The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-02-23
Americanism is Keynote
of Founders Day at u

Grand Forks, y. D.. Feb. 23.-The
Privilege of Being an American, was
the special topic around which was
( built the Founders day program at
the University of North Dakota yes
( terday morning. The meeting opened
with patriotic music by the band and
| the singing of America by the audi
J ence.
Pres. Frank L. Mcvey, presiding,
I then called upon the first speaker of
the morning, Rev. H. B. Thorgrim-
| sen. who was born in Iceland. Mr..
Thorgrimson stated that he felt II an
! honor to be called upon to speak on
such a topic to such an audience, and
in telling of how he and others of his
countrymen came to be citizens Of the
United States, said that they came
/ into citizenship consciously, willingly,
and because they sought this as a
] privilege. They bought the privilege
at a high price. They left behind
them all that they held dear, home,
relations, fatherland. and they have
been transformed and grated into a
new country. He sketched the story
of the emigrant who comes to this
country green and stuck up, and
whose horizon gradually widens as the
! real American is revealed to him. He
said that when he took out his pa
pers Of citizenship he felt that a
badge had been placed on his very
heart, and that that heart wearing
that badge has ever since been beat
ing in unison with the rhythm of the
national anthem Of America.
He in no way deprecated the
memory of his fatherland. He stated
that he loves Iceland, and will always
praise the land of his birth, but never
to the detriment of his chosen land,
the United States. He described the
privileges of being an American, and
named as among them the constitu-
tfonr of the United States which he
said is the most wonderful constitu-
ton in all the world, fitting as it does
the needs of all the people who come
from all lands to make up the popula-
ton; he spoke of the government as
the language of America, with it's
expressive idioms, its phraseology, its
Smoothness and it's fieXibility; he
spoke with pride, saying that 1t will
one day be the universal language,
and he praised the educational sys-
tenn of the United States which is
making good citizens. He closed with
q plea to the students to be loyal to
the best principles Of American citi-
zenship.
President Mcvey then introduced
Professor Paolo Conte as that quiet
gentleman who came to the communi-
ty and has since gained every day
the love and respect of all. In re-
spending, Professor Conte began by
saying that he has always considered
himself an American though born in
Italy. His father who was a mission
airy to the Italians in this country,
took up his residence in Boston when
Paolo was years old and became
an American citizen. Returning to
Italy he with his family always OBJ
served as holidays Feb. %, and the
Fourth Of July.
|. Mr. Conte then gave a very inter
esting description of the educational
opportunities Of the youth of Italy,
contrasting them with the opportuni-
ties here. He spoke of the wea theS
conditions here and the fine spirit
which the people show, undaunted by
the severity of the winters. He told,
in that fascinating naive way which so
charms all who near him of the SEN
sitiveness of his native land and of
the other countries of Europe which
is in a measure responsible for the
present war. And speaking of the war
he stated that he alone remains of
all his graduating class from the
Royal Conservatory of Venice. All the
rest have been killed in the war with