The Topeka state journal., 1911-09-28

j. BackeS, of New York, who de-
scribes himself as ''compositor" in a
question which will interest all who
desire for any reason to emphasize the
political and other separations of the
Americas from Europe. The point at
issue is thus stated by Mr.. Backes:
Have Americans really a national
language il their language is not named
the American, the same as their flag,
their army. their navy, themselves are
named? What greater degree OF pre-
ponderance OF American influence,
what relatively greater diminution OF
oversee prestige must come to pass
before we are justified in calling ours
the American lanSuage2 Or are we
justified now?''
Mr.. Backes thinks we are. He points
out that about 1910 Spanish, until then
the first language of the Americas IN
number of speakers. sank to second
place. and that now the speakers or
Spanish, with which he apparently in
cludes Portuguese, in the Americas are
only about half of those who speak the
language of the United States.
Furthermore out of about 100000 600
people in all the world speaking our
language FULLY two-thirds are under
our flag. Yet again, AYERS Mr.. Backes,
not only is by Iar the greater part of
the writing, reading, and printing in
our language done III the United States,
but also:
Most of the contrivances and under
takings which dignity our language and
make it the language of light and lead
ing; which enlarge it's vocabulary;
which make a knowledge of it daily
more imperative even where it is not
national; which fit it for it's destined
function as a world-speech-suc IN
strumentalities. among hundreds of
Others as the telephone telegraph
phonograph, writing. and typesettlng
machines, air-nanship, are either of
American origin or owe their develop
ment and greatest use mainly TO
American enterprise and increase
All of which statistical facts move
Mr.. Backes to these somewhat fmpa-
tient inquiries:
If cataclysmal disaster should be-
fall England, and finny creatures dis
port at the submarine tOmbs of Cnau-
Ger. Shakespeare. and Tennyson, would
the few survivors object to the Amerl-
can name for our language?
Is the New World new in phrase. po-
litely, but not wholly new in fact!
Must the name of our spoken or print
ed word forever recall colonial, sec
ondary, tributary days? Or should 1t
define and in that definition proclaim
forged the missing link in the cnalIi
Of American nationalism?'
Well, we do not think there is any
missing link" Americans are not less
American and national because their
speech is, historically and convenient
". called English" Did Mr.. Backes
ever mistake an American for an Eng
ushman? We think not. Or if he ever
did, for a moment, was it not merely
because OF certain affectattcns IL.
speech, which, VIXEN discovered, exclted
mis- contempt? We think so.
The trouble with Mr. Backes is that
he mistakes mere names for the things
themselves. Our mother tongue IS stlll
our mother tongue, no matter by what
named called British criticasters carp
at what they call ''Ameriearese-" We
used to feel afflicted by these censures.
we are not now. Most of us have out
grown Mr.. Backes' feelings on that
point. We go right ahead, making our
speech what we will.-Chicago Inter
ocean.