Grand Forks herald., 1917-02-22
AMfR|CAN|SM
KEY NOTE OF
FOUNDERS DAY
-Four Foreign Born Citizens
Testify to Loyalty to
Old Glory.
Patriotic Music adds to I'm
pressiveness of Uni
versity Festival.

The Privilege Of Being an Amer.
lean" was the special topic around
which was built the Founders Day
program at the University of North
Dakota this morning. The meeting
opened with patriotic music by the
pand and the singing Of America"
by the audience.
President Frank L. Mcvey. presid-
ing. then called upon the first speaker
OF the morning. Rev. H. B. Thorgrim-
sen. who was born in Iceland. Mr..
Ihorgrimsen stated that he felt it an
honor to be called upon to speak on
SUCH 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
privilege. They bought the privilege
at 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
country green and stuck up, and
whose horizon gradually widens as the
real America 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-
ton 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 pop
ulation; he spoke Of the government
as being always safe, right anc jus.;
of the language of America. with it's
expressive idioms its phraseology, its
smoothness and its flexibility; he
spoke with pride, saying that it will
one day be the universal language.
tenn Of the United States which Is
making good citizens. He closed with
a 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 commu-
nifty 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
ary to the Italians in this country,
took up his residence in Boston when
Paolo was two years old and became
an American citizen. Returning to
Italy he with his family always OBJ
served as holidays February % and
the Fourth Of July.
Mr.. Conte then gave q very inter-
esting description OF the educational
contrasting them with the opportuni-
ties here. He spoke Of the weather
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 hear 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
the exception Of one who died a
natural death.
The enthusiasm with which his
short address was received attested to
interest it had aroused and the af-
fection with which the speaker IS re-
garded
The next address by Richard E..
Wenzel of the Glass of 1909 stirred
the souls Of all who heard him. 1t
was a masterpiece, as sincere as 1t
was fervid, and came straight from
the heart of the fine American citi-
zen who uttered it. Born in Berlin
he came to this country with his
mother when lad of 10 years of age,
driven by the press of economic con-
ditions. AS he played on the deck
of the big liner coming to America in
1893, he looked in wonder at the peo-
pie who gathered about a flag he did
not know, the Stars and Stripes, and
he little knew that one day he would
stand before an audience of other
American citizens expressing his
whole-hearted allegiance to that flag.
All that he now has or may ever hope
to have, education. home life itself he
owes to the free land of America.
Mr.. Wenzel then reviewed the work
Of the foreign born American against
the background Of the history Of the