Decorah-posten og ved arnen., 1918-11-22
WHAT is REORGANIZATION

The following article IN the subject
OF A"mericanizstion by DR.. =. T
Claxton. United States Commissioner
OF Education. should be helpful to
many in clearing away some Of the
confusion rampant in these days III
regard TO this vital question. Incl
dentally it may have a tendency 10
turn into useful channels the mis-
directed efforts OF some fanatical
public official who. from a m%isunder-
stood sense Of duty or a %misconcep-
ton OF the issue itself, is making a
sorry mess OF it and hurting a good
cause. DR.. Claxton writes as follows
in Americanization Bulletin;
Except for a quarter million North
American Indians. descendants OF the
natives whom the white settlers found
here, the people Of the United States
arc al lOltlku bOl ~ VI lht hNsNN hoAANS
OF foreign born ancestors. All are inn
migrants or the offspring of immi-
grants. The Oldest American families
are so new in this country that they
have hardly forgotten the traditions
and the home ties OF the countries
from which they came. Though we
are now more than a hundred millions
Of people between our double oceans,
we have yet 10 celebrate the 300th
anniversary of the founding of the
second Of the colonies out of which
the nation has grown; $50 years ago
there were less than three millions
of us.
From all the world we have come,
mostly sons OF the poor, all striving
TO better our condition in some way,
all looking for a larger measure OF
freedom than was possible for us in
the countries from which we came.
Here, free from the domination Of
autocratic government and from the
poisoning influences of decadent
aristocracies. forgetting our fears and
%Servile habits. we have elevated the
best from all countries into a common
possession, tranSfused and rams
formed II by our highest and best
ideals and called il Americanism
4 new thing this is in the world. and
the precious possession the
world has Though incomplete and
still IN the formative stage, growing
richer and grander as the years GO
by. constantly clearing and purifying
itself, ,us form and spirit are quite
vel determined
To enter into this common heritage
Of the best Of all, 20 be inspired with
these ideals, % learn 10 understand
the institutions which guarantee our
freedom and rights and enable Us to
work together for the common good.
10 resolve 20 forget all purely selfish
means for the work Of the highest
welfare OF our country and Of the
N'llN - 90 bFAbliN ElllVl lNdlllLCN ] %
give &C the foreign born population in
the United States and all other, the
fullest and freeSt opportunity for this
is what we in the Bureau az Fduca-
tion mean by AUGMENTATION Every
part Of orr program is directed TO this
end.
"Amerjcanization IS a process OF
education, Of winning the mind and
heart through instruction and en-
lightenmeut From the very nature
of the thing it can make little or no
use OF force. 1t must depend rather
on the attractive power and the sweet
reasonsbleness Of the thing itself.
Were II TO resort TO force by that
very act it would destroy its spirit
and cease TO be American. 1t would
also cease to be American if il should
become narrow and fixed and ex.
elusive. losing its faith in humanity
and rejecting vital and enriching ele-
ments from any source whatever.
"Our program Of education does
not compel but invites and ~allures.
II may, therefore, probably must, in
the beginning be slow; but in the end
1t will be swift and sure.
"Americanization is not something
which the Government or a group Of
individuals may do for the foreign
born or others. 1t is what these
persons do for themselves when the
opportunity is offered and they are
shown the way; what they do for the
country and the thing called demo-
crazy. The function OF the Govern
ment and all other agencies interested
in Americanization is to offer the
opportunity, make the appeal and in
spire the desire. They can and should
attempt nothing more than to reveal
in all their fullness the profit and the
joy Of working together for the COM
mon good and the attainment OF our
high ideals, 10 create the desire TO
have a part in the inspiring task. to
show the way by which each may do
his part best, and 10 help him set his