youth will pour into 10,000 communities all ever this planet to ,teach and to serve, just as our teachers have gone to the Philippines during these past 20 years and our mission aries have gone to foreign lands. America’s Influence will be felt to the corners of the earth. “The Second World War, with its incredible development of air transportation, has shat tered American isolationism. Planes that can cross the oceans and return without refueling have thrown every country into our back yard. Turn a radio dial and listen to Chung king, Cairo, Moscow, Sydney. Who is my neighbor? Every man, every race, and every country. No nation is any longer safe until the whole world is. safe. We cannot have peace anywhere until there is peace every where. Isolation is out. • « « “We ought right now to be building up a fund for the cause of literacy-*-a million dollars for Africa, another million for South America, and two millions for Asia—tio that CONG we can start helping these countries im mediately the war is over. “Christians across America, as I have told them about literacy have exclaimed hun dreds of times, 'This i3 the most stupendous challenge in the whole world.’ It is Indeed one of the finest openings ever given the church through which she may bless the Whole human race and pour the love of Christ into human society. It is God’s awful call to Christians in this awful hour. J . “America, you have the chance of 10,000 years to help the world. Our peace and world peace demand that w e-shall grow large enough and become Chrlstlike soon enough to lavish our love in humble service for the whole world. If we use this rich opportunity to carry Christ to Asia> and Africa, then peace-loving China, with a fourth of the world’s population, peace-loving India, with one-fifth of all the people in the world, and the meek, song-loving Africans will join us in building ‘a kingdom of heaven on earth.’ Then at last ‘the meek shall Inherit the earth.’ " . To this appeal of Dr. Laubach as the rep resentative of the World Literacy Committee, I am in deep sympathy and I believe the body of the American people will approve the gov ernmental support implied in the above quo tations. I enclase by separate mall a copy of Senate Document 133, offering the global alphabet as a mechanism by which more economically and, I hope, with usefulness to accomplish this task by substituting, to the extent de sirable, a phonetic, stenographic alphabet by which all of these languages can be easily written, read, and printed in the local lan guage. Through this global alphabet all of these nations, Including Russia and China, can ler.rn conversational English with high speed and render more effective thereby the principles of Government of the United States and the technological Improvements in .th e arts and sciences developed in the American laboratories and in our. agricul tural department. My contribution of the global alphabet I have offered to my Government in the con viction that it has incalculable potentiali ties in promoting the declaration of prin ciples of the Moscow Conference. With sentiments of the greatest respect, I am as ever, faithfully, your friend, R obert L. O w en ,
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