Speaking English in the Steel Plants in 1918

From the October 10, 2018, MidWeek  (DeKalb County, Illinois)  "Looking Back."

1918, 100 Years Ago.

This would normally be in my Cooter's History Thing blog, but I accidentally put it in this blog and am too lazy to go back and rewrite it, so I will post it here.

During World War I there was a major shortage of labor in the American war industries and agriculture, resulting in people from a lot of other countries working in them.  One problem was their inability ro speak English.

"Speak English, write English and tell your family to speak and write English, is the slogan now among the steel plants here, and is but another  follow-up plan of the recent Americanization meeting held here some time ago.

"On the occasion of the last payday at the American Steel & Wire  company, every check going to a worker of a foreign nationality, was stamped, 'Speak English.'"

Today This Might Be Considered Politically Incorrect.  --RoadEnglish