New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1917-09-10
ROOSEVELT CALLS
FOR BLOOD fusion
Issues Statement Appealing to
All to Become Americans

colonel Roosevelt ISSUED signed
statement yesterday under the title Of
'The Children of the cfucible" setting
forth patriotic reasons for united &C
ton by ali Americans of whatever
national ancestry in active support Of
the Government and the prosecution
of the war This message. which was
made public at his home in Oyster
Bay, bears the names of SO other per-
sons representing ancestry OF the al
lied nations, of the neutral countries,
and of Germany.
The name Of Oscar S. Straus follows
Other names include George Won L.
Meyer, who wis Secretary of the
Navy during the Administration Of
Presidents Roosevelt and Taft; Mi
chael I. Pupin, professor at Column
bia University; William Loeb, Jr., for
mer Collector of the Port; Anthony
Fiaia and John D. CrinHins.
The appeals cites the example of
Washington and his men who did
not hesitate because of the ties OF
blood to resist and antagopize Great
Britain when Great Britain wronged
this nation, as ONE for Americans to
follow today. The statement goes on
with the suggestion that The best
way to accomplish this fusing of
Americanism is through the activities
of the Yigilantes, non-partisan, mill
liant, anH-pacfst group Of writers,
artists. and other patriotic Children
of the Crucible.' The statement in
part read:
1--WE Am ericans are the children of
the crucible. 1t 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 Ameri-
cans and as nothing else; Americans
who proudly challenge as right not
as a favor that they belong just ex-
,actly as much as any other Ameri-
cans and that they stand on a full
and complete equality with them;
Americans, therefore, who must, even
more strongly insist that they have
renowned complete and without re-
serve, all allegiance to the lands from
which they or their forefathers came,
and that it is a binding duty on every
citizen Of this country in every i'm
portant crisis to act solidly with all
his fellow Americans. having regard
only to the honor and interest of
America and treating every other ma
ton purely on its coduct in that crisis,
without reference to his ancestral
predictions or antipathies.
"All Americans of other race orig
in must act toward the countries from
which their ancestors severally sprang
as Washington and his associates in
their day acted. Otherwise they are
traitors to America. This applies
especially today to all Americans of
German blood who directly or indi-
rectly in any manner support Ger
many against the United States and
the allies Of the United States: it ap-
plies no less specifically to all Ameri-
can citizens of Irish blood who are led
into following the same course not by
their love of Germany but by their ha-
tired of England One motive is as
inexcusable as the other and in each
caae the action is reasonable to the
United States
1.-The professional paciflsts have,
during the last three years, proved
themselves the evil enemies of their
country They now advocate an in
conclusive peace. In SO doing they
have shown themselves to be in the
spiritual heirs of the Tories who In
the name of peace opposed Washing
ton, and of the Copperheads who In
the name Of peace opposed Lincoln.
We regard these men and women as
traitors to the Republic: we regard
them as traitors to the great cause OF
Justice and humanity.
'This war is a war for the vital in
terests of America. When we ngnt
for America abroad we save our chill
dren from fighting for America at
home beside their own ruined hearth
stones We believe that the large ma
Jority of Americans are proudly
ready to fight to the last for the over
throw of the brutal German militar-
ism which threatens America NO less
than every other civilized nation.
1--WE hold that the true test of loyal
Anericanism today is effective service
against Germany We should exert
as speedily as possible every particle
of our vast lazy strength to win the
triumph over Germany. Therefore. we
should demand that the Government
act at once with unrelenting severity
against the traitors here at home,
whether their reasonable activity
take the form of editing and publish
ing newspapers, Of utterlng 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 Dec
laration of Independence, of Wash
ington's Farewell address, of Lincoln's
! Gettysburg speech and second inaugu-
raj. We cannot tolerate any attempt
to oppose or supplant the language
| and culture that has come down to
us from the builders of this Republic
! with the language and culture of any
European country. The greatness of
| this nation depends on the swift as
| similation of the aliens she welcomes
| to her shores. Any force which at
! tempts to retard that assimilative
| process is force hostile to the high
asst interests of our country We call