The purpose of my amendment was after the 1st of July to prohibit the enlistment of any additional illiterates. and by that time. under the testimony of Gen. Haan. it taking four months to teach these illiterates the primary education provided. there will be no men in the Army who are illiterate. and the real effect of the amendment would be to prohibit the subsequent enlistment of men in the Army who are affected by this handicap. I am informed by an officer who is in this training service that a great many young men. foreign born. recently arrived on our shores. as soon as they take out their first citizenship bapers go and enlist in the Army for the purpose. under this system. of securing a primary education. to learn our language and learn to read and write. I do not think. gentlemen of the committee. that that is a proper function for the Army of the United States to exercise.
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foreign born