The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-04-15
"SEE AMERICA FIRST" LEAGUE,
WESTERN MEN WOULD HAVE LESS
TOURING OF Europe.

An Association TO Persuade Easteruers,
Especially. TO Visit American Scenery
Before They Go Abroad-Patriotie
and Pecumiary Arguments Advanced.
The movement started out West to per.
suade Fasteners to visit the natural Won
ders Of their " country, instead Of going
to Europe to spend their vacations, is gain
ing strength, according to reports received
from beyond the Mississippi. See Europe
II you will, but see America first, p has been
adopted as the motto Of the see America
First" league, which advances the doctrine
that citizens Of the. United States should
visit the Thousand Islands, Niagara, the
Rockies, the Yosemite, the Yellowstone
and other beauty spots IN the United States
before they 60 abroad to do the Rhine, the
Alps and the Scottish lakes.
The league declares that Its purpose 10
purely patriotic. One Of the arguments 1t
advances IL the deslrabiity Of retaining In
this country the large amount Of money
spent each year by Americans In European
travel. Last year such expenditures are
said to have amounted to $2oo, ooo, 200.
The financial objection TO vacations In
Europe is, however, represented as inciden-
tai. 1t Is a mistake. say tho organizers Of the
league, to permit children to get the idea
that all the beauty spots are on the further
side Of the Atlantic; that their native ooun.
try has eminenoe only In commercial and
political lines. The oh ildren should be
taught, they argue, that Nature was as
generous in supplying America with fns
scenery as in equipping any other country,
with the mental capacity TO cope with for.
eigners In the affairs Of the world.
Nor 10 this lesson to be taught to the chill.
dren alone. That some people in the East
believe that the A~lleghenies stand near the
barrier marking the western limit of civil
i2aton, and that beyond Chicago the cowboy
n the Indian vie with each other in i'm
perilling the life Of the occasional traveller,
is a mighty thorn in the flesh OF the West.
erner. The argument is advanced that
Americana generally will be broader and
better when they have cultivated a better
acquaintance with one another; when the
Kansas man forms the habit Of paying visits
to New York and when the New Highlander
sees Colorado occasionally.
The league does not contemplate com.
munity o specific advertising. That its
purpose is not meroenary is shown by the
CIdrdCter OF tne men VINO are taxing an
active interest in the work that is pro-
posed. The executive committee is COM
posed OF DR.. Nathan c. Sohaeffef, president
Of the National Educational Association;
DR.. David Starr Jordan, president Of the
University Of California; David r, Francis,
who was president Of the st. Louis worlds
fair; Irving Howbert Of Colorado, Robert
l.. Mccormick Of Washington and Fisher
Harris Of Salt Lake City.
The first conference, held In Salt Lake
City In January, was attended by delegates
from fifteen States. Those who were
present are now organizing subordinate
leagues In their home States.
The men behind the movement have no
idea that 1t will be possible to keep people
from going to Europe IL they want to. nor
do they propose to catch the intending
tourist by the throat and drag him TO the
West, but they do propose 80 to put the
thought which lies at the base Of the move
ment before the American people that
they. will grow to consider II. a public
patriotic and, indeed, a selfish duty to
see first all they can Of their native land
before searching out the attractions Of
foreign countries.