The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-06-21
a AIMING FOURTH
| CELEBRATION HERE
,,oennents Are Being Made to OBJ
serve Independence Day
With Loyalty
Program.
COMMITTEE AT WORE
~, received by Mayor From the
u.,ional Americanization Com
mittee Asks Day be
Observed.

p,.ns are being made here for a
rInr,h of July celebration. With
! Uu, in the midst Of great war
H nnnsuk citizens feel that it is fitting
me-, some sort of a loyalty deno.l-
.,-stion be held here Independence
Jay and committees are to be APP
u UNITED to make arrangements for
the day. o,,od
ii communication from an organ1za-
60 called the National Americana
.a.ion committee, asking that steps
10 taken July Fourth to get in closer
.ouch with the foreign elements OF
.Se city. The mayor took the mat
Ter up with the Ministerial associa-
,,on but this organization thought
that the arrangements should be in
.bs hands of some business organi-
.at,on The letter was then turned
oror to the Keokuk Retailers league
srd read at the meeting OF the or
sanization at Argyle Tuesday night.
The matter was placed in the hands
~ the executive committe and this
committee will make the preliminary
arrangements for celebration on
tho Fourth and probably appoint
other subcommittee from various
Keokuk organizations to arrange the
details.
Following is the letter sent here
bv the National Americanization COM
mittee:
June IL, 1917-His Honor, the
Mavor Keokuk. Iowa.-Your honor
realizes, but perhaps all of the citt-
gems of your municipality do not,
that in this time of war this country
has shadow in the aggregation OF
100000 foreign-born persons here.
Your honor knows, but many do not,
that a vast number of these foreign
born persons are employed on rail-
road tracks, i'm industries most vital
in national defense, such as munition
plants and the supply factories. Only
large employers Of labor are aware
that we need all of these workers
somewhere, because these large en-
ployers suffered from a shortage Of
unskilled labor, even before our entry
into the war. CONSUMPTION will take
away from the factories and mines
great many Of their most efficient
young men and of necessity the un-
stable and unlearned are to be called
upon to take their places.
What are we going to do about it?
This is question for Americans to
answer, and must not every Amerf-
can give thought to it? We must
give to them larger intelligence.
No int NV oh iy,.cr
an Interest in them. 1t must be
brought to their understanding that
the only way that they can help
themselves and their new country is
by being faithful and efficient in
their work and loyal to the govern
ment
This is big job but not hard
one. There are ways of doing it.
and simple Of development.
The biggest and best thing that
can be done now is in making the
coming Fourth of July the greatest
ever in every city The way to do
this is to make it Americanization
Jay, when every foreigner or son of
foreigner shall be invited to par
ucipate in patriotic exercises. This
viii be the first lesson. Others will
follow fast enough to admit a grow
ing consciousness among those who
never have been able to understand.
Write us, and let us submit to your
aohor a plan of progress for the day.
Very truly yours,
NATIONAL AMERICANIZATI
COMMITTEE.