Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1918-06-03
The Hospitable Gate
BY ABBiE FARWEcl BROWN
Of The Vieilantes.

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Millions entered by that lloSpitable
Gate which America left open 10 the
strangers from all hands. Millions of
the poor the friendlcsS, The war
Weary. 40 whom America offered pros
pcrliy friendship and peace. They
came from The ends of the earth. Ser
blans, Greeks, French. Russians, ltul-
ians, ArmeniWS, PoIeS-a hundred
races and more joStled over the
threshold. We welcomed them ALI
too readily, some thought fearing foi'
our 'unguarded gates" a> one poet
called them Many had not. as am
other poet accused. sufficient faith in
the miscalled "Scum of the earth"
Many of these became citizens and
in turn helped to order the affairs ri
the great government which had
opened it's door to them. Some re-
MANNED aliens But all proiited by our
laws and opportunities.
There came war The worst var
which the world has ever known. 4
war Of right against wrong; and pres
entity America was in 1t. Hut first
by thousands our friends went back
through the llo>pitabp Gate. SerhisuS.
Greeks, Russians French. Italians
bow many returned To the
countries they had never reuouuccd.
10 fight for The freedom of small M
tions against tyrau' foe who threat
ened the very cxi>tcu IF liberty,
out of our llo>pitah'y Gate they went.
back TO the ends Of the earth; carry
ing tn the desperately fighting lands
the news Of what American democracy
means. They bore living witness Of
the American idea 10 The struggling
small nations. In the martyred small
nations they are spreading the gospel
Of American brotherhood ana hope.
In the trenches % Belgium; III Tie
hidrouS German prisons where Rus
sian. Polish. French. Italian. English
prisoners are huddled there is secret
talk of what America does for her
friends; Of her strength, power ana
generosity.
1t will not be forgotten. Echoes will
be whispered when their poor lips are
dumb. Serbian ey,le~ talk il over IN
their flight. Armenian refugees live
upon the hope of it. The man who
once BACKED boots in New York Cos.
sips secretly about it in the mountains
of Greece The Chicago NX-Waiter
whispers It In dissatisfied Hungary.
The former Philadelphia fruit mer-
chant {, is of it in the streets Of Rome.
The ohe-tine rag-picker Of Boston
signs for it in the diSorderly streets
Of Moscow They have known. They
can tell. Everywhere the news is
spreading; even in muzzled Austria.
In Germarx itself. sealed to the truth
from outside, there are scared, whis-
pcred rumors.
For Germans and Austrians went
home too, to fight against their late
neighbors. To fight at last against
America the hostess who had wei
coined them kindly. That was tragic
but it was not dishonest (The dis.
honesty is in that Invisible army OF
sneaks- and spies who remained in ouI
midst, Nndeclared, To stab their adopt
ed country in the intimacy Of Judas
friendshpD
Yes, even through Germany seepS
the news of democracy, that went
back through the Gate, once so hos
ptahle to all, Those devoted mis-
guided soldiers, sacrificed by the hun.
dred thousand to PrusSlan ambition
echo ii In their broken-hearted diaries
Those quoted reyolutiouiSts, Watchiu.
the starved children and deSperat,
women in the empty Aus rian marke
places, will remember it. The wound
ed HungarianS will whisper it in tn,
Red Cross hospitals. Nay, the naughty
PruSSian officers will meet il at las
in the Stcely eyes of our young Amcri
can heroes They will recognize 1t II
their defeat
For out Of the IloSpltable Gate ha
gone another vast horde; dpdicatet
army, q cousccrulcd navy They ar
steauing tu The very frontiers Of an
focrHcy tyranny ANA greed With III