New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-09-10
Roosevelt Issues
Call to "Children
Of the Crucible"
Zone Flag, One Language"
for Citizens of Every Race
and Creed Here
"All Others Traitors"
German Press and Pacihsts
Called Foes in Appeal
by Leading Men
"All Others Traitors

proclamation 10 Americans entitled
"The Children Of the Crucible,' written
by Theodore Roosevelt and subscribed
TO by citizens Of various crecds and
fatherlands. was made public yester,
day. Il is an effort to arouse the vast
lazy strength" Of the nation, 70 ham,
mer into slothful consciousness the
conviction that a crisis is at hand and
20 win to loyalty those still in the
"crucible."
Among those who signed il are Oscar
6. Straus, Henry L. Slobodin, George
Won L. Meyer. Owen Wister, Michael l.
Pupin, Julius Kahn and John d. Grim
Minis. Some Of them are members Of
the Vigilantes. To all the advice is
given to join that or some similar pa
triotic organization.
The appeal says, in part:
I've Americans are the children of
the crucible. Il has been our boast
that out Of the crucible, the melting
pot Of life in this free land, all the
men and women Of all the nations who
come hither emerge as Americans and
as nothing else; Americans who proudly
challenge as a right, not as favor,
that they belong just exactly as much
as any other Americans and that they
stand on a full and complete equality
with them; Americans, therefore who
must, even more strongly, insist that
they have renowned completely and
without reserve all allegiance to the
lands from which they or their fore
fathers came, and that it is binding
duty on every citizen Of this country in
every important crisis to act solidly
with all his fellow Americans, having
regard only to the honor and interest
Of America and treating every other
nation purely on its conduct in that
crisis. without reference TO his ances-
trial predictions or antipathies.
IF he does not so act he is false TO
the teachings and the lives Of Wash
ington and Lincoln; he is not entitled
10 any part or lot in our country, and
he should be sent out Of 1t.
Act Like Washington
"All Americans Of other race origin
must act toward the countries from
which their ancestors severally sprang
as Washington and his associates IN
their day acted. Otherwise they are
traitors 10 America.
This applies especially to-day to all
Americans Of German blood who d.
rectly or indirectly in any manner sup
port Germany as against the United
States and the allies Of the United
States; IL applies no less specifically 10
al American citizens of Irish blood
who are led into following the same
course. not by their love of Germany,
but by their hatred Of England. One
motive is as ineXCusable as the other,
and in each case the action IS treason
able TO the United States
The professional paclNsts have dur
ing the last three years, proved them
selves the evil enemies Of their coun-
try. They now advocate an inconclu-
sive peace. In so doing they have
shown themselves to be the spiritual
heirs Of the Tories who, in the name OF
peace, opposed Washington, and Of the
Copperheads who, in the name Of
peace, opposed Lincoln.
w lO4U tDat the true test OF loyal
Americauism to-day is effective service
against Germany. We should exert as
speedily as possible every particle of
our vast, lazy strength 10 win the tri-
umph over Germany. Therefore we
should demand that the government act
at once with uurelenting severity
against the traitors here at home,
whether their trea enable activity take
the form of editing and publishing
newspapers, of uttering speeches, or Of
intrigue and conspiracy
I'VE must have but one flag. We
must also have but one language. That
must be the language Of the Declare
tion Of independence, Of Washington :
Farewell Address, of Lincoln's Gettys-
h burg Speech and Second Inaugural.
vi German Press a Danger
Whatever may have been our judg
mcnt ~ normal times we are convinced
that to-day our most dangerous foe is
the foreign language press and every
similar agency, such as the German
American Alliance. which holds the
alien To- his former associations and
through them TO his former allegiance.
I'VE believe that they can most eff
fectively do this through some organi-