Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-05-11
TUESDAY EVENING, MAY ii
THE PRESIDENTS SPEECH
nREsIDENT WILSON'S speech at
Philadelphia last evening before

Philadelphia last evening before
$1,000 naturalized Americans, was
sane, sensible and highly patriotic. Be-
yond question, in so far at least as 1t
reflected his attitude toward the pres
ent international crisis, he voiced the
judgment of great majority of peace
loving Americans. The United States
has much to lose and nothing to gain
by entering the European war at this
time. The welfare of humanity as
this nations fundamental principle of
government has been amply illustrat-
ed in all our international dealings.
This country has never drawn the
sword except in defense of the rights
of man. 1t has never acted selfishly
toward any other nation. 1t has dealt
honestly and fairly. 1t has always
maintained a poise and balance that
have sometives been temporarily mis-
understood, but which at all times
have worked out for the betterment of
our people at home and for the best
interests of those abroad.
The United States has never hesitat-
ed about going to war when the cause
demanded. Even under tremendous
handicap and with conditions pointing
almost certainly toward defeat, our
government has maintained its honor
by force of arms. And if the good
of humanity requires war we shall not
be found tagging, but there is a great
difference between rushing hastily into
the fray and of remaining quiet until
the fight is forced upon us, and the
President has adopted both a proper
and a popular course in this instance.
His address, however, is noteworthy
in other respects. For instance, the
President paid his regards in terms
that all good citizens must applaud,
to those hyphenated Americans who
have been putting the hands of their
birth above the country of their adop-
ton. His views are summed up in
this well-rounded paragraph:
While you bring all countries
with you, you come with pur-
pose of leaving all other countries
of their spirit, but not looking over
your shoulder or seeking to per-
, petuate what you leave in them. 1
would suggest a man cease to love ~.
the place of his origin. 1t is one
thing to love the place where you
dedicate yourself to the place where
you go. You can't be an American
i y.niot YOU think Soof Of yourself in groups;
groups. A man who considers
himself as belonging to a national
group Ny a1v,se Is not tn yet yet an ,Ain American
not only of America but to think
first of humanity and you do not
love humanity II you seek to divide
humanity in Jealous camps.
Either a man is an American or he
is not an American. He cannot be a.
German-American, or an Irish-Amer-
lean, or an Italian American. He must
be fish or flesh; be cannot be both.
Love of the land of ones birth is natu-
raj; even admirable. but it must not
be permitted to stand in the way of
perfect allegiance to the country of
voluntary adoption.
Men of foreign birth who enjoy the
rights and privileges OF American citi-
zenship by naturalization and who
speak OF "our" army and "our" navy
when referring to the marine or land
q,
any other nation, are not to be trusted.
Such men have come to America not
for love of its institutions, but simplv
for the purpose of selfshly taking
from the plenty of this great land a
better living than they could have
hoped for 'at home"
America exists by reason of the des
potism of Europe. Nine-tenths of our
best citizenship is derived from stock
that was driven from the continent he
cause of difficult living conditions and
governmental regulations abhorrent to
true manhood. 1t is hard for those to
understand why Germans, or Russians.
or Austrians should get excited over
the fate of government so bad
that it drove them or their forefathers
from the places of their birth to seek
better and decent living conditions be-
yond the sea. Thousands of Germans
have come to American because thev
could not make fair living at home
and thousands more because they de-
sired freer, better form of govern
ment. Why should they, for instance.
set such store by the military power
that is fast swinging the "fatherland"
to utter ruin?
America is for Americans. LET
those who love some other country
better display their affection by get
ing out We can very well do with
out them.
Evidently the President believes