New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-08-27

There is every indication that America and
the foreign language newspapers have
reached a parting Of the ways. Over a
period growing into two hundred years in
formation and opinion have been communi-
Gated to portion Of our population in printed
words that were not English. But even
though the type dress OF some Of its
member, was outlandish, We were, in the
earlier days, always conscious Of our
newspaper press institution, foreign and
English, as unity The voice may
have been now German, now Yiddish or ltal-
ian, but the heart seemed always native.
This is no longer true. There has been
great change; the war did not mark the
beginning of that change, but it has dis
covered it to our view.
Like no other people save the French, we
have always had a passionate belief In the
liberty of the press. For US, democracy tot
tiers without it; without it, freedom of con-
science and universal suffrage are empty
phrases. So jealousy have we guarded this
temple that when called upon now and then
TO define disputed boundaries we have
frankly chosen to mistake on the side OF
exaggerated latitude; we have felt that
rot an atom Of pressure must exert itself
against liberty Of communication; criticism
and observation must be able to breathe as
easily in the community as air is breathed
in the lungs. Consequently we have recog-
nized the right of each group of us to absorb
and TO give out ideas in whatever tongue
offered least resistance The important thlna
was the thought: whether expressed in Latin
or Teutonic or Anglo-Saxon could not greatly
matter. For be it remembered, these ante
eedent polyglot groups were at one with US
in political belief. They had come to America
because they wanted to be free. The music
Of their aspirations was our music. If they
could play from the score more effectively
upon instruments different from our own,
welcome and better; the moro voices in the
orchestra che fuller and richer the harmony.
New immigration
But the era Of our great material develop
ment brought new kind Of immigration.
When the evil genius of history would have
men forget freedom, he wills period of
frenzed prosperity. Our gates were thronged
with crowds seeking not political liberty
hut the opportunity for economic readjust-
ment; not a free government but rlch
land They did not stop to ask if this Re
public were superior to the home state, or
whether life here were nobler. 1t was
enough to know that existence could be made
easy and creature improvement certain. 10
the earlier corners America had been an
ideal; to the later it offered solution OF
the purely pragmatic problems OF life
The newspapers of what we may call the
Srs, neriod were than the same as our native
journals I'D to the matter Of the language;
with the second period they differed from
the English papers not alone in their outward
reading but in their controlling motives
Measured commercially, 1t is improbable that
journalism which was substantially trans
liberation OF the native, mere replacing OF
German or Yiddish words for the English,
the American genius in foreign phrases,
could have persisted TO any important posi-
ton to-day. The extensiveness and the pros
perity of the alien press during this new