The Alaska daily empire., 1915-08-07

The present attitude of certain hyphenated Anerl- can newspapers and lecturers and preudieeourdened individuals suggests that of Che requirements before admitting people to citizenship in the United States should be a course in American history. Unless one is familiar with the sentiment and spirit and principles of government that inspired the settlement of the Amer can States and followed the trek of civilization across tho continent from the Atlantic the Pacific. he lacks many necessary qualifications make him teacher Of citizenship in this country.
 We have too many wouldbe statesmen who do not understand America and American government. These are of several classes The worst is the class which finds itself in free country for the first time and mistakes it's freedom for license. Almost as trou- biesone arc those who seem to imagine that the his tory of the United States began with their landing at Castle Garden and who from the moment of their en- trance into America endeavor to connect the American present with the past of the country from which they hail. instead of with the glorious history of the race which welcomed them to American shores and opened
 wide the doors of opportunity that closed to them in Europe.
 It is not that American institutions are in great danger on account of the lack Of real understanding of them on the part of SO many of foreign born eit zens. They are not. The few newspapers and others who would use the United States as piece on the ehessboard of European politics. those of the other class who would remake institutions to conform to ,he ideals of Continental theorists cannot make wa ter run uphill American civilization is natural de- velopment from the old Runnymede and Cromwellian sources improved and further enlightened. it is true from Continental springs of liberty but based sodily upon the experiences and conceptions of freedom which developed that great bulwark of liberty-the common aw-whch forms the ground work of government among English speaking peoples. and that foundation the structure of American society will remain The public schools will care for that. Rather is the need for greater knowledge of American history among our im migrant citzenry that they may be better capable Of giving good service to the country they came here to serve.
 It might be we'll to add that the need for this knowledge of American history has been recognized even more clearly by immigrant Americans than by those whose ancestry was American colonial That great Prussian-born American lawyer and urist mas ter of English and American history and English and American common law the late Judge and Gov John P Aitgeld urged the study of American history and the common law as desirable condition precedent to the assumption of American citizenship by those who come to the country from Nations whose civilization does not have the same that of the United States Joseph Pulitzer Hungarian by birth German by early educational training oppressed Jew by American by choice and later education. of Amercas premier Journalists persstenty urged the study of English lt eraure and American history-economc. narrative and traditiona-by those not born Americans for the pur pose Of qualifying them to give their best service to their adopted country.