The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-11-19
our veins runs the blood of almost all the

peoples Of middle, northern and western
Europe. We already have history of
which we feel that we have the right to
be iegitimately proud, and yet our ma
tionality is still in the formative period.
AS all the different races here tend
rapidly to fuse together, it is rarely pos
sible after one or two generations to
draw a sharp line between the various
elements; but there is no student of our
national conditions who has failed to ap-
preciate what an invaluable element in
our composite stock the German u.s. Here
on this platform, Mr.. Ambassador,
among those present today are many
men partly or wholly of German blood,
and among the officers of the army and
navy who have listened to you and who
now join with me in greeting you there
are many whose fathers or. grandfathers
were born in Germany, and not a few
who themselves first saw the light there.
Each nation has it's allotted tasks to
do; each nation has its peculiar difficult
ties to encounter; and as the peoples of
the world tend to become more closely
knit together alike for good and foy evil,
1t becomes ever more important to all
that each should prosper; for the pros
perity Of one is normally not sign of
menace but sign Of hope for the rest.
Here on this continent where It Is. abso-
coming to our shores should not remain
separate, but should fuse into one, our
unceasing effort is to strive to keep and
profit by the good that each race brings
to our shores, and at the same time to do
away with all racial and religious animos-
tiles among the various stocks. In both
efforts we have met with an astonishing
measure Of success. AS the years go by
it becomes not harder but easier to live in
peace and good will among ourselves;
and I firmly believe that it will also be-
come not harder but easier to dwell in
peace and friendship with the other ma
lions Of the earth. A young people, a
people of composite stock, we have: kim
ship with many different nations, but we
are Identical with none of them, and are
developing separate national stock as
we have already developed separate ma
tional life. We have in our veins the
blood Of the Englishman and the Irish
man, the German and the Frenchman,
the Scotchman, the Dutchman, the Scan
dinavian, the Italian, the Magyar the
Finn, the Slav, SO that to each of the
great powers Of the Old World we can
claim a more or less distant kinship by
blood; and to each strain Of blood we owe
some peculiar quality in our national life
or national character. AS such is the
case it is natural that we should have a
peculiar feeling Of nearness to each Of
many peoples across the water. We most
earnestly wish not only to keep unbroken
our friendship for each, but SO far as we
can without giving offense by an appear
ance of meddling, to seek to bring about
a better understanding and a broader
spirit of fair dealing and liberation
among all nations. -..f :.
In closing, let me thank you, and thru
you the German emperor and the German
people, for this statue, which I accept In
the name of the American people; a peo-
pie claiming blood kinship with your
own; people owing much to Germany;
a people which, tho with national his
tory far shorter than that Of your people,
nevertheless, like your people, Is proud of
the great deeds of It's past, and is conf
dent in the majesty of its future. most
earnestly pray that in the coming years
these two great nations shall move on
gether by ties of the heartiest friendship
and good will. ~
1. The emperor's gift is replica in
bronze Of the statue which stands in his
palace at. :Potsdam, the original being
the work of the sculptor Professor Up
hues. The statue is Of heroic size.
standing more than seven feet. 1t is
mounted on pedestal Of massive gran
ite: Frederick is standing erect, his
right hand resting on his military staff.
and he looks sharply ahead. The
sculptor has wildly portrayed the pow
;erful vigor which was SO STRIKING a
characteristic of the German chieftain.