Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1912-02-21
AMERICAN IDEALS AND
TEuTONIC LANGUAGES
By j. j. Lenker, D. D.

the American people. The American peo-
pie are composed of people from all ma
lions, red, white, black and yellow. The
white races are the idealists and Of
these the Teutons lead. In early days,
the Dutch in New York, the English in
New England. the Swedes on the Della
ware and the Germans in Pennsylvania,
contributed each their part to American
ideals; later the Germans in the Central
west and the Scandinavians in the
Northwest How can the national ideals
formed by these pioneer Teutons be
maintained in the midst of Italian, Slav-
&c, Russian. Jewish and other race in
Vasions Of the present and future. On
~ by all the Teutons studying to UNDER
stand one another, duly approaching the
ideals common to each and all, and then
laboring together to maintain them
What are these Teutonic ideals? We
answer: Cd Civil and religious liberty
given to the world by Luther the great
est German and preserved by Gustavus
Adolphus. the greatest Swede; CD The
pure democracy that springs from that
civil and religious liberty and keeps
church and state separate; 60 The
broad basis Of our national life, broad
equality. 1t is said as early as 1864.
e1snteen languages were represented
among the colonists en- Manhattan Is
land. Those who oppose other langu-
ages being maintained in America can
not base their argument on colonial
times. The history of immigration is
the history of our country. (4) The
ideal of country life and the country
Oh,
after-thoughts Of our nation. (5) The
free school system, dating. from the Re-
formation, without which no Republic
can long exist. CO. The higher moral
and spiritual of the Evangelical
faith. To all these ideals Teutons con-
tributed literally. The Germans and
Scandinavians, because of their num-
bers. religious faith and educational
work, gave far more than they receive
credit for.
These rowing Germans and Scandin-
avlans met in England and formed the
Anslo-SaXon people and now new large
German and Scandinavian streams of
immigrants mingle with these English
people in free America and help to form
ideals of the American people. Together
they formed these ideals and together
they will strive to develop them and de-
fend them. They are not dearer to any,
one than to the other three nationalities
Germans, Scandinavians, Anglo-Sax ons
and Americans are the Reformation
added to the race idealism Of the leu
tons, the highest religious ideal BY
emigration and their institutions here
they contributed and will contribute lib
orally in conserving our national ideals
This will be done best when they learn
the English language and our public
schools teach their children the langu-
age of the parents, that they may re-
main in touch with the fatherands and
thus broaden and raise our school sys-
tenn from our low and narrow standard
of one-language to the three language
standard Of Europe Modern languages,
taught by the new method in our high
and graded schools, do noble service
in conserving our national ideals among
immigrants.
IMMIGRATION AND EMIGRATION
ARGUE FOR MODERN LANGU-
AGES IN OUR SCHOOLS.
The number of immigrants from
specified countries for the year ending
June. 1911, with the number of emf
grants to the same countries from Am
erica for the same year given in paren-
theses, showing the gain or loss of the
respective nationalities in America and
the various countries in Europe, is as
follows: Austria S2,129 (45,16O depart
ing from America), Hungary 1929
(4l.182), Belgium Sill, G,O17), Germany
32.061 (6,042), Netherlands S,35S (461),
Switzerland 4.4O3 (66O, total of the five
German nations, 209,59O (94,529) Scan
dinavians 1852 (S.036), France S,O22
3.14s), Italy 1s2,sS2 (72.610), Portugal
1914 1,459), Spain SOFA 1886, total
for the four Romance nations 204,352
GS.613). England 51,s03 (5,441), Ireland
29,112 I,98D Scotland 1876 G,52S),
Wales 2,162 G45), total for British Isles
l01.873 (9.068), Greece 1925 (9,376),
Russian Empire and Finland 1921
G7.O53), Turkey in Europe 14,43S
4.6s8), total from Europe 765,079
(230,704), Asia 17,42S (8,l72), Africa
956 (275) South America 3,O49 U,1S3),
total of all immigrants S7S,587, emf
grants 2e5,666.
During the last ten years 9,186,O55
Immigrants. not including the non-im-
migrants, aliens, arrived on an average
of 91S,625 a year. The effect of our
economic depressions upon immigration
was almost Immediate as the following
figures show: Immigrants in 1892: $40.
663; 1898: 439,73o; 1894: 2s5,631; 1895
25S,536; 1898: 229,299; 1899: 311,715
1900: 44S,572: 1902: 64S,743; 1905: 1926.
400; when it surpassed the million mark
as it did three times later From 1895
to 1907 there was a considerable in.
crease, but in 1908 the arrivals drop.
fn do
crease of 502.479. Within two years
however, the million plus mark was re-
covered. The figures increased from
751,786 in 1909 to 1,O45,57O in 1910, E
jump Of 2s77s4 in one year. large
class of people who travelled steeragt
were now taking second cabin, and while
in 1911 the immigrants decreased t.
S78,5S7, the total number of arrivals
and departures reached 2,214,6O1 in 1911,
when that for 1910 was about the sam,
2,215,4S1. 1t is mistake to think ocea1
passengers are decreasing, because tn,
number Of immigrants may decrease
The decrease in all outward sea passen
gers is made up by the increase in al
inward sea passengers. The unprece
denied oversee passenger traffic the las
two years indicates it is permanen
rather than spasmodic and that the con
tinent of Europe and the continent O
America are being more closely unite,
by the increasing facility cheapness
comfort and speed of ocean travel. TIL,
Atlantic Is fast becoming only a ferry
and a trip across it a pleasure beat rid
of a few days. 1t is now possible t,
spend Sunday in quiet rest and worship
in one continent, and the following Sun
day in the other