Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-10-13
Col. Roosevelt Says Foreign
Born Must Stand by Anegi-
ance in Word and Deed.
DUTY OF ALL TO LEARN
LANGUAGE SPOKEN IN u. S.
Former President Makes Speech on
"Americanism" Before Knights OF
Columbus in New York.


eign-born population Of this country
must be an Americanized population
no other kind can fight the battles OF
America. either in war or in peace"
Col. Theodore Roosevelt so asserted
in a speech on "Americanism" before
the knights of Columbus at Carnegie
Hall last night. Col. Roosevelt said
that at the outset 1t was the duty OF
immigrants to learn English. and it was
the duty of America to provide them
means to learn English.
IF an immigrant is not At to become
citizen, he should not be allowed to
come here" said Col. Roosevelt: III he
is At he should be given all the rights,
to earn his own livelihood and to bet
ter himself. that any man can have.
Take such a matter as the illiteracy
test. 1 entirely agree with those who
feel that many very excellent possible
citizens would be barred improperly by
an illiteracy test. But why do you
not admit aliens under bond to read and
write at any certain time? 1t would
then be a duty to see that they were
given ample opportunity to learn TO
read and write and that they were re-
ported If they failed to take advantage
of the opportunity. No man can be a
good citizen II he is not at least IN
process of learning to speak the
language Of his fellow-citizens
The foreign-born population must talk
the language Of the native-born citi-
zens; it must possess American citizen
ship and American ideas.
1T must stand firm by its source OF
allegiance in word and deed and must
show that in every fact 1t has renounced
allegiance to every prince. potentate or
foreign government. 1t must be main
tanned on an American standard OF Hv-
ing so as to prevent labor disturbances
in important plants and at critical
times. None of these objects can be
secured as long as we have immigrant
tions. and. above all. they cannot be as
sured so long as we consider the i'm
migrant only as an industrial asset"
No Room for Hyphenated Americans
Col Roosevelt said that just as demo-
cratic America required that church
and state should be separate. that
there should be no distinction Of religious
creeds in public Office. SO there should
be no distinction of nationality. There
is no room in this country for hyphen-
ated Americans" he said; when l re-
fer to hyphenated Americans do not
refer to naturalized Americans. Some
of the very best Americans that have
ever known were naturalized Amer1-
cans, Americans born abroad. But q
hyphenated American is not an Ameri-
can at all. This is just as true of the
man who puts German. Irish. English
or French before the hyphen. Ameri-
canism Is a matter of the spirit and OF
the soul. Our allegiance must be pure
ly to the United States.
The one absolutely certain way OF
bringing this nation to ruin, OF pre-
venting all possibility of its continuing
to be a nation at all, would be to per
NIT it to become tangle Of SQUAD
bling nationalities. an intricate Knot OF
German Americans. Irish Americans.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES, French Americans,
Scandinavian Americans or Italian
Americans, each preserving its sepa-
rate nationality each at heart feeling
more sympathy with Europeans of that
nationality. than with the other citi-
zens of the American republic.
For an American citizen to vote as
a German an Irish -Ameri-
can or an English American is to be a
traitor to American institutions: and
rorize American politicians by threats
of the foreign vote are engaged In
treason to the American republic.
Favors Swiss Plan of Service.
Speaking of preparedness. Col. Roose-
Welt said that even in time of peace in
dividuals and the railroads should CO.
operate, and that industrial distur-
Dances should be eliminated. The
strike situation in the United States
at this time is a scandal to the country
as a whole and discreditable alike to
employer and employe," he said.
II am certain that the only perma-
rently safe attitude for this country
as regards national preparedness for
self-defense is along the lines of uni
versal service on the Swiss model.
Switzerland is the most democratic of
nations. Its army is the most demo-
cratic army in the world. There isn't
a touch of militarism or aggressiveness
about Switzerland. 1t has been found
as a matter of actual practical expert
ence in Switzerland that the universal
military training has made a very
marked increase in social efficiency
and in the ability of the man thus
trained to do well for himself in In
dustry.'
Urging more national defense Col.
Roosevelt said that not only should
submarines. ample coast
and field artillery and a greater am
munition supply system be provided.
but there should be a utilization Of
such professions as the ownership and
of motor cars. of aviation
and of engineering. More map-making
and road improvements and railroads
brought into more intimate touch with
the War Department were suggested.