Grand Forks daily herald., 1914-12-29
Al HOME AND ABROAD.

More than ever before, since the
European war broke out Americans
are being urged to look to their own
country for their merchandise, their
travel, their recreation. Within rea-
sonahlc limits the advice is good. The
really broad man will do his best to
build up his own community, whether
that he his own village, his own
county or his own country. And for
some time to come the advice given
will be quite largely followed, regard
less uf tho desire of those tn whom 1t
is offered. for it will be some time be-
fore Europe is Il market for many
at our products. Il source of supply
for the things which We might wish
io purchase. or an attractive field Tor
travel.
r'u! there is such Il thing us over
doing the "hnmr" idea. carried TO
its extreme conclusion il spells per-
sonnl aud community isolation. our
Sran,lfatlrcrs. and especially those of
them who lived in European ruun
tries. wrre anchored to their own To-
raliticS. Persons who had never been
ten miles from their birthplace in
thrir lives were not uncommon. The
orksllirclunu who had made the
Journey to London aud back was Il
travelled man and considered a citizen
uf The world. Each little community
lived unto itself. and no pride of To-
cality ever surpassed that which these
Villagers had in their own home
towns. But. like most pride. il was
tho price Of ignorance. and not uf
knowledge. And ignorance was never
tho friend Of progress
The railroad has hecu the great
civilizer that it. has been because It
enabled people to set AWAY from
home. 1t took them to other places,
where they could sec now faces and
new surroundings. where they could
observe other customs than their own
il shook thcm together, rubbed off
their rough edges. broadencd and en-
iightened them. There is no limit to
the scope Of this influence. Millions
of dollars have been spent abroad by
Americans, and there has been great
deal Of complaint about it. Some of
the money has been foolishly spent,
Of course. Travel has been fad with
some people, and costly journeys have
been undertaken for the mere graft
tlcation of d foolish whim. But it is
absurd to- say that all the money
which our people have spent in Eu-
rope has been wasted. IT. has not.
Travel in Europe has been a great
contributor to progress in America.
The roots of every white race on the
American continent strike deep into
European soil. II was in Europe
that our fathers lived, and labored
and built up great civilizations. II is
not idle for us TO seek to know
whence they came, what manner OF
lnen they were. and what sort OF
problems confronted them. The
Greek philosopher, the Roman sol,
der. the Norwegian viking. tlc Ger.
man peasant. the French wine grower
and the English Neoman all had /:
land in shaping his America Of our.
'"H 'iiSi uSsSSilhdll'S "Ho 'lNC sui
where their fathers dwclt can teach
us many things if our minds are
open.
one should undoubtedly familia rize
himself with the things Of his owI
country at large. But to attempt tc
create sentiment against that which
is foreign merely because it is for
eisn is to attempt to smother our own
people under q blanket of marrow To-
cal prejudice, an attempt which. for.
tnnatcly. is not at all likely to sue
coed.